The Saratoga and Del Mar Horse Betting Picks... Purchase Here!
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By Mike Dempsey
The Saratoga meeting is winding down, with closing day on Monday, but there is still plenty of betting action over the holiday weekend including a trio of Grade 1 races on Saturday.
The Larry Jones trainee Havre de Grace, a four-year-old filly with Horse of the Year aspirations is taking on the boys in the $750,000 Woodward (G1).
The filly has made four starts this year, winning the Azeri (G3), Apple Blossom (G1), and Obeah (G3), then coming up a nose shy in the Delaware Handicap (G2), beaten by her archrival Blind Luck.
Read MoreBy Mike Dempsey
Travers Day at Saratoga on Saturday is a horseplayer’s dream. There are 13 competitive races on the card including five graded stakes.
2010 champion two-year-old Uncle Mo makes his first start since April where the colt weakened to finish third in the Wood Memorial (G1) when he takes on a field of seven in the $250,000 King’s Bishop (G1).
Read MoreBy Dave Banks
The Jockey Club recently engaged the services of McKinsey and Co. to examine the current problems that the racing industry faces. The report draws some very interesting conclusions. One of the major flaws that were highlighted was conflicting post times. The average horse racing bettor has known this for years, but this report breaks down how much more money would have been wagered if post times were coordinated better. According to the report if major stakes races were not run so closely together, betting handle would increase by more than 5%. Horse betting fans have been complaining about this for years. Hopefully the Jockey Club will work on this issue.
Read MoreBy Dave Banks
Arlington Million
This weekend features quality horse racing from around the country. The big race this weekend is the Arlington Million. The betting favorites will be Cape Blanco and Gio Ponti. These two faced off last month at Belmont Park, with Cape Blanco winning easily. Gio Ponte won the Arlington Million in 2009. Other contenders include Mission Approved and Wigmore Hall. Longshot bettors might take a look at Rahystrada.
Read MoreBy Aaron Huber
This Saturday the big money for 3-year-olds isn’t at Saratoga, Del Mar, or even Monmouth, it’s at small one-mile oval called Mountaineer Park in Chester, West Virginia. Ten horses from around the country as well as several local starters have been entered in the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby (G2) which carries a hefty purse of $750,000. Of course, most of the horses who were on the triple crown trail opted for a shot at the more prestigious Jim Dandy or Haskell Invitational which were run last week. The entry of Haskell victor Coil’s stalemate Prayer For Relief, and the last horse to beat Coil, Dreamy Kid adds an extra element of intrigue for these late developing 3-year-olds. A standout performance in this race could mean a spot in the Travers at Saratoga on August 27th – a short three weeks away.
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By Joey Adams
Bettors will have their hands full on Saturday at Belmont Park, trying to decide which end of the pool to jump into. While the Belmont Stakes, and the rematch between Kentucky Derby winner ANIMAL KINGDOM and Preakness winner SHACKLEFORD will garner the headlines, there is plenty of top-notch racing before we ever get to the big race.
A series of six graded stakes begin in Race 6 (2:34 ET), and for bettors this will be the beginning of a $1 Million Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Six. Two races later in Race 8 (3:59 ET), bettors can try their hand at the $1 Million Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick Four. Both wagers conclude with the Belmont Stakes at 6:35 ET.
Read MoreBy Mike Dempsey
Four stakes highlight the horse betting action at Aqueduct on Saturday, including the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (G2) for three-year-olds with Kentucky Derby aspirations.
Whirlaway winner Toby’s Corner makes his first start in graded stakes company, and if he is a serious Derby contender as I think he is, he needs to start earning enough money to earn a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday of May.
His main competition will come from Stay Thirsty, the Todd Pletcher trainee who is making his first start since checking in fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs last fall.
Read MoreBy Joey Adams
The last time we went after the $250,000 Guaranteed Late Pick Four at Aqueduct, the racing action was canceled due to weather. That doesn’t appear to be a concern this Saturday, although there is a 30% chance of rain. Saturday’s sequence includes three forgettable races, but the highlight is the $250,000 Gotham-G3, and that makes the wager attractive.
Race 8 is a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred $25,000 maidens, and Linda Rice appears to hold the upper hand. 10-BAZINGA shows a long gap in her works from December 31 through February 10, but a recent trio of drills is quick and Ramon Dominguez picks up the mount. 7-WINGED BANDIT has hit the board in both starts, most recently for twice today’s price. She clearly looks like the best of those who have already run.
Read MoreBy Joey Adams
We’re nearing the halfway point of the Triple Crown Prep betting season, with 11 classic preliminaries in the books. While we have seen several impressive performances, have we seen anyone step to the front in a definitive manner? If you are a Beyer Speed Figure advocate the answer would be “no.”
Read MoreBy Aaron Huber
In the United States all wagers on horse races are conducted though the pari-mutuel system. In this betting system all bets are co-mingled into different pools (win, place, show etc…) and the holders of winning tickets are paid out after the track takes its cut, known as takeout. While takeout rates vary from track to track, current average takeout in the US for straight bets is around 18%.
One of the long standing complaints of horseplayers has been that takeout is too high and that it cuts into their bottom line. One possible solution that cuts takeout rates down to almost nothing is exchange wagering also known as a betting exchange.
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