How to bet the Vagrancy Stakes

A cast of six talented fillies and mares will travel 6 1/2 furlongs on the Aqueduct dirt in Saturday’s $175,000 Vagrancy S. (G3). The value of the race lies with expected pacesetter #6 Beguine for conditioner Edward Allard. 

Vagrancy Wagers

• $25 exacta 6 with 2 ($25)
• $15 exacta 6 with 3 ($15)

By Gun Runner, the chestnut flashed a lot of potential as a sophomore which included a close second in the Fantasy S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park, and she found her niche as a one-turn specialist since joining this outfit in November of 2022. The Charles Matses homebred picked up her initial stakes win at Laurel Park in 2023, and her lone subpar showing last season when she ran into Goodnight Olive and Wicked Halo at Belmont in June. 

On Saturday, the five-year-old mare drew well on the outside and has earned the best Brisnet E1 and E2 Pace figures in the field which leads me to believe that she will clear the group early while coming in fresh off the bench for a 23% layoff trainer. Eric Cancel will pilot my top selection. 

The Grade 1-placed #2 Big Pond makes her first run since arriving in the barn of trainer Bill Mott. The former Tim Yakteen trainee faced much better in her latest endeavor when outrun in the Madison S. (G1) at Keeneland, but she will find this field more to her liking following a fast half-mile morning move on the Belmont training oval as of late. By Mr. Big, the bay has good gate presence and a fine turn of foot, and her best performance will find her right there late under the guidance of Junior Alvarado. 

I’ll use #3 Imonra to some extent, as well. The Saffie Joseph trainee has performed well in each of her one-turn races to date, and I liked her recent allowance win at Gulfstream in preparation for this dash. This Violence four-year-old will be unhurried in the early going and putting in her best run turning for home with Paco Lopez up. The dark bay has posted a pair of nice morning drills recently and will go postward at a fair number.