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Horse Racing

Horse Racing Best Bets – At the Gate – Thursday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We have an eight-race card on tap at Aqueduct on Thursday and while the early Pick 5 looks fairly easy to hit, it likely is not going to pay much.
 
We have six horse fields in the first three races, with the third race likely to scratch down to five. The fourth race has a field of seven including 6-5 morning line favorite Dancers for Token, and then the fifth race had just five going led by even money favorite Our Circle of Love.
 
The Late Pick 5 offers a bit more value. That sequence starts with the fourth race and the final two races on the card each have fields of eight.
 
Linda Rice and Rudy Rodriguez are tied for the lead in the trainer’s standings at Aqueduct with 24 wins each. Rice is hitting at a 24% clip with RRod is at 18%.
 
Among the hot barns are Chad Brown (9 for 26, 35%), Mark Casse (9 for 32, 28%), Danny Gargan (8 for 21, 38%) and Gary Gullo (9 for 36, 25%).
 
I am surprised by a few barns that are having tough meets. Among those are Jeremiah Englehart (1 for 41) and Gary Contessa (2 for 50).
 
On the jockey side Jose Lezcano continues to be on top of the standings with 49 winners from 204 mounts (24%). Next in line are Eric Cancel with 44 and Manny Franco with 41.
 
I continue to be impressed with apprentice rider Luis Cardenas, who has now won nine races from 96 mounts. Another guy having a really good meeting is Reylu Gutierrez who has booted home 21 winners.
 
To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Thursday 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 (1:20 ET)
#6 Midnight Banker   7-5
#2 Anydayisherday   6-1
#1 Enough Love   8-5
#5 Pebbles Fantasy   5-1
 
Analysis: Midnight Banker caught a sloppy track last out where she set the early fractions and could not match strides with the winner in the stretch in a runner up finish. She was a nose ahead of third place finisher Alphadora, who came back to graduate in her next outing on Feb. 6 here. She looks headed in the right direction for the Tannuzzo barn that has been sending out live runners at the meeting. She is out of a Joyeux Dancer mare that has dropped five other foals to race but just one winner.
 
Anydayisherday dueled for the early lead and tired to finish seventh last out and is now 0 for 9. She has landed in the bottom half of the exacta three times including here last November. She appears to have the best shot of breaking up a chalky exacta on what could be a very chalky day. She is the first foal to race out of a Hard Spun mare.
 
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7-5 or better.
EX: 2,6 / 1,2,6
TRI: no play
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
 
AQU Race 6 Clm $40,000N2L (3:55 ET)
#3 Charge Ahead   5-2
#2 Cause of Action   7-2
#1 Impunity   5-1
#6 Justice of War   2-1
 
Analysis: Charge Ahead made his local debut last out and first career start on conventional dirt. The gelding lost his footing coming out of the gate, chased the early pace and faded to finish sixth against Alw-1 company. He caught a racing strip that was playing to inside speed that day. He comes back with blinkers added and a couple of good works for the Casse barn. The gelding was competitive over the fake stuff at Woodbine in his previous starts and now drops in for a tag. The barn is 18% winners with adding blinkers and has been live at the meeting, hitting at a 29% clip.
 
Cause of Action prompted the early pace while in between foes and weakened in the stretch to finish fourth last out against $25,000 starter allowance foes at Philly. It was his first start on dirt after racing at Woodbine three starts on turf and three on the synthetic surface. He looks well spotted here dropping in for a tag here for the Englehart barn that started off the meeting chilly but is back on track in recent weeks.
 
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3,6
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3,6 / 1,2,3,6,7
 
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
R2: #6 Street Trust   8-1
R3: #2 Hold My Call   8-1
R4: #4 Fast Gordon   8-1
 
Good luck today!

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