How to bet the 2024 Gander Stakes

Sunday’s $100,000 Gander S. at Aqueduct might be restricted to horses bred in New York, but the one-mile contest for three-year-olds has drawn a pair of Triple Crown nominees.

The field quality is high, and even though only six horses have entered a competitive race appears to be in the offing. I’m going to bet for a mild upset.

Gander S. wagers

• $7.50 trifecta: 1,4 with 1,2,4 with 1,2,4 ($30)

One of the Triple Crown nominees is #2 Doc Sullivan, and the son of Solomini will likely be favored after posting back-to-back victories against New York-breds at Aqueduct. On Dec. 29, he rallied from midfield to win a six-furlong maiden special weight by 1 3/4 lengths. On Jan. 19, he again closed from midfield to dominate an $80,000 allowance optional claimer by seven lengths.

That runaway victory yielded a 99 Brisnet Speed rating, easily the highest number in the Gander field. But that effort came over a monumentally slow track, and I generally hesitate to trust big speed figures earned under such conditions. Doc Sullivan’s maiden victory produced a more down-to-earth 86 Speed rating, and while it’s possible he improved sharply while stretching out over one mile, I’m willing to bet he won’t repeat his 99 in the Gander.

Two rivals appeal to me as upset candidates. #1 The Big Torpedo is one. He trounced a one-mile maiden special weight against New York-breds at Aqueduct by 10 lengths, one start after finishing a troubled fourth (upgraded to third via disqualification) in the seven-furlong $500,000 New York Stallion Series S. (Great White Way division) at Aqueduct. In the Great White Way, The Big Torpedo was blocked around the turn and checked hard at the top of the stretch before re-rallying gamely down the lane, so you can make a case he could have vied for victory with a clear trip.

The other contender I find appealing is #4 Pandagate, the second Triple Crown nominee. A nine-length debut winner racing a mile against New York-breds at Aqueduct, Pandagate followed up with a rallying third-place finish in a non-state-restricted $62,500 allowance optional claimer at Laurel Park. At Laurel, Pandagate got squeezed badly between rivals shortly after the start and steadied off heels on the first turn, but never gave up and was beaten only 4 1/2 lengths.

Pandagate’s two starts have yielded Speed ratings of 92 and 81, suggesting he’s fast enough to challenge in the Gander. Three consecutive bullet workouts at Payson Park in Florida this month add to the appeal, suggesting Pandagate is sitting on a big effort in his three-year-old debut.