Exotics Plays for the 2025 Bryan Station Stakes

An overflow field of 15 sophomores are entered to run one mile on the Keeneland grass in Saturday's wildly competitive $600,000 Bryan Station S. (G3). A staggering seven of the 12 three-year-olds in the main body of the field are sons of the red-hot Not This Time, including my upset selection #8 Tenacious Leader (12-1). Conditioned by Todd Pletcher, the dark bay colt has run well in both lifetime spins on the sod leading up to this contest, including a game allowance tally on the course on Oct. 4 in his return from a 12-month absence. 

Bryan Station Exotics

• $3 exacta key box 8 with 3,10,12 ($18)
• $.50-cent trifecta 8 with 3,10,12 with all ($15)
• $.50-cent trifecta 3,10,12 with 8 with all ($15)

Tenacious Leader has very good tactical speed, which is key in a big field to ensure a sensible voyage, and my feeling is that his allowance run was intended solely as a prep for this endeavor. The $375,000 yearling buy, who finished a neck shy of the excellent Zulu Kingdom in his prior run on the green, put in a maintenance half-mile morning move leading up to Saturday, and I expect improvement from him with John Velazquez retaining the mount.  

Trainer Bill Mott has two live ones in the event, and they are difficult to separate in my opinion. #10 Simulate (8-1) didn’t thrive over the Kentucky Downs surface while running 1 5/16 miles in his latest offering, but the son of Kitten’s Joy was in very good form in advance of that contest and could surely win this race with a top performance. Irad will take the reins. 

Mott’s #12 Salamis (6-1) has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each career run to date and comes off a measured score in the Gio Ponti S. at Aqueduct. The Juddmonte homebred wasn’t done any favors being assigned the widest post in the deep cast, but the powerful late runner could be good enough to overcome the outer slot with continued ascension beneath regular rider Flavien Prat. 

Jorge Duarte’s #3 Antisocial (15-1) has never run a bad race on the lawn and had a fine prep for this when he was a rallying fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Simpson S. (G1) at Kentucky Downs. The Not This Time colt has a versatile running style and is proven at the distance, so I expect him to be in the hunt turning for home at a big price under Luis Saez.