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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We are back in action at the Big A on Friday after a three-day break and luckily, I finished up the card in advance, so I could grab an extra hour of sleep after being up half the night watching the U.S. women beat Canada in hockey.

I would bet Starbucks had a record day on Thursday.

We are now just over two months away from the first Saturday of May, which makes it hard to believe we have no Road to the Kentucky Derby points races on tap this weekend.

However, things heat up in a big way next Saturday with the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, the first of 15 points races to be contested over an eight-week period which will keep us very busy.

The Fountain of Youth will mark the three-year-old debut for Good Magic, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion. The Chad Brown trainee is currently listed at +750 in early Kentucky Derby wagering at [...].

The early betting favorite for the Derby is Bolt d’Oro at +650 in early Derby wagering at [...] and he will not make his three-year-old debut until March 10 in the San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

McKinzie, winner of the Sham (G3) at Santa Anita in his last outing is also at +750. His next start will either be the San Felipe or one week later in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

We have an eight-race card at Aqueduct today and while racing is down to three days a week for the next month, hopefully less racing days will mean larger fields.

Friday’s card is decent although we have rain in the forecast from Thursday into Friday afternoon which likely will leave the track muddy or sloppy.

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Friday click here .

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

AQU Race 1 Clm $14,000N3L (12:50 ET)
#5 Stay Fond 4-5
#3 B Three 3-1
#1 Special Risk 7-2
#2 Queenofthechannel 6-1

Analysis: Stay Fond beat $16,000 non-winners of two in the mud and earned the top last out speed fig for Pletcher. She steps up a condition here to take on non-winners of three but if she runs back to her last effort she is going to be very tough to beat at a light price.

B Three tracked the early pace, came with a five-wide bid and was no match for the winner in a runner up finish last out against $25,000 non-winners of three over a wet track here. The mare was four lengths clear of the rest of the field. She gets in light with the bug Diaz but will need to move forward to get to our top pick. The mare has handled wet tracks, a couple of seconds and a third in five trips.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 1-1 or better.
EX: 5 / 1,3
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 7 OClm $40,000N2X (3:58 ET)
#4 Global Positioning 8-1
#6 Becker's Galaxy 5-2
#7 Fleet Irish 3-1
#2 Clutch Cargo 7-2

Analysis: Global Positioning steps up into a tougher spot here while stretching out to a mile in his second start off the claim by the Adsit barn. The gelding just missed by a neck last out against state bred $25,000 foes going six furlongs. His last try at a mile produce a win going two turns at Finger Lakes. He has landed in the exacta in three of his five trips on wet tracks. The barn had a quiet '17 with just eight wins. Adsit is 10% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from sprint to route. Decent value if this guy goes off near his 8-1 morning line.

Becker's Galaxy took the field gate to wire to beat state bred Alw-1 optional claimers last out by 8 1/2 lengths for the RRod barn. He was claimed out of the race, going to Jacobson who is 18% winners first off the claim. He looks back on track after getting beaten double digit lengths in his three previous starts, all versus tougher. He is just 1 for 14 on wet tracks but has landed in the money in 11 of those trips.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 5-1 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 2,4,6,7
TRI: 4,6 / 2,4,6,7 / 2,4,6,7,8

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
R5: #4 Lady Bountiful 10-1
R5: #2 Hug the Rail 8-1
R6: #7 Our Whim 10-1
R6: #8 Classic Stones 8-1
R7: #4 Global Positioning 8-1
R8: #4 Majestic Kiss 8-1

Good luck today!

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