A field of six will line up in Saturday's $75,000 Ruthless at Aqueduct
A field of six three-year-olds fillies will line up in Saturday’s feature at Aqueduct, the $75,000 Ruthless, which will be contested on the inner track at six furlongs.
The Mike Hushion trained Little Rocket will be seeking her third win in as many starts and is the 5-2 morning line favorite, breaking from the three post with jockey Mike Luzzi aboard.
Both of her starts came over wet tracks, breaking her maiden in the mud on the main track at Aqueduct on Nov. 28 by 3 ½ widening lengths, and then beating state bred first level allowance foes in her first start against winners over a wet sealed inner track in her most recent outing on Dec. 26.
She faces a well matched field of five fillies, any of which could find themselves in the mix including the Todd Pletcher trained Kimono (3-1), who is cutting back from two turns.
Recent maiden winner Lady Banks is the third choice on the morning line at 7-2, breaking her maiden as the even money favorite in her last outing on Dec. 14.
Completing the field are Busanda sixth place finisher Kiss the Lady (4-1), Philly invader My Kinda Party (4-1) for trainer Tony Dutrow, and longshot Railtown Girl (12-1), who broke her maiden in her debut at Laurel Park on Dec. 22 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
The stakes action at the Big A on Saturday starts with the second race, the $75,000 Coyote Lakes, a 1 ½ mile marathon on the inner track that drew a field of seven.
Trainer David Jacobson sends out three including the 8-5 morning line favorite Our Entourage, who is looking to bounce back off a sixth place finish in the Grade 3 Discovery handicap on Nov. 17.
My Best Plays Report for Saturday includes my eight strongest plays from Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park including the stakes action from the Big A and the Grade 2 $150,000 Ft Lauderdale.
Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Aqueduct Race 8 The Ruthless (Post time 3:48 ET)
3 Little Rocket 5-2
2 Kimono 3-1
4 My Kinda Party 4-1
5 Lady Banks 7-2
Analysis: Little Rocket caught wet tracks in both of her starts, breaking her maiden in her debut and then was a good looking winner against state bred Alw-1 foes last out, drawing clear to win by 7 1/2 lengths. She steps into a tougher spot here outside of the state bred ranks for her stakes debut but looks as if she still has some upside. She has a nice pedigree, out of the Grade 2 winner How About Now ($166,376) who has dropped six winners including multiple stakes winner Lovely Lil ($299,890) and Sweet Sweet ($191,341). She should get a good tracking trip behind a lively early pace.
Kimono set the early fractions over a speed friendly racing strip and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish going two turns against Alw-1 optional claimers. The winner of the race was Princess of Slymar, who came back to win the Busanda in her next outing here on Jan. 5. The Todd Pletcher trainee cuts back to a sprint and she broke her maiden in her second career start going seven furlongs. The barn is 26% winners moving runners from route to sprint.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 2,3,4
TRI: no play
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.
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