At the Gate - Thursday
By Mike Dempsey
It has not been a good year for early contenders for the Breeders’ Cup as Magician joined the ranks of horses that will not make it to the big dance.
The defending champion of the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) becomes the fourth major contender to scratch. The colt will miss the Turf due to lameness according to his connections.
The four-year-old Galileo colt was severely lame in his right front leg when he came out to jog before heading to the track this morning according to a report at Bloodhorse.
It was just a day after trainer Bob Baffert announced that American Pharoah would miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Baffert said the colt had a deep bruise in his left front foot. The colt was the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Those two join Wise Dan and Beholder on the sidelines. Wise Dan was seeking his third win in the Breeders’ Cup Mile but is out with a minor injury and Beholder, winner of the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and 2013 Distaff spiked a fever and will miss her chance to repeat.
Also out now are Free as a Bird, who was being pointed toward the Turf Sprint (G1) and Handsome Mike, who was headed toward the Dirt Mile (G1).
In the meantime, we have the second day of the Aqueduct fall/winter meeting with the eight race card kicking off at 1:00 eastern today.
Here is today’s opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:
AQU Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
4 Gold Shield 5-2
5 Aldrin 4-1
1 Tradesman / 1a Frosted 2-1
6 Gunlock 5-1
Analysis: Gold Shield was not a threat in his debut but came back with a game effort on the stretch out last out at Belmont Park, beaten just a nose for the top spot while 6 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field in the outing. The colt was a $1 million Keeneland purchase, out of the stakes winner Dream Supreme ($1 million) who has dropped six winners including three stakes winners, top earner Majestic Warrior ($239,229).
Aldrin also moved forward nicely in his second career start after tiring to finish seventh in his debut. Last out the colt tracked the early pace, after getting bumped coming out of the gate, battled with a pair of foes around the far turn and gelding on gamely for the runner up spot. This guy was also a $1 million Keeneland purchase, out of the stakes winner Tap Your Heels ($47,275) who has dropped a pair of winners, top earner stakes winner Tapit ($557,300).
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 4,5 / 1,4,5,6
TRI: 4,5 / 1,4,5,6 / 1,3,4,5,6
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
AQU Race 7 OClm $62,500N2X (4:00 ET)
2 Voodoo Tales 2-1
7 Expression 4-1
6 Alwaysthinkinoyou 3-1
3 Making Havoc 6-1
Analysis: Voodoo Tales exits the state bred Punkin Pie where the filly tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third place finish as the beaten favorite. She was making her first start off a three month break for the Esler barn. She was a good-looking Alw-1 winner two back at Belmont Park, drawing away to win by 6 3/4 lengths and earning a career top speed fig. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and figures to bounce back with a better effort here for a sharp outfit.
Expression set the early fractions and was caught inside the final furlong last out in a runner up finish at this condition last out in her first go off a seven-month layoff. She won at this level on the inner track at the Big A last December. She won't be on the lead here like she was last out but has shown she can win tacking a tracking role. She fires just about every time out, landing in the money in 14 of her 23 career starts and 3 out of 4 over the main track here at the Big A.
Wagering WIN: #2 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 2,7 / 2,3,6,7
TRI: 2,7 / 2,3,6,7 / 2,3,5,6,7
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
R4: #6 The Frood Dude 10-1
R4: #3 Bold Senator 8-1
R6: #5 Pure of Spirit 8-1
R8: #6 Americas Guest 12-1
Good luck today!
