Paulassilverlining could be stakes bound after Aqueduct romp

AQUEDUCT NOTEBOOK

There was no stakes action at Aqueduct during this three-day race week after Saturday and Sunday’s cancellations.

Track Stats

A total of 27 races were held over the inner strip at the Long Island, New York, venue, with favorites winning at a 33 percent rate and the top two betting choices combining for 48 percent of the wins during the week. From 27 races on the dirt, seven animals won in wire-to-wire fashion (26 percent).

The inner surface played fairly this week in our view with winners coming from all places over the three-day race stanza. Of the seven wire jobs, four came in sprints with a trio occurring in two-turn events.

A total of 24 of the 27 races were taken by runners breaking from the inner six post slots, but much of that can be contributed to the smaller fields on many occasions.

Meet Totals

RACES:		324
DIRT:		324
FAVORITES:		127		(39 percent)
2ND CHOICES:		60		(18 percent)
DIRT WIRE:		90		(28 percent)

HORSES TO WATCH

Thursday (2/11)

3RD – ALWAYS SARAH (Curlin) showed no signs of rust off the long layoff with a decisive maiden tally in this one for conditioner Jimmy Ryerson. This four-year-old is bred to run all day and surely could be a nice prospect with steady improvement and more ground to work with.

6TH – WEMBLEY (Bernardini) didn’t give the wire-to-wire winner a big scare in this one but the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee ran well to be a clear second and could be graduating soon with improvement going forward.

8TH – PAULASSILVERLINING (Ghostzapper) got back to her best in this dash with a superb, 9 1/4-length romp in this race for conditioner Michelle Nevin. The four-year-old should be stakes bound soon after this run, where she came home in a sharp :24 flat.

Friday (2/12)

4TH – We’re not sure what MIDNIGHT CHAMPAGNE (Noonmark) defeated in this race, but the four-year-old filly really looked good in going last-to-first and going away late. The Jeff Englehart trainee looks to be in line for a class rise after this visually impressive score.  

8TH – We liked the performance put in by TRUE BET (Yes It’s True) in a third-place finish in this heat. The Mike Dilger trainee was very fast early, and while the gelding was outrun in the lane, the four-year-old held third and looms a danger next out with a move in the right direction.

Monday (2/15)

1ST – MANHATTAN SPECIAL (Bustin Stones) tracked the leader to the top of the lane and then asserted herself through the stretch en route to a strong 5 1/4-length romp under Irad Ortiz Jr. The sophomore filly came home pretty swiftly for the level and might be a nice claim if she keeps this form.

A LOOK AHEAD

There is no graded racing this week at Aqueduct.