Let's Get Lucky
With freezing weather and snow by the foot gripping the Northeast, let’s try to get hot and build the bankroll to boot by cashing in the Whirlaway at Aqueduct on Saturday.
A sweet little 7 pack will face the starter and they come from venues like Laurel, Philly, and some homegrown runners too.
Carded at a mile and a sixteenth, the $100,000 Whirlaway is an early look at some of the top sophomores that didn’t make the trip to Florida.
Over the years, some nice horses were pictured in the charmed circle after the conclusion of this event.
Angel Cordero got Noble Nashua home in the early 1980s. Eventual Preakness hero Prairie Bayou won in 1993 and the speedy Hainesfield won in 2009.
Last year Peppi Knows was making his first start of the year after running 2nd in the Grade 2 Remsen and he got an ideal 3-hole trip to surprise at 7-1 with an 86 Beyer.
From the rail out, Tobys Corner had a legit excuse in his debut when he caught a sloppy strip but he freaked by over 10 lengths in his maiden breaker, and then proved it was no fluke beating winners in his Laurel finale in a $40,000 optional.
It took Arthur’s Tale awhile to figure it out, and he was just too late last time beating only a pair home in the Count Fleet Stakes.
Rescind the Trade has made no mistakes so far but he likes to cut it close. He has trained forwardly in Florida for this race and should sit a nice stalk and pounce trip.
Norman Asbjornson must prove he can win on this circuit. He graduated at Penn National, and then upset a small field in Philly.
Preachintothedevil will try open company for the first time. He is two for 3 career and like the way he came away from the pack late in his last win.
J J’s Lucky Train appears locked and loaded for another huge performance. He won his debut at the shore despite acting up at the gate, was pushed into a Grade 3 event to no avail, but has run 3 big races since, the last in his inner strip debut when over 3 lengths clear of the show horse in the $65,000 Count Fleet.
On the outside starts Sky Music. Another New York bred; this guy has lost his last 2 efforts as the chalk and has archrival in Preachintothedevil to deal with among others.
When the gates open, they all will have to try to collar J J’s Lucky Train. This guy has decent blood, his dam won a stakes and banked nearly $170,000 and he should be able to build on his fine effort about 5 weeks ago.
He may have been moved too soon last time and it appears he doesn’t absolutely need the lead to win. Rescind the Trade looms the most potent rival to the Train and he should get legit splits to close into today.
As the engine starts to pull out of the station, all good bettors at Aqueduct could do much worse than to get on J J’s Lucky Train and enjoy the ride.
