The Fool Handicap (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
AQU- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
February 28, 2026

A field of eleven will be taking part in Saturday’s Fool Handicap, which is a sprint for older horses. The race first appeared on the calendar in 2004, and has been run mostly every year since then, with 2010 being an exception. It’s been a particularly good race for Spankys Barn, as the trainer won three times in four years between 2020 and 2023, but that trainer will not have one entered this time around. The winning trainer from last year, Maxmillion Farm, will have two heading to the gate. Be Lucky was his winner in the race, and the gelding is still active though has not run in a stake since June. Weights for the Fool Handicap will range between 116 and 122 pounds, with most of the field at 117 or 118. Here’s a look at the field!

1- Red Vino (The Sidley Stud, ridden by D E Centeno)- After a stretch of three wins in four races early in 2025, Red Vino has been struggling to recapture that form. Only once in his five starts that followed has he earned anything, and that came with a fourth place finish last time out in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler here in November. With nearly four months of rest, he’s going to have to show that he still has something left in the tank for the graded level.

2- Opera (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by R Gutierrez)- This will be his first start of the year, and he did win last time out at SA in an optional claimer. Over his career, he has been a better horse in overnights than he has been in stakes and he hopes to change that tune here. He comes off a sharp looking bullet work here a earlier in the week, but he has always had very impressive work times. Perhaps one day, he will have his stake breakthrough.

3- Waterville (Luz International, ridden by T B Alpander)- If you have been betting on him across the board, you have been guaranteed to cash a ticket in all of his starts since September 2024, a stretch of 14 races. Five of those wins, but adding to the impressive nature is that in the nine races that he has not won, he has been within a length of the winner. Now, most of those are in overnights, but when he did run in the Grade 3 Vosburg, he ran third. I’d like to see him have a full year of graded competition, as there is no shame in who he lost to in the Vosburg, and he beat some good ones as well. For that to happen, he has to run well here.

4- Aggravated Jung (Noblepark, ridden by K Carmouche)- This is the only horse in the field that ran in the BC Sprint last fall, and he placed third in the race. On the year, he won five times, including the Grade 2 Gallant Bob and the Grade 3 Perryville right before the BC. Following that race, he made a trip to SA and would be second in the Grade 1 Malibu. All of that equates to him being the high weight of the race, carrying 122 pounds. That makes the only question on him whether or not that will drag him down enough to keep him from the winners circle.

5- Superbush (Acber Farms, ridden by J Lezcano)- First of all, I want to give a shout out to trainer for how well they are doing on both the KYO and the KYD sides right now. Hopefully, that can continue. Superbush may not be one of those horses but he has been running very well himself, hitting the board in his last seven starts, with three wins. Arguably, with a little more luck at the wire, he could have won them all. This is not technically his graded debut, but for the trainer it is with him, and comes off of four strong ungraded efforts. Works well, and the Acber Farms is hot, so why not?

6- Deviations (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Pennington)- This will be the 33rd career start for this six year old, and he’ll be looking for his fifth win. Last fall, Deviations picked up his first stake win, coming in the $150.000 PARX Sprint, and last time out, he was a respectable third in the $150.000 Forego Stakes at TP with a come from behind effort. He can be a bit inconsistent, and that is probably what has kept him from more regular starts at this level. He’s a contender if he brings his “A” game.

7- Valyrian Needle (Mb Stables, ridden by D Davis)- Eight of Valyrian Needle’s twelve start have come with the NY-bred condition, and he has had his moments though his biggest wins are at FL, so the rest of the field is not going to be concerned about that. Victories in his last two, also including one from HOU, have earned him this chance to make his graded debut and second stake appearance for his career. He’s typically been out front early, but I’m wondering if we’re going to see a change with him, tactically. Don’t be concerned if you don’t see him out front here.

8- Kinnard (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E J Coa)- For the first time since New Year’s Eve of 2024, Kinnard will be running on the main track. He did only make five starts last year, all coming on the turf with just a January win at SA to speak of. Started the year better than he finished and had a five month layoff in the middle of the year. Over his career, he does have plenty of starts on the dirt, but just a (12-0-0-5) record on it. While Kinnard has been successful, based on his works, it seems like he is capable of doing even more.

9- Link Wray (South Shore Stables, ridden by Ar Bocachica)- Enters the race off of a career-high SRF of 98 in an optional claiming win at GP. He’s won five out of 18, and has had his chance at the graded level before but has failed to step up in those races. His signature win is the $100.000 Jersey Shore at MTH last July, but he would not be able to build on that. At times, he will struggle, and that may be based on the level of competition he has been up against, but it is something that keeps me from trusting him here.

10- Cherokee Revolution (Royalty Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- Acquired by the trainer for $50.000 in private sales in May, and has since made seven starts in his new barn, winning twice. Both of the victories came in overnights, including a nice effort at CD in November that would lead to his entry in the Grade 1 Malibu afterward. Finished fourth there, but struggled when the trainer tried to get a mile out of him in the Hooper. He’s 3-for-3 in races under seven furlongs.

11- Glee (Night Rider Stables, ridden by A Centeno)- With Aggravated Jung in the field, Glee is not quite the high weight, but carrying 121 pounds in the Fool Handicap will be a few pounds more than most of his competition. Couple that with a less than gleeful post, there are some obstacles that the gelding needs to overcome. He’s been running beautifully since being claimed for just $7.500 in May, with two wins in five starts, and the non-wins all being within a length. The Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes two back is his career highlight.

Prediction: 5-4-3-11

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES