Railbird 2004–2019

Aqueduct Archive

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.

Posted in Aqueduct on February 13, 2008

Aqueduct …

Has become unplayable.

Posted in Aqueduct on February 9, 2008

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.

Posted in Aqueduct on January 14, 2008

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.

Posted in Aqueduct on January 6, 2008

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).

Posted in Aqueduct on January 4, 2008