It may have been over a year ago when they won their big race, but the running of the Nerud featured two TC winners from 2023. Quiet Return, the KYD winner, would take on Gorogue Laga, the PRK winner here at AQU. It’s not particularly unusual to see that type of thing, but when you consider that this is a seven furlong race, it makes that fact a little more interesting.

The gate is full for Saturday’s running of the Grade 2 Nerud at AQU, sending older horses seven furlongs on the main track. The race first appeared at BEL in 2014, and was run for a $400.000 purse, but unfortunately that dollar amount has only gone down since then.

Even though there was a strong field for the Wise Dan, there was one horse that seemed more attractive than the others. That was Grand Opening, who went off as a strong betting favorite of odds of less than 2/1, as well as being our pick to win.

We’re heading to the grass on Saturday at CD for the 21st running of the Wise Dan, which is for older horses and runs for a $500.000 purse. That purse amount represents a high for the race, and is double what the race ran for in 2003. Through time, we’ve seen some great horses get the win here, including Billy Nomates, Stealth Fighter, Seven Years and Sir Tom among others.