Betting with, and against, American Apple in the 2023 Pea Patch Stakes

A total of 11 sophomore fillies will speed 5 1/2 furlongs on the Ellis Park turf in Sunday’s $100,000 Pea Patch S. The field is led by Matron S. (G3) heroine #1 American Apple (3-1), who was last seen finishing a game second in the Soaring Softly S. (G3) at Belmont Park.

Trained by Daniel Leitch, the three-year-old daughter of American Pharoah failed to hit the board on the main oval in her first pair of lifetime tries but showed marked improvement on the move to the green following those efforts. The KatieRich homebred concluded her juvenile campaign with a sixth-place run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and has run well in a trio of outings this year.

A closing fourth in the deep Limestone S. at Keeneland commenced her sophomore season, which was followed by a game runner-up performance in the Mamzelle S. at Churchill Downs. The bay has versatility, fitness, and a fine post slot to save ground throughout the affair. Gerardo Corrales will pilot the morning-line choice for her second local assignment.

The Wesley Ward-trained #3 Daring Do (9-2) will make her stakes debut in this run and looms a big chance in my opinion. By Into Mischief, the talented miss defeated first-level allowance foes at Keeneland in April while making her first appearance on the sod, which preceded a solid third in a subsequent allowance tilt at Churchill Downs most recently. The Lael Stables’ homebred faced older horses in each of her previous two races, and I feel that the move back in with her fellow sophomores will benefit her in a big way. Regular rider Walter Rodriguez retains the mount and will have the filly forwardly placed early on.

#2 Twice as Sweet (8-1) broke her maiden on this surface in her second career race in August and hasn’t raced over the turf since that sharp performance. Conditioned by Brendan Walsh, the Godolphin homebred is a stakes winner on the dirt and comes off of a nice allowance victory, and she is clearly talented enough to have a major say in the outcome of the heat. The Candy Ride chestnut has the gate presence to be in the mix from the opening bell and has excellent value at her morning-line number with Declan Cannon in the irons.

American Apple – With

$30 exacta: 1 with 3 ($30)

$20 exacta: 1 with 2 ($20)

American Apple – Against

$1 trifecta: 2,3 with 1,2,3 with all ($36)

$1 superfecta: 3 with 1,2 with 1,2 with all ($16)