El Kabeir completed his preparations for Saturday’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial by working five furlongs in 1:01.12 by himself at Belmont Park. He will be one of the rare individuals to have competed in all four of Aqueduct’s winter stakes for 3-year-olds. It looks like he will face five rivals in the Wood: Daredevil, Far From Over, Frosted, Tencendur, and Toasting Master.
Top 3-year-old males at Aqueduct
GLACKEN TOO
Trainer: Michelle Nevin
Last race: March 26, 8th
Finish: 2nd by head (dead heat)
Beyer: 91
Making his first start since strung out wide in the Jersey Shore Stakes last summer and his first start for Michelle Nevin, he pressed the pace three wide throughout and battled bravely to the wire to narrowly miss in a well-run secondary allowance sprint, and he matched his best Beyer Speed Figure from 2014.
California-based Bob Baffert trains the country’s two leading prospects for the Kentucky Derby – 2014 champion 2-year-old male AMERICAN PHAROAH and undefeated DORTMUND. American Pharoah romped in his March 14 comeback at Oaklawn Park, and will return to Oaklawn for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 11. Dortmund, meanwhile, is the early favorite for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby this Saturday, April 4.
ROCKET HEAT
Trainer: Vann Belvoir
Last race: March 26, 5th
Finish: Second by head
Beyer: 79
This speedster set blazing fractions (21.46 and 44.00) in this maiden-$40K starter allowance and got collared in deep stretch. Next out vs. similar, he could be gone.
Champion AMERICAN PHAROAH maintains his ranking as the leading 3-year-old at the meet for his dominating, 6 1/4- length win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel on March 14 at Oaklawn. He is based in Southern California and is a candidate to return to town for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.
Top 3-year-old males at Oaklawn
Download positive ROI trainer statistics for Monday's cards at Mountaineer Park, Mahoning Valley Racecourse, Parx Racing, Sunland Park, Turf Paradise, and Will Rogers Downs. The report features top trainer angles, top trainer/jockey combinations, and profitable betting angles based on a trainer's record in similar situations.
Get the report here.
Download a list of horses exiting races where two or more of the competitors have come back to win their next starts. Monday's report features races from Mountaineer Park, Mahoning Valley Racecourse, Parx Racing, Turf Paradise, and Will Rogers Downs.
Get the report here.
Download positive ROI trainer statistics for Sunday's cards at Fair Grounds, Fonner Park, Golden Gate, Gulfstream Park, Hawthorne, Laurel Park, Los Alamitos, Mountaineer Park, Oaklawn Park, Parx Racing, Rillito, Santa Anita, Sunland Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Turf Paradise, and Turfway Park. The report features top trainer angles, top trainer/jockey combinations, and profitable betting angles based on a trainer's record in similar situations.
A late pick four play Sunday at Gulfstream, covering races 9-12 and comprised solely of turf races, offers the potential for a few large-priced winners that could fatten the payoff.
Up first in race 9 is the $16,000 claiming race on the turf, a race Kitten in May (#4) seems most likely to win. But being a deep closer, and therefore more at risk for trouble, and already having shown a runner-up tendency, this horseplayer can’t feel confident simply singling him.
