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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Saturday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
We have a trio of stakes races on tap at Aqueduct on Saturday along with a Grade 3 race on the turf at Churchill Downs.

The stakes action at the Big A starts with the $100,000 Pumpkin Pie which drew a field of seven that will go seven furlongs on the main track.

The Jason Servis trained Philanthropic is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Servis took over the training duties from Steve Asmussen and the filly broke her maiden in her first start for the trainer and then she beat first level optional claimers by five lengths in her first start against winners.

There are a couple of foes that may end up offering more value for the top spot including Majestic Reason, who was third in the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) in her next outing.

The $150,000 Artie Schiller drew a field of nine and there is a ton of speed signed up to go the one mile on the inner turf course. That could set things up for either Caribou Club (5-2) or Frontier Market (3-1).

The $100,000 Atlantic Beach is the most wide open of the stakes, drawing a full field of 12 two-year-olds that will go six furlongs on the outer turf. My selections are below.

We also will head out to Churchill Downs today where the feature is the $175,000 Commonwealth Turf (G3) for three-year-old going 1 1/16 miles.

A full field of 14 go to the post led by the Joe Sharp trained Tracksmith (6-1), who ran second in the Jefferson Cup and Armistice Day (6-1) who ran second in the Ontario Derby (G3) in his last outing.

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My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my eight strongest plays from Aqueduct and Churchill Downs.

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

AQU Race 1 OClm $62,500C (12:00 ET)
#1 Daria's Angel 5-2
#2 Midnight Disguise 8-5
#3 Miss Imperial 4-1
#5 Monaco Princess 6-1

Analysis: Daria's Angel gets the slight nod in this small field where it feels any of these can win. She prompted the early pace, took over the lead and could not match strides late with the winner in a runner up finish against $35,000 starter allowance foes last out over a wet track at Belmont Park. She was four lengths clear of the rest of the field in the effort. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and figures to get sent with the rail draw. She makes her third start off the bench here and she has landed in the exacta in all seven of her trips over the main track here.

Midnight Disguise makes her second start off a four-month break here for the Rice barn. She returned in a tough spot in the state bred Empire Classic where she checked din fifth at 6-1. She is 0 for 6 this year but has landed din the money in three stakes for New York breds. Her last win came in her lone start at seven furlongs in her win in the state bred Bouwerie in May of '18. The barn is 21% winners with runners making their second start off a 45-180-day layoff. She also has run well at the Big A, winning four of nine starts with a couple of seconds.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1 / 2,3
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 9 The Atlantic Beach (3:50 ET)
#2 Old Chestnut 12-1
#4 Jack and Noah 6-1
#5 Freewheeler 7-2
#10 Fly Fly Away 12-1

Analysis: Old Chestnut raced near the back of the pack early while toward the inside came four wide and made a mild late bid in a sixth-place finish in the Indian Summer last out at Keeneland. The turf was labeled firm but Casse though the inside part of the turf course was deep that day. The colt made his debut in a stakes where he checked in fifth, then broke his maiden in his turf debut and then wired the field to win the Ontario Racing at five furlongs at Woodbine. Willing to give this guy another look here, and it appears he will be overlooked on the betting and his win two back was solid. He is by Speightstown out of the dirt stakes winner Pool Land ($529,776) who has dropped four other winners including two other turf winners. He picks up Alvarado who started off the meeting in style with six wins from his first 19 mounts.

Jack and Noah set a sharp early pace and ran out of gas in a fourth-place finish in the Futurity last out behind a couple of foes he faces again here. The winner Four Wheel Drive came back to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) in his next outing. This guy owns solid early and mid pace numbers but there is plenty of early zip signed up to go here.

Freewheeler also exits the Futurity where the colt tracked the early pace and came with a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot. The colt graduated in his debut two back going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at the Spa at 5-1. This colt was pricey, a $430,000 purchase by City Zip out of a Dehere mare that has dropped one other foal to race, also a turf winner. He reunites with Irad who was aboard for his maiden score.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 6-1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,5,10
TRI: 2,4 / 2,4,5,10 / 2,4,5,8,10

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Churchill Downs:

CD Race 10 The Commonwealth Turf G3 (5:36 PT)
#7 Tracksmith 5-1
#10 Armistice Day 6-1
#11 Mr Dumas 6-1
#6 Spectacular Gem 6-1

Analysis: Tracksmith stalked the early pace and came with a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot in the Jefferson Cup here at nine furlongs last out, unable to catch the gate to wire winner Spectacular Gem. Two back or top pick finished evenly in a fourth-place finish in the Virginia Derby (G3) at Colonial Downs. The winner English Bee came back to win the Parx Fall Derby in his next outing on Oct. 8. The Sharp trainee gets a cut back in distance which should suit him but more importantly he is going to get more pace to run at here.

Armistice Day was a good second last out on the fake stuff at Woodbine in the Ontario Derby (G3). The gelding has three starts on turf, his win coming three back in the Toronto Cup at nine furlongs over good ground. This guy should get a good trip from mid pack and he reunites with Lanerie who as aboard him for a fourth here in the Matt Winn (G3) on the main track. Decent value if he goes off near his 6-1 morning line.

Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 7,10 / 6,7,10,11
TRI: 7,10 / 6,7,10,11 / 3,6,7,10,11

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
R2: #2 Tapit to Ride 10-1
R3: #1 Quality Choice 10-1
R4: #4 Tizanoxbow 10-1
R5: #9 Ylikedis 10-1
R5: #5 Boom Boom Girl 12-1
R6: #3 Devamani 12-1
R9: #2 Old Chestnut 12-1
R9: #10 Fly Fly Away 12-1
R10: #5 Divine Leader 8-1

Good luck today!

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