At the Gate - Saturday
By Mike Dempsey
The rains are on the way at Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon which likely will leave the racetrack sloppy and we could see some scratches, but it also opening day at Gulfstream Park and the weather look great, as does the 10-race card.
There are 142 horses entered in the 10 races at Gulfstream Park, which features the Claiming Crown with eight stakes and $1 million up for grabs.
The best blue-collar horse around the U.S. will converge at the Hallandale track, with over 100 horses entered over the eight stakes restricted to horse that have run for a claiming tag.
The richest race on the card is the $200,000 Jewel, which is restricted to three-year-olds and upward which have started for a claiming tag of $35,000 or less since January 1, 2013.
A full field of 14 was entered to go nine furlongs on the main track led by Dawly, who is the 3-1 morning line favorite. The six-year-old gelding was third in the Mountaineer Mile in his last outing, which was his first for trainer David Braddy, who claimed him for $80,000 out of a race Oct. 11 at Belmont Park.
A wide-open race is the $110,000 Claiming Crown Rapid Transit, which is today’s featured betting race with my selections and analysis below.
The feature at Aqueduct is the $100,000 Garland of Roses, which drew a field of nine fillies and mares that will go six furlongs on the inner track.
I am going with the speedy Bridgehampton, who exits the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) where she chased the early pace and tired to finish sixth. She has a win on the inner track and is bred to like a wet track.
Here is today’s opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:
AQU Race 1 Md Sp Wt (12:20 ET)
6 Bonnet Plume 5-1
4 Kayleigh's Road 4-1
1 Midnight Citra 3-5
3 Matty's Wondergirl 8-1
Analysis: Bonnet Plume stretches out to two turns for the first time while adding lasix here for the Albertrani barn. The filly made a mild late run last out to check in fourth at a mile after running fourth in her debut going six furlongs. She is bred to go long and to like a wet track. She is by Bernardini out of a stakes placed Coronado's Quest mare that has dropped three winners, top earner stakes winner Boys at Toscanova ($688,960).
Kayleigh's Road was fourth in the mud in her debut for the Hennig barn that usually does not have them fully cranked first out. She also has along winded pedigree, by Bellamy Road out of a Thunder Gulch mare. She figures to move forward off her debut and will offer more value than Midnight Citra, who looks like the one to beat but has more of a sprint oriented pedigree.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 1,4,6
TRI: no play
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
AQU Race 8 The Garland of Roses (3:47 ET)
1 Bridgehampton / 1a Jonata 7-2
6 Willet 5-2
7 Expression 10-1
4 Winning Image 3-1
Analysis: Bridgehampton pressed a sharp early pace and faded to finish sixth last out in the Gallant Bob Handicap (G2) last out at Philly that is always a really tough race. The runner up La Verdad came back to win the state bred Iroquois, fourth place finisher Merry Meadow won the Sky Beauty at Gulfstream Park West, and fifth place finisher Classic Point took the restricted Punkin Pie and then won the Go for Wand Handicap (G3) in his next two starts. The filly won the My Juliet three back and ran a good second in the Victory Ride (G3) last year in her first start against winners. She is bred top and bottom to handle a wet track, by Bernardini out of a Forestry mare. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and is a danger to take these gate to wire if able to shake loose early.
Willet comes back quick after she failed to fire her best in a seventh place finish in the Go for wand. She ran fourth in that race last year and came back a week later and won the state bred Touch of Love on the main track here which was muddy that day, so she can handle the quick turn around. The cut back to six furlongs will suit and she has done some of her best running on wet tracks, winning three of five trips over wet tracks with a second. She reunites with Arroyo who was aboard for her win in the Touch of Love last year.
Expression made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot last out against Alw-2 optional claimers, beaten just a neck for the top spot facing Alw-2 foes in her second start off the layoff. She has won five of her nine starts on the inner track in her career. Her best in stakes company in a second and a third and she is 0 for 5 on wet tracks, but is looks as if she should be a decent price here and she looks primed for a top effort here in her third start off the bench.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,4,6,7
TRI: 1,6 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:
GP Race 8 The Claiming Crown Rapid Transit (3:58 ET)
1 Palatine Hill 8-1
4 Goodtimehadbyall 9-2
7 Stallwalkin' Dude 5-2
11 Grande Shores 7-2
Analysis: Palatine Hill pressed the early pace and weakened to finish fourth last out catching a sloppy track here facing optional claimers. The gelding had won four of his five previous starts, the lone loss a third in the two turn Skip Trial here. The gelding runs well over the main track and seven furlongs is probably his best distance. He is in good hands with the sharp Walder barn that we always seem to have luck backing. The 8-1 morning line looks fair enough in this wide-open race.
Goodtimehadbyall stumbled coming out of the gate and did not have any punch in the stretch in a fifth place finish last out at Belmont Park going long over a racing strip that was kinder to horse in the inner paths. The gelding beat $50,000 claimers two back at Monmouth Park and his career top speed fig was earned winning this race last year in a sharp effort. The cut back in distance will suit and he is much better than he showed last out.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5-1 or better.
EX: 1,4 / 1,4,7,11
TRI: 1,4 / 1,4,7,11 / 1,4,7,10,11
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Aqueduct
R1: #3 Matty’s Wondergirl 8-1
R3: #4 Political Farce 8-1
R5: #2 Forged 12-1
R5: #5 Ausable River 15-1
R6: #8 Man of Mystery 12-1
R7: #5 Spinning for Home 8-1
R8: #7 Expression 10-1
Good luck today!
