Aqueduct Cancels Friday
With rain continuing to fall in New York, NYRA has decided to cancel today’s racing at Aqueduct to keep the main track sealed and in condition for the Wood Memorial day card:
“The main track is tight, in good shape, but factoring in that it only opened for racing two days ago and that we have Aqueduct’s best day of racing tomorrow, we are doing everything we can to ensure optimum racing conditions for our big Wood Memorial Day card,” New York Racing Association Racing Secretary and Handicapper P.J. Campo said. “The track is sealed so moisture doesn’t soak in. We’re confident that our cautious approach today will result in excellent racing conditions tomorrow.”
Rain is forecast through Saturday morning in Ozone Park, with clouds lingering through the afternoon.
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Owner Robert LaPenta has a new theory explaining War Pass’ performance in the Tampa Bay Derby, reports Paul Moran on ESPN:
“We all saw him at the top of the stretch, struggling,” LaPenta said. “That was not the horse we saw three weeks earlier that basically cruised to [a mile in] 1:36 and came into the winners’ circle without even breathing heavy. That was a horse that at the top of the stretch was in distress. I guess the most plausible explanation is that he flipped his palate. We scoped him after the race. There was no congestion. There were no issues. But for a horse to be in that much distress, I’d only have to say that that, to me, is the most probable explanation.”
War Pass is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the Wood.
