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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Wednesday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
The horse racing industry has a lot of work to do to fix the negative news that has accumulated this year, with the spate of equine deaths earlier this year in Santa Anita and the breakdown of Mongolian Groom in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Most of the major racetracks in the U.S. have come together and announced the creation of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, designed to “implement a series of significant safety, medication, operational and integrity guidelines across Thoroughbred racing to ensure the well-being of horses and jockeys and increase transparency and accountability.”

Coalition founding members include Breeders’ Cup Limited, Churchill Downs Inc., Keeneland Association Inc., the New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA), Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and The Stronach Group. Together they represent more than 85% of graded stakes racing in America.

Safety protocols initiated in Southern California helped improve the breakdown rate at Santa Anita and Del Mar, but the tracks have been under attack by PETA and animal welfare advocates who want to abolish the sport and the industry.

The industry needs a coordinated effort to get the message out to the general public that it is doing everything possible to reduce the numbers of equine breakdowns and injuries.

Up until now the effort has been poor, with the Stronach Group giving PETA a seat at the table and no clear message or strategy to improve the image of the sport.

I hope the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition will be a step in the right direction.

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Wednesday click here.

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

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

AQU Race 1 Md $20,000 (12:20 ET)
#2 Oroscopo 5-1
#3 Impunity 2-1
#7 Mine the Coin 9-5
#5 Cool Your Boots 8-1

Analysis: Oroscopo dueled for the early lead and battled on gamely getting run down late and settling for the runner up spot. The racing strip that day was playing to outside stalkers and closers in the mud. The Bush trainee caught mud two back as well in a third-place finish behind repeat winner Strategic Outlook who beat $30,000 non-winners of two in his next start on Nov. 2 here. This is his 12th career start here and fifth since landing with Bush. He owns sold early and mid pace numbers and willing to give this guy one more shot here although after going off at 22-1 and 16-1 in his last two starts we will have to settle for a lighter price here.

Impunity tracked the early pace and finished gamely to miss by just a head last out to Strategic Outlook while 6 3/4 lengths clear of our top pick. The gelding was claimed out of the race by the Noda barn that is showing a 0 for 8 mark first off the claim but has been doing good work since going out on his own, hitting at a 18% clip overall. The gelding has now landed in the money in five of his eight starts and his last two speed figs are good enough to beat this group. He is out of a stakes placed Grand Slam mare that has dropped four winners.

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

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 7 Alw $50,000s (3:17 ET)
#6 Super Silver 7-2
#5 Kumar 5-1
#3 Other Things Equal 5-2
#7 Crea's Bklyn Law 9-2

Analysis: Super Silver was squeezed back coming out of the gate last out, was near the back of the pack early and finished evenly in a third-place finish at this level, beaten four lengths for the top spot. Levine claimed this guy for $40,000 four back where he broke his maiden. He was beaten just a neck in the slop in his first start against winners then regressed in a sixth-place finish two back. The gelding earned a career top speed fig last out despite the poor start and id he breaks better he is going to be right in the mix early.

Kumar goes turf to dirt here after a sharp win last out against $50,000 foes over good ground on turf at Belmont Park. His last trip on dirt came here three back where he graduated for a $30,000 tag and he was claimed out of that race by the RRod barn. He makes his third start off the break here. The barn is 16% winners moving runners from turf to dirt.

Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 3,4,5,7
TRI: 5,6 / 3,5,6,7 / 3,5,6,7,8

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
R1: #5 Cool Your Bots 8-1
R3: #2 Hockey Puck 15-1
R3: #1 Mr. Shrotandsimple 8-1
R5: #6 Inclunation 10-1
R6: #2 Money Ride 8-1
R6: #4 False Alarm 10-1
R8: #1 Fuel the Bern 8-1

Good luck today!

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