Thursday’s Picks from Aqueduct

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

13 minute read

The Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January kicks off the year in horse racing but with a rash of top runners headed off to stud, a few stars will be missing.

Among those is Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic, who will head out to Spendthrift Farm to start his new career as a stallion.

The Bob Baffert trainee made just eight starts in his career, winning six times including the Kentucky Derby (G1). He earned $6,191,200 in purses.

It is a shame his connections could not hold off sending him to stud for a couple of months, with rich races like the Pegasus World Cup, Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup coming up.

It is a real problem when the stars of the sport are whisked away to stud duty before the public has a chance to embrace them.

Baffert lost two others in his barn as well. Improbable, who ran second in the Classic will head off to WinStar Farm and Maximum Security, who was a disappointing fifth in the Classic will also start his new career at Ashford Stud this spring.

A stud career is more lucrative to the stars of the sport, and as long as that continues it is going to get harder to create new fans and bettors to an already struggling sport.

Let’s struggle to cash some tickets at Aqueduct this afternoon where it is doubtful any horses on the card are headed off to stallion duties any time soon.

You can catch the action from Aqueduct today from 12:00 to 6:00 ET on FS2. In addition, you can stream the action on YouTube or by using the TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. is offering a 50% deposit match up to $250 .

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.

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

AQUEDUCT RACE 1 ANALYSIS (12:20 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Md Sp Wt

• #6 Uno 8-5
• #4 Masked Marauder 7-5
• #5 High Limit Room 10-1
• #3 Hangout 8-1

Analysis: Uno is a $255,000 Ocala purchase making his debut for the Pletcher barn that is 21% winners with first time starters. The colt is by Laoban out of a Henny Hughes mare, her first foal to race. Solid works on the morning tab and he is bred to handle an off track.

Masked Marauder cuts back to a sprint after a fifth-place finish last out going a mile on the main track at Belmont Park. Two back on turf at a mile he set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner in a runner up finish. he was a slid third in his debut three back at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track at the Spa. The Atras trainee is out of a Speightstown mare that has dropped five foals to race with three winners. He has a solid off track pedigree and the cut back to a sprint suits him.

AQUEDUCT RACE 7 ANALYSIS (3:17 P.M. ET)

Race 7 Clm $12,500 (3:17 ET)

• #4 Wushu Warrior 4-1
• #6 Wegotoldyougotsold 2-1
• #3 Fox Red 6-5
• #8 El Potro 8-1

Analysis: Wushu Warrior caught a sloppy track last out where he dueled for the early lead and faded to finish seventh against $10,000 foes. He was claimed out of the race by the Kantarmaci barn that is 25% winners (with a +ROI) first off the claim. This guy took the field gate to wire two back to beat $10,000 claimers at Belmont Park. The five-year-old owns solid early and mid pace numbers and he does have a win and a second in six trips over the off going in his career. He is in light with the bug Cardenas and looking for him to bounce back with a better effort here.

Wegottoldyougotsold also misfired last out, stalking the early pace and fading to finish sixth against $25,000 claimers. This guy was beaten just a head and a neck two back in a third-place finish for the same tag. The winner of that race was Clench who came back to beat Alw-1 foes in his next outing on Oct. 12. The gelding has landed in the exacta in 6 of 9 trips over the main track her and has run ell on off tracks, landing in the exacta in all four starts.

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 High Limit Room 10-1
• R1: #3 Hangout 8-1
• R2: #4 Black Irish 8-1
• R3: #2 Lokbothways 8-1
• R6: #1 Khali Magic 8-1
• R7: #8 El Potro 8-1
• R9: #5 Tizme Bobby McGee 12-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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