Fornatale: How I'll play Aqueduct on Sunday, Jan. 21

It’s Championship Sunday in the NFL, but on a day when I have no real opinion on the football, I still want a little action. With that in mind, I’ll be playing a double at Aqueduct, coincidentally scheduled with each race to take place on either side of the kickoff of the Jaguars-Patriots matchup (with apologies to my colleague Matt Bernier, go Jags!).

Race 6: #2 MORNING BUZZ looks to be the value off the claim for David Duggan, an underrated conditioner. Morning Buzz has the right blend of speed and stamina to make an impact here despite going up the class ladder. The other I’ll use as a backup is #7 DADDY D T, going out for Rudy Rodriguez for the first time. He’s another tactical sort who fits at the level.

Race 7: There’s some speed here, and #10 CATS HALO can lay close enough and finish. The last race represented improvement that might be real, and she should be a good price. #3 NOTHINGBUTASMILE should be used as well. She was inside last time on a day when the rail wasn’t the place to be and should improve. #9 STRAWBERRY TEQUILA has some finish and is another I’ll include.

THE BETS:

Race 6:
$20 win/place on 2 ($40)
$5 DBL 2 with 3-9-10 ($15)
$5 DBL 2-7 with 10 ($10)
$5 DBL 2 with 10 ($5)
$5 DBL 2-7 with 3-9-10 ($30)