Linda Rice Dominates Aqueduct with Five Wins, Targets Correction Stakes

Linda Rice put on a commanding display at Aqueduct, saddling winners in Races 2, 3, 4, 6 and the nightcap on Jan. 22 to pile up five victories and extend her margin atop the winter trainer standings. The card combined longshot value and chalk confirmations, and Rice closed with With the Angels in a 6½-furlong optional claimer as connections immediately set their sights on the $135,000 Correction Stakes on March 1.

Rice opened her assault with Always Practical in Race 2, a performance that returned $12.12 to win and underlined her ability to prep competitive horses across different classes. Adventurist followed in Race 3 for a $5.74 payoff, and Sweetest Princess added Race 4 with a $6.62 return. Vino Frizzante in Race 6 paid $4.02, reflecting a short-price favorite outcome, before Rice sealed the card with With the Angels, the heavy favorite in the nightcap.

The mix of payouts reveals depth in Rice’s stable. Always Practical’s $12.12 payoff rewarded patient backers and highlighted Rice’s willingness to place horses where they can generate value. Vino Frizzante’s $4.02 return and With the Angels’ heavy favoritism demonstrate that Rice can equally prepare horses to meet market expectations and dominate assigned spots. Jockey Sahin Civaci guided Always Practical to the Race 2 victory, contributing to a card that showcased multiple horses firing on the same day.

From an industry perspective, five winners in a single card is a strong commercial statement. It amplifies Rice’s profile among owners and buyers at a time when winter meet performance can influence stallion and broodmare strategies later in the year. Pointing With the Angels toward the Correction Stakes is a logical step: a stakes target with a $135,000 purse offers immediate earnings potential and, for a mare, can enhance future breeding value if she performs well.

Culturally, Rice’s achievement feeds the narrative of established trainers exploiting regional meets to build momentum and visibility. Her success also energizes local bettors and race-day attendees, who respond to streaks of winning trainers with increased interest in entries and wagering. For Aqueduct, having a headline-making trainer like Rice dominate a single card boosts the meet’s profile and the marketability of upcoming stakes nights.

Looking ahead, With the Angels’ entry into Correction Stakes conversations will be one to watch as entries and jockey bookings develop. Rice’s five-win day is more than a statistical flourish; it is a practical move in the winter meet chess game, positioning her stable for bigger paydays and keeping Aqueduct storylines compelling through early March.