Friday’s Picks from Aqueduct and Remington Park

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

15 minute read

After a foot of snow was dumped on Aqueduct, we should be back in action on Friday afternoon with a nine race card. We have racing over the next three days at the Big A before a 10-day Christmas break.

If you plan on being up late, I included tonight’s $200,000 Remington Springboard Mile, my selections and analysis below. The race has a post time of 10:28 CT and is one of six stakes on the card.

The race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race with 10-4-2-1 points up for grabs toward entry into the Run for the Roses, which hopefully will be back in its familiar spot on the first Saturday of May next year.

A field of 11 go in the Springboard Mile and I landed on Cowan (4-1) who is sent out by trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the race the past two years. The colt was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) in his last outing.

The feature tomorrow at the Big A is the $100,000 Queen’s County which drew a field of seven that will go 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

The feature at Gulfstream Park on Saturday is the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) for three-year-olds and upward going seven furlongs on dirt. The race drew a competitive dozen including Firenze Fire, Diamond Oops and Sleepy Eyes Todd.

You can stream the action from Aqueduct today 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 Best Plays 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 from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:

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

Race 1 Md $50,000

• #1 Doctor K 2-1
• #5 Stimulus Maker 9-2
• #9 Excellorator 3-1
• #2 Sinashack 5-1

Analysis: Doctor K invades from Florida and lands with the RRod barn that is 20% winners with newcomers to the barn. The colt caught slop in his debut in a race taken off the turf where he ran second sandwiched between a pair of next out winners. Last out at GP West the colt set the early fractions and could not match strides late with the winner in a runner up finish for a $50,000 tag. His local debut includes adding blinkers and with the rail draw figures to be sent. He owns the edge in early and mid pace numbers and if he gets loose early he may prove tough to catch here.

Stimulus Maker was off poorly in his debut where he was sent off at just under 6-1 in a field of nine at Philly. He trailed early and passed two foes in a seventh-place finish. He is in good hands with the underrated Duarte barn that is 36% winners (with a +ROI) with second out maidens. The colt is out of the stakes winner Cash's Girl ($317,492) who has dropped four winners including stakes winner Name Changer ($567,080). He looks well spotted dropping in for a tag and picking up Lezcano.

AQUEDUCT RACE 8 ANALYSIS (3:45 P.M. ET)

Race 8 Alw $82,000N1X

• #7 South of the Shore 5-2
• #6 Maiden Beauty 6-1
• #3 Customerexperience 3-1
• #1 Quiet Dignity / 1a Enjoyitwhilewecan 8-1

Analysis: South of the Shore is making her first start since August of '19 at the Spa where she caught a sloppy track in a runner up finish to Bellera, now a multiple stakes winner. Two back in her first start against winners she ran second to another very talented runner in Dunbar Road, now a G1 winner. Pletcher takes over from Chad Brown and is 28% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. Decent looking works on the morning tab for her return.

Maiden Beauty took the field gate to wire to beat $25,000 claimers last out by 6 3/4 lengths over the main track at Belmont Park going a mile. She was claimed out of the race by the Tony D. barn that is showing a 0 for 3 mark first off the claim. Dating back five years the barn is showing a 1 for 9 mark first off the claim. Her two previous starts came on turf versus state bred Alw-2 optional claimers. The switch to the main track suited this gal earning a career top speed fig. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and looks capable of handling the tougher spot here while getting in light with the bug Cardenas.

REMINGTON PARK RACE 12 ANALYSIS (10:28 P.M. CT)

Race 12 The Remington Springboard Mile

• #8 Cowan 4-1
• #9 Outadore 4-
• #10 Joe Frazier 5-1
• #11 Flash of Mischief 15-1

Analysis: Cowan is one of two in here sent out by Asmussen, this colt returns to the main track after making a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Keeneland over good ground last out. The colt graduated on the main track at Churchill Downs in his debut going 4 ½ furlongs and has come up short in four stakes tires with a third and a couple of seconds. He has enough pedigree to handle his first trip around two turns. He is by Kantharos out of a stakes placed Smart Strike mare. The barn is 20% winners moving runners from sprint to route. There is plenty of early speed signed up to go here and this guy has shown an ability to make up ground. The colt gives Asmussen a good shot of winning this race for the third year in a row.

Outadore also made his last start in the Breeders’ Cup, setting the early fractions and weakening to finish third in the Juvenile Turf (G1), beaten 3 ¼ lengths. The Ward trainee won his first two starts including the Juvenile at Kentucky Downs on soft ground in his second career start. He returns with Lasix added and the blinkers subtracted. He is bred to handle his first trip on dirt. He is by Outwork out of the stakes winner Adore You ($276,240) who has dropped three other winners including stakes winner Piedi Bianchi ($581,797). The colt put in a quick work on the main track at Keeneland on Dec. 11. Ward is 29% winners moving runners from turf to dirt.

Joe Frazier was a good looking maiden winner in his debut at Keeneland going six furlongs, then set the early fractions and weakened to finish third in the slop at Churchill Downs against Alw-2L foes in his first trip against winners. He returns with lasix added for the Cox barn. The colt has worked well since his last outing and now catches a fast main track for the first time He looks as if he still has some upside and is in a very capable barn. The colt is out of the stakes winner Third Dawn ($286,314) who has dropped four other winners.

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

• R3: #6 Gypsy Janie 10-1
• R5: #9 Other Things Equal 10-1
• R7: #8 Coolboy 8-1
• R7: #12 Pinky Dude 12-1
• R8: #1 Quiet Dignity / 1a Enjoyitwhilewecan 8-1
• R9: #9 Celtic Heart 15-1

Good luck today!

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