Blacktype Looking for More in Artie Schiller

Blacktype leads the field in Saturday’s $150,000 Artie Schiller at Aqueduct (photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)

If we are on the turf at Aqueduct on Saturday a field of 10 will line up led by Blacktype in the $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile test on the inner turf course.

The turf course has been less than firm all week with more rain in the forecast for Friday evening, which should leave the turf at the Big A with some give to it.

The Christophe Clement trained Blacktype comes into the race off a wire job in the Knickerbocker (G2) over good ground at Belmont Park, with a win in this race putting him over the $1 million mark in earnings.

“He’s been a very fun horse to have around,” Clement said. “He always tries and is coming in for this well off his victory in the Knickerbocker last out. Unfortunately, he’ll have to carry the most weight in the field, but he prefers some give in the ground which it looks like there’s a chance we’ll get, so hopefully things work out.”

The gelding breaking from the five post with Joel Rosario in the irons and is 9-2 on the morning line.

Chad Brown Saddles Duo

Trainer Chad Brown will have a pair of runners in the race including the 5-2 morning line favorite Bricks and Mortar. The colt will be making his first start since last fall where he ran third in the Hill Prince (G3) at Belmont Park.

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Brown also saddles Projected (4-1) who was beaten just a nose in the BWI Turf Cup (G3) at Laurel Park in his last outing over yielding ground. The gelding is 0 for 6 this year but has run well in all of his outings with four seconds and a pair of thirds.

The co-feature on Saturday’s card at Aqueduct is the $100,000 Atlantic Beach for two-year-olds going six furlongs on the outer turf.

The John Terranova trained Backtohisroots is the 8-5 morning line favorite. The colt was a good second in the Futurity at Belmont Park on good ground in his last outing.

Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Aqueduct Race 8 The Artie Schiller (Post time 3:47 ET)

5 Blacktype 9-2

1 Qurbaan 3-1

6 Bricks and Mortar 5-2

9 Projected 5-2

Blacktype

The Christophe Clement trainee has done some of his best running on less than firm conditions which he figures to get again today. The gelding is coming off a career top speed fig taking the field gate to wire to win the Knickerbocker (G2) over good ground at Belmont Park, defending the title he won last year which was also over good ground. The Clement trainee is not a need to lead type and there is a couple of foes in here capable of running with him early. The cut back to a mile is no problem for this guy.

Qurbaan

This guy made a good late rally to finish third in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) last out over good ground at Keeneland in his second start since landing in the U.S. with the McLaughlin barn. Three exited that race to run back in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), a race his connections would have liked to go to, with Analyze It running the best with a third beaten just ¾ of a length. Two back off a 11-month layoff the five-year-old got up late to win the Bernard Baruch ‘Cap (G2) by a nose at the Spa over firm ground. He handled ground with some give to it overseas including a third in the Prix de Vichy (G3) in France over good to sift ground. He looks primed for a top effort here third off the bench.

Bricks and Mortar

The colt is one of two in here sent out by the Brown barn. The colt makes his first start since last October where he made a good late run to finish a close up third in the Hill Prince (G3) going nine furlongs. He won his first four career starts including the Hall of Fame (G2) at the Spa last summer. Decent works on the morning tab for a barn that is 26% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. The main questions are the possible short price and fact he has not proven himself over ground with some give to it.