Category Archives: Selections

Daily selections from racetracks around the county

Breeder’s Cup Day 1

The first-day BC races are a lot tougher than they have been in previous years. Tough to find a single, so good luck to all the handicappers out there.

Let’s start with the 5th race, the 5 Furlong Juvenile Turf Sprint (includes fillies and colts/geldings)

  1. The nod goes to 3-Another Miracle. He’s well bred for speed and should be double digit odds.He’s improved with each start and should be in it coming into the stretch.
  2. Don’t miss the fact that 7-Kimari has already beaten males and has finished second in a G2 race in Ascot. She’ll be one of a few vying for favoritism.
  3. 9-Four Wheel Drive is the most likely favorite. He’s won two stakes races and looks as fast as anybody in the race.  Other contenders are 5, 6, 10. I’m not really taken with the Euro’s in this race.

Race 6 – Juvenile Turf (colts/geldings).

  1. Lots of choices in this race but I’m going with 2-Structor. He seems to be improving and he has Chad Brown to help him along. I’m a little worried about the post position, but if he gets a clean start he’s going to be tough.
  2. There are a number of horses at double digit odds. The one I like is 3-Peace Achieved. He’s also on the improve and his pace figure matches with any other horse in the race.
  3. British invader 5-Vitalogy is the closer, and if he has room he may be hard to hold off in the stretch.

Race 7 – Juvenile Fillies

  1. 4-British Idiom broke her maiden at Saratoga and then crushed the Alcibiades field. She prepped for this race with a couple of crisp works.
  2. 5-Lazy Daisy should be at double digit odds and is as fast as any horse in the race.
  3. 7-Wicked Whisper won the Frizette handily. Plenty of speed, but some concern because she has yet to negotiate two turns. Backhole possibilities for 1 and 6.

Race 8 – Juvenile Fillies Turf

  1. When I was writing for Horseplayer Magazine this was the race I analyzed. This running is fairly difficult. Instead of 2 or 3 Euros, there are 7 Euro breds and a horse (Etoile) that has so far only raced in Europe. I’m giving the nod to one of the Irish bred fillies, 9-Albigna. She has a Group 1 win and has been competitive in top Euro juvenile races.
  2. 13-Selflessly comes out of a determined win in the Miss Grillo, a race that has often sent tough horses to this race.
  3. 11-Sharing may be a little slower than the other contenders, but I like the connections.  Other prospects include 10, 12, and 14.

Race 9 – Breeder’s Cup Juvenile

  1. 5-Scabbard and Corey Lanerie had an eventful journey in the Iroquois. The horse was stymied on the rail at the half mile pole, and was all over the track coming out of the turn. Inside the 1/8 pole he finally straightened and was making up ground late. Although Dennis’ Moment geared down a bit, Scabbard was making up ground and only finished 2 lengths off the winner. Guess who is on him today? Mike Smith. That may be enough to reverse the finish.
  2. After destroying a field of maidens at Ellis Park, 1-Dennis’ Moment came back to comfortably win the G3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs.  Apparently those two races were impressive enough to make him the favorite on the morning line. But there are other prospects in this group that may be able to challenge Dennis.
  3. 6-Eight Rings ran well in the American Pharaoh. Could be the speed of the speed. Baffert trains and Johnny V stays for the ride.

Aqueduct March 10, 2018

Pretty nice card at Aqueduct today, including an all stakes late Pick-4. I think the Gotham has a decent field of horses hoping to show enough to be part of the Kentucky Derby field. Firenze Fire has a lot going for him and is definitely maturing. But he’s likely to be even lower than morning line odds at post time. If you’re looking for a price, check out Beautiful Shot. He’s improving with each race and might outrun his odds.

Race 1

  • 2  Three to Thirteen
  • 8  Heart in Hand
  • 3  Danebury

Race 2

  • 3  Blame Us All
  • 1/1A  Acoustic/Micozzi
  • 5  Cheyenne Bull

Race 3

  • 2  Milo Milo
  • 7  Power Nap
  • 3  A Fleet Attitude
  • Secondary (4, 5, 8)

Race 4

  • 3  Ransome Note
  • 8  Alum
  • 7  Adirondack Dream

Race 5

  • 8  Ethan Hunt
  • 5  Formal Start
  • 6  Proletariat
  • Secondary (1, 7)

Race 6

  • 11  Bourbon Did It
  • 7  Crossways
  • 10  Speke
  • Secondary (2, 4, 5)

Race 7

  • 6  Vulcan’s Forge
  • 7  Fellowship
  • 1  Securitiz
  • Secondary (2, 5)

Race 8

  • 3  Highway Star
  • 6  Boule
  • 1  Divine Miss Gray

Race 9

  • 1  Green Gratto
  • 6  Do Share
  • 4  Threefiveindia
  • Secondary (2, 5, 10)

Race 10

  • 5  Firenze Fire
  • 3  Beautiful Shot
  • 9  Enticed
  • Secondary (6)

Aqueduct March 3

Race 1

  • 1  Bank Elaboration
  • 2  Princess Maeve
  • 3  Madeline’s Hope

Race 2

  • 6  Picture Day
  • 5  Tiz Rae Anna
  • 1  Tiz the Light
  • Secondary (2, 3)

Race 3

  • 3  Crimson King
  • 1 Numerical

Race 4

  • 8  Lady Constance
  • 1  Exchanging Secrets
  • 4  Special Dividend
  • Secondary (3, 6)

Race 5

  • 3  Ekhtibaar
  • 1  Halloween Horror
  • 5  Storm Prophet
  • Secondary (4)

Race 6 

  • 2  Set the Trappe
  • 6  New Moon
  • 5  Shoe Loves Shoe
  • Secondary (8, 3, 1)

Race 7

  • 8  Guick
  • 6  Dublin the Pleasure
  • 7  Dynamax Prime
  • Secondary (3)

Race 8

  • 8  My Miss Lilly
  • 7  Shamrock Rose
  • 3  Midnight Disguise
  • Secondary (1, 2)

Race 9

  • 3  My Lightnin Strike
  • 10  Big Expense
  • 7  Starlite Mission
  • 2 Lune LakeSecondary (9)

Aqueduct February 24

For those of you wondering, I finished 119th out of 695 entries in the NTRA-NHC in Las Vegas. I was actually only about $20 from making it to the finals. Disappointing, but being in the top 20% was a pretty decent debut.  On Friday it really took me a while to get my bearings, and that is probably where I lost the chance to make the finals. I had a 23-1 shot finish second by a nose, and if that horse had come in I’d have finished around 30th and played on Sunday. We’ll see what happens next year.

Doesn’t really look like a good day to make a big score at the Big A. A number of races where the favorite appears far superior. I guess we’ll see what we can conjure up.

Race 1

  • 6  Jacqueline D
  • 1  Woundwithhereyes
  • 3  Forres Lily

Race 2

  • 6  Milaya
  • 2  Perina’s Pride
  • 5  Arewehavingfunyet

Race 3

  • 4  Beautiful Buzz
  • 3  Trinni Ninja
  • 2  Pauseforthecause

Race 4

  • 1/1A  Desert Affair/Thirtydaysinjune
  • 7  Connie A
  • 5  Ouro Verde

Race 5

  • 5  Delta Outlaw
  • 6  Valyrian
  • 7  Hard Hitter

Race 6

  • 7  Bluegrass Singer
  • 5  Battle of Evermore
  • 3  Arbitrator

Race 7

  • 6  Frau Blucher
  • 3  Walk of Fame
  • 4  Queen Apollo
  • 9  Gabriella

Race 8

  • 5  Belleville Spring
  • 2  Flash Drive
  • 9  Nolinski
  • Secondary (1, 4, 8)

Race 9

  • 7  Gypsy Jo
  • 5  Amanda Lane
  • 6  Forever Rising
  • 8  Tough Old Bird

Aqueduct February 3

Race 1

  • 2  Arbitrator
  • 4  War Eagle’s Return
  • 3  American Road
  • Secondary (6)

Race 2

  • 5  Wushu Warrior
  • 2  Surprise Wonder
  • 6  Theresa’s Boy
  • Secondary (4)

Race 3

  • 1  Decorator Jenn
  • 3  Angel Food
  • 5  Short Kakes
  • Secondary (2)

Race 4

  • 8  Shoe Loves Shoe
  • 2  Asphalt Paving
  • 4  Three to Thirteen
  • Secondary (5)

Race 5

  • 7  Lady Vicki
  • 1/1A  Under Suspicion/Out of Orbit
  • 3  Starlite Mission

Race 6

  • 2  Driven West
  • 1/1A  Independent Worker/Full of Mine
  • 6  Wondermeister
  • Secondary (5)

Race 7

  • 8  Sudden Surprise
  • 2  Jewel Can Disco
  • 6  Foreset
  • Secondary (5, 3)

Race 8

  • 2  Marconi
  • 4  Avery Island
  • 1  Firenze Fire

Race 9

  • 4  Daring Destiny
  • 6  Musicality
  • 9  Tammany Giant
  • 8  Barefoot Angel

Aqueduct January 27

Race 1

  • 3  Littlefirefighter
  • 6  A Dixie Twister
  • 2  For Honor

Race 2

  • 8  Blue Eyes
  • 2  Go Kelly Go
  • 7  Baby Boss

Race 3

  • 2  Takaful
  • 5 Life in Shambles
  • 3  Vulcan’s Forge
  • Secondary (4)

Race 4

  • 2  Port Arch
  • 6  Barefoot Angel
  • 7  Mr. Massena
  • Secondary (3)

Race 5

  • 13  Blaze’n Prospector
  • 2  Big Guy Ian
  • 4  Big Zip
  • Secondary (7, 8, 12)

Race 6

  • 5  All Clear
  • 3  Jack Straight
  • 6  Monteleone
  • 2  Nolinski

Race 7

  • 10  Killala Bay
  • 3  Belleville Spring
  • 1/1A  Scottish Devil/Spake
  • Secondary (4, 5, 6, 7)

Race 8

  • 5  Playinwiththeboys
  • 1 /1A Cotton Candy Cutie/North End
  • 6  Tiz R Bella
  • Secondary (8)

Race 9

  • 5  Velvet Trinni
  • 6  Missimpazi
  • 7  Status Asthmaticus
  • Secondary (3)

Aqueduct January 20

Race 1

  • 1  Dial Josh
  • 9  Water Trough
  • 5  Love Your Buttons
  • Secondary (3, 4)

Race 2

  • 1  Preservationist
  • 6  Fooch
  • 5  Anchor
  • Secondary (2)

Race 3

  • 5  Harlan Punch
  • 6  Turco Bravo
  • 1  Doyouknowsomething

Race 4

  • 10  Karma Delight
  • 2  Brianbakescookies
  • 5  Vilma
  • Secondary (4, 6, 9)

Race 5

  • 10  Proletariat
  • 2  Bear Clause
  • 4  Grassady
  • Secondary (3, 7, 8)

Race 6 

  • 1/1A  Forge/Special Story
  • 4  Fuel the Bern
  • 2  Professor Snape
  • Secondary (3, 9)

Race 7

  • 6  Hammerin Aamer
  • 1  Mr. Buff
  • 5  Shamcat
  • Secondary (4, 7)

Race 8

  • 7  Wonderful Light
  • 2  Westwood
  • 4  War of Ideas
  • Secondary (3, 6)

Race 9

  • 5  Valyrian
  • 1  Lightning Buzz
  • 4  Adirondack Dream
  • Secondary (9, 11)

Aqueduct January 13

Race 1

  • 3  Conquest Bigluck E
  • 8  Ro Bear
  • 2  Preatereo
  • Secondary (1, 5)

Race 2

  • 5  Belleville Spring
  • 3  Threefortyfive
  • 1  Lem Me Tel Ya
  • Secondary (4, 7)

Race 3

  • 3  Pioneer Spirit
  • 2  T R Crew
  • 5  Flash Trading

Race 4

  • 5  Barefoot Angel
  • 1  Ed’s Quick Cat
  • 6  Tammany Giant
  • Secondary (9)

Race 5

  • 4  My Boy Tate
  • 8  Candid Desire
  • 1  Ostrolenka
  • Secondary (3, 5)

Race 6

  • 6  Polar City
  • 5  Best Surprise
  • 6  Light the Vow
  • Secondary (4)

Race 7

  • 2  Bluegrass Jamboree
  • 8  Shimmering Moon
  • 3  Nisha
  • Secondary (5, 6)

Race 8

  • 7  Firenze Fire
  • 4  Factor This
  • 2  Seven Trumpets

Race 9

  • 3  Hokulea
  • 8  Pequeno Grande
  • 11  Now a Factor
  • Secondary (12)

Aqueduct December 23

Race 1

  • 2  My Perfect Gem
  • 3  Honor and Pleasure
  • 7  Peculiar Sensation
  • Secondary (4)

Race 2

  • 11  Thenameescapesme
  • 3  Pence
  • 14  Barefoot Angel
  • Secondary (2, 1)

Race 3

  • 7  Lady Suebee
  • 6 No Deal
  • 4  My Miss Lilly
  • Secondary (3)

Race 4

  • 1/1A  Clutch Cargo/Heart in Hand
  • 4  Blewitt
  • 5  Get Game
  • 7  Conquest Prankster
  • Secondary (8)

Race 5

  • 8  Tusk
  • 2  Fox Rules
  • 4  Harlan Punch
  • Secondary (5, 6, 7)

Race 6  

  • 4  Cain is Abel
  • 12  Nolinski
  • 6  Flash Drive
  • Secondary (2, 10, 11)

Race 7

  • 3  Life in Shambles
  • 7  Threefiveindia
  • 6  Great Stuff
  • Secondary (2)

Race 8

  • 3  Watershed
  • 9  Kurilov
  • 8  Alex the Terror
  • Secondary (1, 4, 6)

Race 9

  • 10  My Won Love
  • 7  Loyal Heart
  • 2  De Wildcat Girl
  • Secondary (3, 6, 8)

Aqueduct December 16

Race 1

  • 4  Scarf It Down
  • 1  Alaapatique
  • 7  Shadow Rider
  • Secondary (1)

Race 2

  • 5  Leah’s Dream
  • 8  Party Spot
  • 10  This Bird Can Sing
  • Secondary (1, 4)

Race 3

  • 3  Town Tart
  • 2  Boule
  • 1  Full House
  • Secondary (4, 5)

Race 4

  • 5  Niko Strong
  • 10  Steelersfanforlife
  • 12  Conforto
  • Secondary (8, 2)

Race 5

  • 6  Bar None
  • 4  Bluegrass Prevails
  • 8  Bluegrass Singer
  • Secondary (1, 5, 7)

Race 6

  • 4  Puffery
  • 10  Queen Apollo
  • 9  Lady Moyne
  • Secondary (8, 11, 12)

Race 7

  • 4  Valyrian
  • 2  Incorporate
  • 5  Casigordo

Race 8

  • 5  Miss Hot Stones
  • 6  Wegetsdamunnys
  • 2  Pure Silver

Race 9  

  • 3  Are We Not Men
  • 2  Midnight Cello
  • 7  Nominal Dollars
  • Secondary (1, 8)