Steve Matthews' Aqueduct selections for Friday, Nov. 25
Best bet: SPOOKY ROAD (3)
Best value: FLASHY ALEX (4)
FIRST: Juniper's Moon moves to dirt after clear-cut placing in debut; more to give. Kayleigh's Pride has worked twice since even fourth in first start; dangerous. Maria From Miami was a much-improved second in last; must consider.
SECOND: Candlestick Maker is riding a forward line on late-pace and final figures. Mostly Harmless could find today's additional quarter mile right in her wheelhouse. Tekila owns positional speed; dangerous.
THIRD: Spooky Road visually and numerically impressed when winning by more than five lengths last week; pairs up. Cupid's Heart has won three of her four starts; big-time threat. Spiked logged six tight works for first start in seven weeks; worth long look.
FOURTH: Flashy Alex logged fast final fraction when a dominant maiden winner last out; takes another. Acoustic Ave owns speed and three wins from four starts; very dangerous. Starquist could be ideally positioned in the stalker's seat.
FIFTH: Kadri ships in from West Virginia after determined win at Mountaineer last out; keeps on giving. In Dreams is fleet-footed and could prove very tough on a soft lead. Secret Rules is another that's speedy and must be factored into the mix.
SIXTH: Temple City Terror made eye-catching move to win last at Keeneland; loves marathon distances. Rocky Sky, 1-for-1 on Big A sod, hails from Chad Brown barn; obvious threat. Capital Structure, another from Brown stable, packs potent kick on best efforts.
SEVENTH: Morning Matcha has trained swiftly since game second in Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx; ready. Kathleen O. has been sidelined since four-race winning streak ended in Kentucky Oaks; dangerous. Tizzy in the Sky owns two wins and two seconds from four starts; passes litmus test on Friday?
EIGHTH: Run Curtis Run ran past eight rivals when a last-to-first winner in most recent; more in the tank. Gear Jockey could be ideally positioned in the stalker's seat. Nothing Better delivers big efforts with machinelike consistency; right in the thick of this.
NINTH: Strong Light drops and makes first start since gelded; timid call in weak nightcap. North Pole owns three seconds and six thirds from 13 starts; another minor award? Papi On Ice was a hard-charging second in last; very interesting. Lookin Grand moves to dirt and could be primed for wake-up at beefy ticket.