Monday Racing Picks: Aqueduct

The first of two races we will be picking on this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will be Aqueduct’s 99th edition of the $100,000 Interborough Stakes for 4-year-olds and up fillies and mares over seven furlongs on the dirt.

The field of 8 will go to gate for race 8 on the 9-race card with an approximate post time of 3:55 p.m. ET.

#3, Our Circle of Love, Manuel Franco, 5-2

 Circle of Love will be making her 11th career start (2-6-0) and has finished in the top two in her last three races, highlighted by an allowance race win at Belmont Park on Oct. 16. In her last, she had a runner-up finish to Pauseforthecause (Manuel Franco aboard) in the Garland of Roses in her stakes debut on Dec. 8 here. Franco now has the mount for trainer Michelle Nevin. Odds could creep a bit higher toward post time and I’m taking a shot with the morning-line second choice. The pick.

#2, Saguaro Row, Jose Lezcano, 2-1

The morning-line favorite enters today off her best performance in a graded stakes last out when she finished second, 2 1/4-lengths back to winner Spiced Perfection, in the Grade 3 Go For Wand here on Dec. 7.  She posted three of her four career wins last year, registering a 3-2-1 mark in eight starts, highlighted by a 1-2-1 ledger in six stakes appearances. Jose Lezcano, the Big A’s leading meet jockey (32 wins, entering Sunday) is aboard for trainer Michael Stidham. Runner-up.

#7, Abounding Joy, Junior Alvarado, 5-1

Abounding Joy, fifth last out in the Jack Bishop Stakes in May at Prairie Meadows, will be making her first start in nearly nine months. A winner of three of her first six starts, including an allowance optional claiming triumph two starts back here on April 17 will be trained for the first time by Bill Mott after being in the care of Rodolphe Brisset prior. This will be her second career start here. The meet’s third-leading jockey, Junior Alvarado (19 wins entering Sunday) has the mount. Contender.

#5, New Year’s Wish, Kendrick Carmouche, 7-2

 It’s a new year for New Year’s Wish, who has won four of her last six starts at The Big A, including an allowance optional claiming race on Nov. 9 two starts back. She made her first stakes appearance in her 10th career start last time out when she ran placed third in the Garland of Roses on Dec. 8. Kendrick Carmouche is in the saddle for trainer Linda Rice, who secured her 2,00th career victory just a week ago. In the mix.

PICKS: 3-2-7-5