Litfin's preview: Early pick four all dirt sprints
Dirt sprinters comprise all four legs of an early pick four on races 2 through 5, beginning with a six-furlong allowance for New York-breds that features the seasonal debut of Groupthink.
When last seen closing weekend of Aqueduct’s 2013 fall meet, Groupthink, who had disappointed thrice at odds-on , battled back like Affirmed to win a muddy maiden sprint over Uncle Sigh, earning a 95 Beyer Figure that was solidified when Uncle Sigh subsequently won by better than 14 lengths, and then ran second in the Withers and Gotham.
A look at rolling double will-pays may hint at who’s live in race 3, a maiden special where three of the seven 3-year-olds are first-time starters. Contrary Opinion, a half-brother to Grade 1 sprint stakes winners Jimmy Creed and Pussycat Doll, figures to be well backed off two recent bullet workouts from the gate for Graham Motion.
The racing office didn’t do pick four players any favors by positioning a maiden dash for 2-year-olds as race 4; all seven entrants are first-time starters, including the uncoupled duo of Blame Jim and Money Changer for Todd Pletcher.
Race 5 is a good old-fashioned $50,000 claiming race open to all comers, where Be Bullish could surpass $1 million in earnings by notching his 16th career victory.
$500,000 late pick four all turf routes
The $500,000 guaranteed late pick four on races 8 through 11 is exclusively for turf routers, highlighted by a wide-open renewal of the Grade 1 Diana.
Nine of the 10 fillies and mares in the Diana come off a last-out Beyer in the 92-98 range. The exception, Alterite, earned a 102 for her third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and makes her first start of the season for Chad Brown, who notched his first career Grade 1 win when Zagora captured this race in 2011.
Bill Mott, who has won the Diana four times since 2005, sends out Emollient, who should be a strong part of the pace along with Somali Lemonade and Discreet Marq.
Cinco Charlie heads Sanford
In between the pick four action, the Sanford goes as race 7, with Cinco Charlie drawn widest of nine and looking to stay perfect for Steve Asmussen after winning a maiden race and the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs.
Bessie’s Boy, who has started off with a maiden win at Pimlico and a six-length score in the Tremont, tries to make it 3 for 3 for Wesley Ward. He picks up Frankie Dettori, as John Velazquez sticks with Nonna’s Boy.
Nonna’s Boy, who romped in the mud at 1-10 first out at Belmont, is among several who showed speed winning first out, along with Big Trouble, Mr. Z, and Souper Colossal.
TWO SETS OF HALF-BROTHERS ON THE CARD
A day after half-brothers Joes Blazing Aaron and Tiz Sardonic Joe ran one-two in a $50,000 claiming race, two more sets of siblings have wound up on the same card.
Kamarius (race 1), who is trying turf for the first time, and All Included (race 11), who improved leaps and bounds to win off a switch to turf last time out, are both out of the English mare Eximus. Both are homebreds trained by Todd Pletcher.
Omarvelous (4th), a first-time starter sprinting on dirt, and Z Lucky (11th), who tries the grass, are a pair homebreds out of the mare Undercover Agent, and trained by D. Wayne Lukas.