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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
We have a big day coming up on Saturday with eight graded stakes on tap including three Road to the Kentucky Derby points races.
 
At Aqueduct a field of eight will line up in the $250,000 Withers (G3) led by Remsen (G3) winner Shotski and a very impressive maiden winner Portos from the Todd Pletcher barn.
 
We have five stakes races at Gulfstream Park highlighted by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3). Tiz the Law is the 3-5 morning line favorite in a field of seven with 10 Derby points going to the winner.
 
Tiz the Law won the Champagne (G1) last October and then had a troubled trip in a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) in the slop at Churchill Downs in his last outing.
 
There are three stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday led by the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) which drew a field of just six. The Bob Baffert trained Thousand Words is the 4-5 morning line favorite. The colt is perfect in two starts, winning the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in his last start.
 
The John Sadler trained Encoder might be a viable option. The colt has won three of his six career starts all on turf.
 
The co-features at Santa Anita are the $200,000 San Marcos (G2) and the $200,000 San Pasqual (G2). I will have most of the stakes covered in Saturday’s Best Plays Report.
 
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 which will include all the major Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.
 
Here is the opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:
 
AQU Race 1 Md $25,000 (12:50 ET)
#2 Stunning Beauty   8-1
#4 Shannon's Girl   3-5
#7 Funderella   5-1
#6 Hickory Made   3-1
 
Analysis: Stunning Beauty drops back in for a tag here in her first go off a four-month break here for the Donk barn. The mare was beaten double digit lengths in each of her three starts, her first two on turf and last out going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track at Belmont Park on the cut back in distance. She has decent looking works on the morning tab for a barn that is 11% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. She faces the easiest spot of her career and pedigree wise seems best suited for the main track She is by Get Stormy out of a A.P. Indy mare that ash dropped three other foals to race, all winners.
 
Shannon's Girl is going to be a light price as she makes her 14th career start. She has landed in the bottom half of the exacta in six of those starts. Last out she tracked the early pace while down along a dead rail and weakened to finish fifth while beaten 1 3/4 lengths. She makes her second start off the claim by the Noda barn that took her two back for $20,000 where she was beaten just a neck. She has just the one career start on a fast main track, 10 of her starts coming on turf. She catches an easy spot here, but it is tough to move forward runners after taking them from Cox.
 
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 5-1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,6,7
TRI: 2,4 / 2,4,6,7 / 2,3,4,6,7
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
 
AQU Race 7 OClm $80,000C (3:55 ET)
#5 Musical America   5-2
#2 Sir Winston   8-5
#6 Leitone   5-2
#4 Brass Compass   8-1
 
Analysis: Musical America tracked the early pace, battled don gamely in the stretch and edged clear late to beat Alw-2 optional claimers last out in a harp effort here at a mile. The gelding also won at that level two back which was his second start off the claim by Atras who took this guy for $50,000 last November at Churchill Downs. He steps up a notch in class here but comes in here sharp enough to win right back. His last was a career top for a barn that has been sending out live runners at the meet.
 
Sir Winston was scratched out of the Jazil on Jan. 25 for this spot. The colt came back off a 6 1/2-month layoff to get outrun on turf at Fair Grounds in the Woodchopper. He has not run well in either of his turf starts and returns to his favorite surface here. He won the Belmont (G1) two back at 10-1. The Casse barn is 16% winners moving runners from turf to dirt. The one-mile distance is a question mark here as he has done his best running going longer. His lone trip here was a fourth in the Withers (G3) last February at nine furlongs. He fits here but his price may end up on the light side.
 
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 2,5 / 2,4,5,6
TRI: 2,5 / 2,4,5,6 / 2,3,4,5,6
 
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 Stunning Beauty   8-1
R2: #5 All About Reyna   10-1
R4: #5 Rosey’s invasion   12-1
R7: #4 Brass Compass   8-1
 
Good luck today!

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