Dave Litfin's Aqueduct handicapping notebook April 18

Thursday, April 17 review

Chalk players were shooting fish in a barrel all day. The first eight winners were first or second choice in the wagering, including five straight winning favorites in races 3 through 7, before third choice Mad Props ($10) captured the finale.
Seven races at six different distances on the main track produced a mix of winning running styles from inside and outside paths.

The temporary rails were set at 9 feet as turf racing resumed. Princess Mara (4th, $5.90), second off a claim by Richard Schosberg, controlled the pace in a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance and became the first wire-to-wire winner over the course at the meet.

A race after Jeremiah Englehart put blinkers on drop-down winner Cobalto (2nd, $4.60), his father, Chris, sent out Riveressed (3rd, $4.90) to score second time in blinkers.

Jose Ortiz, unseated when Darnley Bay ran off prior to race 5, was cleared to ride after a trip to first aid, and promptly returned to the winners’ circle aboard Summer in Bali ($3.40) in a bottom-level maiden claimer for trainer Michelle Nevin.
Nevin saddled her second winner on the card when Touchofstarquality (8th, $6.70) rallied from next-to-last to win the nominal first-level allowance feature going away.

HORSES TO WATCH

ALL LUV ME
Trainer: Osvaldo Rojas
Last race: April 17, 3rd
Finish: 4th by 1 ¼
Beyer: 56
Steadied along the rail while looking to be forwardly placed soon after the start, and raced in traffic through the stretch in a maiden special weight sprint for New York-bred fillies.

Friday, April 18 preview

Think you’ve got to win races to make money in this game? Consider that you could punch out a Good Friday late pick four on the combination of Keyaly (6th), Knock Quietly (7th), Cat Man Fu (8th) and Dendrite (9th). The not-so-fearsome foursome has combined for a 2-for-171 record, while amassing earnings of (wait for it …) $507,448.

The day is book-ended by (what else?) maiden claimers at one mile. The opener on the main track is a Dropdown Derby where Howl, a Claiborne Farm homebred from Bill Mott, and Againsome, a Todd Pletcher-trained colt who fetched $400,000 as a yearling, are each offered for $35,000. Both were dreadful in their most recent start, but they are the first two choices at 8-5 and 2-1 nevertheless.

Three allowance races, all at one mile and all for New York-breds, and sprinkled through the card:
In race 2, Miss Da Point will be a prohibitive choice against five opponents, including a Mitch Friedman-trained entry, in a $75,000 optional claimer with third-level allowance conditions.

Race 7 is a preliminary turf allowance where several make their seasonal debuts. Among those, Barnards Galaxy, Charity Reins and Irish Jade have run well over the course.

Race 8 is a preliminary allowance out of the chute, and perhaps the most contentious race of the day. With the exception of the aforementioned Cat Man Fu, who has been beaten 62 lengths in three starts since notching his maiden win in start No. 42, a case can be made for or against just about anyone in the field.