Horse Picks from Aqueduct – Take Cherokee Gem in Race 4

Padding Your Bankroll: Wednesday March 18

The weather is starting to warm up at Aqueduct, and we might come close to seeing 60 degrees today as we start off another week of attempting to pad our bankroll.

The play of the day is a maiden race and we are backing the likely favorite, but Cherokee Gem should be able to earn a diploma today in the fourth race.

The Late Pick 4 play is a $24 wager and we have a couple of longshots going in the first two legs, giving us a shot at a decent score.

Today’s Play of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 4 Md $40,000 (2:27 et)
#2 Cherokee Gem
#1 Dixie Temper
#8 Dancing With Lions
#4 Pea Stone

Analysis: #2 Cherokee Gem tracked the early pace and came up short in the stretch in a fourth place finish last out when stepping up into the maiden special ranks. She was making her first start off the claim by the Volk barn that has been on fire with recent claims. The filly drops back in for a tag here and catches a soft looking group. The barn is 39% winners (with a +ROI) second off the claim. She looks like she is going to be very tough to beat in this spot at a light price.

#1 Dixie Temper drops back in for a tag and for half the price Dutrow claimed this gal for three back. She was off poorly in her last two starts and has had some trouble in each of her four career starts. She gets a key jock upgrade here from a seven pound bug to Ramon.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,4,8
TRI: 1,2 / 1,2,4,8 / 1,2,3,4,8

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Aqueduct:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 2,7,8 / 1,4,6,8 / 5,11 = $24

AQU Race 7 Clm $10,000N2L (3:55 et)
#2 Only a Vision, #7 Knot News, #8 Courting Elaine

#2 Only a Vision was in tight and was bumped hard coming out of the gate, came with a five wide bid around the far turn and weakened in the stretch to finish seventh in the mud in her first go off a six month layoff. Two have come out of the race to win next out including the winner Trillian, who beat $30K non winners of three on 2/16. The five year old mare has popped a couple of bullet works since her last start and figures to move forward second off the bench. Looking for a better effort here and we should catch a decent price.

#7 Knot News went gate to wire last out to beat $12.5K NY breds going gate to wire. The filly earned the top last out speed fig and now steps out of the state bred ranks here. She fits with her best but I don’t want to see her price go down much below the 7/2 ML.

AQU Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:25 et)
#4 Jessica Is Back, #8 Sunday Geisha, #6 Say Toba Sandy, #1 Fort Carillon

#4 Jessica Is Back looks well spotted here dropping a condition after beating Alw-3 optional claimers in her last outing at Laurel. This gal likes the inner surface (8-2-3-0) and owns a solid pace profile throughout. She looks sharp enough to win right back here.

#8 Sunday Geisha makes her third start of her current form cycle off a pair of efforts at Philly. Last out she set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner late, settling for the runner up spot while nearly ten lengths clear of the rest of the field. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and will be in the mix from the break. She is a logical threat here for the Levine barn.

AQU Race 9 Md $12,500 (4:55 et)
#5 Hooked Up, #11 Millirock

#5 Hooked Up was a good second two back but did not show any punch in the stretch last out in a sixth place finish. The colt did catch a surface that was playing to inside speed. The third place finisher was Catskill City, who came back to graduate in his next outing on 3/4 versus $12.5K maidens, while fourth place finisher Bongo Boy also earning his diploma next out, beating $15K maidens on 3/14. The colt was beaten by #11 Millirock, but our top pick appears to have more upside making just his fourth career start while our second choice is making his 12th career start.

Price Plays:
These are price plays to watch today. A small win-place wager is in order or if your pockets are deep enough, use these runners in your trifecta and Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers. One or two of these could be the difference between a regular day at the track and hitting the IRS window with a signer.

Aqueduct
R2: #7 Flame Throwin Suzi   12/1
R5: #9 Silver Ferrari   8/1
R6: #8 Ancient Sunlight   15/1
R7: #2 Only a Vision   12/1
R8: #1 Fort Carillon   8/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!

National horse racing handicapper Michael Dempsey will attempt to pad his bankroll and yours with his daily column. He will feature at least one Pick 3 or Pick 4 play from a major track along during the week and covers major stakes races on the weekends.