WITHERS
Aqueduct, ninth race. Grade 3. Purse: $200,000. 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds. Post: 4:05 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Alpha, who showed much promise as a 2-year-old breaking his maiden first time out by six lengths and then running second in the Champagne, indicated he’s ready to join the elite of his division with a resounding victory in the Jan. 7 Count Fleet here, rallying to win by 2 ½ lengths as the 4-5 favorite. The pace should be honest in this spot, and the son of Bernardini can take another forward step along the Triple Crown trail at a short price.
TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71.
SAM F. DAVIS
Tampa Bay Downs, 11th race. Grade 3. Purse: $250,000. 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds. Post: 5:10 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Burning Time ran a sneaky-good race last out in the Pasco Stakes over this track, closing fast from last of 10 to finish fourth. Today, he stretches out from seven furlongs, and his best races have come going two turns. He also switches to the meet’s leading rider, Leandro Goncalves.
TV: HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.
ROBERT B. LEWIS
Santa Anita, sixth race. Grade 2. Purse: $200,000. 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds. Post: 6:05 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Sky Kingdom is the higher-priced odds of the two Bob Baffert colts in this race, with Baffert’s Liaison the favorite making his 3-year-old debut. But Sky Kingdom has a recent race over the track, a blowout win where the slow final time was deceiving because jockey Martin Garcia wrapped up in him through the final furlong. Sky Kingdom also worked a bullet :58 2/5 for this.
TV: HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.
LAST WEEK: At Gulfstream, Zappartion (8-1) was seventh in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf. Teaks North (3-1) was fifth in the Sunshine Millions Turf. Ron the Greek (9-2) was second in the Sunshine Millions Classic paying $5.20 to place, $3.60 to show.