Fair Grounds: How to bet the 2022 Albert Stall Memorial Stakes

A total of six stakes races will take place during a huge day of racing at Fair Grounds on Saturday. In the event preceding the quartet of graded events to close out the card, a field of 10 will vie in the grassy $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial S.

I will take a shot with #10 Drapes (10-1) from the outside post. The Glen Hill Farm color bearer makes her second start since arriving in the barn of James Baker while stretching out from a dash to a route race. The daughter of American Pharoah is not overly consistent, and she will need a lifetime best to win this, but I like her race pattern and expect her to take a nice leap forward on Saturday.

Drapes has the early presence to avoid being left early on, and if alert from the break, then the five-year-old could sit a perfect trip from the second flight while in the clear throughout. The post-time price should be juicy with Santo Sanjur guiding the mare.

#1 Pass the Plate (3-1) will be formidable from off the pace with her best performance for Paul McGee. The strong late runner is a dual stakes queen on the course and was a rallying third over yielding ground in this event in 2021. By Temple City, the five-year-old mare does her best work locally, and she moves up if there is some give in the course as well. Marcelino Pedroza returns to the silks and will have the Kentucky-bred saving ground throughout the affair.

#4 Out of Sorts (8-1), one of two in the cast for conditioner Brittany Russell, is a filly that I will include in the lower rungs of the gimmicks. The dark bay daughter of Dramedy has no early interest, but the four-year-old owns a solid turn of foot and has kept solid company for the duration of her racing career. The addition of both blinkers and Luis Saez makes me think that she has to be tossed into the mix at a decent price.

Albert M. Stall Memorial Wagers

• $10 win and place #10 Drapes ($20)
• $8 exacta box 1-10 ($16)
• 50-cent superfecta 1, 10 with 1, 10 with 4 with all ($7)
• 50-cent superfecta 1, 10 with 4 with 1, 10 with all ($7)