Discovery Time at the Big A

Saturday's GIII Discovery S. at Aqueduct represent a final chance for the sophomore set to square off against their peers one final time, and the nine-furlong test has attracted an unusually deep and contentious group of 11 runners.

It appears on paper that jockey Joel Rosario had his choice of mounts in the Discovery and it is interesting that he and his agent Ron Anderson have decided to stick with Sticksstatelydude (First Dude) over the more-accomplished Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon). An impressive front-running allowance winner over Belmont's one-turn mile July 15, the bay was a puzzling fourth as the favorite in the GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx Sept. 5 and most recently lost a tooth-and-nail stretch battle to the tough Texas Chrome (Grasshopper) in the GIII Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park Sept. 25. The bay could be the chief speed here from gate four.

New York-bred Governor Malibu faces the starter for the ninth time this year, but is still in search of his first victory outside of restricted state-bred competition. Disqualified from an apparent win in the Federico Tesio S. in April, the chestnut was runner-up in the GII Peter Pan S. and again in the GII Jim Dandy S. He snapped a five-race skid with a romp through the Belmont slop against New York-breds Sept. 30 and exits a good second against his elders in the Oct. 22 Empire Classic S. at Belmont.

A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' could also have a say in the outcome. Gift Box (Twirling Candy) returned from a seven-month hiatus to record a visually impressive 4 1/2-length allowance victory in Elmont May 26, then just failed to outrun stablemate and future GII Pennsylvania Derby winner Connect (Curlin) when a length second in the July 29 Curlin S. at Saratoga. He was one of many run of his feet by subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) in the GI Travers S., finishing nearly 19 lengths back in fourth.

Gary and Mary West's Hot Seat (Unbridled's Song) gets tested for class, as he has yet to face a challenge in two previous starts. A 13 1/2-length maiden winner going six panels at Parx Sept. 6, the $260,000 Keeneland September yearling earned his Rising Star with a seven-length allowance tally at the suburban Philadelphia venue Oct. 11.