Aqueduct | Race 7 | Post Time 4:17 p.m. (ET)
Southereastern (#3) figures to attract some default support merely due to connections, being trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat. This horse did have a minor excuse when spending a bit too much time on the rail in his last race during a period of time when that wasn't the ideal path on the racetrack. However, he's still achieved his best form going a mile, and it's unclear if he possesses the speed to be effective at this shorter distance.
I view Escape Hall (#7) as a stronger contender, and he could offer value if he's not favored in this spot. He responded well to a drop in class when he broke his maiden against $30,000 claimers two back and was acquired out of that race by Ilkay Kantarmaci. He was moved right back up in class by the new connections and held his own against a tougher field than this one. A repeat of that performance makes him a major player.
My top pick is Mercilesanihilator (#1), who is moving up in class after finishing a distant second in a $25,000 conditioned claiming race last time. He was no match for winner Top Player that afternoon, but that rival had everything his own way up front, getting to hug the rail over an inside-biased track. Mercilesanihilator was never that far off the inside, but he was forced to chase outside the winner throughout, which proved to be a disadvantageous trip during that two-week period in early February. Now he's making his second start off the claim for Linda Rice, who does extremely well with these types. Rice is 15 for 41 (37%, $2.55 ROI) second off a claim and second off a layoff of 75 to 180 days in NYRA dirt races over the last 4 years.