Forbidden
NYRA canceled race nine on Sunday due to darkness following a lengthy gate delay the race before. Not that officials had much choice. According to the New York Daily News:
Even had NYRA officials deemed the light suitable for one more race, a state law forbidding races after sundown meant no race could be run yesterday after 4:29.
Anyone know the original reason for the law, which seems awfully outdated? Leave a comment …
Hello, Aqueduct
The Big A opens Wednesday. (Hooray!) First post, 12:30.
20 Stops to Aqueduct
It looks like the A train is running locally this weekend, which makes for a long trip to Aqueduct from Brooklyn, but at least my ride will be smoother than War Pass’ trip from Florida — turbulence rocked the Wood favorite’s plane and War Pass banged his head, requiring three stitches under the chin.
Quick Wood picks: As a fan, I’m rooting for War Pass to rebound. As a handicapper, I’m playing against the short- priced favorite coming off a clunker. I’m going to go with Texas Wildcatter, who was on the improve before the Gotham, but really jumped up with the addition of blinkers, and I’ll be taking a close look at Count Fleet winner Giant Moon (reported to be doing great, although trainers always say that). Like War Pass, he comes off a performance too bad to be believed, finishing last in the Gotham after winning his first four starts, but that was on a foggy day over a sloppy track and I’m willing to ignore that running line.
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Keep track of the 14 stakes races scheduled for this afternoon with this handy timetable thrown together by Steven Crist. Note that eight — including all five Grade 1 races — will be run between 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET.
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.
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Jessica Chapel writes and edits in Massachusetts. Railbird is a Thoroughbred horse racing blog published from June 2004 to July 2019. More / Contact
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