Teach
12-28-2013, 10:55 AM
Aqueduct: Saturday, December 28:
Notes:
Congratulations to trainer David Jacobson on setting a new NYRA circuit record of 160 wins; it eclipses the old mark set by Gary Contessa of 159 set in 2007. When you think about it, the record is quite remarkable. It figures out to saddling a winner, on average, once every two racing days. It sorta reminds me of Ted Williams back in 1941 (I was born a year later) when he batted .406. In that year, Williams rarely had a slump. The same can be said of Jacobson.
I’m more and more impressed with apprentice Manuel Franco. Did you see him “beat the gate” on the #6 Laguna Girl in the Are We Dreaming Stakes. Like the horse was shot out of a cannon. It was a winning move as Laguna Girl held off my pick, #1 Merry Meadow.
I’m looking out for #2 Di Lissa, the Michelle Nevin trainee, when she returns to the races. The Malibu Moon-bred filly broke late, raced greenly, found herself in trouble throughout, yet still managed a game second.-place finish. With that race under her belt…
Wow! A couple excellent performances yesterday: #4 Uncle Sigh in the 6th; I tried to beat him with Vagarious (he finished fourth). No way! Also, Mail in the Traskwood. Jockey Jose Ortiz was looking around when the horses reached the top of the stretch. Standout performance. We should see those two in stakes company.
On a lighter note: I walked the mile today in 13:17.3, breezing, on a WF road. I hope it gets into the DRF.
Race One:
:5: Half Nelson is my pick in this optional claiming sprint. The Unbridled’s Song-bred gelding should be out a winging when the gates open; he’ll likely get the first call. He should then settle outside and hope that the pace is fast enough, up front, for a late-closing charge. I can just hear announcer John Imbriale now: That’s :5: Half Nelson with Jose Ortiz rallying quickly into contention on the outside. Down on the rail is :2: Ground Force. Now here comes :3: Won Great Classic. And the winner is… Oh, if you’re looking for another horse(s), I’d consider the :1: / :1a: entry: William Thomas/Exley.
Race Two:
In this maiden-claiming sprint, I’m leaning toward :8: Camden Jane. The filly has faced better; she’s now is entered at a distance she should handle. A recent “bullet” work signals this Seeking The Gold-bred distaffer is ready. Apprentice Wilmer Garcia is in the irons for trainer Gary Contessa. Also in the mix are: :6: Francesca’s Fancy; :7: Fashionation; and :1: Colleen’s Angel.
Race Three:
In this optional claiming sprint, I’m giving my tepid nod to :6: Hebert Hall. The Jeremiah Englehart trainee is once again trying the main track after a series of races on the lawn. The Bertrando-bred gelding has three wins and three seconds in 12 lifetime starts. A solid, recent 4F work signals he’s ready after a one-month respite. Other horses to consider are: :5: The Big Deluxe; :3: Chasing Moonlight; :2: Uncle Smokey.
Race Four:
In this maiden-special sprint I like :6: Mia Missile. The A.P. Indy-bred filly finished second in her only start against similar company. Any slight improvement… Angel Arroyo for trainer Laura Perillo. The other horses I like are: :10: Barrier to Entry; :9: Molly Freud; :1: / :1a: : Keep Right/Longride to Wisdom.
Race Five:
In this claiming route, I’m going with a horse who will likely be a medium-longshot, :1: Revelationist. The Pulpit-bred won two-straight before finishing up the track in his last. Admittedly, a gambler’s throw, I’m always looking for value. This colt might just provide the return I'm seeking. Others to consider are: :3: Strong Defence, :6: Kanturk Kid. If you’re thinking supers, consider: :5: Under Review and :10: Petrocelli.
Race Six:
In this maiden-special route, I like :2: Shades of Indygo. The filly stretches out nearly an additional panel; that might help. The filly finished third in her last. One note of caution: she has been away from the races for about two months and her morning work-tab has not been particularly impressive. Yet, I’m willing to give her another chance. Others in the hunt are: :1: It’s Easy; :3: Fee and Sugar; and :6: On a Snowy Evening.
Race Seven:
In this optional claiming sprint, I give the nod to :6: Hannibal Lecter. The 4 year-old Harlan’s Holiday-bred gelding finished third in his last. The gelding has hit the tote in nearly half of his tries at the distance. He had a solid recent work in which he “drilled” 4F in :47.2, breezing. Apprentice Manny Esquivel for trainer John Toscano, Jr. Others I like are: :8: Ravalo, :5: Haverhill and :7: Malachite.
Race Eight:
In the Alex M. Robb Stakes route, I like :8: Saratoga Snacks. NYRA odds-maker, Eric Donovan, has installed this 4 year-old ridgling as the prohibitive 4-to-5 ML fave; he shouldn’t disappoint. The Storm Cat-bred stumbled at the start of his last, the Cigar Mile. That compromised any chance he might have had of hitting the tote. Today, the ridgling’s in with the kind he should easily handle. One note of caution, trainer Gary Sciacca is having a less than stellar meet, only one winner in 45 tries. That said, on class alone, the horse should prevail. Others worthy of consideration are: :2: West Hills Giant; :1: Awesome Vision. If you’re playing super, you might give some consideration to: :4: Zetterholm and :6: Comandante.
Race Nine:
In the finale, a claiming sprint, I like :9: Arch Traveler. Yes, the Pulpit-bred gelding has been away from the races for several months. However, the gelding has faced much better in the past including stakes company. If the gelding is reasonably ready, I think he can win it all. His morning work-tab has been both steady and good. Cornelio Velasquez in the irons for trainer Linda Rice. Others to consider: :1a: Minnie Punt (if he draws in); :11: Coaltown Legend and :12: Make A Dream;
Notes:
Congratulations to trainer David Jacobson on setting a new NYRA circuit record of 160 wins; it eclipses the old mark set by Gary Contessa of 159 set in 2007. When you think about it, the record is quite remarkable. It figures out to saddling a winner, on average, once every two racing days. It sorta reminds me of Ted Williams back in 1941 (I was born a year later) when he batted .406. In that year, Williams rarely had a slump. The same can be said of Jacobson.
I’m more and more impressed with apprentice Manuel Franco. Did you see him “beat the gate” on the #6 Laguna Girl in the Are We Dreaming Stakes. Like the horse was shot out of a cannon. It was a winning move as Laguna Girl held off my pick, #1 Merry Meadow.
I’m looking out for #2 Di Lissa, the Michelle Nevin trainee, when she returns to the races. The Malibu Moon-bred filly broke late, raced greenly, found herself in trouble throughout, yet still managed a game second.-place finish. With that race under her belt…
Wow! A couple excellent performances yesterday: #4 Uncle Sigh in the 6th; I tried to beat him with Vagarious (he finished fourth). No way! Also, Mail in the Traskwood. Jockey Jose Ortiz was looking around when the horses reached the top of the stretch. Standout performance. We should see those two in stakes company.
On a lighter note: I walked the mile today in 13:17.3, breezing, on a WF road. I hope it gets into the DRF.
Race One:
:5: Half Nelson is my pick in this optional claiming sprint. The Unbridled’s Song-bred gelding should be out a winging when the gates open; he’ll likely get the first call. He should then settle outside and hope that the pace is fast enough, up front, for a late-closing charge. I can just hear announcer John Imbriale now: That’s :5: Half Nelson with Jose Ortiz rallying quickly into contention on the outside. Down on the rail is :2: Ground Force. Now here comes :3: Won Great Classic. And the winner is… Oh, if you’re looking for another horse(s), I’d consider the :1: / :1a: entry: William Thomas/Exley.
Race Two:
In this maiden-claiming sprint, I’m leaning toward :8: Camden Jane. The filly has faced better; she’s now is entered at a distance she should handle. A recent “bullet” work signals this Seeking The Gold-bred distaffer is ready. Apprentice Wilmer Garcia is in the irons for trainer Gary Contessa. Also in the mix are: :6: Francesca’s Fancy; :7: Fashionation; and :1: Colleen’s Angel.
Race Three:
In this optional claiming sprint, I’m giving my tepid nod to :6: Hebert Hall. The Jeremiah Englehart trainee is once again trying the main track after a series of races on the lawn. The Bertrando-bred gelding has three wins and three seconds in 12 lifetime starts. A solid, recent 4F work signals he’s ready after a one-month respite. Other horses to consider are: :5: The Big Deluxe; :3: Chasing Moonlight; :2: Uncle Smokey.
Race Four:
In this maiden-special sprint I like :6: Mia Missile. The A.P. Indy-bred filly finished second in her only start against similar company. Any slight improvement… Angel Arroyo for trainer Laura Perillo. The other horses I like are: :10: Barrier to Entry; :9: Molly Freud; :1: / :1a: : Keep Right/Longride to Wisdom.
Race Five:
In this claiming route, I’m going with a horse who will likely be a medium-longshot, :1: Revelationist. The Pulpit-bred won two-straight before finishing up the track in his last. Admittedly, a gambler’s throw, I’m always looking for value. This colt might just provide the return I'm seeking. Others to consider are: :3: Strong Defence, :6: Kanturk Kid. If you’re thinking supers, consider: :5: Under Review and :10: Petrocelli.
Race Six:
In this maiden-special route, I like :2: Shades of Indygo. The filly stretches out nearly an additional panel; that might help. The filly finished third in her last. One note of caution: she has been away from the races for about two months and her morning work-tab has not been particularly impressive. Yet, I’m willing to give her another chance. Others in the hunt are: :1: It’s Easy; :3: Fee and Sugar; and :6: On a Snowy Evening.
Race Seven:
In this optional claiming sprint, I give the nod to :6: Hannibal Lecter. The 4 year-old Harlan’s Holiday-bred gelding finished third in his last. The gelding has hit the tote in nearly half of his tries at the distance. He had a solid recent work in which he “drilled” 4F in :47.2, breezing. Apprentice Manny Esquivel for trainer John Toscano, Jr. Others I like are: :8: Ravalo, :5: Haverhill and :7: Malachite.
Race Eight:
In the Alex M. Robb Stakes route, I like :8: Saratoga Snacks. NYRA odds-maker, Eric Donovan, has installed this 4 year-old ridgling as the prohibitive 4-to-5 ML fave; he shouldn’t disappoint. The Storm Cat-bred stumbled at the start of his last, the Cigar Mile. That compromised any chance he might have had of hitting the tote. Today, the ridgling’s in with the kind he should easily handle. One note of caution, trainer Gary Sciacca is having a less than stellar meet, only one winner in 45 tries. That said, on class alone, the horse should prevail. Others worthy of consideration are: :2: West Hills Giant; :1: Awesome Vision. If you’re playing super, you might give some consideration to: :4: Zetterholm and :6: Comandante.
Race Nine:
In the finale, a claiming sprint, I like :9: Arch Traveler. Yes, the Pulpit-bred gelding has been away from the races for several months. However, the gelding has faced much better in the past including stakes company. If the gelding is reasonably ready, I think he can win it all. His morning work-tab has been both steady and good. Cornelio Velasquez in the irons for trainer Linda Rice. Others to consider: :1a: Minnie Punt (if he draws in); :11: Coaltown Legend and :12: Make A Dream;