Friday Nov. 22 – Aqueduct Top Plays
Race One
Scheduled local post time 12:20 pm ET
Mack Miller looks like a virtual lock in the Friday opener.
Mack Miller is dropping down for trainer Todd Pletcher, and looking at his TimeformUS Trainer Ratings, one sees that Pletcher has 100s (the maximum) in all relevant categories with two-year-old maiden claimers.
In his most recent start, Mack Miller ran an excellent 86 speed figure despite suffering through a wide trip and being soundly beaten in a race that was one of the fastest two-year-old Maiden Special Weight races in the entire country so far this year. He owns a 17-plus point speed figure edge over all of his rivals today. In his only other dirt start, Mack Miller finished a soundly beaten second to Financial Mogul, a horse who recently finished second in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes.
Mack Miller is stretching out in distance to a mile, but judging by his TimeformUS Pedigree Rating of 100 (the maximum), a mile on dirt should be the ideal distance for him. Blinkers go on for the first time today, but that shouldn’t be any concern at all.
The bottom line is that Mack Miller looks sensational against this field. The scratch of morning line favorite Village Warrior will certainly lower the value you’ll get on Mack Miller, but the rest of this field lacks any appeal.
Betting Strategy: Win bet on Mack Miller
Race Six
Scheduled local post time 2:45 pm ET
This New York-bred Maiden Claiming event attracts a big field of eleven, but two horses stand out.
Electric Currency (6/1 morning line) debuts for excellent trainer Mike Hushion. Hushion owns a 96 overall trainer rating and a 98 rating here at Aqueduct. His rating with first-time starters does drop all the way down to a 72. However, Electric Currency has excellent debut breeding. His pedigree rating is a 90, and both sire Exchange Rate and dam Electric Cove won their career debut. Indeed, Exchange Rate was a dazzling debut winner going five furlongs in a Maiden Special Weight race at Hollywood Park, dusting a field that included future $6.8 million winner Captain Steve.
In this atrociously weak race, Electric Currency deserves a long look, especially if he takes early betting action. The other interesting horse in this race is Geaux Mets, who gets a monumental trainer change to David Jacobson. Note the 100 rating for Jacobson with horses making their first start for him and their third start overall. He also owns a 100 with claimers dropping in class. Geaux Mets has extreme wildcard potential and should display dramatic improvement today.
Betting Strategy: Exacta box of Electric Currency and Geaux Mets.
TimeformUS 