Several tough calls in all-dirt pick six
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Just when you thought you were going to stop following New York racing for a little while, there is a pick six carryover of $123,347 entering Wednesday’s inner-track opening card at Aqueduct to pull you back in.
A parade of longshots on Sunday’s program helped the wager carry for a second straight card. Though Sunday was the last day of racing over Aqueduct’s main track, it was not recognized by the state as the end of a designated race meet, thus it was unnecessary to distribute the pick six pool.
Wednesday’s pick six is made up of all dirt races and starts with the fourth (1:50 p.m. Eastern).
Here’s a look at the sequence:
Race 4: On paper, no one inspires confidence in this bottom-level $10,000 claimer going six furlongs, but trainer Gary Gullo is confident Real Estate Rich is in the right spot, dropping in class off a fourth-place finish for $16,000 in his first start off the claim.
“He should run very well in there,” said Gullo.
Wynhurst was eased last time at Parx but attracts leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and could be the primary speed. His trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, finished the Aqueduct main-track meeting winning with seven of his last 22 starters to end as leading trainer.
Native Hero takes the sharpest drop in the field and has run well over the inner track, including a win against tougher in his most recent start.
Race 5: Rodriguez sends out two must-use runners in this starter allowance. Uno Emayo drops out of a New York-bred stakes in which he was beaten 21 3/4 lengths. He was beaten a length in a spot similar to this in October, also one race after getting drowned in a stakes.
Stablemate Zen Papa was claimed out of a debut win and attracts Ortiz.
Gullo confirmed Bluegrass Prevails has been gelded since his last start, a 7 1/4-length win in a maiden $40,000 claimer Sept. 15.
“He wasn’t paying attention,” Gullo said when asked about gelding off a win. “He’s gotten much better.”
Race 6: Dontbetwithbruno is a possible single. His connections seem to be hoping to lose him at the claim box, as he runs for $35,000 two starts after facing American Pharoah in the Haskell. He did run well twice over the inner track last winter.
Those who don’t single Dontwithbruno will likely consider Comes the Dream, who tries dirt after running second twice at this level on the turf, and Power Crazed, who goes first off the claim and adds blinkers for Rodriguez.
Race 7: This arguably is the toughest race in the sequence. Will have to include new face Visionary Ruler, who last ran in a turf sprint at Hawthorne. He makes his first start for trainer Ramon Preciado, who is 2 for 4 over the last five years with newcomers going turf to dirt. Parx-based Preciado also is 5 for 23 over the last five years over the inner track.
Pegasus Red won twice over the inner track last December and was beaten a head against New York-breds Nov. 25.
Lane Allen is in from Finger Lakes and won over the inner track in March.
Race 8: North Eight Street may provide the next-best potential single after Dontbetwithbruno. Though she hasn’t run since finishing third as the favorite for this condition in February, she was good enough to win her debut off workouts going a mile in November 2014.
Trainer Dominick Schettino said North Eight Street needed time to mature and get over some minor issues.
“She’s gotten bigger, wider, and stronger,” said Schettino. “The time really did her well.”
One also could use Bella Joy, who won an off-the-turf race at Belmont in October and comes off a fourth-place finish for this condition on turf Nov. 18.
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Race 9: This is a wide-open maiden $25,000 claimer to end the sequence. Interior Secretary was beaten two lengths in a maiden $40,000 Nov. 9, a race that produced two next-out winners, as well as horses who ran second and third in their next start.
Rich Dalone is 0 for 10 but with seven in-the-money finishes, and he earned his best Beyer Speed Figure in an inner-track race last February.
Elusive New Yorker’s last two dirt tries make him a fit in this spot.
Suckitupbuster runs for the lowest level of his career and got beaten by only a neck in a maiden $40,000 last February over the inner track. However, his trainer, Gullo, says he may scratch this horse, fearing the race is too tough.