Showing posts with label bets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bets. Show all posts

  • Winning In The Dark Days Of January

    POSTED Jan 15, 2014 By Frank Cotolo
    What is it about January? Every year in the Western Hemisphere begins behind a bleak and dull curtain of sour weather and, sadly, flu bugs and malaise. This is another reason we place a premium on playing pari-mutuels as the new year launches because the action and, of course, the wins, cut through the cosmic fog of the season and perform like a grand overture for the great horse racing theaters to come with better weather and, naturally, better horses.

    We have been doing well with pari-mutuels here so far, helping to buoy the bad senses of the season. Concentrating on overnights we’ve hit for some major scratch and our horses-to-watch (H2W) list has accumulated 10s of winners so far.

    At the Meadowlands another round of the Super Bowl series for trotters may offer value it has denied players thus far, so check into our choices below. We target more overnight events that propose profitable results and the H2W list ensues with hot candidates for win, place, show and exotics.

    ’Super’ Series Ensues

    The Super Bowl series at the Meadowlands for three- and four-year-old trotters holds its second preliminary leg on Thursday, Jan. 16. There are only two divisions this week and if we look beyond the obvious we find there may be a few upsets in the making.

    Division one will find the entry an overwhelming public choice but let’s not fall in love so soon. There is plenty of competition here and a 30-1 morning line (ML) trotter from post 1 that deserves an upset chance. Connie Keeper does not have enough wrong with her yet to dismiss here. She failed last week at 110-1 in her second outing this year. She is still a maiden but has very good lines from October of 2013. She can do nothing but improve with only 16 starts and if she does get better or wins off of major mistakes by the entry or Cajole Hanover, this is where you will get a big price.

    In division two we will once again go with Clementine Dream. She broke at the start and was eliminated but her general composure is worthy to back and there will be a decent price on her, certainly better than her ML.

    This week’s overnight offerings:

    Meadows
    Jan. 17, Race 4

    Four Starz Kyle has changed trainers a few times and settles in at the Meadows after tours at Pocono, Philadelphia, Yonkers and one at the Meadowlands this year. He faces a probable favorite that must prove himself at a higher level, a Dave Palone drive (dropping) and not much else that has had decent success at this level. “Starz” has won at this level and been knocked around with tough trips trying to step up. He will be a price here, surely offering higher odds than his chances.

    Meadows
    Jan. 17, Race 8

    Two going from the outside make this race look appetizing to our kind of bettors. PL Dragon (post 6) has been racing with winners-of conditioners until recently and was all out from post 8 last week in Pittsburgh, finishing second strongly. Leaving to his right is Hall Of Memories, who was stifled from post 9 in a step-up (94-1) situation at the Meadows last week. He left slowly and showed no interest in being a part of that race. He has won a winners-of event at Northfield and one here at a lower level and he deserves a shot at being in the mix here, certainly in exotics.

    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

    Cal Expo
    1/17/14, +Hillcrest Romeo R1; Poorlittlerichgirl R4; Perfect Pitch R7; Twentyone Guns R9; +Plum Crazy Baby R10
    1/18/14, Fragons Wall R6; All Is Lost R10; Lie A Little R10; Energy Angle R11

    Flamboro
    1/18/14, +Frilly Throng R5; +Shiny Mach R8; +New York Colossus R11

    Frasier
    1/17/14; +Nazko Tribute R1; +Pinepitch Cam R5; +Rock Allstar R6; +Westridge Warrior R7; +Panic At The Disco R9; +Latino Hall R10; +Pureform Dreamer R11; +Somethinsgoinon –AE—R11
    1/19/14; One Last Shot R5; +Stiletto Hall R6; +Pureform Athena R7; I Hear Voices R8; +Taylor Special R9; Branding Party R9; Somethinsgoinon R10; Mmmmmh R11


    Freehold
    1/16/14, No Tears Here—AE—R7; +Hagi R8; Kaya’s Sweetheart R7
    1/18/14, Ala Carte Bill R3; Major Bet R5

    Northlands
    1/17/14; +Real Pretty R3; +Shyster Hanover R5; +Sunny Bee R5; +Skirmish R6; Cinderella Smiles R7; +Brave Rustler R9; +Kg Cody R11; Too Young Man R11
    1/18/14; +Kg Explorer R4; +Rascal Shark R9; +Loneridge Shannon R9; Smooth Criminal R10; Man Alive R11

    Meadows
    1/17/14, +Lookinforadventure R1; +Dellie’s Jewel R3; Karets R6; +MM’s Copper Touch R12; Mattachardle R15

    Monticello
    1/20/14, + Now It Begins R2; Connie Lauxmont R7; +Chop Chop Suey R12

    Pompano
    1/18/14; +Ding Dong Boy R1; +Mai Tai Guy—AE—R1; +Just Fred R2; Flight Exec R3; +Oh My Joepa R4; Red Hot Yankee R5; Mc Kelvie R6; +Odd Man Out—AE—R10
    1/19/14, +Oceans Motion R3; +Bar's Gold Medal R4; +Kayla's Dream R9

    Western Fair
    1/17/14, Knuckles R2; Flip Top R3; +Hesurbuddy R4; Hazy Lady R5; +Wattafine Rythem R7; Tymal Presto R8;+Beach Hero R12


    Ray Cotolo contributed to this 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.

  • And they're off in the Kentucky Derby

    POSTED May 4, 2013 By Unknown
    My Kentucky Derby analysis in the form of Mark Johson's race call of the most exciting two minutes in sports.

     "They're in the gate!

     "And they're off in Derby one-thirty-nine.

    "Oxbow from the inside immediately goes to the lead with Giant Finish and Falling Sky going with him. Goldencents tucks in fourth with Verrazano to his outside in fifth. It's two lengths back to Itsmyluckyday in sixth, Vyjack is seventh, Palace Malice eighth, Overanalyze ninth,and Orb splits the field as Oxbow with Gary Stevens leads them through an opening quarter in :23 flat. Mylute is behind Orb followed by Lines of Battle, Frac Daddy, Will Take Charge, Charming Kitten, Revolutionary, Normandy Invasion, Golden Soul, and Java's War is last as Oxbow leads them into the backstretch through a half in 47-and-four.

    "It's a moderate pace as Verrazano and Goldencents look to pick up Falling Sky and Giant Finish, and there goes Goldencents for the lead with Verrazano a length behind him and Oxbow trying to keep pace. They hit the half-mile pole in 1:11 and the tempo is quickening as they enter the far turn with Itsmyluckyday swinging wide with dead aim on the leaders and Orb is following him.

    "Goldencents spurts away and opens a two-length lead as the field turns for home, but Itsmyluckyday is gaining with Orb ready for his stretch run. Goldencents and Itsmyluckyday battling. Orb ducks inside for clear run, and Revolutionary and Normandy's Invasion get daylight and reach for the wire.

    "Itsmyluckyday has made the lead inside the eighth pole but Goldencents isn't going away as Orb leads Revolutionary and Normandy Invasion. Itsmyluckyday needs the wire, Revolutionary trying to get to him, Orb no better than third today. Here's the finish, Itsmyluckyday holds on to win Derby 139!"

    And for those betting on more than just the Kentucky Derby (Race 11 at 6:29 p.m. EDT), here is my ABC grid for the 13-race card at Churchill Downs.