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Kind Regards And Arrr Pirates Booty Never In Solid Contention—Finish In 6th And 7th —Rule by Night Was An Impressive Winner And The Smarty Jones Kid, Lloydobler finished 2nd at 20/1!

Mr. Grievance Dominates Again In Race 7 At Aqueduct–Follows Up 17 Length Maiden Breaker Win With Another Run-A-Way Win

First Time Starter Alert— 1/23/10 Race 4 At Aqueduct

This is a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds.  Homebred Kind Regards will be debuting for Darley Stable in the 4th race on Saturday.  Kind Regards has the look of a horse that is ready to fire first out.  Kind Regards sports some very sharp 4-furlong workouts.  He had a strong 4-furlong breeze 1/31—it was the fastest of 138 horses to work that morning at that distance, and was followed by a solid 4-furlong handily gate work.  Kind Regards is a son of Pulpit—who is a B 1st-time sire according to Brisnet.  Almost all of Kind Regards works in the morning have been fast.  His dam is Season’s Greetings, who has had two runners—both were winners.  Her sire is Ezzoud, who is a multiple Grade (I) champion on grass in Europe at age 3, 4 and 5.  Kind Regards does have a gap in his work pattern from the end of 9/27 to 11/30.  Has worked very well since that break.  Kiaran McLaughlin trains and has had some success with first-time starters.  Mike Luzzi gets the mount.  He looks fit and ready—breaks from post position 8.

There is also another interesting first-time starter in this race as well.  Arrr Pirates Booty debuts for Repole Stable.  He is a son of Indian Charlie, who is an A 1st-time Sire according to Brisnet.  Arrr Pirates Booty was a $200,000 purchase.  He is also working forwardly for his debut with a sharp 5-furlong gate breeze on 1/13.  Arrr Pirates Booty is part of an entry with Never Content, who was bet in his debut on 12/18 at Philadelphia Park.  He finished 6th by 16 lengths.  He is trained by Bruce Levine and The Mig will have the mount.  Interesting to see if both parts of the entry will run.

And my boy Smarty Jones has a firster in here—Lloydobler who has a few nice drills.

The morning line 8/5  favorite is a second-time starter, Rule By Night, who is trained by Steve Asmussen.  He was second by five lengths in his debut and breaks from the rail.  Others in the race are Ali’s Joy who makes his second career start after running 4th by 11 lengths in his debut after breaking slowly. Ken’s Cape is a first-time starter who is shipping in from Maryland for King T. Leatherbury whose works have been okay.  Known Gambler makes his 3rd career start after a two uninspiring efforts.  Ryan’s Gift rounds out this field and he will be making his second career start.  He ran 8th in a 9-horse field at Presque Isle Downs in September.  He had a snappy 5-furlong drill on 1/15.

Of the first-time starters Kind Regards is the one I like the most.  Strong works and a nice pedigree.  Arrr Pirates Booty also has the potential to run well in his debut.

*Weather forecast sunny low 40’s