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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Thursday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We are back in action on Thursday at Aqueduct and I am expecting a sloppy track as there is rain in the forecast and it is going to be a windy afternoon.

The weather looks better on Saturday at Gulfstream Park where we have Pegasus World Cup Day. There is a 12-race card including nine stakes highlighted by the third running of the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the first edition of the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

Accelerate was installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Pegasus World Cup. He looks to follow in the footsteps of the first two winners, Arrogate and Gun Runner, who each came into the race off a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

His main foe is City of Light, who is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line. The five-year-old won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in his last start. He is the lone runner in 2018 to best Accelerate, taking the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) by a neck last April.

The Pegasus World Cup Turf drew a field of 10 led by Yoshida, who is back on grass after a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic as my top pick. He won the Old Forrester Turf Classic (G1) last May at Churchill Downs.

I will have my full card report for Pegasus World Cup Day along with Aqueduct on Saturday.

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 Thursday click here.

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

AQU Race 1 Md Sp Wt (12:50 ET)
#2 Ja's Malibu 3-1
#4 Awillaway 8-5
#6 First Forever 5-2
#5 Today Comes Once 8-1

Analysis: Ja's Malibu set the early fractions over a wet track and was no match for the winner in a runner up finish. The third-place finisher Countable came back to graduate in her next outing on Jan. 11 here. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and has a decent enough off track pedigree. She is out of a Cuvee mare that has dropped one other foal to race, no winners to date. May be tough to catch here.

Awillaway prompted the early pace and could not go with the winner in a runner up finish in a decent debut, sent off at 7-2 in a field of six. She was 6 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field in the effort. She does not need to move forward much off her debut effort to pick up her diploma here. She is out of a Redattore mare that has dropped one winner. A decent off track pedigree.

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

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 6 OClm $75,000N1X (3:27 ET)
#6 Hushion 12-1
#3 Beachside 2-1
#5 Kosciusko 6-1
#1 Pipes / 1a Southern King 7-5

Analysis: Hushion graduated last out in a gate to wire score in the slop. The gelding came three wide, had to check after lugging in at the 3/16's and drew clear late. he did it on a day the other paths were best. He looks to be getting better with each start and likely catches another off track. He makes his third start off the bench here for Brown and the 12-1 morning line looks generous.
Beachside stalked the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a fifth-place finish in the state bred Damon Runyon, beaten 3 3/4 lengths for the top spot. The colt graduated here three back on a wet track in a race taken off the turf and is bred to like the off going. His last three numbers make him a major threat in this spot.

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

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: #5 Today Comes Once 8-1
R2: #2 Lolli 12-1
R5: #7 Old Upstart 10-1
R5: #6 Haudenosaunee 8-1
R6: #6 Hushion 12-1
R7: #4 Turn and Bern 10-1
R7: #5 Orchid Party 12-1

Good luck today!


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