Early part of pick six wide open

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The third week of Aqueduct's fall meet kicks off with a pick-six carryover of $154,615, and Wednesday's sequence looks just as tricky as the ones preceding it.

Keying a couple of horses in the latter half of the pick six may allow you to spread sufficiently in the early races.

The seventh is the $75,000 Volponi Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf. Starvinsky and Adagio are both dropping out of graded stakes.

Starvinsky ships in from Delaware Park for Bruce Jackson, coming off disappointing results in the Kent Breeders' Cup and Hawthorne Derby - both Grade 3 events. Though the chart comments would lead one to believe Starvinsky had a decent trip in the Kent - when beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Nobiz Like Shobiz - and a tough trip in the Hawthorne Derby - when beaten 3 1/4 lengths by Bold Hawk - Jackson said he feels the opposite is true.

"He had a terrible trip in the Kent, was hung wide, checked, and didn't really get to run his race,'' Jackson said. "I thought he ran a very credible race in the Hawthorne Derby, not really any excuse. I think dropping back to a mile from a mile and an eighth is going to help.''

Adagio won a Group 3 race going a mile at Newmarket in August. In his U.S. debut, Adagio was beaten 7 1/2 lengths by Nobiz Like Shobiz in the Grade 2 Jamaica at 1 1/8 miles.

The eighth race is a first-level allowance for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies. Though she had most of her success on turf, Sherine returns to dirt for trainer Tony Dutrow. Sibley, trained by Todd Pletcher, should appreciate turning back to six furlongs after finishing third in the one-mile Maid of the Mist Stakes in her dirt debut.

If you get to the last leg alive, your ticket should include Queen of Protocol in a 1 1/16-mile maiden event for New York bred 2-year-old fillies. Her best race came at this distance when third to Sherine at Saratoga. Trainer David Donk said he sprinted Queen of Protocol on turf and dirt - both eighth-place finishes - because he had no other options.

Getting to the last three legs could require a hefty bankroll. The sixth race, in particular, is wide open, with a plethora of drop-downs.