Exotics Plays for the Dust Commander Stakes

A full field of 12 will vie in Saturday’s $125,000 Dust Commander S. at Turfway Park. The 1 1/16-mile contest is a wide-open tilt with numerous top-three contenders in the cast and appears to be a very good wagering opportunity. 

Dust Commander Exotics

• $3 exacta key box 11 with 3,8,10 ($18)
• 50-cent trifecta 11 with 3,8,10 with all ($15)
• 10-cent superfecta 3,11 with 3,8,10,11 with 3,8,10,11 with all ($10.80)

#11 Yamato (4-1), one of two in the heat for conditioner Mike Maker, dons a solid 12-5-2-2 mark on the synthetic overall and has a lot of appeal to me on the cutback in distance, combined with the surface change. The eight-year-old son of Artie Schiller fell three lengths short in the McKnight S. (G2) on the Gulfstream lawn most recently, but the talented gelding had registered a pair of good runs on the all-weather at that venue prior to that one. I envision the Kentucky-bred to be closing fast inside the final furlong under Gerardo Corrales. 

#3 Hush of A Storm (3-1) is no stranger to these surroundings having compiled a 10-4-1-4 local line to his credit. The seven-year-old son of Creative Cause finished a closing third in the Prairie Bayou S. on the strip in his 2024 finale and has posted five solid morning drills in the interim. Trained by Brad Cox, the bay gelding gets a good draw to save ground early before putting in his late work under Vincent Cheminaud. 

#10 Bourbon Day (6-1), also from the Maker barn, was an even third in a local allowance tilt in his first off the claim and figures to improve second out for this conditioner. The six-year-old son of Race Day has won or placed in eight of his last nine performances in advance of Saturday and is too consistent to leave off of my tickets. Luan Machado has the call and will have the chestnut stalking the pace to the top of the lane at a fair price. 

#8 Santorini (5-1) likes the surface with a 6-2-1-3 career line, and the Rodolphe Brisset pupil also possesses very good early speed, as well. This Twirling Candy five-year-old led at every call in a recent allowance triumph on the oval and could take another step forward in his third run off the bench. The gelding was third in the race last campaign and will have regular pilot Alex Achard in the silks.