AQUEDUCT 3/17/10 

With the warm weather came a tight track and some pretty fast running times as Aqueduct began it's five day race week on Wednesday.

Hopeful Boy (21-1) in the third race was the first of two plays for me on Wednesday.

He rated nicely in fourth position before putting in an inside bid on the far turn. Hopeful Boy continued with a decent run entering the stretch and moved into second in mid stretch behind, Propellor Jones, who had opened up a big lead at this point.

It appeared that Hopeful Boy would finish second but, Framed, came into the picture in deep stretch to get up for the place spot- nearly catching winner, Propellor Jones- with, Hopeful Boy, holding the show position.

BOTTOM LINE: With a lot of other early speed entered in here, Hopeful Boy was wisely rated off the pace by Gabriel Saez, who was substituting for the injured C.C. Lopez. Saez gave the horse a nice trip and put him in good position to give him an opportunity to win the race. He wasn't good enough and a third place finish was the best he could do. 

Wheelinndealin (10-1) was my other play in race seven. She broke well from post two with Joe Musarro but got out hustled to the lead by Ramon Dominguez and eventual gate to wire winner, Judicial Leader, from the far outside post.

Wheelinndealin would track, Judicial Leader, for five and a half furlongs before tiring badly in the final five sixteenths to finish up the track.

BOTTOM LINE: I wanted to see, Wheelinndealin, on the lead here and thought she had a shot at wiring this soft bunch. Dominguez is too good and smart however and wasn't going to give Musarro and Wheelinndealin that chance. By gunning to the front from the outside with Judicial leader, Dominguez not only killed any shot that Wheelinndealin had, he won the race for his own mount in the first one hundred yards of the race.

Wednesday's claims

Race 8- Gold Vendetta- Gary Contessa