Unitarian Will Try to Overcome Rust in Grade 3 Sycamore

Unitarian returns from nearly a seven month layoff as the 3/1 morning line favorite for trainer Todd Pletcher.  Unitarian was last seen April 25 at Keeneland winning the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes.  Pletcher boasts excellent numbers with runners returning from layoffs, but Unitarian and jockey Javier Castellano figure to have their work cut out for them.  The four year-old son of Giant’s Causeway out of a Dynaformer mare has four wins, three second place finishes, and four thirds in 15 lifetime starts for earnings of over $331,000. 

Pletcher saddles favorite and second choice 

Pletcher will also saddle the second choice  in Red Rifle who is 4/1 on the morning line.  Red Rifle, also a four year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, is fresh off a September 6 score in the Yankee Affair Stakes at Belmont after finishing second in a pair of allowance races.  John Velazquez has the mount on Red Rifle who finished fourth in two previous tries in his two previous attempt in graded company. 

Tricky Hat must elevate his game 

Tricky Hat (5/1) ran fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup in his last start and is another who must prove he fits at the graded stakes level.  Tricky Hat ran fifth behind Unitarian in the Elkhorn and finished fourteenth in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes in June.