2017 Tom Fool Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

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Dave Bond | OTB Writer

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Tom Fool Handicap comes our way this Saturday, March 11 from Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, New York. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Aqueduct's dirt track and dash six furlongs for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A field of eight will give it a go in the Tom Fool Handicap - race 8 on Aqueduct's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:50 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all eight entries for this G3 stakes.

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2017 Tom Fool Handicap Entries at Aqueduct Racetrack

Sassicaia 3-1 - Rudy Rodriguez trainee has four wins, six seconds and two third place finishes in 17 career starts and enters off a runner-up finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming here February 17, nearly 10 months away and a disappointing sixth in the G1 Carter Handicap on this track in April. Before that was a tidy two race win streak - in his stakes debut - the 2016 G3 Toboggan Stakes on this track January 30 and in an Allowance Optional Claiming also here December 26, 2015. Sassicaia has placed in three of his last four starts overall and hopes to rediscover his form from 14 months ago. He tries to snap a two race losing streak from post 7 with Manuel Franco in the irons of the underwhelming morning line favorite.

Green Gratto 7-2 - Gaston Grant trainee won the 2015 G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track but has been up and down since. He arrives off his best result in a while however - a front-running win with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in the G3 Toboggan Stakes at this distance here January 16. That result followed an OK second behind Stallwalkin' Dude in the minor Gravesend Stakes on this track and three straight off-the-board finishes - a fourth in the G3 Fall Highweight, a fifth in the G3 Bold Ruler Handicap and a seventh in the G1 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park October 1. Before that was an OK second in the minor New Jersey Breeders Handicap at Monmouth Park August 28, a nice win in the minor Hockessin Stakes at Delaware Park July 16 and a couple more unflattering results. He has placed in just five of 14 graded stakes tries, has eight wins, nine seconds and eight third place finishes in 51 career starts and looks to build on a terrific effort last time out. Kendrick Carmouche gets the call on the second betting choice from gate 2.

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All Star Red 4-1 - Rudy Rodriguez trainee has placed in 11 of 18 career starts - five wins, four seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a decent second behind Green Gratto in the G3 Toboggan Stakes on this track January 16 which followed a third in the minor Gravesend Stakes here December 18, a sixth in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track November 24 and a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park October 27. His best efforts last year were a second in the G3 Maryland Sprint Handicap at Pimlico in May and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Belmont Park in April. All Star Red will be after his first ever stakes score Saturday and first win overall since April Saturday. John Bisono has the mount on the third choice from post 5.

Chief Lion 5-1 - David Jacobson trained gelding has 10 wins, five seconds and seven third place finishes in 37 career starts. He finished third in the G2 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream in July and has an astounding nine starts since with varying results. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track February 17 after a fourth in the minor Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel Park January 14, a second in the minor Dave's Friend Stakes on that track December 31 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track December 16. Chief Lion has been busy indeed, has won both starts at Aqueduct and will be chasing his first stakes score in his eighth try - from gate 4 with Cornelio Velasquez in the irons.

Spartiatis 6-1 - defending sixth place finisher in this race has just four wins, three seconds and five third place finishes in 30 career starts for trainer Leon Blusiewicz. He arrives off an Allowance Optional Claiming score here January 21, a fourth in a similar race on this track December 16 and a seventh in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap on this track November 24. He was pretty inconsistent before that as well. Spartiatis tries to hit the board in stakes company for the first time in his fourth try when he leaves from gate 2 with Rajiv Maragh aboard.

The Great War 10-1 - Wesley Ward pupil finished fourth in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and twelfth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. He hasn't been great the last 15 months or so - failing to place in six of seven starts. Last time out was a fifth in the G3 Fall Highweight Handicap here November 24 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Keeneland October 28, a fifth in the G2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes October 7, another fifth in the G3 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine in May and an eleventh in the G2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland in April. The Great War won a couple of listed stakes in 2014/2015 but hasn't looked close to that form of late. Julio Garcia has been tabbed with changing his fortunes around when they leave from gate 6 Saturday.

King Kranz 12-1 - John Terranova trained colt has two wins, here seconds and three third place finishes in 12 career starts. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance optional Claiming here February 15 after, seven months away, a sixth in the G2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, a nice win in the minor Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont Park in May and a respectable runner-up finish in the G3 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct in April. King Kranz has failed to place in his last two starts overall after hitting the board in eight of his previous nine starts and hopes to rediscover that form from post 3. Angel Arroyo has been tabbed to ride from post 3.

Sir Rockport 20-1 - Has three wins, three seconds and seven third place finishes in 28 career starts for trainer Guadalupe Precisado. He hasn't been great lately - a second last time out in a Starter Allowance at Parx January 28 followed a third in the minor Dave's Friend Stakes at Laurel Park December 31 and a sixth in the minor Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National November 23. His only graded stakes result to date was a ninth in the G3 Toboggan Stakes in this track January 30, 2016. Sir Rockport looks over his head in this one and will leave from the outside gate 8 with Dylan Davis scheduled to ride.


2017 Tom Fool Handicap Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Aqueduct's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:50 PM.

Entry Horse ML Odds Jockey Trainer
1 Spartiatis 6-1 Rajiv Maragh Leon Blusiewicz
2 Green Gratto 7-2 Kendrick Carmouche Gaston Grant
3 King Kranz 12-1 Angel Arroyo John Terranova, II
4 Chief Lion 5-1 Cornelio Velasquez David Jacobson
5 All Star Red 4-1 John Bisono Rudy Rodriguez
6 The Great War 10-1 Julio Garcia Wesley Ward
7 Sassicaia 3-1 Manuel Franco Rudy Rodriguez
8 Sir Rockport 20-1 Dylan Davis Guadalupe Preciado