Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Monday, February 28
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow is on hand with his tips for Monday's meetings at Carlisle, Wolverhampton and Plumpton.
Month: February 2022
$52,580 Pick 6 Carryover Spices Up Aqueduct’s Friday Card
Friday's eight-race card at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., will be bolstered by a Pick 6 carryover of $52,580 after the multi-race wager went unsolved on Sunday.
The $1 Pick 6 returned $139 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 horses correctly.
The sequence kicked off in Race 4 with a maiden-breaking effort from Eddie the Great [No. 6, $3.50] under Kendrick Carmouche for trainer Rob Atras. The Ray Handal-trained Awesome Indra [No. 2, $8.80] sprinted to a 4 3/4-length claiming victory in Race 5 with Dylan Davis in the irons before Midaswellrun [No. 6, $4] and Manny Franco crossed the line first in Race 6 for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.
The 6-year-old Amundson [No. 7, $21.40] made a victorious comeback from a four-month layoff for trainer Horacio De Paz to give Manny Franco his third win on the card in Race 7. Jose Lezcano piloted Betsy Blue [No. 11, $7] to victory in Race 8 for trainer Linda Rice in the penultimate leg of the sequence.
With two horses uncovered in the last leg of the sequence, Shadolamo [No. 1, $111] triggered the carryover when Oscar Gomez piloted the Girolamo mare to a front-running victory for trainer Eduardo Jones in Race 9.
The Pick 6 kicks off on Friday at the Big A in Race 3 at 2:22 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:20 p.m.
America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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First Captain Kicks Off Year with Nail-Biting Win
10th-Gulfstream, $56,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.19, ft, head.
FIRST CAPTAIN (c, 4, Curlin–America {GSW & MGISP, $580,532}, by A.P. Indy) faced a small but contentious field for his 4-year-old debut, including GSWs Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) and Dennis' Moment (Tiznow)–the latter also a 'TDN Rising Star'–as well as black-type winners Real Talk (Gemologist) and Hello Hot Rod (Mosler). A 'TDN Rising Star' himself, First Captain was slowest of all out of the stalls, yet kept in touch with the tightly packed field from the back. Nearly five lengths behind and well off the rail at the :22.71 quarter, he was still in the rear at the :45.24 half-mile mark but making progress. Still wide, the 4-5 favorite loomed menacingly on the turn on the outside, getting occasional right-handed encouragement from Jose Ortiz. Just when it looked like he had too much to do, First Captain kicked into another gear just strides from the wire, inhaling frontrunner Doc Amster (Midshipman)–the only non-stakes winner in the field–in the last possible second by a head.
With only four previous starts under his girth, First Captain won his first three. He broke his maiden at first asking last April at Belmont, getting a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. With a second consecutive win, taking a Belmont allowance in May and accorded both a 95 Beyer and 'Rising Star' status, the $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling went into the GIII Dwyer S. in July and prevailed as the favorite. He flattened to third in Saratoga's Curlin S. later that month and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey gave him plenty of time to regroup before his 4-year-old campaign.
Chef Bobby Flay bred First Captain and stayed in for a piece of the Curlin colt. As Flay recently detailed in an edition of Mating Plans, he is breeding the chestnut's dam, America, back to Curlin this year for a full-sibling. America also produced full-sisters to First Captain in 2019 and 2021. Her lone other mate has been Uncle Mo, by whom America has a 2-year-old colt named Kid American (a $550,000 RNA at KEESEP), and by whom she is expecting a foal this year. Flay also has America's half-sister Street Strut (Street Cry {Ire}), who is going to Constitution. Another half-sister to America produced 2020 GISW Paris Lights (Curlin) and the family goes back to Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom {Fr}), First Captain's fourth dam. Blush With Pride-winner of the 1982 GI Kentucky Oaks–was out of Broodmare of the Year Best in Show (Traffic Judge) and produced Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister). Sales History: $1,500,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-4-0-1, $285,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay, & Woodford Racing, LLC; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.
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‘Piggybank’ Horse Big Engine Set To Re-Enter Stakes Competition For Rudy Rodriguez
McCourt Racing's recent allowance winner Big Engine may step back up to stakes company after returning to winning form in an optional claiming sprint on Feb. 19 at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.
Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the son of Not For Love earned a pair of stakes placings in 2021 for former trainer Linda Rice, finishing second to My Boy Tate in the Hollie Hughes and third to Bank On Shea and eventual 2022 Hollie Hughes winner Wudda U Think Now in the Affirmed Success.
In his second start for Rodriguez, Big Engine was held off the pace by Trevor McCarthy throughout the six furlongs, allowing pacesetter Smooth B to cruise through an opening quarter-mile in 22.99 seconds and a half-mile in 46.34 as he and Cost Basis went head-to-head down the backstretch. Big Engine was coaxed by McCarthy rounding the turn and made steady progress down the stretch, passing the tiring frontrunners and taking command around the sixteenth pole to win by one length.
Big Engine's latest win was his ninth in 25 lifetime starts, amassing $397,565 in earnings over five seasons of racing with ten other in-the-money finishes.
“He's a nice, solid horse – he's been like a piggybank for everyone who has had him. He's made money for everyone,” Rodriguez said. “He came back good and hopefully he'll continue improving.”
Rodriguez said a step back up to stakes company makes sense for Big Engine, who already has three stakes placings on his resume.
“I will talk to the owners and see about it. I know they really want to try,” said Rodriguez. “I don't want to say no; the horse looked like he improved big time. The next logical spot would be to run him with New York-breds in a stake. We'll see what comes up.”
Big Engine is the sixth foal from the multiple stakes winning Lord Avie mare Lady Bi Bi, who won the 2003 Ticonderoga Handicap and 2005 Mount Vernon at Belmont Park.
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