By Joe Quillen
Monday 2/19/24 – Aqueduct Race 7
Sometimes vacations and holidays mess with you and your routines. I know this firsthand because I am just getting used to living on Eastern time after spending nine days in Las Vegas, partially working on Radio Row and partially vacationing once the Big Game was over. But now there’s another wrinkle to mess with our routines, as today’s holiday, President’s Day, diverts us from our usual Monday track, Parx, for a race from the holiday card from Aqueduct.
Today, we are looking at race seven, which is a optional claimer going seven furlongs on the main track. We have nine older fillies and mares, but if you remember from last month, Aqueduct (and the New York Racing Association for that matter) like to throw in these races with coupled entries, so technically we have eight entries here going today.
Favored in this race is the 5 Royal Poppy (3/1 morning line) who is usually forwardly placed. She was five wide last time out last month, so some people may think there are excuses but, but she has not been able to keep up in the end despite finishing second.
The 2 Tough Street (5/1 ML) shortens up to seven furlongs after an almost four-month break. She seems to be over the last year or two to be a one to one-and-a-half turn miler (added “half turn” because of the mile chute that was brought back to Saratoga a couple years ago). She may be worth taking a chance on with the drop in class here and the cut in distance here, even on her first start back.
The entry of the 1 Bustin Bay and the 1A Taming the Tigress (9/2 ML) look to me like the 1 will do all the work and the 1A will try to pick up the pieces. If you remember, last month, I did that place wager that probably made you wonder what I was doing. Don’t worry, I don’t see them both on the board here today. Maybe the 1A, but not both.
There is speed that is going to potentially going to effect Royal Poppy, but we may see her stalk. The 4 Stonewall Star (4/1 ML) and the 6 Give Me Kisses (5/1 ML) appear to be the speed in this race. It should nice for the 8 Towhead (9/2 ML).
Towhead is back to the races after racing Preakness weekend in the Black Eyed Susan, so you know she’s getting class relief in this optional claimer. She’s faced much tougher and if she is ready to go, which I think will be the case for this Mike Maker trainer who wins 20% of his races over his last five years when his horses are coming back after breaks of 180 days and more on the main track, that’s the extra variable I need to place my money on her today.
I’m calling this race 8-2-5-1A, and my play is $20 to win on the 8. Good luck everyone and I’ll be back tomorrow with another Quills Picks Winners.
Quills Update Desk
I have been lagging with my updates on the races that I have given my thoughts on over the last week or so. You will be getting an updated recap in the next few days.
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