At the Gate – Friday

Our four-day break at Aqueduct is in the books and we are back in action on Friday afternoon with an eight race card.

Things heat up this weekend, with plenty of stakes action including a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race at Fair Grounds, the Sunshine Millions at Gulfstream Park, three California Cup races at Santa Anita, and a pair of stakes races at the Big A.

Maybe “heat up” does not apply to racing in New York. The forecast at Aqueduct does not look great for Saturday, with 1-3 inches of snow in the forecast starting in the afternoon.

The feature tomorrow at Aqueduct is the $150,000 Toboggan (G3), which is only fitting with snow in the forecast. A field of nine go seven furlongs led by H.A Jerkens (G1) winner Mind Control (2-1) and American Anthem (7-2), the former Bob Baffert trainee who is now in the care of Danny Gargan.

The $200,000 Lecomte (G3) gets the Road to the Kentucky Derby through New Orleans underway on Saturday at Fair Grounds. This is a great betting race with a full field of 14 heading to the starting gate.

The Eddie Kenneally trained Scabbard is the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favorite. The colt was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in his last outing.

Don’t forget we have racing at most tracks on Monday including the Big A.

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Friday 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 $40,000 (12:50 ET)
#1 Go With Honor 12-1
#3 Disciplinarian 5-2
#5 Implied Volatility 2-1
#6 Dutchmen Forever 7-2

Analysis: Go With Honor was off poorly and outrun last out in his first start off a six-month layoff. The gelding showed some promise in his first two starts, a runner up finish in his debut at Finger Lakes going two turns and a rallying third on turf at Belmont Park off the bench two back. The Baker barn is 27% winners (with a +ROI) with runners making their second start off a 45-180-day layoff. Willing to give this guy another look here at a decent price.

Disciplinarian tracked the early pace while saving ground and angled out three wide for the stretch drive and did not have enough punch left late last out in the slop. He landed in the money in three of his first four career starts and catches a pretty soft spot here. He is the first foal to race out of a Closing Argument are. Donk is 12% winners moving runners from sprint to route.

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

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 6 Clm $25,000N2L (3:25 ET)
#7 Our Stormin Norman 3-1
#4 Dr. Devera's Way 7-2
#5 Cavaradossi 5-2
#2 Beach Front 12-1

Analysis: Our Stormin Norman stalked the early pace and made a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot last out against $16,000 non-winners of two going six furlongs at 4-5. The gelding caught a racing strip that was playing to inside speed that day. He was claimed out of the race by the Kantarmaci barn that is 24% winners (with a +ROI) first off the claim. Two back he was up dueling for the early lead and in this spot he should be closer to the pace. The gelding has not won since his maiden breaker at the fall meeting at Keeneland was back in '16. This could be the spot.

Dr. Devera's Way caught sloppy tracks in each of his last three outings, last out a fifth at this level in his second start against winners. He returns as a gelding here for the Kantarmaci barn. He broke his maiden at 22-1 three back going seven furlongs at the Spa. A repeat of that effort here looks good enough to beat this weak group.

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

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: #1 Go With Honor 12-1
R5: #9 Girl’s Wave 8-1
R6: #2 Beach Front 12-1

Good luck today!