At the Gate – Thursday

It was good to get back to racing on Wednesday at Aqueduct after dealing with mostly three-day a week racing over the past month, and we had a decent day that was a couple of photos from being much better.

One of my top two picks won six races on the card. In the early Pick 5 we had a couple of top picks win along with a second choice and a third choice.

However, my tickets went dead when my second choice Big Thicket at a generous 8-1 was caught right at the wire in the third race.

In the late Pick 4 my second choice won each of the first three legs which set me up for a decent score. My second choice Red Mule set the early fractions and looked well on his way to victory at 9-2 but got caught at the wire by 26-1 longshot Halstaat.

That one stung as I was already starting to count my money.

We are back in action on Thursday at the Big A and the early Pick 5 looks very hittable but with a couple of short fields we may not get a big payoff unless we can beat the 3-5 chalk in the opener.

Don’t forget we have a big day coming up on Saturday including the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), the final major Kentucky Derby prep race.

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

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Thursday click here .

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

AQU Race 1 Md $20,000 (1:30 ET)
#3 Mount Olympus 3-1
#2 Somebody 3-5
#4 Serengeti Cat 10-1
#1 Seediskid 6-1

Analysis: Mount Olympus faded to finish a well beaten fifth last in the slop in his local debut. The colt showed some promise with a runner up finish in his debut at Gulfstream Park on the main track, sent off at 9-2 in a field of eight. He then tired to finish ninth against $50,000 foes on turf going long. The colt looks capable of moving forward off his last pair as he returns to a fast main track and gets a jock upgrade here to Franco. He is out of a Smoke Glacken mare that has dropped five other runners, all winners.

Somebody tracked the early pace and made a mild late rally to finish in the runner up spot last out off a two-month break. He ran second two back as well over a fast surface here at a mile. His last pair of speed figs are tops in here and he catches a pretty weak group, but tough to get too excited about backing him at less than even money.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3,4
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3,4 / 1,2,3,4,7

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 7 Clm $16,000 (4:42 ET)
#1 Truly a Moonshot 9-2
#3 Thomas Knight 2-1
#5 Javelin 5-2
#8 Nolinksi 12-1

Analysis: Truly a Moonshot tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out against $12,500 foes in his first start off the claim by the RRod barn, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by our third choice in here. He beat $12,500 foes two back in a game effort in his first start off the claim by the Summers barn at 5 1/2 furlongs. The gelding looks headed in the right direction form wise and the barn looks capable of moving this guy forward enough to turn the tables.

Thomas Knight failed to fire at Philly last out against Alw-2 optional claimers and now returns here off a two month break with a class drop. The Guerrero barn claimed this guy for $16,000 from Pino and he was a game winner by a nose over Alw-2 optional claimers at Philly over a wet track in his first go for the barn. The barn lost him for $20,000 and claimed him back in his next start for $16,000. He is better than he showed last out and looking for him to bounce back here.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,5,8
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,5,8 / 1,3,5,7,8

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: #4 Serengeti Cat 10-1
R3: #6 Big Mountain 8-1
R7: #8 Nolinski 12-1

Good luck today!