At the Gate - Thursday
By Mike Dempsey
We started of the week with three winners on top on the Aqueduct card on Wednesday, the winners paying $5.20, $10.80 and $9.30, meaning our week started off much better than those in the Hillary Clinton campaign.
It also was better than the fine folks over at Paddy Power, the Irish wagering site that decided the election was over a couple of weeks ago and paid its players that backed Clinton over $1 million.
Back on Oct. 18 they released a statement that said in part, “With the national polls showing a healthy lead for the Democratic candidate and Donald Trump’s campaign running into scandal after scandal, Paddy Power believes it’s a done deal and that Hillary is a nailed-on certainty to occupy the Oval Office.”
Oops.
Donald J. Trump rallied like Zenyatta in the stretch of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to get the job done and become our next president.
For Paddy Power, it meant paying out an additional $4.5 million to their players that backed Trump.
They said last night, “His [Trump] victory in the early hours of the morning – which has left serious question marks over our company Christmas party – was indicated last week as his odds were slashed following an FBI investigation into Clinton’s private email server.”
“The result also stung us for our biggest political payout ever, we’ve been hit for over $4.5m by customers who backed Trump,” Paddy Power added.
I am guessing somebody over at Paddy Power might hear the words “You’re Fired” this week.
Here is the opening race from Aqueduct to get the day off to a good start:
AQU Race 1 Md $20,000 (12:20 ET)
#5 Frosty Appeal 8-1
#2 Wicked Fun 5-1
#3 Antebellum 6-5
#7 Splash of Sass 4-1
Analysis: Frosty Appeal has been beaten double digit lengths in each of her three starts but caught slop in her first two and last out it as over good turf and pedigree wise she seems better suited for dirt. She drops in for a $20,000 tag for Englehart that claimed her for $40,000 out of her debut. She gets a jock upgrade to Gallardo and the 8-1 morning line looks more than fair. She is out of a Valid Appeal mare that has dropped five winners.
Wicked Fun faded to finish a well beaten sixth last out for a $20,000 tag in the slop. She has run into repeat winners in three of her last four outings. She has only landed in the money once, a third on turf last fall against tougher. She catches a weak looking group here and will get a fast track. She is out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare that has dropped four other foals to race, three winners.
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 2,5 / 2,3,5,7
TRI: 2,5 / 2,3,5,7 / 1,2,3,5,7
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
AQU Race 7 Clm $16,000N2L (3:17 ET)
#5 Country Money 8-1
#6 That Makes Sense 3-1
#4 Battle Midway 4-1
#1 In Equality 5-2
Analysis: Country Money makes his first career start on dirt here after a fifth place finish on turf last out at the Big M against $25,000 non-winners of two. Pino claimed this guy for $50,000 back in May but the gelding has not been much of a threat in two starts for the new connections. He gets a class drop here and should take to dirt, by Hard Spun out of an A.P. Indy mare. The barn is 22% winners moving runners from turf to dirt. Decent value if he goes off near his 8-1 morning line.
That Makes Sense stalked the early pace, came up the inside and then was angling out wide, rallying for fourth beaten half-length for the top spot. The gelding gets a jock upgrade here going from the bug to Ortiz.
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 1,4,5,6
TRI: 5,6 / 1,4,5,6 / 1,4,5,6,8
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 Frosty Appeal 8-1
R4: #2 Sport 8-1
R4: #7 Medal D’ Honor 12-1
R6: #6 Same Kinda Crazy 8-1
R7: #5 Country Money 8-1
R9: #6 Fastidious 10-1
Good luck today!
