Aqueduct: Spot plays for the Discovery, Long Island, and Turf Sprint Championship

Never mind if you’re still digesting Thanksgiving dinner—an action-packed Saturday card at Aqueduct requires your immediate attention!

A bevy of stakes races are on the agenda, including a pair of Grade 3 events. Let’s take $75 and put together some picks and plays for three of the most enticing stakes races.

Race 3: Discovery (G3, 1 1/8 miles, 12:48 p.m. ET)

#1 Shared Sense figures to be favored after posting victories in the Indiana Derby (G3) and Oklahoma Derby (G3) racing 1 1/8 miles. With a pair of triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings to his credit, the stretch-running Godolphin homebred looms as the fastest horse on paper.

But #2 Monday Morning Qb actually matched Shared Sense’s career-best 103 rating when decisively beating older rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic. The son of Imagining parlayed pace-pressing tactics into a 3 1/4-length triumph over Pimlico Special (G3) winner Harpers First Ride, and the effort was hardly a fluke. Three starts back. Monday Morning Qb came within 1 1/2 lengths of upsetting future Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Happy Saver in the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio S.

With his tactical speed and improving form, Monday Morning Qb is capable of upsetting Shared Sense in the Discovery. Let’s play them together in a cold exacta.

$20 exacta: 2 with 1

Race 9: Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship S. (6 furlongs on turf, 3:44 p.m. ET)

#8 Maxwell Esquire has won three of his last four starts for ultra-hot trainer Christophe Clement, who has gone 10-for-29 (34%) at Aqueduct this meet. He’s equally effective over firm and yielding turf and posted a career-best 99 Brisnet Speed ratings when dominating a 6-furlong allowance race at Belmont last month, cruising by 2 1/4 lengths over next-out winner Duress.

Maxwell Esquire is progressing in the right direction and should offer a fair price in this competitive field. We’ll key him with #4 True Valour and #10 Therapist in the exacta, then single him to kick off a small double ticket.

$4 exacta: 8 with 4,10 ($8)
$4 exacta: 4,10 with 8 ($8)
$4 double: 8 with 4
Total: $20

Race 10: Long Island (G3, 1 3/8 miles on turf, 4:13 p.m. ET)

#4 Mutamakina endured an absolutely dreadful trip in the 1 1/2-mile Zagora S. at Belmont Park last month, getting shuffled back severely on the final turn before re-rallying with determination to finish third by half a length. With anything resembling a clean journey, Mutamakina might have won for fun.

With this in mind, I won’t get creative playing the Long Island. I’ll simply bet Mutamakina to win, single her in the second half of a double, and call it a day.

$35 to win on #4 Mutamakina

Good luck!