Let’em Run: Review of 4/5/25 at Aqueduct & a Look Ahead to Gulfstream Park and the Derby Picture

Last Saturday’s shift to Aqueduct for our Let’em Run picks turned out to be an unpredictable rollercoaster. We were looking to shake things up and get ahead of the curve by focusing on New York racing and the major Kentucky Derby prep races, and while there were bright spots, we found ourselves battling some tough beats.

Ballerina d’Oro Shines at Aqueduct

The highlight of the day came early in Race 9, when Ballerina d’Oro delivered exactly as expected in The Gazelle Stakes (G3). Chad Brown’s filly, piloted by Dylan Davis, proved she’s the real deal, closing strong to secure her spot in the Kentucky Oaks field on May 2nd at Churchill Downs. She paid $3.40 to win, and while it wasn’t a blockbuster payout, it gave us a solid anchor to the day and some momentum heading into the bigger races.

Close Calls and Tough Beats

Unfortunately, as the card went on, we found ourselves mired in a string of close calls. Second- and third-place finishes became the frustrating theme of the afternoon. In The Carter Stakes (G2), and later in The Excelsior, our selections were right there at the wire but just couldn’t get their noses in front. That’s racing.

The biggest disappointment came in The Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). While we had eyes on Passion Rules, hoping to pull off a victory, it was the California invader, Rodriguez, who stole the show and punched his ticket to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Passion Rules, however, fought hard and managed a third-place finish, rewarding backers with a decent $6.80 to show. Not a bad consolation, but we were hoping for a bigger payoff.

The trade wars could impact franchise values.

Just what are Major League Baseball franchises really worth? The answer is what someone is willing to pay for a franchise. Before the start of the trade wars on April 2^nd, Forbes put out a list of its MLB franchise valuations. Forbes may have to do some reassessment with all the world’s stock markets values falling rapidly. That is going to have an impact on sports across the world. If the United States does enter a recession and if unemployment spikes, there will be less customers going to games and that too could impact MLB’s Canada franchise in Toronto. A U. S. trade war with certain countries could mean the cost of building materials will rise and that could impact Athletics’ owner John Fisher in his quest to find money to build a ballpark in Las Vegas. Tampa Bay Rays’ ownership wants to build a stadium somewhere in the Tampa Bay market and that could be on hold because of cost uncertainty.

For what it is worth, Forbes had the New York Yankees franchise worth $8.2 billion dollars while the Los Angeles Dodgers business came in second at $6.8 billion. MLB has not changed much since 1957 when Walter O’Malley took his Brooklyn Dodgers business to Los Angeles. The two franchises that were the most valuable in 1957, the Yankees at the top followed by O’Malley’s Dodgers business. The Boston Red Sox franchise has a value of $4.8 billion. The Chicago Cubs franchise is the fourth most valuable at $4.6 billion. In the fifth spot is the San Francisco Giants franchise at $4 billion. The bottom five include the Pittsburgh Pirates ball club at  $1.35 billion. The Cincinnati Reds business at $1.325 billion. The Kansas City Royals franchise at $1.3 billion. The Tampa Bay Rays business at $1.25 billion and the Miami Marlins franchise at $1.05 billion.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sunday Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record, the “Great One” enjoyed watching Ovi’s breaking his record. But this story started long ago.

Gretzky was in hot pursuit of Gordie Howe’s record in the spring of 1994. Howe was there when Gretzky tied and passed him. His father, Walter Gretzky, told him to be there, be supportive and be proud if anyone approached the record again.

Heeding his father’s advice, Gretzky made his first in-person appearance for Ovechkin in time to see the Washington Capitals captain score his 893rd and 894th goals to tie his mark. But Gretzky has been helping Ovechkin along the way to this point far before Friday night.

It was December 2022, and Ovechkin stalled out just short of passing Howe for second on the all-time list, going four whole games without a goal.

“I called him and I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to relax out there,’” Gretzky recalled. “And he’s like, ‘You know, I’m pressing.’ And I said, ‘For most people, that’s 20 games without a goal.’”

Gretzky told Ovechkin he would be at 900 goals before he knows it. Not so fast, though Ovechkin gets his first opportunity at No. 895 and sole possession of one of hockey’s biggest records on Sunday at the New York Islanders.

Of course, Gretzky will be there. Ovechkin wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sitting beside him, Ovechkin turned and said: “Thank you, Wayne, for your support, for your kindness. It’s great.”

“I’m very happy to be in this spot,” Ovechkin said. “I’m always gonna be grateful for it and thanks to Wayne, how he supports me, how he always gives me advice to be patient, don’t put yourself in a stress position. I’m happy right now.”

The happiness was like a wave throughout the night, from a pregame ceremony honoring teammates Ovechkin won the Stanley Cup with in 2018 through his two goals and a video montage of the path to 894.

After the game was over, Ovechkin and Gretzky shared a moment inside the Capitals locker room, a hug and some words before taking pictures to celebrate the occasion.

“You could tell he was genuinely happy for ‘O,’” longtime teammate Tom Wilson said. “To see those two guys standing together and embracing, giving each other a hug and a congratulations, I don’t think 10-year-old Tom would have thought he would ever be in that room to see that happen. Just an incredible moment between the two best goal scorers of all time.”

At some point, whether it’s Sunday, Thursday at home against Carolina or next weekend in either half of a back to back against Columbus, Ovechkin should surpass Gretzky.

Asked what he might tell Ovechkin when that happens, Gretzky quipped, “Why’d you do it?”

In reality, Gretzky will likely have a smile on his face like Howe did on March 31, 1994, because he knows what this chase means for the sport.

“It’s really been a wonderful journey for everyone,” Gretzky said. “It’s great for hockey. I’m so happy for the league. I’m so proud of Alex. … Great for the people in Washington and hockey fans all over the world.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl