Hot trainer spotlight: Rob Atras

Since Jan. 4, Rob Atras has posted a 47% strike rate with nine wins from 19 starts. He also has five seconds and four thirds, with 95% of his starters finishing in the money.

All starts have come at Aqueduct this year, and Atras is presently on a three-race win skein. His last scorer, Blugrascat’s Smile in Sunday’s 5^TH race, paid $16.20 to win.

Trainer Stats over the 60 days from Brisnet

A 35-year-old native of Winnipeg, Atras worked as an assistant for Robertino Diodoro before starting his own string at Aqueduct last winter. He won 39 races from 198 starts (20%) in 2019, ranking 108^th among North American trainers with $1.842 million in stable earnings.

His barn is heavily involved in the claiming ranks, and Atras ranks fourth by wins (10) during the current Aqueduct meet.

Atras is off to a fast start in 2020, and he’ll look to continue the winning ways with a pair of runners at Aqueduct on Friday: Candy Promise in Race 2, and Little Mazzy in Race 9.