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Saturday’s Race Recap from Aqueduct:
(All odds US)
Aqueduct:
Race 1: 1st@ 0.25/1 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Race 3: 2nd@ 2.50/1
Race 6: SCRATCH
Race 9: 6th@ 5.00/1
It’s always nice to start the weekend with a winner even if that winner is 1/5. The debuting Monroe left no doubt as she powered away to a clear cut and decisive score as the heavy favorite. There are undoubtedly stakes races in her future. In Race 3, Clubhouse got the stalking trip off the speed. The problem was that the speed kept on going. Clubhouse continued on gamely for second. In Race 9 we tried to beat the favorites, but they ran 1-2. Jungfrau was strangled back early and checked but never mounted any type of a rally at all finishing sixth.
Saturday’s Race Recap from Tampa Bay Downs:
(All odds US)
Tampa Bay Downs:
Race 3: 6th@ 1.80/1
Race 9: 3rd@ 2.20/1
Race 10: 3rd@ 10.10/1
In Race 3, I think it’s safe to say Matt Doyle isn’t the same horse he once was as he didn’t have enough early speed to gain position early and had absolutely nothing late. He might be better suited to pony rides at the local farm soon. In Race 9, Julia Shining was hard ridden to stay closer early than usual. She took her run at the Breeders’ Cup champion - Wonder Wheel who I had a feeling would get upended today but neither could run down Dreaming of Snow who hung on at 38/1. Julia Shining will undoubtedly benefit from the experience. In the Sam F. Davis stakes, Classic Legacy was checked back early and came with a wide and sustained rally at 10/1 for third.
A forgettable day overall as we look to close out the week on a winning note.
With rain expected at Gulfstream on this Super Bowl Sunday let’s move our tack to Aqueduct where we’re expecting fast conditions beneath cloudy skies.
Sunday at Aqueduct:
Race 9: Financial Strength - 1 pt win (US Morning Line Odds: 4/1)
We close out the week with maiden claimers sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs. Linda Rice, Charlie Baker and Bruce Brown all have contenders here that look logical so this may be an opportunity to get a rare price on a Chad Brown runner. Brown is 9 for 19 (47% wins) at this Aqueduct meet and 26% for the year and starts this layoff runner using his main Aqueduct rider Manny Franco. His first start was on turf at Monmouth and he never lifted a hoof but he’s better bred for dirt. Workouts look a little slow but that’s on-brand for this barn who never works their runners fast. Looking for a turnaround for a barn that’s red hot.
Best of luck to all our members playing Sunday’s races from Aqueduct!