How to bet the Interborough Stakes

An octet of fillies and mares will run seven-eighths on the Aqueduct main oval in Saturday’s $135,000 Interborough S. The impressive and unbeaten #2 Lucille Ball will attract a lot of attention in the affair after posting a superb allowance victory on the oval in her second lifetime appearance, but she will face off with a nice cast of hard-knocking ladies in this tilt and I feel that others will offer more value in the heat. 

Interborough Wagers

• $5 exacta box 3,7,8 ($30)
• 50-cent trifecta box 2,3,7,8 ($12)

Grade-2 placed #3 Just Katherine was outrun by the peaking Weigh the Risks in December, off the 15-month absence, and will make her second run back in this heat for Jimenez. The Justify six-year-old has done good things at this venue, evidenced by her 5-2-1-1 local line, and has the back class to be a major player in the affair, with Civaci retaining the mount. The mare has run some of her best races at the distance and will be stalking the pace from the opening bell in this spot. 

Todd Pletcher’s #7 Scalable is the defending champ in the event and rates a big chance right back on this occasion. The late-running daughter of Speightstown has run into a fine horse in two straight and looks like a very good fit in this one if she produces her best effort. Repole color bearer is a pretty good middle-distance mare on her best day and will be doing her best work inside the final furlong of the heat. Christopher Elliot will take the reins. 

Multiple stakes heroine #8 Stonewall Star owns five wins from 11 career runs on this strip and is well drawn on the outside of the field for De Paz. The Flatter six-year-old didn’t fire last time out, but she has back class, and the bay also has a lot of room to improve while making just her third run since December of 2024. Jaime Rodriguez will be in the stirrups. 

Lucille Ball might be the real deal after registering a massive 104 Brisnet Speed rating off the shelf last time out, but she has raced just once in 14 months and takes a serious class rise while facing some accomplished veterans in the cast. I’ll use her, but I feel that she might be vulnerable at fairly short odds.