Rodriguez, Gonzalez load up Claiming Championships

The New York Claiming Championships, which will be held at Aqueduct for a fifth time Saturday, has arguably never come up better. There are 91 betting interests on the 10-race card and the races are deeper and more competitive than in past years.

The handicapping gets tougher as the day goes along. The late pick four has brain-busting fields of nine, 11, 10, and 12. The last three of those races will be part of the Cross Country Pick 5, along with two races from Oaklawn Park.

The most active trainers on the card are Rudy Rodriguez and Claudio Gonzalez. Rodriguez has 11 horses spread across seven races. Gonzalez, who will be bringing Maryland rider Victor Carrasco with him, has nine horses entered in seven races.

Gonzalez, the leading trainer in Maryland by wins in 2017 and 2018, won the very first Claiming Championship race, run in 2015. He won another in 2016. His best chance Saturday looks to be Miss Jak in race 2, the $55,000 Videogenic, an $8,000 starter allowance for fillies and mares.

Rodriguez and his brother Gustavo, who was the listed trainer for this program in 2015, have won eight Claiming Championship races – three the first year, two in 2016, one in 2017, and two last year.

Six of Rodriguez’s horses Saturday will be making their first start off the claim. The past three years, Rodriguez is 69 for 201 – a 34 percent win average – and has an ROI of $2.43 with horses making their first start after being claimed.

“This day was in my mind when we claimed some of these horses,” Rodriguez said. “We try to get horses for all these races. This is a big day of the meet and we try to support New York racing.”

One of Rodriguez’s better chances of the afternoon comes with Haul Anchor in race 8, the $60,000 More to Tell, a one-mile starter allowance for horses who have started for $16,000 or less in 2018-2019.

Haul Anchor is 2 for 3 since Rodriguez claimed him for $25,000, with both wins coming at Aqueduct going a mile. He finished third in a $25,000 starter in his most recent race while trying to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles. The top two finishers, Devine Dental and Turco Bravo, will go 1 3/8 miles in race 9, the Stud Muffin, while Haul Anchor shortens up.

“We tried to go longer hoping we could make the lead and be comfortable, but the other horse went to the front and won,” Rodriguez said. “He wants to be in control, and that’s what we are going to try and do with him Saturday.”

Claiming Championship races have been renamed this year for Dads Caps and Belle Gallantey, two of the best horses Rodriguez has trained.

Dads Caps, owned by Vincent Scuderi, won the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in 2014 and 2015. Belle Gallantey, whom Rodriguez claimed for $35,000 for Michael Dubb and partners, went on to win the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap and Grade 1 Beldame in 2014.

“I’m very excited they named races after my horses,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to have a horse for the Belle Gallantey, but we couldn’t come up with one.

“She was one of my favorite horses and one of the best we have ever had in the barn.”

Even though Rodriguez has numbers on his side Saturday, he realizes winning will not be easy.

“These are tough races,” he said. “Hopefully we can win a race or two, but I just want my horses to run as good as they can.”

The late pick three that corresponds with the Cross Country Pick 5 consists of the one-mile More to Tell, which has a field of 11; the 10-horse Stud Muffin at 1 3/8 miles; and the seven-furlong Caixa Eletronica, which has 12 horses.

Haul Anchor, one of three Rodriguez entrants in the More to Tell, figures to make the lead without much difficulty, but Fiery Opal won’t be far behind.

Fiery Opal, who is based at Parx with trainer Antonio Arriaga, shipped to Aqueduct and won a second-level statebred optional claimer in January. He earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure last out when he finished fourth to Honor Up, Syndergaard, and Twisted Tom in the one-mile Haynesfield for New York-breds.

Another horse to consider is No Distortion, who is trained by Bob Dunham. No Distortion finished third last out in a $25,000 starter race to Reed Kan, who has won five of his last seven, and Win With Pride, a winner of four of his last six. Win With Pride will be favored in race 4, the Peeping Tom.

In race 9, Devine Dental will likely try to wire his marathon rivals. Shalako also is a top contender, along with Turco Bravo. Turco Bravo won the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone at Saratoga in 2016.

A longshot is Dynamax Prime, who comes off a sharp victory going 1 1/4 miles at Laurel Park in a $65,000 leg of the track’s $16,000 starter series.

In the finale, the horses to beat are Mr. Dougie Fresh, who has won two of his last three after starting his career 3 for 20, and Bavaro, who comes out of a third-place finish in the Tom Fool.

A must-include in your exotics is the Claudio Gonzalez-trained Rockinn On Bye, who fits with this field but practically never wins. He has finished second or third in eight of his last 10 starts but has a single victory in 38 races dating back to December 2015.