A steady winter rhythm will settle over Aqueduct on Wednesday, January 28, as NYRA stages an eight-race programme that blends opportunity, progression, and competitive depth from early afternoon through to dusk. Racing will run from 12:40pm to 4:08pm, building methodically toward the $86,000 Allowance Optional Claiming over 1 1/8 miles in Race 7, the feature contest that is expected to draw the day’s sharpest focus and most sustained interest.
The card will open at 12:40pm with an Allowance Optional Claiming for three-year-olds over 7 furlongs, a compact five-runner field racing for a purse of $83,000. With limited numbers but strong conditions, the opener will place an early emphasis on tactical speed and positioning, setting the tone for the afternoon.
At 1:09pm, older runners will take over in a Starter Optional Claiming for four-year-olds and upward, stretching out to 1¼ miles for a $40,000 prize, a race likely to reward stamina and patience around Aqueduct’s winter surface.
Race 3 at 1:38pm will spotlight New York State-bred fillies and mares aged four and up in a Starter Allowance over one mile. Seven runners will contest the $57,000 event, where local breeding and consistent form are expected to play a decisive role.
The programme will then shift to developing talent at 2:08pm with a Maiden Special Weight for three-year-old fillies, also over a mile. With $80,000 on offer and seven runners declared, this race will carry the promise of future winners beginning to reveal themselves.
The middle of the card will continue at 2:38pm with a Maiden Claiming over 7 furlongs for older maidens, eight runners chasing a $60,000 purse in a contest that should bring urgency and competitive pressure. That momentum will carry into Race 6 at 3:08pm, a Claiming event for fillies and mares aged four and up over one mile, featuring seven runners and a $46,000 prize, where consistency and track experience are expected to matter.
Attention will then turn sharply to the feature at 3:38pm. Race 7, an Allowance Optional Claiming for four-year-olds and upward over 1 1/8 miles, will headline the afternoon with nine runners contesting the $86,000 purse. As the longest and richest race on the card, it will serve as the meeting’s central test, demanding both stamina and tactical awareness and offering a clear measuring stick for horses operating just below stakes level.
Contenders: Pay Billy, Classicist, Kinetic, Yo Daddy, Donegal Surges, Big Blue Line, Dreamlike, Film Star, Whittington Park
The afternoon will conclude at 4:08pm with a Maiden Claiming for New York State-bred three-year-olds over 6½ furlongs. Nine runners will line up for the $42,000 prize, providing a competitive and often unpredictable finale to close the day.
With a balanced mix of allowances, claimers, and developmental races, Aqueduct Racecards 28 January are set to deliver a professional, purposeful afternoon of winter racing, anchored by a feature that should bring the meeting to a fitting peak.
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