How to bet With, and Against, Yesternight in the Dogwood Stakes

A well-matched field of nine sophomore fillies will vie in the $300,000 Dogwood S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile affair is led by the Lindsay Schultz-trained #1 Yesternight (3-1), who checked in second in the Cathryn Sophia S. at Parx while making her route debut last time out. The Midnight Storm filly has always flashed big early speed, and she really impressed with a dominant allowance trump at Monmouth Park two starts back when earning a hefty 99 Brisnet Speed number. 

Yesternight – With

• $25 exacta 1 with 7 ($25)
• $4 trifecta key 1 with 2,7,9 ($24)

Yesternight – Against

• $30 win #7 Twice as Sweet ($30)
• #4 trifecta key 7 with 1,2,9 ($18)

Yesternight cuts back in distance to seven furlongs on Saturday which seems like an ideal trip for the dark bay. The Kentucky-bred posted a pair of useful morning drills in anticipation of her graded stakes debut, and she will be among the leaders from the break with James Graham picking up the mount. 

I’m expecting a big effort from Godolphin’s #7 Twice as Sweet (6-1) at a nice number. The stakes-winning chestnut has run a pair of very good races since coming off the short absence in June, and she seems perfectly suited to run a peak race at seven-eighths, as well. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the well-bred miss has good tactical speed and will get first run on the deeper closing types in the race with Declan Cannon in the stirrups. 

#2 Metaphysical (10-1) is not a prime win candidate in the test but rates a nice chance to hit the board at a price for trainer Jeff Hiles. Fourth in the lucrative Charles Town Oaks (G3) most recently, the consistent daughter of American Freedom is often well placed turning for home on both the turf and the dirt, and her recent bullet five-furlong drill on the oval last weekend tells me that she is ready to run. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be in the irons atop the stalker.

#9 Alexa Lou (4-1) was a fine allowance winner at Ellis Park in her 2023 debut and will be in the mix late with improvement in her second off the long absence. The Dallas Stewart broke her maiden on the oval in November, and she has a higher ceiling with just three runs under her belt to this stage of her development. The Speightstown filly will have Julien Leparoux in the silks.