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Anyone know the original reason for the law, which seems awfully outdated?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.
NY Going Synthetic?
– “Hayward said he would also like to get horsemen involved in discussions over the possible use of synthetic surfaces for either training or racing. Hayward said a prime candidate would be Aqueduct’s main track, which has been plagued by problems the last few years” (DRF).
– Play of the day, at 3-1 or better: AQU, R4, Candy for Edda. [Results: Ouch. Off at 7-2, ran last throughout.]
Big A Cancels Wednesday
Heavy rain forces Aqueduct cancellation; racing is expected to resume on Thursday when the weather improves and NYRA’s franchise is extended.
Update: Here’s the final NYRA bill. An announcement of a done deal is expected later this afternoon.
Finally: It’s settled. NYRA gets a 25-year contract, the state gets ownership of the land, and racing continues. Paul Moran breaks down the details.
Aqueduct …
Has become unplayable.
Winning with Maidens
Trainer Dominic Galluscio has been on a little streak with his maidens at Aqueduct since January 4, when first time starter Buy a Personality scored a neck victory over Precisely Greg in the day’s fourth race, a NY-bred MCL. Since then, the conditioner has gone 3-for-5 in maiden races, winning with another first time starter, Bobcat Brody, in a claiming race on January 10, and Clearly a Thrill, dropping in price from her last five starts, on January 11. On Wednesday, Galluscio sends out an interesting first time starter in the sixth: Brookhaven’s Money, a 3-year-old Precise End colt, who appears well-meant with a similar workout pattern to Buy a Personality and C. C. Lopez named to ride.
Sunday Odds & Ends
– I almost didn’t play the Count Fleet Stakes, so sure was I that the undefeated Giant Moon would end up a post-time underlay of 6-5 or so, but the money poured in on Roman Emperor, winner by open lengths in open company at Philadelphia, and Giant Moon, whose previous three starts came in NY-bred races, ended up a decent overlay at 5-2. Breaking from the far outside, Giant Moon hooked up with rival state-bred Spanky Fischbein and showed a new willingness to stalk before pulling ahead in the stretch to win by a neck. “I thought he showed big improvement today,” said regular rider Ramon Dominguez. “I thought he was overall a stronger horse. Having a target, something to run at, made it easier on me. I didn’t have to ride him every step of the way like I did last time” (DRF). Final time was 1:41.14, good for a Beyer of 92.
– Unlikely Hutcheson winner Smooth Air is the first graded stakes winner for both his sire Smooth Jazz and dam Air France. Smooth Jazz’s first crop of 42 foals hit the track in 2007, yielding 17 starters and nine winners to date. Smooth Air is Air France’s second foal to race; half-sister Super Phoebe, a 2004 filly by Malabar Gold, is a stalwart member of the claiming ranks at Camarero Race Track, where she’s earned $57,551 and a record of 22-9-5-4.
– With the cancellation of weekend cards at Santa Anita due to ongoing Cushion Track problems, officials are considering moving racing to Hollywood (LA Times).
– Curlin breezed four furlongs in :53.4 at Fair Grounds this morning. “We’re progressing nicely,” said trainer Steve Asmussen of the move, Curlin’s first since winning the Breeders’ Classic last October.
Friday Notes & Picks
– There’s a two-day pick six carryover of $161,990 at Aqueduct this afternoon, which I’ll probably end up sitting out since I’m still getting back into the swing of things after my long blogging and handicapping holiday hiatus. I’ve come up with an $864 caveman play, though, to follow through the card: R4: 6, 3, 7/R5: 8, 4, 3, 1/R6: 5, 1, 2(B)/R7: 5, 4, 10/R8: 5, 1(A)/R9: 4, 9. [Results: 5-for-6, with the loss coming in the day’s finale. Kind of glad I wasn’t a caveman.]
– Trainer Steve Asmussen plans to work Curlin a half-mile at Fair Grounds on Sunday (Blood-Horse).
– Steve Davidowitz looks into the future (Bodog).
– Past posting at Aqueduct nets some bettor an $11.40 winning daily double, further erodes horseplayers’ sense of trust in the tote system (NY Daily News).
– Eclipse Award finalists announced, no big surprises (DRF).
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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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