At the Gate – Friday

Coming up on Saturday we have four graded stakes on tap at Gulfstream Park that I will include in my Best Plays Report including the $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3).

Audible, the 2018 Florida Derby (G1) winner is the overwhelming favorite for the Todd Pletcher barn. The colt is using the race as a prep race for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January.

The colt followed up his Florida Derby win with a third in the Kentucky Derby (G1), then was put on the shelf. He returned on Nov. 3 with a smart looking win in the Cherokee Run at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs.

He faces just five overmatched foes and we can’t get too excited about his 2-5 morning line odds, but we have a few other stakes on the card that look more appealing betting wise.

Among those is the $100,000 My Charmer (G3) for fillies and mares on turf which drew a full field of 14 along with a pair of also-eligibles.

The Bill Mott trained Capla Temptress is the 7-2 morning line favorite. She was fifth in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Keeneland in her last outing.

The $100,000 Sugar Swirl drew eight fillies and mares going six furlongs on the main track. Awestruck is the 2-1 morning line favorite.

The feature at Aqueduct on Saturday is the $150,000 New York Stallion Series (Fifth Ave. Div.) for two-year-old fillies which drew a field of six. Sassy Agnes is the even money favorite on the morning line. The Linda Rice trainee has won three of her five career starts.

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 Friday click here.

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

AQU Race 1 Alw $16,000s (12:20 ET)
#6 Stay Fond 1-1
#1 Madame Barbarian 8-1
#3 Frostie Anne 8-5
#4 Mia Bella Rossa 6-1

Analysis: Stay Fond can get the say off to a chalky start. The filly made a good late rally and drew off to win by 5 3/4 lengths over $50,000 starter allowance foes last out in his first go for the Rice barn. He ran well two and three back for a low % outfit and earned a career top last out in the new barn. He is well spotted here taking on $16,000 starter allowance foes.

Madame Barbarian has the best shot of breaking up a chalky exacta. The mare did not fire her best last out where she tired to finish eighth at Philly in the slop. She ran well two and three back in third place finishes, three back over yielding turf here. Her last win was four back at Belmont Park where she beat $20,000 foes in her first go for DiPrima. She figures to bounce back with a better effort here at a decent price.

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

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 7 Clm $40,000N2L (3:17 ET)
#9 Galatians 9-2
#4 Gravitating 7-2
#1 Shortlist 6-1
#10 Pocket Player 8-1

Analysis: Galatians makes his first start since June where the stalked the early pace and drew clear late to beat $50,000 maiden claimers in his first go for a tag for the Pletcher barn. He was claimed out of the race by the Rice barn that is 29% winners first off the claim and 20% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. He returns a gelding, and this looks like a good spot here tagged for $40,000 and facing non-winners of two.

Gravitating stalked the early pace, came with a five wide bid and did not have enough punch left late in a fifth-place finish, beaten three lengths versus $50,000 starter allowance foes. The winner Singapore Trader came back to beat state bred Alw-1 foes by 9 3/4 lengths next out while the third-place finisher Shadow Rider came back to beat $16,000 starter allowance foes in his next start on Dec. 9. He makes his third start of his current form cycle and fits well in this spot.

Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 4,9 / 1,4,9,10
TRI: 4,9 / 1,4,9,10 / 1,4,9,10,11

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: #1 Madame Barbarian 8-1
R3: #5 Hokulea 8-1
R4: #5 Chica Boom Chic 10-1
R4: #4 Miss Marilyn 10-1
R4: #2 Joyful Frolic 8-1
R5: #2 Rockin Jo 8-1
R6: #1 Simona 8-1
R7: #10 Pocket Player 8-1
R8: #7 Scorpion Bowl 10-1
R9: #1 Jo Jo’s Candy 15-1
R9: #5 Magari 8-1

Good luck today!