Happy Wood Memorial Day!

The end is nigh for Aqueduct and today marks the final Carter and Wood Memorial at the Big A. The on track experience at Aqueduct will be missed. The crowd there is comprised of the most passionate racing fans you’ll find anywhere. Sharp opinions abound, and no one is afraid to share them. It’s a pure horseplayers environment.

But life moves on and the new Belmont Park is a great source of optimism for the long term health of horse racing in New York. The new Belmont will have an all-weather Tapeta track surface (along with dirt and turf courses) which hopefully expands the horse population during the winter months and avoids card cancellations. Woodbine’s product on their all-weather track is great and they don’t race from mid-December to mid-April, exactly when New York is short of horses. So hopefully NY will get a bigger winter horse population and Woodbine horseman get a track to race at while Woodbine is closed. NYRA has announced a 14 race series “The Empire Trillium” on the Tapeta next winter that will be jointly sponsored by Woodbine. Now we just need New York to offer the “Swinger” wager that they have at Woodbine.

Trivia question: Why is the track in South Ozone Park named Aqueduct?

Race 6 – The Carter – Grade II

Seven Furlongs on the Dirt for Four Year Olds and Upward

1. Point Dume: Wired the field in the General George (104 Beyer) going seven panels. Has hit the board in 20 of this 30 career starts. Will try and take them the whole way but he should have company up front. Hits the board.
2. Book’em Danno: Runs off a seven month layoff after a 2025 Saratoga season where he won the True North (106 Beyer), the Vanderbilt (111 Beyer), and the Forego. Regular rider Paco Lopez has been aboard strong workouts leading into this. Logical short favorite.
3. Acoustic Ave: Has already raced three times this year and won an optional claimer on the front end (96 Beyer) and finished a decent second in the state bred Say Florida Sandy (85 Beyer). Needs to be faster.
4. Be You: Cross entered at Keeneland in the Commonwealth. Won the Toboggan as he sat off a hot pace and made a long sustained run to catch the leaders (94 Beyer). He’s in good form since coming back after flops in the Bluegrass and Woody Stevens last Spring. Exotics.
5. Related by Merit: Undefeated colt has had a series of issues that has him from the track. In his only start as a three year old he wired the field in the Discovery Stakes going the flat mile (106 Beyer) last Fall. He’s fast and has stamina. Tries open company for the first time after mainly running in Florida sire stakes. Outside draw helps. Should be up front. The Pick.
6. Quint’s Brew: Public reports indicate he will scratch here and run at Laurel instead.

Picks 5-2-1-4

Race 12 – The Wood Memorial – Grade II

One Mile and One Furlong on the Dirt for Three Year Olds

1. Napoleon Solo: Flopped in the Fountain of Youth (81 Beyer). Did he need a race off a layoff? Dominated the Champagne last Fall (95 Beyer). Runs here after missing the Arkansas Derby due to a foot issue and as a result hasn’t worked in two plus weeks. Mixed feelings.
2. Talk to Me Jimmy: NY bred won the Withers by 11 lengths going 9 furlongs (82 Beyer). Tough test today. Front end speedster, but he’ll have company up front. Maybe a small slice.
3. Right to Party: Was OK in the Gotham where he finished a distant third as was green in the lane as he didn’t switch leads (77 Beyer). Doesn’t look ready for primetime.
4. Steel: Bill Mott ships this Tapit colt north off a maiden win at Gulfstream where he got his nose down on the wire (75 Beyer) at 18-1 going the flat mile. Look for him to drop in behind the speed drawn to his inside and come running late. Lasix OFF. Hits the board.
5. Ocelli: Still a maiden who runs here after distant sixth place finishes in the Sam F. Davis and the Virginia Derby (78 Beyer). Blinkers OFF. A step below.
6. Minorinconvenience: Finished second in the NY bred Gander Stakes where he stalked from the outside but was no match for the odds on winner (82 Beyer). That was his first effort since August. Could contend in his second race a layoff as he moves to open company.
7. Albus: Broke his maiden in his third career start for Riley Mott going two turns at Tampa where he pressed the leader and then got clear in the lane (84 Beyer). Scratched last week from the Florida Derby to run here. Lasix OFF. This is still a pretty tough spot. Passing.
8. Courting: $5 million full sibling to Clairiere. In the Risen Star he faded after a wide trip. Two back in the Remsen he was a no impact 4th (74 Beyer). Blinkers OFF. Show me.
9. Bravaro: Ran well the Holy Bull where he stayed on for second (88 Beyer) behind Florida Derby winner Commandment. In the Fountain of Youth he was a well beaten fourth (88 Beyer). Blinkers ON. Gets class relief from those last two efforts. Should stalk and finish. The Pick.
10. Red Zone Runner: Has hit the board in all 6 career starts and most recently won the City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx on the front end by fifteen lengths. (83 Beyer). Water it too deep.
11. Ottinho: Will scratch here and run in the Blue Grass per Chad Brown.
12. Buetane: Had a tough trip in the Virginia Derby finishing fourth after traffic issues (79 Beyer). Two back in the Southwest he was outkicked (82 Beyer). Passing.
13. Iron Honor: Undefeated in two starts including a win in the Gotham where he pressed the pace and won by a length (90 Beyer). Appears talented, but he is an underlay from this post.

Picks 9-4-13-2

Trivia Answer: The track was named “Aqueduct” after the former nearby Ridgewood Aqueduct that carried water from Long Island to the Ridgewood Reservoir.