By Tony Bada Bing
So we find ourselves, Derby War Players, in a ‘tweener stage – in between last week’s $30K game and the Derby Day $50K game. Can’t wait for the first Saturday in May? Great, you can still pick up a $1,500 winner’s check in Saturday’s Big Game. With the closing weekends of both Aqueduct and Santa Anita as part of tournament play, I just want to warn you that funky things happen at the end of track meeting dates.
During the final weekends of the New York Thoroughbred tracks, my grandfather swore the trainers and jocks colluded in allowing those human connections without a lot of wins and purse money, the chance to cash in and…frustrate bettors with outrageous prices.
While I’m unsure of my grandfather’s long standing complaint, I do know higher prices do have a way of showing themselves in a meet’s final days. With this in mind, I will present long shots a plenty, many without rhyme or reason. My grandfather would be proud!
Race 5 Aqueduct, state-bred maiden claimers, 6 furlongs
If ever a race called out for a first-time starter this is it. A bunch of NY-breds, many that have earned single and/or negative Beyer figures. (By the way, how does one race at less than zero?) Trainer Thomas Bush hasn’t had a first-timer win in two years, but Missile Nick has fired two bullet works and posted three other fast times. You’ll get more than 10-1 for sure.
Race 5 Aqueduct, state-bred maiden special weight, 6 furlongs
The Kenosha Kid comes off a disappointing debut in which he retreated to the back of the pack before showing some interest late in a six furlong affair. Trainer Chris Englehart wins at 26% for second time maidens and this one finished closer than the horse directly to his inside, who has a morning line of 7-2. Almost a no-brainer…
Race 8 Aqueduct, optional claimer, 1 1/16 miles on the turf
Don’t you think graded-stakes placed King Congie will need this race for conditioning before moving on to bigger and better things? I do. So the one with the most recent win, Eternal Ruler, with his 1-for-15 trainer get the call at 8-1. This may be too logical, but sometimes logic can lead to correct picks…sometimes…
Race 9 Aqueduct, Grade II Jerome Stakes, 1 mile
Let me get this straight – Stirred Up, the 2-1 favorite, finished eight lengths behind the winner in a dull Sunland Derby effort, and the longest shot, Adirondack King at 12-1, finished about 5 lengths behind a much stronger Rebel winner??? OK, I’ll take the King to out finish all.
Race 4 Santa Anita, starter allowance, 6½ furlongs
These starter allowance races can be written so stakes horses can race against much weaker competition, if only he had started for a tag in the last two years. Well, this event shapes up more like a $30,000 non-winners of one claimer. With no multiple winners in the field, I say take the most recent winner in here – Already There, who just may have found a rider that figured him out in his last race.
Santa Anita, San Simeon Grade III, 6½ furlongs down the hill
You could do worst than picking a graded-stakes placed horse from 6 ½ furlongs on the turf to 9 furlongs on the dirt. Victory Pete has run some of his best races going down the hill. Sure he hasn’t won in two years, all the more reason to take him – he’s due!
Remember to stop making sense for at least part of your tournament day and take some bombs that figure or don’t. The waning days of any affair are bound by rules that simply don’t apply during the opening hours. Good luck in whatever you play the Big $5K Game at Derby Wars.
