How to bet with, and against, Bob's Edge in the Aristides Stakes

Bob's Edge wins the Whitmore Stakes (Photo by Coady Photography)

June 2nd, 2022

Grade 3 winner #5 Bob’s Edge (3-1) is the lukewarm favorite for Saturday’s $200,000 Aristides S. at Churchill Downs. A total of eight talented one-turn specialists will vie in the co-feature in what seems to be a very good betting race.

Trained by Larry Jones, Bob’s Edge has been in very good form in 2022 with a pair of stakes wins to his credit. He kicked off this campaign with a victory in the King Cotton S. to commence his four-year-old season, preceding his Whitmore S. (G3) score at Oaklawn Park.

Bob's Edge wins the Whitmore Stakes (Photo by Coady Photography)

Bred in the Bluegrass State, the bay has registered a pair of triple-digit Brisnet Speed figures in his last trio of assignments, and if he isn’t left with too much to do turning for home, then the talented gelding will be tough to hold off inside the final furlong. Adam Beschizza will be in the stirrups.

The deserving morning-line choice is mostly a one-run closer, however, and if the pace is moderate, then he could have a hard time passing each of his foes late.

#6 Top Gunner (7-2) has never been better for conditioner John Ortiz and rates as the one to catch on Saturday. The son of top sire Into Mischief has been especially sharp as of late, led by a convincing, two-length victory beneath the Twin Spires in the St. Matthews S. most recently.

The five-year-old has performed well in his two morning drills since his initial stakes triumph, and I think that he will be a major player with something resembling his latest outing. Reylu Gutierrez will be in the silks once again and asking his mount for speed from the opening bell.

The value of the dash could be #7 Jalen Journey (10-1) for conditioner Steve Asmussen. By With Distinction, the seven-year-old was an allowance runner-up at Oaklawn Park last time out, and the gelding is rounding up to a peak performance in his third start off the bench. Jalen Journey is one-for-one on the surface, and he has a perfect post draw to track the early tempo from the break. The Florida-bred will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the stirrups.