Horse Pick of the Day - 3 Races to Choose from

Padding Your Bankroll: Thursday November 12

Thursday’s featured race at Aqueduct is the $65,000 Sabin Stakes, a 1 1/16 mile turf event that drew a full field of ten along with four also eligibles.

It is a wide open race and my top pick Sunshine for Life exits a fourth place finish in the Athenia Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park, which was the mare’s first start off a three month break.

The mare appears to have found a good spot, as the race is for non winners of a graded stake on turf this year.

The race is the middle leg of our Late Pick 3 wager, a $24 investment that includes a couple of nice longshots.

Trainer Cody Autrey invades New York today with five runners including the morning line favorite Tizsilk.

Our top pick will be the “horse for the course” Rikman, who has won three of his five trips over the Aqueduct sod in his career.

Today's Play of the Day from Aqueduct:

AQU Race 7 Sabin S. (3:16 ET)
#7 Sunshine for Life, #8 Sea Chanter

#7 Sunshine for Life prompted the early pace and weakened in the stretch to finish fourth last out in the Athenia (G3), a race she won last year. She finds a perfect spot here for her second start off a three month break, a stake for non winners of a graded stake on the turf in '09. She has done her best running on firm turf and should get it today. The barn is 19% winners (with a +ROI) with horses making their second start off a 45-180 day layoff.

#8 Sea Chanter returns to turf after setting the early fractions and being unable to hold off the winner late in a runner up finish in the Quick Mischief. The main track was playing to outside stalkers and closers that day. She is 4 for 13 on turf and has not been on the turf since early in the year. She won the Miesque (G3) at Hollywood Park on the turf back in '07.

AQU Race 8 Clm $30,000 (3:44 ET)
#5 Base Commander, #8 Port Royal, #7 Gone Missing

#5 Base Commander made a mild late rally to finish third last out against $25K starter handicap foes, beaten three lengths for the top spot. The runner up in the race was More Than Reason, who beat $25K starter handicap[ company in his next start, then ran second in the Half High Stakes in his most recent outing. Fourth place finisher Starforaday came back to beat $25K starter handicap foes on Oct. 28. He is back in for a tag here and he earned his career top in his lone other go for a price in a runner up finish against $25K claimers three back.

#8 Port Royal is making his first start since May and his first for the Brown barn that is 23% winners (with a +ROI) with newcomers to the barn. The five year old seldom runs a bad one but does have a habit of landing for minor shares. Three back he beat Alw-2 company at Philly producing a career top. He broke his maiden over the surface back in '07. Looks like a good spot here returning off the bench tagged for $30K and the price should be right.

AQU Race 9 Md Sp Wt (4:12 ET)
#7 Great Gracie Dane, #5 Irish Lady, #12 Holy Moly, #8 Lights Out Lisa