At the Gate – Sunday

Trainer John Sadler got off the duck by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and we are back to our daily grind at Aqueduct on Sunday after a pretty mediocre Breeders’ Cup.

We saw some breathtaking performances, led by Friday’s win by Newspaperofrecord in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

We desperately needed Magical to beat Enable in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) and the two fillies battled on gamely in the stretch, with the brilliant Enable getting the job done as the chalk.

Magical was a nice 10-1 but came up ¾ of a length short. It was a great stretch duel between the world’s two top jockeys in Frankie Dettori on Enable and Ryan Moore on Magical.

Dettori took Enable way out wide on the turf in the stretch to where he felt the best footing was and it paid off. I can’t imagine any U.S. based jockey having the nerve to take a chalk out that wide in such an important race, and they might have gotten the filly beaten.

Accelerate got the job done in the Classic and proved there just is nobody in his class at 1 ¼ miles. After a sharp early pace was set, I thought our top pick Yoshida had a shot. He came with a good late run at 14-1 but got edged out of the third spot by a nose by Thunder Snow.

Overall not a good two days for the bankroll, but the great thing about this sport is we are back at it today at the Big A with a nine race card featuring a pair of stakes races.

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package for just $99.95. It gives you a month of Aqueduct daily and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Sunday click here.

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

AQU Race 1 Md $40,000 (12:20 ET)
#9 Inle 6-1
#10 Ding Dong Ditch 3-1
#6 Support Our Cause 10-1
#7 Wicked Trick 5-2

Analysis: Inle
drops in for a tag for the first time here for the Motion barn. Last out at Laurel Park over yielding ground the gelding came with a mild late run to finish fourth in a decent effort. He looks headed in the right direction form wise and drops into a good spot. He is out of the stakes winner Sea of Showers ($161,449) who has dropped four winners and three have won on turf.

Ding Dong Ditch prompted the early pace and weakened to finish fourth last out over a wet track at Belmont Park in a race taken off the turf. He returns here with the blinkers taken off and a return to turf. Three back in his last trip on grass he rallied to finish a good second for a $40,000 tag over yielding ground. He is out of a Distorted Humor mare that ash dropped three winners and a pair have won on grass. He fits if he runs back to his prior turf outing.

Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 9,10 / 6,7,9,10
TRI: 9,10 / 6,7,9,10 / 1,6,7,9,10

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 8 The Nashua (3:47 ET)
#1 U S Navy Cross 5-2
#5 Vekoma 2-1
#6 Call Paul 5-2
#4 Network Effect 9-2

Analysis: U S Navy Cross
was an impressive maiden winner in his debut for the Chad Brown barn. The colt was sent off at 6-5 in a field of seven at seven furlongs, raced near the back of the pack and came with a good late rally to get the job done. The colt has come back with sharp works in his debut and should only get better with more ground. He was a $550,000 Keeneland purchase, by Curlin out of an Honor Grades mare that has dropped some nice runners including Recepta ($696,700) and Taqarub ($256,962). The barn is 29% winners moving runners from sprint to route and I am hoping this guy goes off as the third choice in this six horse field.

Vekoma tracked the early pace, took command heading for home e and held on to break his maiden in his debut and earned the top last out speed fig in the effort. The runner up Epic Dreamer came out of the race to graduate in his next outing on Oct. 26 at Belmont Park. This is another colt that should get better with distance, by Candy Ride out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma ($384,399) a multiple graded stakes winner.

Call Paul tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish in the Champagne (G1) last out. The winner Complexity tossed in a dud on Friday in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) while runner up Code of Honor was a buzz horse for the race but had to scratch after spiking a fever. The Servis trainee took the field gate tow ire to win the Saratoga Special (G2) two back in his first start against winners. He fits but I am guessing he may end up a shorter price.

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

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 Support Our Cause 10-1
R3: #1 Center City 8-1
R9: #10 Youmakemeblush 8-1
R9: #2 Tequila Sunday 12-1

Good luck today!