Aqueduct | Race 7 | Post Time 3:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs 
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Portal Creek (#6) will win this Interborough if she runs as well as she did when finishing a game second behind Sharp Starr in the Grade 3 Go For Wand last time out. The major question she has to answer is whether the sloppy track moved her up, because her prior form doesn’t exactly make her a standout in this field. Juan Carlos Guerrero generally sends live runners to this circuit, and she appears to be the controlling speed in this field, which makes her especially dangerous over this tricky 7-furlong distance. She probably is the most likely winner, but I have enough reservations at a short price for me to look at some alternatives.

Saguaro Row (#2) won this race last year, but she was in much better form at that time. She put in an inexplicably poor performance in the Barbara Fritchie last winter before going to the sidelines, and her return in the Garland of Roses was fairly lackluster. She might get back on track here, but the prospect of a slow pace doesn’t enhance her chances.

I’m instead giving a shot to CALL ON MISCHIEF (#5) as she moves up in class. This filly has been popular at the claim box recently, getting taken for a shocking $100,000 a Keeneland before Kelly Breen put in the $62,500 claim last time. Clearly there’s something about this horse that makes her appealing to horsemen. Her form leading into that Dec. 18 affair didn’t exactly corroborate those opinions, but she did take a noticeable step forward in her local debut. She got a good trip stalking the pace, but stayed on well behind a loose-on-the-lead winner. That 111 TimeformUS Speed Figure certainly puts her in the mix against this field. Furthermore, Kelly Breen is 12 for 38 (32%, $2.33 ROI) first off the claim in dirt sprints over the past 5 years. It has to be a good sign that he’s running this filly here instead of the $62,500 optional claimer early in the day.

THE PLAY

Win: 5

Exacta Key Box: 5 with 1,2,6

Trifecta: 5,6 with 5,6 with 1,2,3