Here we are again looking at another mandatory payout of the $585,944 Pick 6 Jackpot heading into, December 7th, Cigar Mile day at Aqueduct.
*CHECK COCORAHS FOR RAINFALL OVERNIGHT*
Aqueduct Empire 6 Sequence: Races 5 – 10
Race 5 is a Maiden Special Weight for two-year olds at 1 Mile (8 Furlongs) on the dirt.
My top pick is the #1 Default Rate. Default rate finished first in his debut, however, was disqualified and placed fourth due to lugging in near the sixteenth pole. He was in the three path almost the entire race as the winner (1-2 Favorite) rode the rail on a day that the rail was good.
I will also be using #2 Tapage. His last race was nothing to write home about but has been talked about since his debut at Saratoga. If he can return to his form 2 back, it will make him dangerous. #4 Mischief Afoot has raced against the #2 and has finished ahead of him twice. If he too can return to the form, we saw 2 back, it would make him dangerous. #9 Or’effice is a spendy $725k Keeneland September Yearling purchase in 2018. Last workout was a 4-furlong bullet and gets first time Lasix.
A – 1
B – 2,4
B – 9
Race 6 is the Grade 3, Go For Wand Stakes run at one mile on the dirt.
The 3-5 morning line favorite #3 Spiced Perfection seems like an easy single to me. She looks to get an easy lone lead and could win this in wire to wire fashion. She has not gone this far before but her speed figures and class stand well above this field.
A – 3
Race 7 is a Maiden Special Weight for two-year olds going 6 Furlongs on the dirt. THIS RACE IS BEYOND TOUGH. USE AS MANY AS YOU CAN. Four of the Twelve in this race have experience…
I will be using in order of Preference: 12, 11, 1,10, 6, 2
#11 Ego Man will be my top pick in a wide-open race. He broke a step slow on debut and was wide throughout closing into a moderate pace. He has every right to improve for Duarte Jr and gets Jose Ortiz Aboard.
#12 Two Point Oh has had a consistent work pattern with the trainer, Jeremiah Englehart sporting a 32% for first time starting 2 year olds on dirt over the past year.
Race 8 is the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes ran at a distance of a mile and an eight (9 Furlongs) on the dirt.
My top selection in the Demoiselle is the #5 Alandra. Her last race was in the Grade 1 Alcibiades in which she finished a good third behind the recent winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. She was bumped at the start in her last and finished with a flurry. This horse has showed speed in her debut so if she can get a nice stalking trip from the onset, she is the one to beat.
#2 Maedean took 2 attempts to break her maiden at Belmont Park. She was able to close fast on a track that favored closers. She came back and won the Tempted stakes impressively drawing away near the line. She get a very good gate speed jockey in Luis Saez so it will be interesting to see the strategy out of the gate.
#6 Critcal Value took two times to break her maiden and got a restricted state bred stakes win in her last. This will be the first time she is facing open company but has the speed figures to be a major player.
A – 5,2
B – 6
Race 9 is the Grade 3 Remsen Stakes for two year olds running at a mile and an eight (9 Furlongs).
My top selection in this very tough Remsen is #8 Alpha Sixty Six for trainer Todd Pletcher. He won his debut by sitting fifth and making an impressive run down the stretch to win by a neck. He came back and ran a good fifth behind who most thought was the clubhouse leader going into the Kentucky Derby (Tiz The Law) before losing his last out. Blinkers off is not a popular Pletcher move for 2 year olds but his pedigree suggests he will like the added distance, much more than his stablemate #1 Chase Tracker, whom is a must use. #6 Shotski is an extremely interesting horse due to the speed he possesses. The distance is certainly a question, however, Saez will almost certainly have him on the lead. Loose on the lead is very dangerous and I am willing to find out at the price he will be. #2 Forza Di Oro has run solid races back to back with his debut being the better of the two. He walked, no crawled, no sat in the gate a full 2-3 lengths behind the others before leaving the gate. He ended up 11 lengths behind and made a long-sustained bid.
Use as many as you can afford in this race as well!
A – 8,2
B – 6,1
C – 3,5
Race 10 is the Grade 1 Cigar Mile run at a Mile for three year olds. There are 2 HEAVY favorites in the #5 Maximum Security and #6 Spun to Run. Both horses have similar racing styles with wanting to be on the lead. Will there be a speed duel between these 2? Will Spun to Run go to the lead? Will Spun to Run let Maximum Security go? These are all great questions that leave to believe it is not as simple as these 2 horses. These two are must uses but I feel there is more to this race.
#8 Network Effect was an impressive 2 year old running a 94 Beyer speed figure in the Grade 2 Remsen last year. Since then he was put on the shelf for 11 months coming back in an N1X Allowance in which he won. It feels like he will sit the perfect trip behind the 2 favorites and will get first run at them.
#2 Bal Harbor is the other horse I want going into the last leg of the pick 6. His second place in the Woodward is good enough to win here. I am expecting a good performance from him after getting a brief freshening after a subpar performance in the Grade 2 Fayette.
A – 5,6
B – 2,8
Here is the recap of my main ticket I’ll be playing:
R5: 1,2,4
R6: 3
R7: 12,11,1,10,6
R8: 5,2
R9: 8,2,6,1
R10: 5,6,8,2
At a $0.20 denomination this ticket would cost $96.00. Good luck to all that are playing!