Aqueduct Meet Starts Today

For the next six months, Aqueduct is where racing will be held in New York and the track will kick off its lengthy season today.

One of the visitors on opening day is jockey David Flores. The rider, who is tied for fifth in the standings at Oak Tree with four others, is in New York to ride Street Cry in the $100,000-added Discovery Handicap, a Grade III at 11/8 miles.

Owned by Godolphin Racing Inc., which won two Breeders’ Cup races with Tempera and Fantastic Light four days ago, Street Cry will be making his first start since finishing second to Express Tour in the United Arab Emirates Derby on March 24.

The Discovery also attracted Evening Attire, No Show Jim, Docent, Dayton Flyer, Free Of Love and Pure Prize.

Race of the day: Pickings are slim at Oak Tree, which begins its final week today before the circuit moves to Hollywood Park a week from now. The best race is probably the seventh, a turf race of about 61/2 furlongs that drew a competitive field of seven. Contenders include Abidjar, recent winner Hero’s Welcome, Trampus Too and longshot Daunting.

Who’s hot: An unidentified bettor in San Bernardino. Somebody purchased a quick pick on the Breeders’ Cup pick six last week at the San Bernardino simulcast facility. All six numbers matched the winners of the pick-six races, so the ticket was worth $262,442.

Who’s not: Griffon Blue. A 2-year-old maiden entered in today’s fifth at Churchill Downs, he has yet to hit the board in six tries while being beaten a combined 101 lengths.

Exotically speaking: A place pick all singling Mabel Kent, The Buggy Whip in the second and Audix in the third, using Forget You and Main Street Rub in the fourth, Da Hot Affair, Mickey’s Hot Stuff and Two Four Dancer in the fifth, Supplant and Stretch Velvet in the sixth, Trampus Too, Hero’s Welcome and Abidjar in the seventh and singling Cody Steele in the eighth.