How to bet the Twixt Stakes

Seven fillies and mares will vie in Sunday’s $100,000 Twixt S. at Laurel Park. The one-mile event run at one turn attracted a strong group and a case can be made for each of the sophomores in the heat. 

Twixt Wagers

• $20 win #7 Mystic Pleasure ($20)
• $1 trifecta 3,7 with 1,3,7 with all ($20)

I like the expected trip that #7 Mystic Pleasure will get in the race, and in a field with little separation, that’s enough for me to side with the filly. Purchased for $110,000 in January, the daughter of Good Magic has run quite well in three of her five assignments since joining conditioner Rudolphe Brisset, led by a close third in the Groupie Doll S. at Ellis Park in her latest venture. 

The Kentucky-bred chestnut has found her niche as a one-turn dirt horse with a trio of wins and a close third from four races of the kind, and she has simply never been better. On Sunday, Sheldon Russell will get her out of the gate fast and have the filly pressing the pace established by #2 Continentalcongres to the top of the lane, before taking the lead turning for home. 

#3 Miss New York, who scratched out of the Obeah S. at Delaware Park on Wednesday in favor of this contest, will be a contender with her top showing. Conditioned by Jorge Delgado, the stakes-winning daughter of Good Magic was second to a nice one in the affair in 2023, and she also delivered a fine closing run to defeat allowance foes with relative ease on this surface in her second run of the season, too. The chestnut has a fair amount of tactical speed to stay in range early, and if she doesn’t have too much to do late, then she rates a big chance under the guidance of Daniel Centeno. 

Todd Pletcher’s #1 Miss Justify returns to the venue where she broke her maiden in October and will likely be favored at post time. By Justify, the talented filly bagged the Wilton S.  at Saratoga two back, which preceded a fourth-place finish behind the sublime Thorpedo Anna in the Alabama S. (G1) in her latest offering. The bay obviously possesses a lot of ability, and she is also 2-for-2 at the distance, but I’m not in love with her facing her elders in this event. I will surely use her underneath in the vertical exotics but will let the sophomore beat me on this occasion.