How to bet the 2024 Gold Fever Stakes

A sharp group of eight sophomores will go postward in the $150,000 Gold Fever S. at Aqueduct on Sunday. The well-matched cast lacks a standout and could go to any horse in the event. I’ll spread with a trio of runners, led by #3 Doncho for conditioner Michelle Lovell. 

Gold Fever Wagers

• $10 Exacta: key box 3 with 6,8 ($40)
• $3 Trifecta: box 3,6,8 ($18)

By Mo Town, the $72,000 juvenile purchase debuted in December and led at every call en route to a five-length romp at Fair Grounds. Returning at the same venue in February, the Kentucky-bred powered clear to a daylight allowance victory while coming home in swift fashion once again. The gelding chased a clear leader in the Lafayette S. at Keeneland most recently before tiring to fourth in the stretch, but that performance was a bit better than it appeared to be on paper. 

Doncho has come back with a pair of nice morning drills in the interim and seems set for his local bow. Jaime Torres comes in to ride and will be putting the dark bay into the mix from the break on Sunday. 

#6 Eliminate, one of two in the field for Todd Pletcher, has run well in each of his sprint races to date and seems like a key exotics piece from off of the early tempo in the dash. The chestnut son of Curlin is not especially consistent and he doesn’t appear to be the best win candidate in the group, but he did make up a lot of ground late in the recent Bay Shore S. and might have found his niche as a one-run closing sprinter. The Kentucky-bred colt will have Irad Ortiz, Jr. on board. 

#8 Maximus Meridius has never run a bad race to date for conditioner Butch Reid. The sophomore colt held a big edge in the lane of the recent Bay Shore before being run down and finishing a clear runner-up, and the cutback in distance will likely aid the Keystone State-bred in this spot. He shows a strong half-mile drill since that try and gets a rider upgrade to Joel Rosario for this contest. He will be hard to keep off of the board with something like his best showing.