The Graham Motion-trained pair of Beach Bomb and No Show Sammy Jo enter Aqueduct Racetrack's $250,000 Long Island Stakes (G3T) as the horses to beat off of notable last-out performances.
Consistent turf router Beach Bomb, a group 1 winner in her native South Africa, ran a season-best Equibase Speed Figure of 111 in her most recent effort in the Oct. 5 Waya Stakes (G3T) at the Big A. The 5-year-old daughter of Lancaster Bomber had taken the lead down the stretch and was caught in the final strides before the wire by Village Voice in a game runner-up finish. Earlier in the year, Beach Bomb captured Gulfstream Park's The Very One (G3T) and Orchid (G3T) stakes in front-running style at the track's Championship Meet. In one of her finest efforts of 2025, the bay mare fell a half-length short of defeating top turf mare and Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) runner-up She Feels Pretty in the New York Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Campaigned by Cayton Park Stud, Beach Bomb starts as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the field of 10 older fillies and mares for the 1 3/8-mile Long Island. Javier Castellano, the mare's pilot in the Waya, retains the mount.
Newstead Stables' No Show Sammy Jo exits a repeat victory in the All Along Stakes at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old Lope de Vega mare will be looking for her first graded stakes score in the Long Island after missing by a nose in last year's edition to eventual grade 1 winner Be Your Best.
Jorge Ruiz has the call.
The biggest threat to the Motion duo could come from the Rob Atras-trained Way to Be Marie and Wathnan Racing's Immensitude. Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables' Way to Be Marie, originally pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, instead will try the 1 3/8-mile distance for the first time in Saturday's race. A stakes winner at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in March, the daughter of red-hot sire Not This Time was a respectable second last time out in the Ladies Marathon Invitational Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 6.
"She ran really well last time at Kentucky Downs," Atras said. "We pointed towards that race with the added ground. It was the plan to stretch her out a little bit. We thought she'd be a little more effective with more ground, and she really showed up that day and ran great. This distance was a main reason to go to this spot."
Immensitude, third in last year's Long Island, exits a second-level allowance tally at the Big A oval for trainer Bill Mott.
Hill Prince Stakes
Pin Oak Stud's Stars and Stripes rides a two-race win streak into the $200,000 Hill Prince Stakes (G3T).
Trained by Mott, the lightly raced son of American Pharoah enters off a decisive 1 1/4-length victory in the Saranac Stakes at Saratoga in his black-type debut.
Other contenders in the field include St. Elias Stable's Noble Confessor, who cuts back in trip for the 1 1/8-mile Hill Prince after a second-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4, and Peter Brant and Tony Shafrazian's Mayor of Midnight, a recent allowance winner over this course from the Chad Brown barn.
Dwyer Stakes
A slew of talented 3-year-olds square off in the newly downgraded $200,000 Dwyer Stakes. Traditionally held in July, the historic race was moved to November this year.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, eyeing his fourth win in the Dwyer, will saddle Indiana Derby (G3) and Smarty Jones Stakes victor Tip Top Thomas and Sir Barton Stakes winner Crudo. James Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Tip Top Thomas has run triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures in his past three outings—all of which have been wins. Crudo gets back on the dirt after two fourth-place efforts on the turf.
Facing the Pletcher pair is 6-5 morning-line favorite Disco Time for trainer Brad Cox. The undefeated son of Not This Time exits a dominating 5 1/2-length victory in the St. Louis Derby Sept. 19 in his first start since taking the Lecomte Stakes (G3) in January.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 8, 2025, Race 3Entries: Dwyer S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tip Top Thomas (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 2/1 2 2Disco Time (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 6/5 3 3Dream On (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Mark E. Casse 15/1 4 4Stars and Stripes (KY) Jose Lezcano 118 William I. Mott 3/1 5 5Light Forever (KY) Andy Hernandez 118 Guadalupe Preciado 30/1 6 6Crudo (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 120 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1
