New York-bred Brooklyn Strong scored an upset win in Saturday’s $150,000, Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct to jump on the road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.
There are some stakes that have names which do not seem to fit. Like a seven-furlong sprint stakes being named after trainer Woody Stephens, who won the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes five years in a row. Yet the Cigar Mile Handicap fits like a glove since the mighty Cigar won the race back in 1994 when it was known by its original name of the NYRA Mile.
The TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance may have decided who will be crowned the champion of the 2-year-old division, yet a race like the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes can also have an impact on next year’s Triple Crown trail.
