# 7 GRAND COUTURIER

# 1 JAMBALAYA

# 5 OPERATION RED DAWN

# 2 WHEELS UP AT NOON

Today’s 6th race at Aqueduct brings us a field of seven running one mile and three eighths on the grass. JAMBALAYA is coming out of the first position with a total of 9 lifetime wins capturing his last two back-to-back races. Its last race was out of Woodbine in an optional claimer and JAMBALAYA was ridden out to win at short odds. Stepping up in class, JAMBALAYA should maintain a challenging ride with Eddie Castro on board and I expect to see him somewhere mid-pack ready to close near the final furlong. WHEELS UP AT NOON hasn’t raced since Nov. 2008. However WHEELS’ last race was the Red Smith Handicap last year as he was used up and finished last in a field of seven. A previous layoff indicates he can come back to win plus a couple of bullet workouts make him a formidable foe. EXPANSION is moving up in class from the opt. Claimers and will need to have a decent pace to close into. Only 3 for 15 lifetime with seven 2nd place finishes. SPICE ROUTE is another Woodbine invader that seems to have been up against it in its last 3 outings running no better than fourth. This is his first appearance at the Big A with Coa in the irons and although SPICE has some decent Beyer numbers I will save him for another day. OPERATION RED DAWN is coming off a win in the G3 Knickerbocker at Belmont. This 7 year old has some decent closing ability and with C.Velasquez on board RED DAWN should be used in your trifecta wagers. Lifetime stats are 20 for 24 in the money and all of his races have been on the grass. MR. UNIVERSO is 3 for 18 lifetime and moving up in class from the opt. claiming ranks. He hasn’t won a race in over 2 years and back in last January ran 2nd in claimer grass event. Hard to recommend MR. UNIVERSO at this time who is out-classed on paper. GRAND COUTURIER has earned over 1.4M in 23 races winning 8 of those on the turf course. An average Beyer rating of 114 this Ribaudo / Lezcano connection can fare well at this distance. GRAND has won the GII Bowling Green handicap two races back on a yielding 1 3/8 Belmont oval. His prior race was lost to Gio Ponti and Interpretation in a G1 Turf Classic. Looks the best on paper and should have a good trip versus these.

Trifecta Key = 7 with 125