Aqueduct handicapping roundup: Week of Dec. 28

DAVID JACOBSON: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

After saddling eight more winners during the penultimate racing week of the year, David Jacobson was within easy striking distance of New York’s all-time record heading into the Christmas break. With five racing days remaining, Jacobson’s win total on the New York Racing Association circuit stood at 156, three behind the record for a single year of 159 set by four-time training champion Gary Contessa in 2007.

Ever dangerous with horses moving down the class ladder, Jacobson was even more so from Dec. 18-22, as he got all the money with heavily bet dropdowns Shankopotamus ($3.60), St. Sincere ($3.50), Lion Keen ($6.90), Meet the Mets ($4.50), and Natalie Victoria ($3.80). The latter had been claimed 32 days prior for $35,000 and plummeted to the $12,500 ranks 48 hours after getting out of jail.

However, Jacobson’s two biggest paydays of the week were delivered by Dan and Sheila ($12.40), a last-out claim for $20,000 who moved up and earned $30,600 for taking a starter-optional route, and Strapping Groom ($5.40), who returned to top form by winning the $98,000 Gravesend Handicap by better than six lengths over the favored Palace, who had beaten him in last month’s Fall Highweight Handicap.

The Gravesend was the fourth stakes victory of the year for Strapping Groom, who was claimed for $35,000 out of his 6-year-old debut in May. He had previously peaked with 104 Beyer Speed Figures in the Lion Cavern overnight stakes and the Grade 1 Forego but earned a new top figure of 110 in the Gravesend.

“He came out of the Fall Highweight like a million dollars and has been getting better and better,” said Jacobson, who gained a share of New York’s 2012 training title with 110 winners. “He had a quarter crack [after the Forego] we were working on. I was being a little aggressive running him, and he still ran well. That’s all grown out now, and it’s a thing of the past.”

Jacobson is odds-on to get to at least 160 wins. He had six horses entered on Thursday’s program, including the morning-line favorites in the first three races, three runners Friday, and 11 in seven races Saturday, with entries still to be taken for Sunday and Tuesday.

You can bet there will be a few Jacobson dropdowns to deal with.

ALVARADO SIDELINED THREE MONTHS

Talk about coal in your stocking. The highs and lows of the sport were glaringly apparent with Junior Alvarado, who had been riding with the best form of his career this year but suffered a broken ankle prior to last Sunday’s East View Stakes. His mount, Miss Narcissist – the 6-5 favorite at the time – acted up in the gate and was scratched along with Underthemoonlight, who was kicked in the incident.

Alvarado won 191 races this year, 188 of those coming in New York, where he will place fifth overall. He won 30 stakes, including the Forego and the Gravesend with Strapping Groom.

One race before the East View, Alvarado had ridden the exciting prospect Mean Season to an eight-length win in a first-level allowance, for which the unbeaten sprinter earned a 105 Beyer while galloping under wraps.

On Monday, Alvarado tweeted, “Having surgery Thursday with Dr. Mark Drakos, need to put plate and screws and hopefully be back around 3 months!”

CHALKFEST

A 16-race stretch from the Dec. 18 nightcap through race 6 on Dec. 20 was as chalky as it gets: No winner paid more than $7.60, and there were seven at odds-on.

In the midst of that run was an $8.50 double comprising La Verdad ($3.10) and Dapper Draper ($4.90), the 100th and 101st winners of the year for trainer Linda Rice, who hit the century mark for the first time in her career.

After seven more favorites won to close out the week Dec. 22, post-time choices were 36 for 81 (44 percent) at the winter meet.