Litfin’s preview: Racing moves to main track

Off the turf

After some rain overnight, the main track was muddy and sealed during training hours, and today’s three scheduled turf races have been switched to the main track; race 1 shortens up from 1 1/16 miles to one mile, while races 4 and 6, divisions of a maiden special weight for 3 and up, remain at 1 1/8 miles. A significant number of scratches are expected out of those races.

Carryover

The pick 6 with a $25,525 carryover starts with race 4, in which the Bill Mott-trained Maximus Mike is now the likely favorite despite his 6-1 morning line odds. There’s just no other dirt form in the race, and he projects as controlling speed stretching out from a pace-pressing debut at six furlongs.

Keep in mind that the pick 6 will be a must-pay tomorrow, which is closing day at Aqueduct.

Stakes-less Saturday

In lieu of a stake, the feature is race 8, an optional claimer for New York-breds headed by Zivo, who is a photo away from five straight wins for Chad Brown.

Zivo, who swept three starts on the inner dirt, rallying from dead last, sneaks in under the legalese of the conditions and looks to be using this one-mile race as a bridge to the May 31 $200,000 Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park. The deep closer needs some pace up front, and should get some provided Comandante and Spa City Fever remain in the field.

Guessing game ends $250,000 late pick 4

The $250,000 guaranteed late pick 4 covers races 6 through 9. The racing office didn’t do bettors any favors by making a maiden race with four first-time starters the anchor leg.

Two of the new shooters, Flat Leaver and Lake Effect, have strong 400-plus Tomlinson ratings for wet tracks. Flat Leaver is the best guess on the blind. He is a homebred out of How About Now, a Schuylerville Stakes winner who has produced seven multiple winners, among them Lovely Lil, winner of the Grade 2 Go for Wand Stakes for these same connections in 2011.