Ricky’s Rockets ?: Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Picks for February 20, 2020

Ricky’s Rockets ? absolutely crushed Aqueduct and Santa Anita yesterday with a clean sweep of both cards and one of them in the SNOW! We were able to bring home both Pick 4’s, both Pick 5’s and the Pick 6 at both tracks to kick off the weekend. The Rockets have been on a roll on Saturday afternoons, so it would be hard to think we won’t be rolling again. This isn’t the biggest weekend in racing, but there are plenty of opportunities to make money and build our bankrolls.

Also included below: my 9-race preview of Aqueduct, 12-race preview of Gulfstream Park and 9-race preview of Santa Anita.

Best of luck!

Santa Anita February 20, 2020

Race 6: $40,000 Allowance Optional Claiming for 4-year-olds and upward going 1 mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt

#3 Charlito faced winners for the first time earlier this year and held his own for the most part. It was encouraging to see him get towards the front end and not relinquish too much in the final furlong or so. He definitely proved there is some upside with him moving forward. #4 Motown Music almost got the win in that race that Charlito came out of. He is the horse to beat but I think including both of these runners is the safe play.

Race 7: Buena Vista Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and upward going 1 mile (8 furlongs) on the turf

#2 Mucho Unusual has been up to her normal self in her last two races, so she deserves to be the favorite. She was only able to manage a third place finish in this race last year, so hopefully she can keep her winning streak going. #5 Red Lark probably wants another furlong or so to work with, but no one can argue with the runners she’s competed against. She needs to be taken seriously considering the G1 races she’s competed in.

Race 8: $30,000-$28,000 Maiden Claiming for 3-year-old fillies going 1 mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt

#1 Paynter’s Love is a complete unknown but David Hofmans training this filly makes me excited to see what she can do. He’s only had six runners at the meet, but five of them have hit the board. #10 Simmer Down has shown us what she is and what her best ultimately is. There aren’t many other runners with experience that are must uses, so she is the most logical choice to put on top.

Race 9: Allowance for 4-year-olds and upward going 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf

#6 Southern Horse could be an absolute dud, or blow this field away. I tend to stay away from runners that don’t have any experience in the United States, but the layoff isn’t quite as extreme as they can be with runners coming from Europe. #10 Psycho Dar has been good on both surfaces, but he shouldn’t have run in the California Cup Sprint last time out. This should be a much better test for him and will give bettors an idea of how much talent he has left as a 6-year-old.

THE TICKET

$3 Pick 4 (Races 6-9) 3,4 / 2,5 / 1,10 / 6,10 – $48

50¢ Pick 4 (6-9) 3,4 / 2,3,5,6,7 / 1,10 / 1,2,6,10 – $40

For my full card plays, featuring race-by-race analysis, my top four picks for each race, and full-card multi-race wagers, check out my product below:

Ricky’s Rockets: Aqueduct

Ricky’s Rockets: Gulfstream Park

Ricky’s Rockets: Santa Anita