Artie Schiller Stakes Predictions, Top Picks, Betting Odds (Aqueduct)

Check out our predictions and odds for the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct!

Best Bets for the Artie Schiller Stakes

Here are my plays ($50 in total)

$5 Exacta box – March to the Arch, Flavius, and Field Pass = $30

$5 Exacta part wheel – March to the Arch over Flavius, Olympic Runner, Tell Your Daddy,  and Breaking the Rules = $20

If you’re playing only to win, go with my top pick March to the Arch (4/1).

Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Flavius, a multiple stakes winning son of War Front, could be the one bettors gravitate to as the favorite in a wide open field of 10, plus two main track only options, entered for Saturday’s $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct going one mile on the Aqueduct turf.

Unsuccessful last time when he finished fifth in the Grade 3 Mint Million at Kentucky Downs, he will return to New York where he scored a gate-to-wire in the Lure Stakes at Saratoga two starts back. Trained by the turf master Chad Brown, Flavius has earned $719,651 in 13 career starts. 

Chief among his competition is the 6-year-old gelding March to the Arch. A win on Saturday would make the Mark Casse-trained veteran racing’s newest millionaire. Exiting a solid fourth last time in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, the son of Arch rolled home to an easy win in the Niagara Stakes at Woodbine three starts back.

Among the rest, both Tell Your Daddy, who was an excellent second last time in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile for trainer Thomas Morley, and Field Pass, a multiple graded stakes winner who just missed in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker at Belmont Park last time, figure to get plenty of support at the betting windows.

Race Analysis

Flavius

This 6-year-old son of War Front looked good wiring the Lure Stakes at Saratoga two starts back. He beat a solid field in that one, but taking this group wire-to-wire looks even more difficult, with a number of other speed types in the race. Having said that, he is quite versatile, which improves his chances here, if he is able to lay off the early pace and pounce. Representing the Chad Brown barn, he is likely to be the betting choice, and coming off a mediocre performance in Kentucky, the odds may not be worth it. Still, he looks to be on a shortlist of the most likely winners.

March to the Arch

With plenty of speed signed up for this one, this confirmed stretch runner is likely to get the kind of pace that he prefers to make his strong late run. The veteran runner trained by Mark Casse has plenty of class and he seldom fails to come running late. He also is experienced at the one-mile trip. Although this will be his first race outside of Woodbine this year, he is well proven in American stakes racing. Dropping down from Grade 1 competition in his last, he should appreciate the drop down in class. Pace makes the race, so this looks to be an ideal spot for him. He is the top pick.

Tell Your Daddy

Trained by Thomas Morley, this son of Scat Daddy appears to be in career-best form. Three starts back, he chased Flavius all the way around to be a solid second in the Lure. Next, out he took a weaker than usual Grade 2 Bernard Baruch field gate-to-wire, before going to Kentucky last time for what was likely his best race yet. He could not hold off the rally of In Love, but his second-place showing in the Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile was an excellent performance. All the speed in here has me liking a few others better, but off his recent form, he is an obvious threat.

Field Pass

This 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid is one of the most accomplished runners in the field. He narrowly missed collecting his seventh career stakes victory last time when losing by just ahead in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker last time. That day, he went right to the lead and tried to take them all the way, but with plenty of speed in here, he might be best suited to try to lay just off it from his outside post. He has plenty of class and could win this if he gets the right trip under rider Javier Castellano.

Rinaldi

A nice New York-bred, he has run plenty of good turf races in his career. In a race with plenty of speed, he could be the runner with the most. With aggressive rider Luis Saez aboard, I look for him to go right out for the early lead. That’s never a bad spot, but he should be pressured down the backstretch, making a victory that much tougher. His last was disappointing, but two starts back he went all the way in the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple. He is a threat, but I would like him better if there was less speed in the field.

Olympic Runner

The second from the barn of Mark Casse, like his stablemate, he also likes to do his best running in the late stages. He actually got the best of March to the Arch a few starts back in the King Edward but finished behind him in the Woodbine Mile. As one of the few closers in the field, he should get a nice pace set up in here for his late run. He hasn’t won a lot in his career, but his form of late has been very good. I like the other Casse better, but he is a serious threat as well.

En Wye Cee

Another in here who brings early speed to the table has been consistently backed by bettors throughout his 9-race career. His low odds have only translated to three career wins, and two of those came in the first two starts of his career. He has always shown some potential but is still very unproven against stakes competition. Perhaps he can take a step forward in his third start of the year, but he will need to after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Knickerbocker. He is a possibility, but there are too many in here that I prefer.

Breaking the Rules

The Shug McGaughey-trained late runner is certainly capable of winning with a strong late kick, but he has yet to prove it against stakes competition. He should get more of a setup for his style than he did when the sixth last time in the Knickerbocker, but you still have to wonder if he is good enough to beat all the competition he will see on Saturday. He looks like more of a threat to fill the bottom part of the exotics rather than winning the Artie Schiller.

Bodecream

This one comes in off a sharp win last out at Belmont Park, where he was claimed for $80,000. Running for the first time for the Mike Maker stable, he could show improvement, but is yet another who can add to the early pace. A winner of 3-of-15 lifetime on the turf, I believe he is a cut below the horses to beat in here, but is not one you can totally dismiss with the barn change. He will not be on my tickets but maybe one to watch for Maker down the road.

Mandate

This one looks to be a big long shot coming into his stakes debut, while previously running against claimers throughout his career. His last race, in which he won at Laurel Park, was his best yet, but still, I find him hard to recommend against this field.

Bal Harbour

Is entered as “Main Track Only”, so he will only run if the race is taken off the turf and switched to the main track. If he does get in, he becomes the horse to beat.

Our Last Buck

Is entered as “Main Track Only”, so he will only run if the race is taken off the turf and switched to the main track. If he does get in, he becomes a serious threat to win.

How to Watch the Artie Schiller Stakes