A dozen 2-year-old fillies will race 1 1/16 miles on turf in Wednesday’s $200,000, Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont at the Big A (Aqueduct). (Note: the race was postponed from Sunday to Wednesday due to inclement weather in the forecast over ghe weekend in New York.) 

As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the Miss Grillo awards a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Over the last decade, three fillies (Lady Eli, New Money Honey, and Newspaperofrecord) have managed to win both races.

There are many promising fillies in the 2023 Miss Grillo field, but one ranks above the rest in terms of accomplishments. #8 Gala Brand, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, is unbeaten in two starts and has already defeated tough competition.

Gala Brand debuted in a turf sprint at Saratoga and delivered an eye-catching performance. After dropping 14 1/4 lengths behind a very fast pace, Gala Brand gobbled up ground at impressive speed down the homestretch. She had 7 1/2 lengths to make up with an eighth of a mile remaining, and not only did she close the gap, she drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Hidden Class.

Hidden Class came back to win a Kentucky Downs allowance race in her next start, flattering Gala Brand’s performance. On the same day Hidden Class visited the winner’s circle, Gala Brand squared off against males in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga and surged from five lengths behind a pedestrian pace to win by half a length over Carson’s Run.

Nothing went Gala Brand’s way from a pace perspective in the With Anticipation — the closing fractions were strong, making it harder for late runners to catch up — but even still no one could deny her stretch rally. And it’s not like she defeated an easy field as Carson’s Run came right back to win the Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, earning a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Gala Brand is returning to the filly ranks in the Miss Grillo and should be mighty tough to beat. Whether the pace is fast or slow, she can launch a winning rally. And while there’s rain in the forecast for Aqueduct this week, that shouldn’t bother Gala Brand, who won the With Anticipation on a drying-out course labeled “good” instead of “firm.” In short, she’s our confident top choice to take top honors in the Miss Grillo.

Bettors playing on small budgets should consider betting Gala Brand to win; the return on investment won’t be huge, but the field size should be large enough to ensure her odds don’t dip too low, and a $10 win bet might pay $25 or so.

If you want to spend a little more money and pursue a higher payoff, try betting Gala Brand on top in the exacta, which requires selecting the top-two finishers in the correct order. Identifying the most likely runner-up in this competitive field won’t be easy, but a winning exacta should pay significantly more than a straight win bet.

We’ll throw our support behind #7 Memorialize, a daughter of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Karakontie. Trained by Graham Motion, who won the 2015 Miss Grillo with Tin Type Gal, Memorialize was hindered by a very bad start when debuting in a turf sprint at Colonial Downs and fell 15 3/4 lengths off the early pace. Despite that disadvantage, Memorialize rallied strongly in the stretch to finish second behind next-out Colonial Downs allowance-optional claiming race winner Zo Lee.

Memorialize subsequently stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for a maiden special weight race at Saratoga. Even though she encountered another troubled start, she rallied from half a dozen lengths off the pace to dominate by three lengths on a turf course rated “good.” Like Gala Brand, Memorialize has shown strong finishing speed on multiple occasions, and she figures to be gaining ground through the Miss Grillo homestretch.

One final idea: if you want to go really big, toss in a trifecta wager using Saratoga debut winners #2 Hard to Justify and #4 Gold Lightning for third place. Hard to Justify is trained by Chad Brown, who has won the Miss Grillo seven times since 2012 and eight times overall, while Gold Lightning hails from the barn of two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

Wagering Strategy on a $10 Budget

$10 to win on #8 Gala Brand

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $10 to win on 8

Wagering Strategy on a $25 Budget

$18 to win on #8 Gala Brand

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $18 to win on 8

$7 exacta: 8 with 7

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $7 exacta 8 with 7

Wagering Strategy on a $50 Budget

$32 to win on #8 Gala Brand

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $32 to win on 8

$12 exacta: 8 with 7

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $12 exacta 8 with 7

$3 trifecta: 8 with 7 with 2,4 ($6)

What to say at the betting window: Belmont at the Big A, Race 5, $3 trifecta 8 with 7 with 2,4

Good luck, and enjoy the race!