Showing posts with label Pick 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pick 5. Show all posts

  • Yonkers Series Ensue With Third Rounds

    POSTED Apr 2, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    Yonkers Raceway’s the George Morton Levy Memorial and Blue Chip Matchmaker pacing series continue with round three Friday and Saturday. The ‘Levy’ and Matchmaker divisions have been strong for crowd choices and certainly the dual wins by former title-holder Foiled Again are not offering player profit but sweeps in the series are traditionally rare, so we will hoist the flag for some serious contenders that will pay in spades should any win.

    At the Meadowlands on Friday and Saturday, since we do not have any other major events to cover, we will engage in some exotics and offer contenders in difficult multi-exotics.

    And of course, the horses to watch (H2W), presented exclusively for TwinSpires harness blog, carries on its productive parade of contenders that usually offer a bounty of across-the-board prices and serve as profitable members of exotics.

    Now, with Hoosier Park harness in full regalia, TwinSpires P4 bonus is back. CLICK HERE
    ’Levy’ Continued

    Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday, April 5 program, features four third-round divisions of Levys for the older male pacers. There is still a lot of action to go in these four-turn battles.

    The first division sends only six to post, two of which are Ron Burke trainees that did not fire yet. In round one we took a shot with Texican N but against Foiled Again he paced poorly. Last week, however, he was third to Foiled Again, sent off at 87-1. He won’t be in that territory this round but Foiled Again is not among the Burke brigade in this field. So, Texican N has a great chance and should be a value wager against this Burke duo and the two winless foes inside of him.

    The second Levy division is also a sextet, with Arachache Hanover looking for his first win of the season. So, however, is Malak Uswaad N, who we had in round one and came second at 14-1. Beware, too, of Sapphire City. She made big gains last week with an 8-length rally to three-quarters at 23-1. Both of these stand chances to topple the obvious Bettor’s Edge if “Arachache” challenges his rail journey (a very possible scenario).

    The third division has seven foes with another successful duo from Burke and the two-time surprise of the series, Mach It So and Apprentice Hanover. There is little room for a am upset here unless it is reflected in the way the public wages. Apprentice Hanover may be higher odds this week than “Mach,” as the public tries to make back what it lost on him. So look for a wager if “AH” winds up a third choice here. 

    The final Levy episode of the night is either another theater for Foiled Again fans (how can we bet him at his prohibitive odds, even if you feel he has all the percentage points?) or another is a stream of what could be the best night to bet Levy for price? From post 7, Foiled needs another monster mile but will that be compromised by PH Supercam, the second highest money-earner this season, from post 1? It’s your call to back Versado (five seconds, poised to blow out) and Bet On The Law (one for two, fresh and raring to make an impression in the series).

    Matchmaker Mares

    The third preliminary of the Matchmaker series commences Friday with only a trio of splits.

    Division one could pose to be a mild upset if we look favorably (as the crowd won’t do) at Fashion Mystery’s chances. Last week in division four she was game at 20-1 against the Ron Burke entry’s winner Rocklamation. She may be able to close as well as Burke’s gal, here again and bound to be a choice. Ramalama from post one may overcome any first-over problems like those that hurt her last week but she won’t offer a payoff near that of “Fashion.”

    The second division also appears worth the support of an outsider whose race last week was impressive, though it failed to produce an upset. Feeling You dueled early with the dominant Somwherovrarainbow and that cost her a spot on the board, if not the win. She was 15-1 then and does not have to deal with “…rainbow” here. Krispy Apple may get more support than last week when as the favorite she was unable to catch 4-1 Ideal In Vegas—and she should have done that. Charisma Hanover deals with post 7 here which may mean nothing but it could also mean a step that puts her behind Feeling You, which is what we will want to happen.

    Division three may see Anndrovette from post 8 in a battle to dominate the lead with the “now” horse, Ideal In Vegas. That could cost them both the race, with others eyeing the lead adding up to a three-quarters time that can allow Uf Dragon’s Queen to take to her full advantage and sweep through at a price. Last week “Queen” gained 5 lengths from the half to three-quarters before fading behind Angels Delight (not here tonight), who beat Anndrovette and Charisma Hanover.

    Jersey Jaunts

    We won’t get verbose with our choices for Meadowlands Early Pick 4 (April 4), which entails a Pick 3, we will simply list the horses you may wish to add to your tickets. Handicapped well before there is even a morning line, no less the wagering itself, we are estimating horses that may offer prices with value (not to be confused with raw longshots).

    Early Pick 4 (Races 3 through 6)
    R3—use 4 Upfront Elizabeth, 5 Naughty Machbean
    Pick 3, (Races 4, 5 & 6)
    R4—use 4 Brookroad Knight
    R5—use 4 Cult Status
    R6—use 4 Banker Volo, 5 Drift Away

    These horses to not appear on the H2W list below but we encourage them to be looked upon as strong across-the-board contenders aside from their worthy additions in the multi-exotics, as listed above. Non-winners will be added to H2W next week.

    H2W Legend

    Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last time) because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “AE” signals the horse is entered but on the also-eligible list. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

    H2W

    Buffalo
    4/5/14, +Doctor Gates R2; +Veto Hanover R4; Four Hoof Drive R6; +Twilight Jack R7

    Cal Expo
    4/4/14, Lucky Man Again R6; +Looks Don’t Count R8; Sleigh Belle R9; +Split Ticket R11 
    4/5/14, Silverlode R5; +Me Tarzan R12

    Dover
    4/6/14, Dancing Cruiser R11

    Freehold
    4/5/14, +Kings Point R3; Royal Todd R4 

    Meadowlands
    4/4/14, +Notreadytobenice R9; +Grey Ice R11; 
    4/5/14, Screen The Call R1; +Sentosa Island R3; +Berkentine Hanover

    Meadows
    4/4/14, Stronski R2; JJ Gladiator R9; Checkov R12

    Miami Valley
    4/3/14, Swimsuit Model R12
    4/4/14, +Mama Made Me Blue R7; Flightreactor R11

    Pocono
    4/5/14, Desperation R3; +Republic Of Panama R4; +Eddie Sweat R7; Sparkly Mark R10; Trys Little Prince R13

    Pompano
    4/5/14, +Mystical Muscles R4

    Rosecroft
    4/5/14, Pier Pressure R4; +Nothing Wrong R5; +I Turtle R7; +Macho Mcgraw R10 

    Saratoga
    4/3/14, Beach Boy Tiger R8; Bullville Honey R8; Muncie R10
    4/4/14, +Mambo Italiano R7; +Milliondollartorch R7; +Village Jackson R10; +Wellthereyougo R10

    Scarborough
    4/5/14, Regal Delight R1; Southwind Missouri R5; Roy Orbisong R9

    Yonkers
    4/4/14, +Eagle Artesian R3

    Ray Cotolo contributed to each Thursday edition.      

  • Introducing our first big winner: Rick Hausman takes down Jackpot5

    POSTED Aug 30, 2013 By Unknown
    Rick Hausman had a busy Sunday: drop his daughter off at college and play the Pacific Classic Stakes day card from Del Mar.

     And, oh, yeah: in between those big events he hit TwinSpires.com's new bet, the Jackpot 5, for $31,676.80 on a $243 ticket.
    "I knew I was four-for-four going into the final leg but didn't think I'd have the only ticket when the favorite won," Hausman said. "The favorite won, of course, and I figured all I had was 12 tickets for the show payoff and was hoping I got my money back on the bet. When I saw my account balance I couldn't believe it, and my my wife and I started dancing around like schoolchildren."

     Hausman won $31,552 for having the lone jackpot ticket (all five winners) and an additional $124.80 for having 12 show combinations. He's played the bet three times and has won on it each time, so he's definitely playing it again this weekend, though probably laying off Friday.

     "I'm a weekend player," Hausman said. "Work is going really well right now, so I like to focus on that then put my energy into playing on the weekends. I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm three-for-three playing this bet, so I got to keep playing, right?"

     Hausman's rainmaker from his Jackpot sequence was Catduel in race 8 from Calder (leg 2). The Chelsey Cat gelding was returning to turf after being rained off in his last two starts, and of his previous eight lifetime starts, his best Brisnet.com Speed Rating had come on the turf. Catduel outclosed 4-to-5 favorite Ant Hill (who Hausman also used) to set the wheels in motion for his big score.

     "I thought for sure with two horses paying less than $5 that there'd be other winners, but I guess [Catduel] was a real separator," said Hausman, who credits his grandmother and stockbroker David Foster--better known as owner-breeder of 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo--with teaching him out to handicap.

     "My grandmother bred and raced horses, and I used to love going to the track with her and talking to her about racing," Hausman said. "I went to the 1997 Breeders' Cup at Woodbine and had the fortune of happening to sit with Sunny's Halo's owner [Foster].

     "He was old by then and died the next year. He wasn't seeing very well, so he told me to tell him who I liked and he'd bet. Well, at the end of the day he asked me how I did, and I said, 'Not to well; I hope you did better,' and he said to me, 'Kid, you're a great handicapper but a lousy bettor; I made $3,000 today betting your picks.'

     "And ever since then I've paid close attention to how I bet my picks. I always bet a top pick to win if he's 6-to-1 or better, and I used to bet every wager offered but realized I was doing better with the Pick 4s and 5s, so I stick with those. It certainly paid off with the Jackpot."

     The $31,676 score was Hausman's second-biggest to date. Amazingly, his bigger score also came on Pacific Classic day when Skimming in 2000 helped key a $53,112 payout for the San Diego-area businessman.

     TwinSpires.com offers the Jackpot 5 wager Friday through Sunday on its website. The bet kicks off this weekend's action with a $10,000 carryover. 80% of the pool goes to the show payoff with the other 20% toward the jackpot. Brisnet.com offers FREE Ultimate Past Performances and Daily Selections full-card analysis for the sequence every day.

  • Show me the carryovers!

    POSTED Jul 18, 2013 By Unknown
    The first of 34 Summer Showdown days is in the books, and nobody picked 10 (or 9 or 8) on the opening day program at Del Mar, which means there's $3,000 up for grabs today--$1,500 from Wednesday plus the guaranteed $1,500 every day.

     If you played yesterday don't get discouraged; today's task is easier since there is only eight races on the card. If you can pick a horse to show 50% of the time, then that 20% reduction in races makes you about four times more likely to sweep the card! We've doubled the money available, and your'e four times more likely to win it. Can't beat that! If you didn't play yesterday, then today is a great day to jump in because of the extra money.

     The other good news for those taking a run, is you won't have my pitiful show selections around to gum up your game. I was out after the first race yesterday, and only three of my ten picks managed to hit the board.

     However, even though my handicapping did not produce winners show horses, I stand behind the strategy because those who did connect early were playing with house money the rest of the day by virtue of all three show payoffs in the first race being more than $4. I.e., Any winning $10 show bet returned more than $20, so even after placing another $10 bet on race two, you were up on the day for that particular wager.

     Even better is that the average show price among the 30 horses to hit the board on the program was $4.60, and only one race (the second) did not include a horse who paid at least $4 to show. With judicious handicapping and selection, your show bets can make Summer Showdown a freeroll for $1,500 (or more!) every day through September 1!

     Of all the players who placed a $10 show wager on the first race, Richard L. lasted the longest with seven consecutive winning plays before dropping race 8 (a race that also tripped me up). If he makes it that far today AND nails that elusive eighth race then he'll win or share the $3,000.

     My focus today is on a carryover I am eligible for: the $12,903 carryover in the Pick 5 at Arlington International Racecourse. A pair of third choices on the morning lines are the key for me as single "A" picks: #1 Pranksterbdancing in Race 6 (leg 2) and #7 Tornadito in race 7 (leg 3).

     Pranksterbdancing looks to have a big pace edge on the field of lower level claimers and the opportunity to beat the logical 7-to-5 and 2-to-1 morning line choices could really boost the Pick 5 payout. Tornadito drops in and cuts back off a speed and fade job from an outside post in his debut.

  • Getting over a hump day hump at Keeneland imperative to multi-race success

    POSTED Apr 10, 2013 By Unknown
    As a Pick N player, the most important race today at Keeneland is not the featured seventh--an entry-level allowance worth $60,000--but the blue collar fifth--a starter allowance for $7,500 types worth $21,000.

     It's not the type of race that makes the fifth so important but where it falls on the card. Keeneland has only eight races today, and since it starts its early Pick 4 in race 2 instead of the lid lifter, the fifth race is pivotal as both the last leg of that Pick 4 as well as the opening leg of the late (races 5-8) Pick 4. The fifth race is also the second leg of the Pick 5 and is one of four races on the card that is a part of three Pick 3s on a day there is only six of them total.

     I.e., if I whiff on race 5 it's very unlikely to be a good day for me.

     So what to make of this all important race? Well, #7 Point Finish & #12 Tobes the Man are clearly the most likely winners of this group with Point Finish even the more likely of the two, but Point Finish will take more money than Tobes the Man, which is why I have them as joint "A" selections. #10 Headstart is 20-to-1 on the morning line, and although I'm talking about this race mostly in the scope of the multis, this gelding would absolutely be a vertical key for me with the two obvious horses at anything close to that 20-to-1 price.

     Elsewhere on the card I would absolutely love it if #1 War Dancer really were 6-to-1 in the aforementioned featured seventh race, but I just don't see the supposed favorites taking that much more money than this one. 4-to-1 would be more than fair, though, and #12 Five Iron is an intriguing gate-to-wire threat.

    The eighth race closes it off and features a $80k+ Super High Five carryover. That bet gets so expensive so fast even big carryovers rarely lure me in, but I might take a stab since I like my "A" trio and have another trio of horses I don't like for the exacta at all.

    The complete ABC grid for the eight-race card on Wednesday, April 10, at Keeneland is below.

     

  • Our first Derby Championship Series sure thing?

    POSTED Mar 8, 2013 By Unknown
    The question for me approaching the Tampa Bay Derby day card at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday is not whether I will play Verrazano to win the feature race, but how I will play Verrazno to win the feature race.

    (for FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances of Kentucky Derby Championship Series races, CLICK HERE).

    The answer to that question involves the answer to another question: What will the current favorite to win the Kentucky Derby go off at to win this race? If it's 4-to-5 as his morning line suggests then I don't see any need to get too cute in the multi-race pools because I view that as enough value for a straight wager. Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form said Friday morning on "At The Races" with Steve Byk that he thinks the More Than Ready colt could drift as high as even money!

     Unfortunately, I'm not as optimistic, and I think the only way I see those prices are if I turn him into that as a pick N single. The Pick 5 includes two other stakes, but the turf claimer as the cap on that as well as the late Pick 4 has me less than enthused. The all-stakes Pick 3 as is the Hillsborough-TBD double since I'm not overly keen on horses I expect to take money in the turf stake for older females.

     If I could lock in 4-to-5 right now on Verrazano I would and not look back, but the specter of 1-to-2 or worse when the gates open has me thinking I should plot a multi-race wagering strategy for sure.

     I have Verrazano ranked third on my Kentucky Derby rankings behind Itsmyluckyday and Mac The Man. The TCI boys have Flashback on top, and he runs on the same day as well in the San Felipe Stakes. Joel Cunningham has some nerves about both likely favorites. He's half right, as I think Verrazano airs (see above) but Flashback gets beat by Hear The Ghost.

    Jill Byrne also gets in on the race previews for KentuckyDerby.com

  • Gulfstream Thursday February 14

    POSTED Feb 14, 2013 By Unknown
    The Rainbow^6 carries on at Gulfstream, and so, too, does my attempt to hit a Pick 4 at this meeting.

     Did OK yesterday if you ignore the fact that both my "had to win" singles lost. Definitely a loser on the day, but a couple spot exacta plays kept me from pitching a shutout.

     If there were a Pick 5 carryover I'd probably take a swing, but as is I think the Pick 4 is tough enough, so I'll just target that with an all "A" play.

     Good luck to those getting involved!

  • Gulfstream Wednesday February 13

    POSTED Feb 13, 2013 By Unknown
    There is a $2.1-million Rainbow^6 carryover, but I'm passing on that bet in favor of the Pick 5 and late Pick 4 hinging on the winning performances of singles in races 6 and 10.

    Yes, both Core Inflation in race 6 and Diamondesque in race 10 are likely to be win pool underlays, but I think I'm creative enough in other legs to squeeze some value out of these likely winners.

    Good luck to those playing today.

  • Carryover action at Turf Paradise

    POSTED Jan 15, 2013 By Unknown
    I can't exactly call Turf Paradise one of my favorite tracks to play, as I rarely check into it on a weekend day of racing, but it's definitely a track I like to play, as its Pick 5 carryovers into Monday or Tuesday help scratch my itch during an otherwise down time of the handicapping for most players.

     I've actually been laying low most of this year with only a few spot plays dotting my wagering in the New Year. Between a Vegas trip at the end of this month and looking at my results for 2012, I wanted to focus my bankroll on poker a preserve a decent nut for spring racing (read: Keeneland).

     That's not to say I'll ignore opportunities, though, and a $26k+ carryover into a Pick 5 certainly piques my interest. It's a navigable but not-what-I-would-call easy sequence that would cost $38,400 to buy, but I'm looking to invest about 1% of that.

     There are three horses I see as the most likely winners of the five races: #7 Flawless Jewel in leg 1 (race 5), #2 Vikkilee in leg 2 (race 6), and #10 Set'n Ready in leg 4 (race 8). I'm going to play so that at least two of the three have to win.

     Here's the ABC grid to riches; post time is 4:22 p.m. EST

  • 2012 Breeders' Cup wagering review

    POSTED Nov 4, 2012 By Unknown
    This year's Breeders' Cup showed both the pitfalls and benefits of coming to a weekend of competitive racing with a bunch of ammunition.

     On the pitfall side of things, it seems kind of silly to have hit a Pick 5 and all four Pick 4s on the weekend and lose money, but that's what happens when you take a big swing. Sometimes you connect but fly out to the warning track.

     On the benefit side, the size of the bankroll allowed me to cover plausible opinions that I otherwise would not have. E.g., making Zagora an "A" in the Filly & Mare Turf and Little Mike a "C" in the Turf. Had I been playing with my money only, I would have cut the horses I was able to use in half knowingly eliminating legitimate contenders.

     So that stew led to a loss on the weekend of 28%, which is certainly better than the shutout I pitched last year. Some key moments along the way this year:

     1. THE MARATHON: I was thrilled to get live to Atigun for an $11k Pick 5 on Friday and bitterly disappointed when Calidoscopio won as an "X" because I was live to some nice Pick 3s following Hightail's upset Juvenile win and could have kept rolling with a better Marathon opinion.

    Calidoscopio was tough to like, but he clearly had his backers given he was "only" 17-to-1, and the Marathon is absolutely a race where all the horses should have been at least a "C". I wouldn't have hit the Pick 5, and the few extra Pick 3s wouldn't have gotten me to even, anyway, but Calidoscopio was a bad "X".

     2. FRIDAY's PICK 4s: I was mainly all in on either Royal Delta or Awesome Feather winning and didn't see how anyone but Beholder, Executiveprivilege, Kauai Katie, or Spring At Last would win the Juvenile Fillies. Those opinions should have meant I hit the Pick 4s much more than just $1 each considering Flotilla, Zagora, and Grandeur were all "A" selections for me. Sure, I hedged a bit with others, and My Miss Aurelia was paying well, but this was a spot where I needed to press on the Juvenile Fillies & Ladies' Classic more than I did.

     3. GROUPIE DOLL: I hit the Pick 5 & Pick 4 with Groupie Doll, and those came back an OK $1,200 & $1,700, respectively, considering she was 4-to-5, but she was the lock of the weekend, and I needed to put more eggs in that basket. Hitting each of those multis for an extra unit would have led to a profitable weekend.

     4. WISE DAN: Similar to Groupie Doll, he was a big key for me, and did allow me to get live to "ALL" in the Classic for some pretty nice numbers, but connecting an "A+" on the day with an "A" and a solid "B" should have netted more than just one combo. Little Mike as a "C" hurt, but I can't be too disappointed because he probably would have been an "X" if playing on my own. Still, one extra unit on that Pick 4 and we're in the black.

     5. JUVENILE: One stand I did take was making Power Broker an "A" and Shanghai Bobby a "B" with the rest as Cs or Xs. No excuses here, I was just wrong. I did handicap the race that these were the only likely winners by a large margin and took a stand on Power Broker at a longer price, but the winners around this race in the Pick 4 were all nice prices and just zeroing in on both instead of mostly Power Broker would have led to some nice Pick 3s.

     Overall I'm obviously disappointed not to have won but mostly happy with my bet structuring that allowed me not to win most of what I bet back despite several horses I didn't love winning. That definitely speaks to my approach that it's not about picking THE winner but asking who can win and how to best leverage that opinion.

  • Keeneloliquy

    POSTED Oct 13, 2012 By Unknown

    Keeneland has put together an absolutely fantastic card for its second Saturday of the meet. There's usually a hangover following most track's big weekends, but that's definitely not the case with this card, a blockbuster of full, competitive fields headlined by the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

    I normally don't support Grade 1 races restricted to three-year-olds so late in the year, but it would be difficult to say that the QE2 wasn't a blockbuster last year with the likes of Marketing Mix, Hungry Island, and Winter Memories all competing and going on to win Grade 1 races this year.

     There are plenty of other moneymaking opportunities on today's card, though: 9 doubles, 8 Pick 3s, 2 Pick 4s, and a Pick 5. My most likely winners on the card are #12 Divine Luck in race 4 and #8 Spun Cap in race 8.

     My best value is #5 Tulira Castle in race 3 and #5 Photo Shoot in race 5. Both are 5-to-1 on the morning line.

     Other notes:
    I'm disappointed Joe Nevills won't be on hand to witness Michigan-bred Meadow Magic contest the second race, an $8,000 starter allowance event. The Meadow Prayer gelding was last seen finishing fourth in a Michigan Sire Stakes race at Mount Pleasant Meadows. Joe was there that day, and he'll be at MPM again today for its closing weekend festivities.

     Also in the second race, jockey Carlos Villasana is married to Laura Villasana (nee Pepper). Like Joe Nevills, Laura is a former Thoroughbred Times intern. Their involvement in the racing industry outlasted the publication where they started.

     Race 4 has two obscure (to me, anyway) jockeys: Rick Knott pilots Elegant Jule, and Borja Fayos has the call on Beaucoup.

     Good luck today!

  • International Festival of Racing-Arlington Million day

    POSTED Aug 18, 2012 By Unknown
    It's a great 12-race card on Million day with two Pick 4s, including a $200,000 guaranteed late Pick 4 on the last five race, and an all-stakes $100,000 guaranteed Pick 5.

    My strategy will be to get Jakkalberry home in the St. Leger and either Silver Max or Bayrir home in the Secretariat and then spread the rest of the way.

    Good luck to those playing!

  • Million eve (Friday at Arlington)

    POSTED Aug 17, 2012 By Unknown
    There are several interesting carryovers today at Arlington, and after handicapping the 9-race card I could definitely see either the dime Pick 9 or $1 Pick 6 carrying again. The Pick 5 is tough as well, but it's tougher to string consecutive carryovers in that bit because of the $.50 minimum (which I'm not against, it just makes double carryovers very rare).

    Here are my come and meet the Letter People A-B-C (D follow me) selections for the Million eve card.


    As you can see, I'm more confident (or at least willing to take a stand) in the early stages of the card than in the late. Both Pick 4s (the Brisnet.com early Pick 4 and TwinSpires.com late Pick 4) are manageable and very much on my radar, but the super exotic Pick 9, Pick 6 (races 4-9), and Pick 5 (races 5-9) are beyond my budget today. Have to save some ammo for tomorrow's all-stakes $100,000 guaranteed Pick 5, ya know?

    Speaking of that, Mark Johnson has analyzed tomorrow's sequence, and his input on the European invaders indispensable for the card. Click here to view his analysis of the inaugural American St. Leger and information on how to access his complete product as well as all the great Million day information available at Brisnet.com.

  • Multi-race bonanza tonight at Churchill

    POSTED Jun 16, 2012 By Unknown
    As if the Stephen Foster Handicap and three other stakes weren't enough to attract my attention to tonight's Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs, the Louisville track has made the card even more appealing by adding a Pick 5 and Pick 4 to the proceedings.

    Races 4 and 7 kick off each of the Pick 5s with Pick 4s starting in races 1, 3, 5, and 8. Add rolling Pick 3s and doubles to the mix, and it's a multi-race player's dream especially since the Pick 3s, 4s, and 5s each have a $.50 minimum. TwinSpires.com has gotten in on the act, too, offering a 1-million points bonus on each of the four Pick 4s.

    It's enough horizontal action to make Jenna Jameson jealous, and it also means some races are more important than others. In this case, all eyes will be on the Stephen Foster not only because of its $400,000 purse and likelihood of determining the leader of the older male division but also because it is part of both Pick 5s and two Pick 4s (the Fleur de Lis is also part of both Pick 5s but only one Pick 4).

    The big question when dealing with both Pick 5s and the middle Pick 4 is what to do with Royal Delta whose best makes her the most likely winner of the Fleur de Lis, but we haven't seen her best this year, and she is almost a certain underlay in all wagering pools.

    Sterling Madame is my top pick, as I think she can have it all her own way under a sweetheart weight assignment of 115 (eight less than Royal Delta's impost and five off what she toted three weeks ago at Prairie Meadows).

    I like a couple prices enough in races 4 & 5 that if I beat the favorites there I'd feel silly not having Royal Delta on those tickets, so she's not a complete toss, but between Centre Court and Wise Dan, Royal Delta is the one I most want to play against especially since she's the shortest morning line price of that trio at 4-to-5.