How to bet the Garland of Roses Stakes

A field of seven fillies and mares will vie in Sunday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses S. at Aqueduct.

Garland of Roses Analysis

The main pace of the race will come from the outside with #6 Hey NMamaluke and #7 Honey I’m Good flashing big early foot. And while I respect both of those 4-year-old fillies, I don’t expect either to be challenging for the win inside the final stages of the 6-furlong dash. Instead, I am siding with a pair coming off the bench that will do their best running in the stretch.

#2 Saguaro Row leads my selections for Michael Stidham. The 5-year-old daughter of Union Rags makes her first appearance since February for a conditioner who is solid with layoff types. The relatively lightly raced mare has done much of her best work in the Empire State, especially at Aqueduct.

The bay sports a 3-2-1-0 line on the surface, with a pair of stakes wins and a runner-up performance in the Go For Wand H. (G3) here last campaign. She boasts a potent turn of foot on her best day, and the Kentucky-bred enters with six solid morning drills in preparation for her comeback. Joel Rosario has the assignment atop the late runner.

RELATED: Nonne Madeline looms large in Go For Wand Handicap

Grade 3 heroine #1 Lady Ninja makes her first outing for conditioner Shug McGaughey and drew the rail for Sunday. On the shelf following a fourth-place result in the Santa Monica (G2) in February, the Majesticperfection mare hit her peak in 2019 while winning or placing in seven of eight starts throughout the season.

The versatile 6-year-old has trained well in the interim, led by a bullet half-mile drill at Belmont Park on Thursday. Jose Ortiz will be in the silks and have the dark bay near midpack while saving ground to the head of the stretch.

I will use the duo in all of my multi-race plays, as well as keying them on top in my vertical bets.

Garland of Roses Wagers

• $10 Exacta Box: 1-2 ($20)
• $2 Trifecta: 1,2 with 1,2 with all ($20)
• $1 Trifecta: 1,2 with all with 1,2 ($10)