Aqueduct opens
Aqueduct will offer 31 stakes worth $3.675 million during its
43-day Fall Meet, which begins Wednesday and runs through
December 31.
The Big A will conduct racing on a Wednesday through Sunday
schedule with two exceptions. The track will be open Tuesday
(Election Day) and will be dark Wednesday. Additionally, Aqueduct
will be closed from December 20-28 for the Christmas break.
The opening-day feature is the $100,000 Discovery H. (G3) for
three-year-olds. Leading contenders for the nine-furlong event
include MY SNOOKIE’S BOY (Crafty Friend), runner-up in the
Haskell Invitational H. (G1) two back and the 119-pound
highweight in this field, STOLEN TIME (Time Bandit), a 5
1/2-length winner at Belmont Park in his last start, and NAVESINK
RIVER (Unbridled), who represents the ever-dangerous
trainer/jockey combination of Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.
The biggest weekend of racing is HolidayFest, which begins on
Thanksgiving Day with the $100,000 Fall Highweight H. (G3) for
three-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
The following day, the $150,000 Top Flight H. (G2) for fillies
and mares at eight furlongs will be decided.
On November 27, the showcase race of the meet, the $350,000
Cigar Mile H. (G1) tops a program that includes two important
nine-furlong races for two-year-olds: the $200,000 Remsen S. (G2)
and the $200,000 Demoiselle S. (G2) for fillies.
Champion sprint contender PICO CENTRAL (Brz) (Spend a Buck), a
three-time Grade 1 winner in New York this year, is pointing
toward the Cigar Mile.
As always, “New York City’s Racetrack,” is
accessible by subway via the “A” Train to Aqueduct
Station.