A bright, decisive afternoon is set at Aqueduct on Saturday, December 13, where fillies and mares take centre stage and speed meets maturity in a nine-race card built for headlines. The Go for Wand Stakes sits at the heart of the program — a one-turn mile that will test timing, grit, and finishing power — while sprinters and state-bred youngsters look to announce themselves on the Big A’s winter stage.
The day promises a balance of seasoned stakes runners and emerging apprentice stars, all framed by Aqueduct’s crisp winter light and the finish-line hum that rewards bold moves. From the opening chapters of raw speed to the middle sections of measured tactics, the afternoon reads like a short novel, culminating in stakes-level drama between 12:10 PM and 4:10 PM.
The marquee event, the $150,000 Go for Wand Stakes (Aqueduct Race 7), is a one-turn mile for fillies and mares three and up, carrying both the weight of the day and the attention of New York connections. Klaravich Stables’ Weigh the Risks arrives in peak form under Chad Brown after a series of impressive performances on dirt, including a recent Pumpkin Pie victory, making her a logical centerpiece for the afternoon. Other contenders include Tipple, Scalable, Zadorsky, Just Katherine, and Stonewall Star, offering a compact, competitive field with stakes experience and tactical variety.
The card also features five high-stakes races of $80,000 or more, giving horses opportunities to make statements early and mid-afternoon. Aqueduct Race 2 ($88,000, 6F, 12:40 PM) brings together established sprinters and improving three-year-olds over six furlongs, with contenders such as Floodlites, Trust Fund, Notah, Sacrosanct, Ranger Battalion, My Mitole, and Re Markably. Race 3 ($85,000, 6F, 1:10 PM) is a juvenile sprint designed to spotlight emerging talent, featuring names like Sonic Surge, Right to Party, Funky See Funky Do, Fightforallegiance, Marble Hall, Crossingthechannel, Iron Honor, and The Markinater.
Aqueduct Race 6 ($80,000, 6½F, 2:40 PM) showcases New York-bred fillies, highlighting the depth of the state program over a testing six-and-a-half-furlong stretch. Contenders include Tuthilltown, Liberty’s Advance, Quinns Silent Roar, Celestial Body, Fairy Godmother, Aqua Blaze, and Purple Divine, among others.
Race 8 ($88,000, 1 mile, 3:40 PM) demands balance and late acceleration, separating stayers from speed types, with fillies and mares such as Save Us Melania, She’s Fascinating, Broadway Lights, Collect the Data, Belle of the Dance, and Walk With Me in contention. The final high-stakes race, Aqueduct Race 9 ($81,000, 7F, 4:10 PM), is a late-card allowance for New York-bred fillies and mares, including Dorth’s Sol Dancer, Cara’s Dreamweaver, Princess Becca, Clearwater Beach, Sunshine Lily, Graceful Rose, and Last Glory, offering the last chance to make a seasonal statement before the winter break.
Key storylines for the day revolve around recent form and tactical nuances. Weigh the Risks has thrived since returning to dirt five starts ago, dominating an Aqueduct mile optional claimer by nine lengths before capturing the Pumpkin Pie Stakes, signalling a filly fully acclimatised to the surface and distance.
Scalable, trained by Todd Pletcher, brings classic late-running ability and a Grade 3 résumé, with prior success at seven furlongs and a mile suggesting she may benefit from the extra furlong in the Go for Wand. Other notable entries like Just Katherine, Stonewall Star, Zadorsky, and Tipple add depth and experience, creating a compact field that highlights surface preference, form, and racecraft — storylines that could define winter campaigns for several connections.
The remaining races complement the marquee action. The card opens at 12:10 PM with Aqueduct Race 1 ($38,000 Claiming, 6½F), a quick sprint for three-year-olds and up that often produces fresh-faced contenders. Aqueduct Race 4 ($65,000 Starter Allowance, 6F) at 1:40 PM offers a crisp mid-card test where tactical speed and gate position are paramount.
Mid-afternoon, Aqueduct Race 5 ($33,000 Claiming, 1 mile) at 2:10 PM rewards balance and sustained pressure from young runners still finding their way. These races thread into the larger narrative of the day, with early speed setting the stage, mid-card contests building momentum, and late allowances closing out a competitive Big A afternoon.
Saturday’s card at Aqueduct is a concentrated showcase of racing talent, from sprinting juveniles to turf-to-dirt converts, all building toward the Listed mile of the Go for Wand. With Weigh the Risks’ recent surge, state-bred battles, and allowance tests that follow, the day offers a clear throughline of horses stepping up and programs positioning for winter campaigns. Expect crisp, decisive racing under Aqueduct’s winter sky — a day that will leave names to watch and stories that linger into the new year.
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