A pair of stakes highlight the New Year's Day action at Aqueduct
The New Year’s Day feature at Aqueduct is the $75,000 Interborough, a six furlong test for fillies and mares, with the Mike Hushion trained Nicole H going for her third consecutive victory in the race.
The six-year-old mare is the 4-5 morning line favorite in the Aqueduct fixture, the 92nd time the race has been run, and no filly or mare has ever won the race three times in a row.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez will get the leg up, and the mare is coming off a career top Beyer Speed Figure, which was earned winning the Daylily Stakes at Penn National in her last outing on Nov. 21.
Her main rival figures to be the Tony Dutrow trained Singlet (5-1), who is coming off a sharp win in the Garland of Roses over the Big A main track on Dec. 1. The filly is perfect in two trips on the inner track.
The co-feature on the New Year’s Day card is the $75,000 Ladies Handicap, a nine furlong test for fillies and mares.
Arena Elvira, who was fourth in the Falls City Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs in her last outing is the 7-5 morning line favorite in the field of six, which includes a coupled entry.
The Todd Pletcher trained R Gypsy Gold, who was fourth in the Go For Wand (G2) at Aqueduct on Nov. 23 is the 8-5 second choice.
Smart Cash and Dial Direct are will both be saddled by trainer Jose Corrales and the entry is listed at 15-1 on the morning line.
Completing the field are recent state bred first level allowance optional claimer winner Silver Prize (20-1) and Villanesca (5-2), who was a smart winner against first level optional claimers in her last outing on Dec. 5.
Michael Dempsey provides his full card handicapping report each racing day from New York. His Aqueduct Report is available every day Wednesday through Sunday. Michael has covered the New York circuit daily for more than two decades.
Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Tuesday’s featured race of the day:
AQU Race 8 The Interborough (3:48 ET)
8 Singlet 5-1
2 Nicole H 4-5
6 Mildly Offensive 5-2
4 Hot Roots 15-1
Analysis: Singlet came off a three month break with a sharp score in the Garland of Roses last out on the main track here. The filly has two trips on the inner track, both wins starting off her year by winning the Xtra Heat and Dearly Precious. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and drilled a bullet on the inner track here on Dec. 26. She comes in here very sharp and is good hands with the Tony Dutrow barn. The 5-1 morning line looks generous.
Nicole H has won this race the past two years and comes into this year’s running off a career top Beyer. She won the Daylily last out at Penn National and has now landed in the exacta in 8 of her 11 starts this year. The runner up in the Daylily was Winning Image, who came back to win the Willa On The Move in her next start on Dec. 15 at Laurel Park. She is perfect in four trips on the inner track and is the deserving favorite.
Mildly Offensive set the early fractions and could not match strides with My Wandi’s Girl late, coming up a length short in the Pentelis here on the main track. The winner came back to finish third in the Gazelle (G1) in her next start. Her lone stakes win this year was the restricted Big Bambu at the Spa three back. She has made three starts for the Pletcher barn since shipping east with the lone poor effort coming in the mud two back. She fits here with her best but I would like to see her price drift up a couple of notches from the 5-2.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 2,8 / 2,4,6,8
TRI: 2,8 / 2,4,6,8 / 1,2,4,6,8
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