At the Gate – Friday

New Orleans is known for being twice as much fun as most cities, and on Saturday we will have double the fun in the $400,000 Risen Star (G2).

With 23 three-year-olds entered in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, the track decided to split the race into two divisions, giving us two Derby preps, each still worth $400,000 and offering up 50-20-10-5 Derby points.

A win virtually assures a starting spot in the gate for the Kentucky Derby. The Risen Star has been lengthened this year from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles and serves as a prep for the marquee event of the meeting, the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 21.

The first division features Enforceable, who was our top pick in the Lecomte (G3) which he won by 1 ½ lengths in a good looking effort, returning $15.60. Among his foes is Monomoy Girl’s little Brother Mr. Monomoy, who was third in the Lecomte.

The second division is led by Anneau d’Or, who was beaten a head in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) by longshot Storm the Court and then missed in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), beaten a head by Thousand Words.

Thousand Worlds is a Bob Baffert trainee who started off his three-year-old campaign with a victory in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita on Feb. 1.

I will include both divisions of the Risen Star in Saturday’s Best Plays Report along with the supporting graded stakes and action from Aqueduct.

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 of 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 Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
#2 Wear My Ring 3-1
#5 Micromillion 4-5
#3 I'm Fine 8-5
#4 Moneybackguarentee 15-1

Analysis: Wear My Ring
is one of two in here sent out by Pletcher. The filly stumbled coming out of the gate when making her debut, sent off at 6-1 in a field of 10. She is bred to go long, by Street Sense out of the multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Spun Sugar ($929,171) who has dropped eight other foals to race with four winners. The $200,000 Spa purchase figures to show more with a race under her belt. Pletcher is 23% winners with second out maidens.

Micromillion is also sent out by Pletcher. She sprinted in her first two starts and tried a mile last out where she came with a five wide bid but finished evenly in a third-place finish. That effort was off the bench and she should move forward second off the layoff. She looks likely to be the lighter of the two from the barn and her stablemate has a bit more of a long winded pedigree to handle nine furlongs.

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

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 8 OClm $40,000N2X (4:25 ET)
#8 Leaky Cup 5-2
#1 Vicar's Legend 15-1
#2 Kazmania 6-1
#4 Durkin's Call 4-1

Analysis: Leaky Cup
returns off a three-month break here for the Kimmel barn. He returns a gelding after being the beaten chalk last out at this level. He prompted the early pace and weakened to finish fourth behind a cope of foes he runs into again today. The winner Cerretalto came back to beat open Alw-1 foes in his next outing here on Jan. 11. He passed his first state bred condition four back in gate to wire fashion in the slop last summer at the Spa. He has been working quickly in the mornings for his return off the break for Kimmel who is having a good meeting, hitting at a 29% clip.

Vicar's Legend caught a muddy track last out where he saved ground early and could not make up any ground late over a racing strip that was kind to speed, checking in sixth while beaten 3 1/4 lengths for the top spot. He was a sharp winner versus sate bred Alw-1 foes three back but has regressed in his first two starts at this level. He looks eligible to move forward off his last effort over an off track. The barn is just tough for me to figure out but in this spot the 15-1 morning line looks generous.

Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,8 / 1,2,4,8
TRI: 1,8 / 1,2,4,8 / 1,2,3,4,8

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: #4 Moneybackguarentee 15-1
R2: #3 Lucky Ramsey 12-1
R6: 33 Cotton Candy Cutie 15-1
R7: #9 Makin’ Out 20-1
R8: #1 Vicar’s Legend 15-1
R9: #3 Bay Burner 10-1
R9: #7 Fortune Found 10-1

Good luck today!