Betting With, and Against, Skippylongstocking in the Essex Handicap

Pegasus World Cup (G1) victor #5 Skippylongstocking (4-5) has been installed as the morning-line choice for the $500,000 Essex H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. Trained by Saffie Joseph, the Florida-bred son of Exaggerator has amassed in excess of $5.4 million in his career and is not showing signs of slowing down at seven. He has won a pair of races in succession after running two poor ones in the summer and seems to be back to his best self. 

Skippylongstocking – With

• $10 trifecta 5 with 4 with 6,7 ($20)
• 50-cent superfecta 5 with 4,6,7 with 4,6,7 with all ($15)

Skippylongstocking – Against

• $3 exacta box 4,6,7 ($18)
• 50-cent superfecta 6 with 4,5,7 with 4,5,7 with all ($15)

Skippylongstocking rallied from well off a hot pace in the Pegasus, but he does possess useful tactical speed and will be closer to the tempo on Saturday. The favorite owns a win and a third from two previous tries at Oaklawn and will be formidable with his best performance with Micah Husbands in the silks. 

But the expected heavy choice in the wagering will be giving his foes up to nine pounds, and he is also not the most consistent horse in training, so for those looking for alternatives, there are some viable options. 

Grade 3 winner #6 Accelerize (9-2) might be the main danger to ‘Skippy for conditioner Todd Pletcher. The dark bay Omaha Beach colt was stubborn when second by a head in the Mineshaft (G3) at Fair Grounds last time out and will have blinkers on for this tussle. The four-year-old is quick from the gate and figures to be the one to run down at the top of the lane with Christian Torres in the irons.

#4 Runaway Again (15-1) can run big on his best day and was a Canadian classic winner in his lone dirt voyage to date. The Hard Spun gelding had a useful prep for this in a dash at Turfway Park on Feb. 18 and has spent the majority of the winter training on this main strip. The Ontario-bred has longshot appeal to me while making his second run for the crafty David Jacobson. 

Multiple stakes winner #7 Doc Sullivan (8-1) has been primarily a one-turn horse in his recent past, although he just missed in the Empire Classic at nine panels in his latest two-turn tilt in October. The John Ortiz pupil has good pace presence in a field lacking a slew of early types. He might be seen tracking the tempo from second to the top of the lane and getting the jump on the late runners turning for home. Ricardo Santana, Jr. retains the mount.