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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Saturday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
We ended up with a good day on Friday at Aqueduct, with six winners on top on the nine-race card after scratches, the winners paying $5.90, $6.10, $8.00, $6.40, $13.20 and $12.60.

The feature on Saturday is the $100,000 Jazil which drew a field of six and will be run as the third race on the nine-race card.

Doyouknowsomething is the 6-5 morning line favorite and is going to be tough to beat. The gelding is coming off a close up fourth in the Queen’s County which was his first start off the claim by the Diodoro barn.

We have four stakes making up the Sunshine Millions card at Gulfstream Park and all are included in today’s Best Plays Report.

The feature is the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Classic, with Mr. Jordan the 6-5 favorite in the field of six that will go nine furlongs on the main track.

The Edward Plesa trainee is coming off a runner up finish in the Harlan’s Holliday (G3) over the Gulfstream Park main track.

His main foe will be Richard the Great, who adds blinkers after finishing a neck back of Mr. Jordan in a third palce finish in the Harlan’s Holiday.

Also on the card are the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf and Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf and the final stake on the card is the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint.

X Y Jet makes his second start off a long layoff as the short-priced favorite in the Sprint. A strong performance will send the Jorge Navarro back to Dubai in March for the Golden Shaheen (G1) on the Dubai World Cup undercard.

My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my nine strongest plays from Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park.

To purchase my Aqueduct and Best Plays Reports for Saturday click here .

Here is the opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:

AQU Race 1 Md $20,000 (12:20 ET)
#5 Love Your Buttons 5-2
#6 Shoot the Gap 8-1
#3 I Want Mo 7-2
#2 Latin Love Bug 5-1

Analysis: Love Your Buttons has been off poorly in three of his last four starts but now picks up McCarthy. Last out the colt stumbled and had to steady at the break, stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth-place finish against $40,000 foes in his first start off the claim by the Cannizzo barn. He was making his first start off a three-month break. He drops in for a $20,000 tag here and just needs to get off to a better start. He is out of a Miswaki mare that has dropped three winners.

Shoot the Gap stalked the early pace, came weight a five-wide move and made up some ground late in a third-place finish in his first go off the claim by the Morley barn. He looks back on track after fading to finish a well beaten ninth two back and clipping heels and falling three back. he showed some promise in his first three career starts including a runner up finish. Worth tossing in the mix here if he goes off near his 8-1 morning line.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 2,3,5,6
TRI: 5,6 / 2,3,5,6 / 2,3,4,5,6

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 8 Alw $50,000 (3:50 ET)
#5 Polar Jet 8-1
#2 Westwood 5-2
#7 Wonderful Light 8-5
#4 War of Ideas 7-2

Analysis: Polar Jet has come off the bench with a pair of impressive wins versus weaker. The colt trounced $25,000 non-winners of two off the bench and then beat $50,000 starter allowance foes in his last outing. He steps up again but looks sharp enough to win right back for Rice. The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and should get a good tracking trip sitting just off the pace.

Westwood set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish going seven furlongs at this level. He graduated two back in gate to wire fashion at this distance in his third career start and second off the bench. This guy has quite the pedigree, out of the multiple Grade 1 winner Ashado.

Wonderful Light ran huge earning a 102 Beyer which is the top last out number but looking at the BRIS numbers he ran just an 89 with three others in here earning better last out figs, Tommy T a 97. The price is going to be short and I'll look for a slight regression.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 2,5 / 2,4,5,7
TRI: 2,5 / 2,4,5,7 / 2,4,5,6,7

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Gulfstream Park:

GP Race 7 Sunshine Millions Turf (3:00 ET)
#5 Galleon Mast 7-2
#1 Our Way 3-1
#6 Enterprising 2-1
#2 Charlie Mops 10-1

Analysis: Galleon Mast stalked the early pace a good move and battled on in the stretch and could not match strides late with Enterprising in a runner up finish in the Millions Turf Preview at GP West. He won his three previous starts, all over the turf here including a pair of open stakes. He has landed in the exacta in 9 of his 12 trips here on turf. He should get more pace to run at and can turn the tables.

Our Way was not off cleanly and not much of a threat in the restricted Lure last out at the Spa off a three-month break. Now he comes back off a 5 1/2 month break for the Bond barn that is 13% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. The gelding won this race last year off a three-month layoff. Ortiz picks up the call for the Bond barn that had a strong last few months in New York.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,5 / 1,2,5,6
TRI: 1,5 / 1,2,5,6 / 1,2,5,6,7

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: #6 Shoot the Gap 8-1
R3: #6 Turco Bravo 12-1
R5: #5 Appealing Henry 15-1
R6: #9 Holding Aces 8-1
R7: #3 Donji 8-1
R8: #5 Polar Jet 8-1
R9: #7 Façade 8-1

Good luck today!

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