The Aqueduct Fall meeting gets underway on Wednesday with a pair of stakes for juveniles. (Photo credit: bigstock.com)
The Christophe Clement trained Welcoming is the 2-1 morning line favorite for the Tempted. The filly was a smart looking maiden winner last out over a wet track at Belmont Park in her third career start and first at a mile. Joel Rosario gets the return call and will break from the two post.
Tony Dutrow sends out 5-2 second choice Big World, who also broke her maiden in her third career start. She earned her diploma going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Sept. 6 and two she beat returned to graduate in their next starts.
The Nashua drew eight led by Mohaymen, the 8-5 morning line favorite. The $2.2 million Keeneland purchase broke his maiden in his debut at Belmont Park going six panels.
Three runners exit the Champagne (G1) including the runner up Sunny Ridge (5-1), who won the Sapling in his previous start at Monmouth Park.
Aqueduct will race Wednesday through Sunday at the fall meeting with first post 12:20 ET. The Big A will be closed for live racing from Monday, Dec. 21 through Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, and will reopen for live racing on Saturday, Dec. 26.
The marquee day of the meeting Saturday, Nov. 28, featuring the $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1), which will be joined on by the $300,000 Remsen (G2), $300,000 Demoiselle (G2) and the $300,000 Comely (G3).
Let’s head out to the Big A for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
Aqueduct Race 8 The Nashua G2 (Post time 3:50 ET)
#7 Mohaymen 8-5
#3 Magna Light 6-1
#1 Sunny Ridge 5-1
#6 Sail Ahoy 3-1
Analysis: Mohaymen was a game maiden winner in his debut, the $2.2 million purchase sent off as the 9-5 chalk. The colt showed good early speed and battled on gamely in the stretch to win by a half-length. The third place finisher in the race was King Kranz, who came back to run a good second in the Futurity (G2) in his next outing on Oct. 17. This guy should have no problem handling the extra ground here on the stretch out to a mile. He is by Tapit out of the stakes winner Justwhistledixie ($449,427) who has dropped two other winners including Grade 1 stakes winner New Year’s Day ($1.1 million). The McLaughlin barn is 22% winners moving runners from sprint to route.
Magna Light tracked the early pace from the inside, then brushed and exchanged bumps with a foe and ended up falling back along the rail and fading to finish seventh in the Champagne (G1). The winner paths over the sloppy track were not the place to be that day. He crossed the wire first in the Sanford (G3) at the Spa only to get DQ’d for drifting in on a foe in the stretch. He then was a decent second in the Hopeful (G1). He is better than he showed last out and figures to bounce back with a better effort over a fast surface.
Sunny Ridge also exits the Champagne and he dueled for the early lead while in the three path, had the lead heading for home but was no match for Greenpointcrusader in the stretch, settling for the runner up spot. The winner was sent off as the betting favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) but checked in seventh. The Servis trainee won the Sapling two back going a mile after a seventh in the Sanford three back in his stakes debut. He should be forwardly placed breaking from the inside and has improved in each of his starts, last out despite racing against the bias.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 3,7 / 1,3,6,7
TRI: 3,7 / 1,3,6,7 / 1,3,6,7,8
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