Aqueduct | Race 6 | Post Time 3:56 p.m. (ET) Two of the horses who figure to attract the most wagering support in this $25k claimer are both coming off substantial layoffs. Amundson (#4) is seeking his fifth consecutive victory, but is trying to extend that streak having not raced since last July. He had obviously gotten back into solid form as an 8-year-old last summer, but now he’s returning for a different trainer looking to recapture that form as a 9-year-old. He is taking advantage of the claiming waiver, which can either be construed as an opportunistic move or a sign that he needs a race off the break. Tetsu (#5) is in a similar situation, making use of the waiver option as he returns from a layoff dating back to last April. He was claimed out of that victory by Rick Dutrow, who had previously gotten him to produce one of his better efforts during a brief stint in his barn last winter. However, it’s hard to imagine that the plan was to give him 10 months off after that acquisition, and Dutrow hasn’t compiled the best statistics off long layoffs. Mister J T (#6) seems like a better option as he drops back down to this level after trying a starter allowance race off the claim for Bruce Levine last time. He didn’t produce his best effort in that spot, but he was significantly compromised by a wide trip against an extreme rail bias. He had won for this claiming tag two starts back, and he had previously run well when passing through the Bruce Levine barn in the past. He’s drawn well outside with tactical speed. My top pick is Dot’s Dollar (#7), who is attempting to rebound from a fourth-place result at this level last time. He was adding blinkers in that spot, and he broke very sharply with that equipment, contesting the pace through the opening quarter mile. However, he got eased back between horses into the far turn, and then continued to lose position in traffic approaching the quarter pole. He steadied in upper stretch and then stayed on mildly once clear in the lane, the leaders having already gotten away from him at that point. I think he’s better when he can sit and launch one run, and Romero Maragh should have the option to see how much speed is developing to his inside from this far outside draw. He’s clearly competitive with his top efforts, and I believe he’s in better form than it appears.