How to bet the Chelsey Flower Stakes

Six juvenile fillies are entered for the outer turf course in Sunday’s $150,000 Chelsey Flower S. at Aqueduct. The 1 1/16-mile affair has more early types signed on than usual for a race of this nature, and the late runners will get top billing in the grassy feature. 

Chelsey Flower Wagers

• $25 exacta 4 with 3 ($25)
• $15 exacta 3 with 4 ($15)

I’m most intrigued by #4 Rare Art for conditioner Tony Dutrow. Purchased for $170,000 as a yearling, the daughter of good grass influence Munnings closed from well back to finish a close third in her unveiling at Saratoga on July 21. Sent postward as the 2-1 favorite in her second assignment at the same venue, the dark bay rewarded her backers with a solid tally in graduating. 

Rare Art tried graded foes in the Miss Grillo S. (G2) in her first with winners most recently and passed some runners in the deep field when coming home fifth. She will need to improve off of that to beat this group, but I feel like the shape of the race will be ideal for her running style, and her price will likely be fair as well. Joel Rosario returning to ride the Kentucky-bred is a major positive, in my opinion. The lass will attempt to go last-to-first in the heat. 

I’m pretty confident that we have yet to see the best from maiden heroine #3 Opulent Restraint for conditioner Chad Brown. The Dubawi filly went postward at 7-10 odds in her debut at Saratoga when finishing a useful fourth, which preceded a half-length victory in a similar type of affair at the Spa on Sept. 1. Her dam, Significant Form, won five stakes races on the lawn in the Empire State in her career, and the January foal will look to follow in her footsteps on Sunday. 

Brown brings the filly in fresh for this one with five well-timed morning moves as of late, and she has displayed a measure of tactical speed in her two lifetime appearances as well. Flavien Prat taking the reins is never a bad thing.