How to bet the 2023 Advent Stakes

A big field of 12 juveniles will dash 5 1/2 furlongs in Oaklawn Park’s opening-day feature, the $150,000 Advent S. The top four betting choices seem to be formidable in the heat and my wagers will be based around the quartet in the Friday headliner. 

Advent Wagers

• $25 win #1 Spirit’s Mischief ($25)
• $4 trifecta key 1 with 4,6,10 ($24)
• $2 trifecta 4,6,10 with 1 with 4,6,10 ($12)

#1 Spirit’s Mischief (5-1) is the inside pace of the race and gets the nod to lead the event from start to finish for conditioner Wesley Ward. By Into Mischief, the $350,000 yearling purchase finished third on debut over the turf at Churchill Downs, prior to graduating over a sloppy, sealed strip at Keeneland second time out. The fleet colt has posted bullet morning moves in his last pair of workouts, and I fully expect Gerardo Corrales to send him hard out of the gate. 

Morning-line choice #10 Valentine Candy (2-1) was a solid third in the Bowman Mill S. at Keeneland in his latest showing and surely makes sense for trainer Steve Asmussen. The $250,000 son of Justify was a smart runner-up in an allowance tilt two prior, and he draws outside of the other pace in the field to be assured of a good trip early on, as well. This Kentucky-bred chestnut will be fit for his fifth outing of 2023 with Ramon Vazquez taking the reins. 

#4 Molly’s Town (3-1) is a two-time stakes winner who suffered his first career setback with a solid fourth-place result in the Eddie Brown S. beneath the Twin Spires last time out. The Genaro Garcia trainee dominated Indiana-bred foes in four straight to begin his career, and the son of Mo Town fits well in this field with even slight improvement off of his most recent endeavor. The bay will be forwardly placed from the opening bell with Emmanuel Esquivel picking up the mount. 

The stakes-winning #6 Sweet Soddy J (9-2) has been battle-tested with five stakes tries in succession and is a sure exotics contender while facing this group. The Bee Jersey gelding has good early foot and will sit a favorable voyage from the second flight to the top of the lane in the dash. The chestnut will have Martin Chuan in the irons.