NYRA Preview: Aqueduct 3/6

Race 8: AOC for 4-year-olds and upward going 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt which have never won $10,000 two times other than maiden, claiming or starter bred allowance races. Claiming price: $62,500

There are a few different ways that this race can play out based on a few of the front-runners. Let’s start with the Explorationist, the 4-year-old by Pioneer of the Nile. He will run without Lasix today for Mark Casse, not having run on the dirt since May 20, 2019 at Presque Isle Downs. He isn’t as fast as some of the other speedsters in this field, but has done well against similar competition at Gulfstream Park, albeit on the turf. Chateau is by far the quickest in the field for Jason Servis. He’s tried this group three times in a row and has failed to hold onto the lead in all of those efforts. Romero Maragh will look to go gate-to-wire with him as he a good beginning to run his best race. Mr. Dougie Fresh is a very logical choice for a few different reasons. Rob Atras is winning at 30% here at the Big A at the meet and he’s in for the tag for the third straight race. Kendrick Carmouche will look to sit right off the front-runners and run down the competition in the stretch. The biggest question of this race is: What should we make of Legit? The 5-year-old for Todd Pletcher hasn’t been on a racetrack in close to 22 months. In his two efforts on the track, he looked sensational. The best bet would be that he needs a race under his belt considering he was a Stewards scratch back on February 6. My top choice comes from the Chad Brown barn with #10 Identity Politics. This is purely a situational play for me due to the nature of the other runners’ tendencies. Identity Politics is not a good gate horse and that is a little concerning. However, he does possess a great finishing kick which fits perfectly here. For most horses, an outside post in a sprint is not ideal, but it should work to his advantage today. Manny Franco is one of the best in the business, and an average start should see him cross the finish line first as he looks to take advantage of a quick fractions.

Ricky’s Picks: 10-3-9-11