The skies haven't opened yet but a deluge is still in all the forecasts, so Aqueduct is accelerating Sunday's post times by about three minutes a race. That means that the pick-six with a $112k double carry starts at 1:44 p.m., eight minutes earlier than the original scheduled post time of 1:52 for the 4th race. The featured Gaily Gaily Stakes has been moved up from 3:44 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
The first two and last two legs seem pretty straightforward and manageable (famous last words) but the two in the middle of the sequence are skullbusters. Leg 3 (race 6) is a statebred juvenile filly dash with seven firsters as well as three who have already run close to par. Happy guessing. Then Leg 4 (race 7) is a 10-horse $25k claimer where seven of them ran a Beyer in the 81-to-84 range last time out.
Don't forget to note the late scratches: In races 5 and 7, key contenders drew in off the also-eligibles.
As for yesterday's action, $13.40 was a nice surprise on McCann's Mojave in the All American, the Cardinal was as chalky as it looked on paper, and I wish I'd been smart enough to hook up Hunting with Utopia for a seriously overlaid $89 exacta in the Stuyvesant, where I still think Utopia was best. Utopia was in a full drive most of the race chasing the loose Barcola, doing the dirty work and leaving him vulnerable to Hunting's one late run. I have no quarrel with Luzzi's ride or strategy with Utopia: On paper, it looked like keeping Barcola from getting away was more important than saving something to fend off a charge from the clouds. But take nothing away from Hunting, who was lightly-raced, improving and may have yet more upside.
Time to make the tickets.
[Update 1:50 p.m. Put in $1252, as follows:
2-7/2-4/1-2-6-9-10/12-14/5-6-8/3-5-9-10 ($960)
1-3/2/1-2-6/14/5-6/3-10 ($48)
2/7/1-2-6/14/5-6/3-10 ($24)
2/2/4-7-11/14/5-6/3-10 ($24)
2/2/1-2-6/1-3-5-9/5-6/3-10 ($96)
2/2/1-2-6/14/1-4-10/3-10($36)
2/4/6/3-9/5-6/3-10 ($16)
2/2/9-10/3-9/5-6/3-10 ($32)
2/2/6/3-9/5-6/5-9 ($16)
