Aqueduct is closed Sunday (except for the racino) because no betting on horses is allowed in New York State on Easter; VLT’s only!
FIRST RACE: Field of seven 10G claimers had five starters, including odds-on favorite Bojan, that raced last out for 7.5G, a level that no longer exists at NYRA. Mitigation, 8-1 after winning by three lengths for Gary Gullo at 7.5G, set the pace under Ruben Silvera, pressed by 11-1 Swinging At Siro’s, with Bojan, hammered late from 4-5 to 2-5, tucked inside behind them. Turning for home, Bojan rallied up the rail under David Cohen to hook Mitigation at the top of the lane. Those two dueled to deep stretch, with Bojan holding a slight advantage until he was suddenly pulled up and eased inside the final sixteenth. He finished fourth to the dismay of bettors who placed $12,441 on him to show out of the total pool of $23,495.
SECOND RACE: Driven by Solar, 3-1 taking a big drop for the Mike Repole-Todd Pletcher duo, gunned to the front under Javier Castellano, tracked by 7-5 favorite Shrewd One. Tucked in behind them was 5-2 Cooper River, Ramon Dominguez up for his first ride since dislocating his collar bone in a March 18 spill. As Driven by Solar battled to hold off Shrewd One in the stretch drive, 12-1 Elsaroarin, stepping up to 25G after being claimed for 14G by Karl Grusmark, came with a rush outside under Abel Lezcano to blow by both of them.
THIRD RACE: Sweet Moonbeam, 5-2 under Jose Espinoza, and Catalonia, favored at 4-5 in her first start since winning her debut last October, locked horns in a vicious speed duel that carried them well clear of the rest of the field down the backside. As Sweet Moonbeam began to pull away at the top of the stretch, Catalonia suddenly hit a brick wall and was eased by Javier Castellano. Then Mill Branch Millie, 17-1 under apprentice Samuel Camacho after being eased in her prior start, blew past Sweet Moonbeam in the final furlong.
FOURTH RACE: You always get your money’s worth when Mike Luzzi is riding your horse. In this 15G maiden claimer, the 4-year-old filly Stray Bullet was hammered to 2-5 dropping from the maiden special weight ranks despite being winless in 15 starts. Stray Bullet was in trouble from the get-go, bottled up behind a wall of horses down the backside, around the turn to the top of the stretch. Meanwhile, 8-1 Private Councel, who had kept Stray Bullet hemmed inside, had swept to the lead after rallying wide under Abel Lezcano. Private Counsel led by daylight with a furlong to run, but Luzzi never quit. He split horses with Stray Bullet, finally got her clear down the stretch and ran down Private Councel late.
FIFTH RACE: A real barn-burner going a mile on turf. Classic R and B emerged from the pack to take the lead down the backside under C.C. Lopez, pressed by 7-2 Goodtime Boy, Junior Alvarado up. Those two were joined outside by 12-1 Pernice into the far turn, but soon kicked away from him to slug it out head-to-head the length of the stretch. Goodtime Boy appeared to be getting the best of it in the final strides, but Classic R and B got his head down right on the wire to win the bob.
EIGHTH RACE: In the $75,000 Patsyprospect overnight stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at six furlongs, Sportswriter was favored at 6-5 coming off a win against open company on the inner dirt track. He tracked the pace set by 17-1 Cat Paws while in-hand under Cornelio Velasquez, took command turning for home and kicked clear, looking like death and taxes. But 8-5 Zetterholm, Junior Alvarado up for Rick Dutrow Jr., turned on the after-burners from back of the pack and zoomed right past Sportswriter in the final furlong, his third win in a row.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers:
1-3-1-4-3-6
49 winners (6 of 6)
Each paid $502
647 consolation (5 of 6)
Each paid $12.60
No carryover
Javier Castellano, Stray Bullet, Abel Lezcano, Shrewd One, Bojan, Mike Luzzi, Catalonia, Sweet Moonbeam, Ruben Silvera
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