Thursday’s Picks from Aqueduct

The 2020 Longines World Racing Awards ceremony was held on Tuesday in virtual form and it was Ghaiyyath who was named the top racehorse in 2020.

The Godolphin runner won four of his five starts last year including the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) and the Coral-Eclipse (G1) where he defeated the great Enable.

Second was the U.S. based Authentic, who won the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). The Bob Baffert trainee won five of his seven starts in 2020.

Thursday night is the Eclipse Awards which will be held at Gulfstream Park. Authentic is likely to take down the hardware for top three-year-old and Horse of the Year.

We have a pair of Road to the Kentucky Derby points races coming up on Saturday and we are now just three months away from the first Saturday of May.

The $200,000 Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park and the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita will each offer up 10-4-2-1 points toward entry into this year’s Run for the Roses.

I will have my selections for both races in Saturday’s Best Plays Report.

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 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 (12:50 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Md $20,000

  • #2 Confectioner   7-2
  • #5 Warfront Fighter   2-1
  • #7 Joycee Haz Pizzaz   8-5
  • #3 Maclean's Legacy   12-1

Analysis: Confectioner caught a sloppy track last out where the gelding dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish fourth last out for this tag. Two back he put in one of his best efforts in a game runner up finish, beaten 3/4 of a length. He ran into repeat winners three and four back. The Potts trainee catches a pretty weak looking group here. He should get a good trip sitting just off the pace.

Warfront Fighter tracked the early pace and battled on gamely in the stretch to miss by just a head last out in the slop for this tag. It was his first effort in his 11 career starts. He was 6 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field in the outing. The colt earned a career top speed fig and owns a solid pace profile throughout. He may have finally caught a group he can handle here. 

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

Race 7 Md $50,000

  • #7 Blu Grotto   2-1
  • #6 Sinashack   5-2
  • #5 Sono Grato   9-2
  • #2 Ask Neal   7-2

Analysis: Blu Grotto set the early fractions and was no match for the winner in the stretch in a runner up finish last out in his first start for a tag. He caught a racing strip that was playing to outside stalkers and closers that day. The winner Bourbonic came back to beat $50,000 starter optional claimers in his next start and the sixth-place finisher Magnificent Chrome came back to break her maiden for a $40,000 tag in his next start. Lezcano sticks for Kimmel and the colt adds lasix to the mix. Her is out of a Mr. Nugget mare that has dropped three other foals to race with a pair of winners.

Sinahack stretches out to a mile for the first time here in his fifth career start for the Weaver barn. Last out at six furlongs the colt tracked the early pace and finished up well in a fourth-place finish. beaten a length for the top spot. The winner Excellorator came back to beat $50,000 starter optional claimers in his next start on Jan. 21. He ran second two back in his first trip over the main track here to Charlie Five O, who ran second to Excellorator in his win. The barn is 17% winners moving runners from sprint to route. He has plenty of pedigree to handle more ground, by Shackleford out of a Meadowlake mare that has dropped seven winners including a couple of route 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

  • R1: #3 Maclean’s Legacy   12-1
  • R2: #4 Jasminesque   10-1
  • R4: #7 Tapizearance   12-1
  • R6: #3 Bend in the River   10-1
  • R8: #9 Chief Know It All   12-1
  • R8: #2 Gio d’Oro   8-1 

Good luck today!