Traffic Jam Looms in Long Island

On-pace types usually fare best in the GIII Long Island H. at Aqueduct, but with an apparent abundance of early speed signed on, it may be best to look for one of the come-from-behinders in Saturday’s 12-furlong test.

Chad Brown, Christophe Clement and Todd Pletcher field eight of this field’s 11 runners, and the relatively unexposed Gotachancetodance (English Channel) rates a winning chance at boxcar odds. Never worse than second in five tries since ducking through the inside rail at Gulfstream this past April, the Pletcher pupil broke her maiden for a $75,000 tag at Belmont June 19 and defeated a next-out winner in a $50,000 starter-allowance at Saratoga July 29. Just caught by Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB})’s half-sister Trophee (Fr) (Mr Sidney) in an 11-furlong allowance at the Spa Aug. 19, she powered past the promising and well-related Promotional (Artie Schiller) in a 10-furlong heat in Elmont Oct. 7. She should be able to sit a good trip while covered up behind the front rank.

Mutatis Mutandis (Ire) (Mastecraftsman {Ire}) exits the best race on paper, as a soft-turf running of the GI Flower Bowl Invitational was won by Stephanie’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy), who powered home to take the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly/Mare Turf last Saturday. Sixth, but beaten under three lengths, in the G1 Pretty Polly S. June 28, the gray filly was eighth in the G2 Kilboy Estate S. at The Curragh July 19 ahead of a midpack fourth to Jack Hobbs (Ire) (Halling) in the Sept. 5 G3 September S. over the Kempton all-weather. Handy enough to the pace in the Flower Bowl, she lost ground to the top two in the final furlong, but goes second-time Lasix here and has some right to go better.

Brown inmate Danza Cavallo (Fr) (Sunday Break {Jpn}) completed a 1-2 finish for the stable in the Flower Bowl, but one is left with the impression that she, more than anything else in the field, made the most of the underfoot conditions. Prior to that runner-up effort, she was well held by her stablemate Goldy Espony (Fr) (Vespone {Ire}) in the 1 1/2-mile GIII Waya S. at Saratoga Aug. 8 and was eighth to another Brown runner, Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy), in the GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 29.

Rosalind (Broken Vow) also figures to mix it up in the early stages. The dead-heat winner of the final Polytrack running of the GI Ashland S. in 2014, she finished second, one spot ahead of Crisolles (Fr) (Le Havre {Fr}) in an Aug. 31 Saratoga allowance and most recently held for third after setting the fractions in the GI E.P. Taylor S. at Woodbine Oct. 18.