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Aqueduct’s Empire 6 Wager To Offer Daily Mandatory Payout During Month Of February

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the Empire 6 wager will continue to offer a daily mandatory payout in the month of February at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Featuring a $0.20 bet minimum and 20 percent takeout, the Empire 6 wager requires bettors to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. The full pool, minus takeout, will be distributed to bettors who select the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races on the card.

NYRA established a daily mandatory payout of the Empire 6 for all 19 race dates in the month of January at Aqueduct as part of a pilot program in response to horseplayer interest in wagers that reward the daily player with the opportunity for impressive payouts.

“The extension of this pilot program will benefit horseplayers and allow NYRA to continue to analyze the Empire 6,” said Joe Longo, General Manager of NYRA Content Management Solutions. “The wager saw significant growth in January, and we thank all those watching and wagering from home for their continued support.”

Aqueduct will offer 16 racing dates in February with live racing generally conducted Thursday through Sunday, with the addition of a special Monday card on February 15 for Presidents' Day.

The Empire 6 was launched in August 2019 with a jackpot provision in which the full pool would be paid out only to a single ticket selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, otherwise 75 percent of the day's net pool would be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races with the remainder added into a jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

For more information, please visit NYRABets.com.

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Maryland Invader Hello Hot Rod Holds On Stubbornly In Jimmy Winfield

Hello Hot Rod dug in gamely to best Return the Ring by a head in Sunday's 37th renewal of the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained and co-owned by Brittany Russell with Dark Horse Racing, the Mosler colt made a victorious stakes debut while running his win streak to three following a pair of scores at his Laurel Park base, including a last-out optional-claiming mile on December 13.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy, aboard Hello Hot Rod for the first time from the inside post, revved the engines out of the gate and angled his colt out a few paths to set the opening quarter-mile in 23.86 seconds on the fast main track.

Return the Ring, under Dylan Davis, and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Pico d'Oro took up stalking positions outside of Hello Hot Rod as the half-mile ticked by in 48.16. Hello Hot Rod continued to lead through the turn as Carmouche attempted a wide bid with Pico d'Oro outside of the well-rated Return the Ring.

Davis asked Return the Ring for his best out of the turn and hooked up with a stubborn Hello Hot Rod, who continued to find more. Pico d'Oro rallied in vain down the center of the track but was always third best as Hello Hot Rod, briefly headed by Return the Ring, pinned his ears and refused to be denied a narrow win in a final time of 1:26.30.

Return the Ring completed the exacta by a half-length over Pico d'Oro. Scotch Rock's and Magnificent Chrome rounded out the order of finish. Weyburn was scratched.

McCarthy, who picked up the mount from the trainer's husband Sheldon Russell, said Hello Hot Rod fought bravely for the win.

“Sheldon told me that he's game as can be, he'll give you a hundred percent and he likes to fight,” said McCarthy. “When he hooks one, he'll keep giving, and that's what he did today. Thank you to Brittany and Sheldon, it's good to win one for good friends.

“He [Return the Ring] kind of came back on again, so a big effort by the other horse,” added McCarthy. “I think he got more involved. When the other horse got in front he said, 'No thanks, you're not beating me.'”

The Eddie Barker-trained Return the Ring entered from a debut maiden win sprinting six furlongs on November 28 at the Big A and Davis said the added furlong may have been his undoing.

“He actually got in front for a little bit the last part, but the last four, five jumps before the wire, that seven-eighths was getting to him a little bit,” said Davis. “He ran a great race and stepped up. He added a little more distance. He was trying really hard. Eddie did a great job getting him here. I think he's going to run good in the future. The winner was just a little bit of a better horse.”

Out of the Tiznow mare Hello Now, Hello Hot Rod is a half-brother to the Russell-trained multiple stakes winning filly Hello Beautiful. Bred in Maryland by Hillwood Stables, Hello Hot Rod banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 4-3-1-0. He returned $4.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Purchased for $10,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, Russell said she's looking forward to testing Hello Hot Rod's stamina.

“I don't think stretching out would be an issue,” said Russell. “We considered other spots going further in distance, but this looked like a good spot to get the year started. It's nice to win another one with him and use it as a stepping stone to other things.”

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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American Power Gives Trainer Atras First Graded Win In Toboggan

American Power made his first stakes appearance in 16 months a winning one, dueling pacesetter Pete's Play Call in the stretch before taking command in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the 128th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan for 4-year-olds and up by a half length on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned by Sanford Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb and the Estate of Ira Davis, American Power was making his first stakes start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh in September 2019 at Belmont Park. The 6-year-old son of Power Broker broke well from the outermost post under jockey Kendrick Carmouche and stalked the pace of Pete's Play Call, who led the five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.08 seconds and the half in 48.11 on the fast main track.

Pete's Play Call, under rider Jorge Vargas, Jr., maintained his slim lead out of the turn, staying near the rail as American Power sustained pressure to his outside when straightened for home. The duo continued to go stride-for-stride until American Power earned the advantage in deep stretch, completing the seven-furlong course in a final time of 1:24.28.

American Power, trained by Rob Atras, won his third consecutive race overall in taking the first graded stakes of 2021 on the New York Racing Association calendar. The effort built on his victory by a head against claimers on October 12 at a one-turn mile at Belmont followed by a 3 ¼-length score against optional claimers going seven furlongs on December 11 at the Big A.

“He had been training well going in,” Atras said. “When Kendrick rode him last time, he broke sharp and it seemed like he really got his confidence back. Kendrick had a game plan going in and it worked out great. The outside post definitely helped.”

Off at 4-1, American Power, bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West Stables, returned $9.20 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $499,359 and also netted Atras his first career graded stakes victory.

“It feels great. I'm not sure if it's relief or what it is, but it's just a great feeling,” said Atras, who trained his first winner in 2009.

Carmouche, the Aqueduct winter meet's leading rider, registered his second Toboggan win, adding to his triumph in 2017 aboard Green Gratto.

“I had the best position looking at the whole screen,” Carmouche said. I thought Manny [Franco, aboard Share the Ride] would go a little bit with the other horse, but I had him in the position where he had to take back. I let the one horse go as easy as he can. When I got to the three-eighths pole I had so much horse I just made it a race home and make me or Vargas win the race. That's the way I looked at it and the horse ran good.

“Congratulations to Rob and his owners. That was Rob's first graded stakes win. It's a cold, brisk day but the winner's circle made us warmer,” he added.

American Power improved to 3-for-3 since Atras removed blinkers.

“These older horses know how to run,” Atras said. “When they're younger sometimes the blinkers helped because they need to focus up a bit. It came to the point where he didn't really need them. It's all about having confidence, ability and heart, and he has all three.”

Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call, who won the Gravesend in his 8-year-old debut on January 2 at Aqueduct, finished 2 ¾-lengths clear of 6-5 favorite Share the Ride for runner-up status. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee has finished first or second in six of his last seven starts.

“He had no excuses,” Vargas, Jr. said “I would have liked to have been just behind [the pace], but we had the one hole, so we really had to go from the gate. He was just second best today.”

Drafted and Stan the Man completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield for sophomores going seven furlongs in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Free Past Performances Available For Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5

Races from Aqueduct Racetrack, Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs will comprise the Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday as part of the wager hosted by the New York Racing Association, Inc.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Aqueduct will commence the sequence with a six-furlong allowance optional claiming sprint in Race 8 at 3:54 p.m. Eastern. Golani Brigade, the 2-1 morning-line favorite for trainer Chad Brown, will make his 5-year-old debut while South Africa, at 5-2, has finished first or second in his last four starts for trainer Michelle Nevin.

Oaklawn will kick off the stakes action with the $200,000 Martha Washington, a 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifier for 3-year-old fillies going one mile in Race 5 at 4:06 p.m. Coach, listed at 7-5, is 3-0-1 in four starts for trainer Brad Cox, including a win in the Rags to Riches in October at Churchill Downs and a strong third in the Grade 2 Golden Rod in November at the same track. Joy's Rocket, listed at 5-2 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, has won her last two starts, capturing both the Songbird and the Letellier Memorial. Novel Squall, Will's Secret and Sylvia Q will all be looking for their first respective stakes wins.

Tampa Bay will get in on the fun in the third leg as a full field of 3-year-old filly maidens compete at one mile on the turf in Race 8 at 4:10 p.m. The Irish-bred Rastafara will make her first career start for Brown at 3-1 odds, while conditioner Christophe Clement will send out a first-time starter of his own in Tranquillina [4-1].

Brown will send out another contender with Mystic Night in Aqueduct's Race 9, a one-mile maiden special weight, at 4:25 p.m. Mystic Night will be making his third career start and comprise an eight-horse field that includes slight 7-2 favorite Mandatory, who has run second and third in three career starts for trainer John Kimmel.

Oaklawn will host the finale with a six-furlong allowance sprint in Race 6 at 4:38 p.m. Cox has another formidable challenger in The Mary Rose, who will be making her first start for her new conditioner after previously being trained by William VanMeter. The Mary Rose, 3-1, drew post 9 with 4-1 selection Bettyann will also run for the first time for a new trainer, breaking from post 10 for Kenny Smith.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, Jan. 30:
Leg 1 – Aqueduct, Race 8: (3:54 p.m.)
Leg 2 – Oaklawn, Race 5, Martha Washington: (4:06 p.m.)
Leg 3 – Tampa Bay, Race 8: (4:10 p.m.)
Leg 4 – Aqueduct, Race 9: (4:25 p.m.)
Leg 5 – Oaklawn, Race 6: (4:38 p.m.)

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