AQUEDUCT WITHERS DAY

FIRST:

• 1 Mighty Ego. Storm Cat grandson. But then, who isn't? Drops after (state) allowance win, but a claim won't ruin the connections, who paid only $9k for the hoss. After maiden, always in the money. Any of last three races good enough to win this one. This horse was first or second in every race in which he was well meant. He could easily wire this field.
• He's 3/2 at 17 minutes to post. Drifting down to 6/5.
• Hops out of the gate... gets lede on the rail anyway... (25) ... clear.... (50) longshot 6 challenges... (74) beat by 4 at the wire. Remember, the favorite is a better play to place than to win.

SECOND:

• 6 Biloxi. Monster first race. Going off at 2/5.
• 5 Mr. Hadif. Absolutely loves 2nd place. At 11/1, screams for place bet.
• Biloxi leads (22) 4 takes over (45) and Mr. Hadif never in it. Biloxi comes back to win @1-2. Big deal. WAIT. Inquiry. Maybe the chalk player are going to get what they deserve.

THIRD:

• 1A Man of Danger. Obviously. 2-1 live.
• 3 Wolloston Bay. Probably should be 8/1 rather than double-digit longshot. 14-1 live.
• 4 Tsavorite Won 4 of last 10. 6-1 live.
• So playing 4 over 3. Here we go: Expecting a pace battle. Wolloston Bay leads on the rail. (22) Tiring in stretch. (45) The closer #6 blows by in stretch.

FOURTH:

• 2 Goodandacceptable. Idiot trainer let big win go to head, may be sobering up now. Live at 5-1.
• 3 Fenway Faithful. Never a bad call. Live at 5-2
• 7 Wicked Climb. Could wire 'em, and has done so many times. Live at 2-1
• So in essence, we agree with the crowd. So since we see a tough 3-way pace battle, who are the closers? The #5 May Day Now, looks the toughest. I'm betting 1A Truffle Man at 9-1. Why? Because it's a great odds range and he has the ability to win if the speed goes nuts. # 7 wins at by daylight in 22-45.

FIFTH: no pick

SIXTH:

• 5 Shake Baby Shake. Half a race in debut showed potential, and this is only her second race.
• Going off at 9-1. Pinched back. It's over. Loping along in the back. Whipped turn. Got nothing.

SEVENTH:

• 2 Prince of Iron. Speed on the rail. Live 5:1
• 9 Rare Cut Has been slowly improving and has plenty of back class. Well, not according the NY bettors. Live 37:1
• Okay, I give up on the 9, boxing the 2 with the heavy favorite and co-speedball #7. It seems the 7 will have more class in the stretch. I see this race as a duel and nobody will get loose... (22) 9 in front 2 on rail. (46) Rare cut let to stretch and faded badly. The #6 came out to win at 7-2.

EIGHT:

• 1 Hurricane Heat. The idiots who mismanage this horse have put him on the grass, where he might give them the victory they don't deserve at 8-1. He's won 10 races in 40 starts, and so knows what he's supposed to do. If only his humans were as smart as he is.
• 4 Lemon Shore. Another horse that has been running in Owner Fantasy Land. Coming back down to earth, might have a chance.
• WOW! Here's a classic race without a favorite. The 3,4,7 are co-favorites. Sort of. Right around 7:2. 4 leads at (24) still ledes at (48) GOT THAT EXACTA 1-4

NINTH: 2 D'Funnybone
Trifecta 2/3/6 and 2/6/3

• Weak field for the Withers. To read the DRF, you'd think D'Funnybone had won before even going into the gate. But Castaneda is capable of beating him on a good day and will certainly challenge his speed. Ibbboye might pick of the pieces of a speed duel.
• Bettors jumping all over D'Funnybone at 3:5. Perverse bet in impossible race: #5 to close on exhausted frontrunners.

TENTH: 7 Silenced
McLaughlin takes over from Lucas. This horse has been run way over his head, and finally gets a race he might win. His lowest odds in 9 races has been 11-1. And he won that one! Lucas, in short, has horribly mismanaged this horse. Let's see if the mick can do better.