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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Saturday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
The big race today is the $900,000 Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn Park, a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race with 50-20-10-5 points toward entry into the Kentucky Derby (G1) up for grabs.

The $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park is also a Derby prep, with 20-8-4-1 points to the top four finishers.

A field of 11 line up in the Rebel with trainer Bob Baffert looking to win the race for the seventh time in the last nine years with Solomini, who is the 3-2 morning line favorite. The colt makes his first start since crossing the wire first in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) where he was disqualified and placed third for causing interference in the stretch.

His main foe will be the Todd Pletcher trainee Magnum Moon (7-2) who makes his stakes debut after an impressive start to his career with two wins.

Sporting Chance (5-1) was my top pick in the Southwest at 9-2 but the D. Wayne Lukas trainee had to settle for third after some traffic troubles in the stretch.

The Jeff Ruby drew a field of 12 and it is quite the puzzle. When in doubt there is nothing wrong with going with the Michael Dickinson barn. Archaggelos won the Grey (G3) at Woodbine last October and makes his first start since a fourth in the Display on Dec. 2. The 6-1 morning line looks fair enough.

My Best Plays Multi Track Report for Saturday includes my nine strongest plays from Aqueduct, Turfway Park and Oaklawn Park including the major stakes action.

To purchase my Aqueduct and Best Plays Reports for Saturday click here.

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

AQU Race 1 Clm $32,000 (1:20 ET)
#5 Alright Alright 7-2
#1 Heaven's Runway / 1a Summer Bourbon 6-5
#2 Full Salute 5-2
#3 Will Did It 9-2

Analysis: Alright Alright is making his first start since last June where he was beaten just a neck for a $32,000 tag. He landed in the exacta in his last six starts including three wins. Toscano claimed him and put him on the shelf, the barn showing a 0 for 7 mark with runners coming back off a +180 day layoff. The six-year-old has been working quickly and if he is cranked up he is quick enough to shake loose early from this group.

Heaven's Runway is making his first start since last February where he was seventh in the General George (G3) at Laurel Park. The RRod barn claimed this guy for $62,500 and won a pair of stakes with him including the '16 Fall Highweight (G3). The barn is 18% winners with runners coming back off a +180 day layoff.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 5 / 1,2
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 8 The Correction (4:56 ET)
#7 My Miss Cliff 10-1
#3 Sounds Delicious 4-1
#4 Spice Lady 6-1
#5 Quezon 7-2

Analysis: My Miss Cliff invades from Louisiana where in her last three starts she has won a pair of La bred stakes and ran a game second last out as the beaten favorite. Her last two came on wet tracks. Her last try in open company came last May where she ran third in the Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico. The filly owns solid early and mid pace numbers in a race with plenty of early zip signed up. She is in good hands with the Stall barn and with her coming out of state breds races she may end up getting overlooked on the tote. Her best puts her in the mix.

Sounds Delicious took the field gate to wire to beat Alw-2 optional claimers by 6 1/4 lengths in a sharp effort. Two back she set off the pace and just missed by a neck to Nisha, who was taking full advantage of an inside speed favoring racing strip. The Rice trainee looks as if she still has some upside and looks primed for a top effort in her third start off the bench.

Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 6-1 or better.
EX: 3,7 / 3,4,5,7
TRI: 3,7 / 3,4,5,7 / 3,4,5,7,8

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Turfway Park:

OP Race 9 The Azeri G2 (5:32 CT)
#1 Actress 3-1
#3 Terra Promessa 8-1
#7 Martini Glass 4-1
#8 Blue Prize 7-2

Analysis: Actress just missed last out by a neck in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) where the filly raced at the back of the pack early, made a good move to take over the lead and got caught late by Tiger Moth. The third place finisher Martini Glass came back to win the Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park in her next start and is in here. Our top pick was a very good three-year-old, capping off her year by winning the Comely (G3) by 8 1/4 lengths. She looks capable of moving forward off her last effort and Ortiz sticks for Servis.

Terra Promessa was fifth in this race last year but she has run very well over the main track here including winning the '16 Honeybee (G3) and Fantasy (G3) and the '17 Bayakoa (G3). Last out in the slop in the Bayakoa she chased the early pace, took over the lead and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish in the slop. She makes her third start off the bench here for Asmussen and it looks as if she is going to be a decent price in this spot.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,7,8
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,7,8 / 1,3,4,7,8

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Turfway Park:

TP Race 10 The Jeff Ruby Steaks G3 (6:00 ET)
#3 Archaggelos 6-1
#7 Hazit 5-1
#4 Pony Up 6-1
#8 Blended Citizen 6-1

Analysis: Archaggelos returns off a three month break for his three-year-old debut here for the Mad Genius. The colt won the Grey (G3) last October at Woodbine over Tapeta in his first start against winners. In his last outing he stalked the early pace and bumped a foe at the eighth pole and weakened to finish fourth in the Display. The colt broke his maiden on turf and has a couple of trips over the main track here in the morning.

Hazit set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish against Alw-1 optional claimers. The colt broke his maiden in his debut last summer at the Spa and Pletcher thought enough of him to run him in the Champagne (G1) where he was fifth and then the BC Juvenile (G1) where he faded to finish eighth. By War Front out of the Indian Charlie mare Rumor ($418,391) a graded stakes winner, he has the pedigree to handle the fake stuff.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 3,7 / 3,4,7,8
TRI: 3,7 / 3,4,7,8 / 3,4,5,7,8

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
R2: #1 Glennwood 8-1
R5: #2 Barrier to Entry 8-1
R6: #8 Raging Fire 8-1
R8: #7 My Miss Cliff 10-1
R9: #7 Tammany Giant 8-1

Good luck today!

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