Aqueduct horses to watch: Week of March 22

AGATE
Trainer: David Donk
Last race: March 15, 9th
Finish: 4th by 5 1/2
Beyer: 43
This New York-bred filly debuted with some interest behind her, going off at 9-2 in a big field, and put in a sharp outside run against the track after a green beginning.

SPARTIATIS
Trainer: Leon Blusiewicz
Last race: March 16, 2nd
Finish: 1st by 3
Beyer: 80
He wasn’t in the strongest maiden special weight field in the world, but this 4-year-old gelding might have found his niche sprinting on dirt, as he rolled over the leader in the stretch and was the only winner on the card to never get near the rail.

OLTRE’ ORO
Trainer: Linda Rice
Last race: March 16, 8th
Finish: 2nd by 2 3/4
Beyer: 81
He received a puzzling ride when giving up the lead and the rail to track outside of a rival he had comprehensively beaten by going straight to the front in his prior start. That it was a golden-rail day made it that much worse, but he still raced on very gamely and emerged an unlucky loser.

FOUR DIRECTIONS
Trainer: Linda Rice
Last race: March 16, 9th
Finish: 2nd by 7
Beyer: 40
Didn’t have much go right, getting bumped at the start and racing at the back in a race dominated in wire-to-wire fashion, but finished best of all once getting clear of traffic in the stretch.