Friday’s Picks from Aqueduct

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

13 minute read

We are back in action at Aqueduct on Friday after an extra day off this week and don’t forget we will be racing right through Monday which is Martin Luther King Day.

There is a huge day around the country on Saturday highlighted by the $200,000 Lecomte (G3) which gets the Road to the Kentucky Derby via the Big Easy underway.

Yes, the Kentucky Derby is now just 106 days away and a field of 11 line up at Fair Grounds on Saturday with 10-4-2-1 Derby points up for grabs.

The Lecomte is one of six stakes on an outstanding 13 race card. The Brad Cox trained Mandaloun is the 3-1 morning line favorite and undefeated in two starts.

The son of Into Mischief broke his maiden at Keeneland in his debut and then beat first level optional claimers at Churchill Downs in his first start against winners. Florent Geroux has the call for Cox.

The feature at Aqueduct tomorrow is the $100,000 Franklin Square for New York breds going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. The race drew a six three-year-old fillies.

The Daniel Velazquez trained Laobanonaprayer is the 6-5 morning line favorite. She won a New York Stallion Series race on Dec. 6 going a mile by eight lengths in her last outing.

It is Sunshine Millions Day at Gulfstream Park and California Cup Day at Santa Anita, so there is no shortage of stakes action.

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 .  In addition, AmWager is offering up to a $500 bonus for new horseplayers.

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.

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

AQUEDUCT RACE 1 ANALYSIS (12:50 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Md $40,000

• #3 Black Irish 4-1
• #7 Tercero 5-2
• #6 A Vow of Beauty 3-1
• #10 Triple Americano 5-1

Analysis: Black Irish drops back in for a tag here for his eighth career start. Last out he tracked the early pace and faded to finish a well beaten ninth. He was a good second in the mud two back in a race taken off the turf and three back in his last go for a tag he was a game second, beaten just half-length. The Donk trainee owns a solid pace profile throughout and catches a field he should be able to handle here.

Tercero goes turf to dirt here after a decent effort in a third-place finish last out for this tag. Two back in the slop going a mile in a race taken off the turf he set the early fractions. opened up a clear lead heading for home and got run down late to miss by a neck as the chalk. He has landed in the money in 4 of his 8 outings and has just two starts over a fast dirt surface. Mott has lost with his last 18 starters here, but this colt looks like he catches a soft spot. He is out of a stakes placed Kipling mare that has dropped three other foals to race with two winners.

AQUEDUCT RACE 7 ANALYSIS (3:50 P.M. ET)

Race 7 OClm $62,500N2X

• #3 Ragtime Blues 6-1
• #1 Shotski 7-2
• #5 Montauk Traffic 5-1
• #8 Empty Tomb 10-1

Analysis: Ragtime Blues returns off a three month break here for the Terranova barn that takes over from Brisset. Last out at Keeneland the colt set the early fractions and weakened to finish third at this level. The runner up Sonneman came back to beat Alw-2 optional claimers and then run second in the Tenacious in his most recent start at Fair Grounds. The blinkers come off and he figures to appreciate the return to one turn. I like the barn switch and the 6-1 morning line looks fair.

Shotski is making his first start since last February where the colt was fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park. He won the Remsen (G2) over the main track here three back and then was second in the Withers (G3). The Maryland outfit is just 1 for 16 with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff but the trainer does not have that many graded stakes caliber runners in his barn.

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: #3 Flashndynamite 8-1
• R4: #5 Baba 20-1
• R6: #2 Magnetron 8-1
• R7: #8 Empty Tomb 10-1
• R8: #7 You’ve Got Male 10-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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