Man O’ War Stakes Preview & Prediction

Just seven days removed from the Kentucky Derby, the competitive horse racing action continues this weekend. The big race in the U.S. will be staged on the turf at Aqueduct, as the G2 Man O’ War Stakes will be run.

There will be a competitive field going to post on Saturday, including runners that have run in esteemed races such as the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and G2 Bahrain International Trophy. You can find out more about the runners that are set to be involved here.

Racing Information & History

The Man O’ War Stakes has been staged annually since 1959, and it will return back to its original home at Aqueduct in 2024. The race has been staged at Belmont Park throughout history, but due to ongoing work at the track it will not be staged at the home of the final leg of the Triple Crown this year.

Four horses have won the race on multiple occasions, including Gio Ponti, who landed victories in 2009 and 2010. MacKenzie Miller is the most successful trainer with four wins, while Jorge Velasquez is the leading jockey with five victories.

Leading Contenders

Nations Pride

Charlie Appleby has openly admitted that he will be pointing some of his stars at U.S. races this year, meaning it is little surprise that he will have two leading contenders on Saturday. Nations Pride was held when finishing seventh in the G2 Bahrain International Trophy last November, but his form Stateside deserves all the respect.

The five-year-old landed the G1 Canadian International Stakes last October, while he also boasts winning form at Aqueduct after landing the G3 Jockey Club Derby by a commanding six-length margin in September 2022. Down in grade this weekend, and should be the one to beat.

Bold Act

Bold Act is the second runner for Appleby in the Man O’ War this weekend. He returned to action with a decent third in the G2 Elkhorn, finishing clear of reappearing rival Dynadrive, who could only claim eighth. The four-year-old has already won this season after landing the G2 Dubai City of Gold Stakes in early March, beating Warren Point by two lengths.

Like his stablemate, he also boasts some excellent international form, which included a narrow success in the G3 Sycamore Stakes last October. It could be argued that the distance this weekend could suit this Appleby runner more so than his stable mate.

War Like Goddess

War Like Goddess has been an excellent runner from the William Mott yard throughout her career, and the seven-year-old remains an extremely interesting contender at this level. She boasts a lot of previous course form, including when landing the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in October 2022.

She will be making her seasonal reappearance this weekend after battling to seventh in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf last November. However, she remains a very likely contender on Saturday.

Man O’ War Stakes Prediction

A fascinating renewal of the race is set for this weekend, and there will be no shortage of chances. Bold Act is our top pick, as he should come on after his close-finishing third in the G2 Elkhorn. Kertez could also have interesting claims after dominating the field to land the G2 Pan American Stakes on their previous outing.

Pick: Bold Act