To view the Red Smith Handicap, click here.

by Ron Parker

Gary and Mary West’s Expansion rallied from near the back of the pack to win his first stakes race in the $150,000 Red Smith Handicap (G2), the feature race on Saturday’s card at Aqueduct that included three graded stakes.

The 1 3/8-mile turf race drew a field of seven three-year-olds and older, including Grade 1-winning millionaires Grand Couturier (GB) and Jambalaya. Operation Red Dawn set the pace, leading the way through pedestrian fractions of :25.99, :51.66 for a half-mile with a six-furlong clocking of 1:18.33.

After a mile in 1:43.16, Operation Red Dawn began to weaken as Wheels Up At Noon and Mr. Universo (Brz) bid for the lead while Expansion was just starting to roll, charging down the stretch from three wide to prove best by 1¼ lengths.

Grand Couturier closed from last to finish second, a head in front of Spice Route (GB). Jambalaya, who was bumped in midstretch, checked in fifth as the 1.75-to-1 favorite.

Expansion covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:18.93 on firm turf.

“Jose Lezcano [aboard Grand Couturier] rode a great race,” winning jockey Channing Hill said. “He kind of forced me to take back a little bit around the turn, a little bit further than I wanted to, especially with how slow we were going. I was just trying to be as patient as I could and wait. Coming around the turn, I figured someone was going to have to be really running to outkick us, because I had a ton of horse.”

Trained by Chad Brown, Expansion boosted his earnings to $251,110 with four wins from 16 starts.

Bred in Kentucky by Darley, he is the first stakes winner out of French Group 3 winner La Sylphide (Swi), by Barathea (Ire).

Also on the card, Kingfield Stables’ Buddy’s Saint was an overpowering winner of the $150,000 Nashua Stakes for two-year-olds (video).

Under jockey Jose Lezcano, the Saint Liam colt dueled for the lead before taking charge and drawing off under a vigorous hand ride for a 12-length victory. The Nashua was only the second start for Buddy’s Saint, who finished first in his debut at Belmont Park on September 26 but was disqualified and placed second.

“I didn’t expect him to run that big today,” trainer Bruce Levine said. “I know he got taken down [in his first start] and he was a maiden, but if he had won we were going to run him in this race, so I decided not to change direction.”

Buddy’s Saint covered one mile in 1:35.67 on a track rated as fast.

Thank U Philippe was a distant second, 1½ lengths ahead of previously undefeated Toboggan Slide.

Bred in Kentucky by Roy Gottlieb and Morton Fink, Buddy’s Saint is the first stakes winner out of the Grade 1-placed stakes-winning Blushing John mare Tuzia. He increased his earnings to $98,600.

In the $106,500 Tempted Stakes (G3) for two-year-old fillies, favored Ailalea stalked the early leaders under jockey Eibar Coa, took the lead at the top of the stretch, and drove to a 1¼-length victory. She completed one mile in 1:36.75. (video)

The Tempted was the fourth start for Ailalea, who entered off a maiden win at Belmont Park on October 4 and increased her earnings to $98,300.

The Pulpit filly was purchased by owners Starlight Partners for $340,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Out of the stakes-winning Woodman mare Wood Sprite, Ailalea is a half sister to Grade 12-placed stakes winner Spritely.

For Equibase charts, click here.

Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer