In anticipation of severe weather, Aqueduct will be closed today, with no dark-day simulcasting at the track. The final Monday of dark-day simulcasting at Aqueduct will be next Monday.
Plus, a decision on live racing at Aqueduct on Wednesday will be decided on Tuesday morning. If at that time the conditions warrant the cancellation of racing on Wednesday, the entire Wednesday card would then be moved and run on Thursday. No entries would be drawn on Tuesday for Thursday and the races scheduled for Thursday would be used as extras for Friday’s card.
1st RACE – Mintage stalked the pace while wide but looked hopelessly out of it turning for home. But Heberto Castillo Jr. continued to work on the state-bred filly and she kicked it into gear late, catching Fleeting River near the wire and gaining the victory at 29-1. Social Top, racing with Lasix for the first time, trailed the field early but closed on the extreme outside to just gain the place spot. Fleeting River was racing on the wrong lead throughout the stretch drive and fell back to be third. After the wire she broke down. She was vanned off and her prognosis did not look good.
2nd RACE – Last year, Julio Pezua looked like a shell of his former self on the racetrack, which led to some whispers that he was done as a jockey. But this meet Pezua has made a resurgence and with limited opportunities has made any doubters look foolish because he is far from being done as a jockey. After getting steadied on the clubhouse turn, Pezua waited patiently aboard favored Some Likeit Hott. In the stretch drive, Pezua asked the favorite for run and with his patented “tickle” of the whip, ran by pacesetting Easy As Pie with ease and drew off for the victory.
3rd RACE – Lyric Poem rated off the pace but then started to make a strong move towards the front on the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Lyric Poem had an opening to go through on the rail and tried to get by. After brushing with pacesetting Rutland Road, Lyric Poem had dead aim on the lead. But Aaron Gryder on favored D’mascus Dawn angled inside, crowding but not bumping Lyric Poem, and halted his momentum. D’mascus Dawn then drew off for the victory while True Liza closed well on the outside to nip Lyric Poem for the place spot.
6th RACE – Sweeping New Dawn rated off the pace but then made a strong middle move on the far turn to gain the lead. He looked like he would draw off for fun, but pacesetting Fortunate Streak had other ideas. He fought back on the rail and regained the lead in midstretch to go on for the victory. Sky Approval tried to make a wide move on the far turn but flattened out.
7th RACE – Mount Intrepid rated off the pace and then angled inside. On the far turn he started to make his move and at the top of the stretch, it looked like the Arroyo E-Z Pass rail move was back in action. But pacesetting Double Character never gave up the rail, forcing Mount Intrepid to check and Electra Q Shun, who pressed the pace throughout on the outside, just got up at the wire to gain the victory.
9th RACE – The Pezua/Moschera combo won its second race of the afternoon with Pezua putting together a nice ride aboard Mzuri. Favored Full Retail stalked the pace and at the top of the stretch looked like he would go by Gangsta Rap with ease. But the two horses were brushing with each other in the stretch and Mzuri had clear sailing under a hand ride for the victory.
YESTERDAY’S CLAIMS
1st RACE – Cocktail Corner ($25,000) by Robert Klesaris.
9th RACE – Mzuri ($18,000) by Robert Klesaris; Glockenspiel ($20,000) by Frank LaBoccetta.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers 1-8-2-1-4-8
No winners
23 consolation (5 of 6) winners
each receives $523.00
Carryover $36,145.00
