How to bet the 2024 Sands Point Stakes

Seven sophomore fillies are entered for the turf in Saturday’s $200,000 Sands Point S. (G2) on Saturday at Aqueduct. Trainer Chad Brown has a pair of ladies entered in the nine-furlong affair in hopes of bagging the race for a record sixth time, but I’ll go elsewhere in search of the winner. 

Sands Point Wagers

• $10 win and place #5 Courbe ($20)
• $10 exacta box 2-5 ($20)
• $5 trifecta 2,5 with with 2,5 with 4 ($10)

In a field that lacks a standout, the Todd Pletcher-trained #5 Courbe (15-1) is surely worth a play while making her turf debut. The gray daughter of Quality Road has lacked consistency to this stage of her development, but the homebred has run a few big ones in her lifetime and could peak while making her third start of 2024. 

Courbe hails from a deep female family with classy turf runners in it, she has displayed a nice turn of foot that should translate well to the grass, and I also feel that she will be a generous price at post time as well. If Kendrick Carmouche can keep the filly in striking range leading up to the turn for home, then I expect her to be a formidable foe inside the final furlong. 

#2 Spaliday (9-5) is the contender from the Brown barn that I like most in the affair and expect her to be charging down the lane late under Manny Franco. By More Than Ready out of champion Dayatthespa, the filly rallied for a nice tally in the Boiling Springs S. at Monmouth Park two back, which preceded a solid fourth-place run in the deep Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga last out when falling just 1 1/2 lengths shy at the wire. She has improved since adding blinkers two back and is a must-use, in my opinion. 

Expected pacesetter #4 Macanga (6-1) threw in the towel in the lane running 1 3/8 miles in the Jockey Club Oaks (G3) on the surface in her most recent endeavor, but the Rick Dutrow pupil will appreciate the cutback in distance on Saturday and could hang around for a share with her top effort. Jose Lezcano will guide the daughter of American Pharoah and put her on the lead a few jumps after the start.