How to bet the Notebook Stakes

A full field of juveniles bred in the Empire State will vie in Friday’s $125,000 Notebook S. at Aqueduct. The grassy test at eight panels on the lawn features some nice prospects, and I’ll give sharp debut winner #5 Caroline St. Beat a big chance in his stakes bow. Trained by Miguel Clement, the son of Tiz the Law was bet to favoritism in that first offering on Aug. 15 and delivered with a comfortable, 2 1/4-length tally over a ‘good’ Saratoga surface. 

Notebook Wagers

• $5 trifecta key 5 with 1,6,8 ($30)
• 50-cent trifecta 5 with 1,6,8 with all ($15)

The $100,000 yearling buy was given some time off and comes into the Friday feature with four solid morning moves. The February foal displayed some tactical speed and a nice turn of foot, but in this spot with plenty of pace signed on, I expect him to take back and do his best work inside the final furlong. Manny Franco retains the ride atop the chestnut. 

Stakes winner #1 Spirit of New York will stretch out for the first time in his career and drew well on the fence for his route debut. Conditioned by Adam Rice, the son of Honest Mischief was game in posting a strong score in his first run at this venue last time out and could be any kind going two turns in this endeavor. He loses Franco but picks up the talented Ricardo Santana, Jr. The gelding will be in the hunt from the early going. 

Graham Motion’s #6 Jaxer responded to the addition of blinkers with a clear maiden win locally in advance of this, and can’t be ignored. The Slumber homebred has shown improvement with each start to date, and he possesses the positional speed to be in range throughout, with leading pilot Flavien Prat taking the reins once again. 

#8 Lawyer Mason, another son of Tiz the Law, has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each lifetime run to date and gives the impression of a youngster that will appreciate the added distance on this occasion. The Thomas Morley trainee rallied to be third in a stakes sprint on this green most recently and has exotics appeal to me with Johnnie V in the stirrups.