Xpressbet’s entertaining and profitable $100,000 Dime-a-Day 2016 competition is in the books and it was an exciting season.   Bruce Hilbert, a 60-year-old technical manager for a powder paint company from Sylvania, OH, and John Velguth, a 63-year-old retiree from El Cajon, CA, claimed respective Saratoga and Del Mar Championships.   They each banked $6,000 […]

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When people who do such things recap the racing summer of 2016 they undoubtedly will include as a memorable moment Frosted’s record-setting, 14 ¼-length, Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap victory at Belmont Park. In fact, it probably will rank right up there as the summer’s most memorable moment, right alongside Arrogate’s annihilation of a […]

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Travers Day 2016 didn’t have to be special. The stage was set for a memorable afternoon, but, as we all know, hype often outraces performance. The NFL’s Super Bowl is a national obsession, theoretically matching the two best football teams in the world. That, however, doesn’t guarantee an entertaining game. How many times in history […]

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Each season, at Saratoga, the Travers Stakes attracts a crowd. Normally, it’s ‘standing room only’ in the grandstand and clubhouse. This season, ‘sold out’ also applies to the starting gate where 14 runners are expected to dispute the outcome of the Mid-Summer Derby—largest starting lineup since 1977. Here’s a horse-by-horse rundown of the Travers, reflecting […]

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The selections contained within are geared to rolling exotic players.  The basic strategy is to isolate those horses that should be included in rolling daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and pick-6. It is recommended that Jeff’s selections be used to augment the reader’s own personal handicapping, though excellent results can be achieved by applying the exact rolling exotic […]

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The word ‘great’ often is used to describe everything from summer vacation, to last night’s dinner, to an episode of The Night Of, to any number of athletes and performances.   Perhaps, the word ‘great’ is over-used? As worn-out as a pair of favorite sneakers, holey, bottom and top, but comfortable as heck. Unfortunately, the […]

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Frosted followed an absolutely stunning Met Mile tour-de-force in June with another outstanding performance Saturday at Saratoga. At first, to this viewer, the 4-year-old colt’s two-length Whitney triumph seemed sufficiently dominant. But, as they say in the NFL, ‘upon further review,’ Frosted’s mile and one-eighth journey ballooned in estimation. At the start of the race, […]

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So far, the 2016 summer racing season has been amazing. The hits just keep coming, week after week. We can’t remember when the sport has been this entertaining on such a regular basis. 2015, of course, was incredible because of American Pharoah—the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Everything he did post-Belmont earned headlines, […]

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Little lives up to the hype.   Check me if I’m wrong, but these days don’t you almost routinely expect to be somewhat disappointed by what you buy, view or otherwise experience? Rarely are we impressed by the quality, durability or entertainment value of anything. If we happen to have a memorable experience, we feel […]

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In this space last week, just before opening day at Del Mar’s, we raved about the merits of Xpressbet’s Dime-a-Day. Since then–through four days at the current seaside meeting–49 players have won a total of $4,000 in prizes ‘Where the Turf Meets the Surf.’ Those players also have collected a whopping $8,524 in winning contest […]

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Del Mar and Saratoga approach as rapidly as the shiny grille of a downhill runaway Mack truck. The former arrives Friday, July 15, and the latter thunders into town one week later. You know you’re going to play the races from one or both of these summer stands. How could you not? Both feature large, […]

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While we were on vacation the man who has won more races than any other jockey in the universe retired. Such a notable farewell after 42 years in the saddle warrants more than a mere passing comment from this peanut gallery. Russell Baze’s retirement, at 57, marks the conclusion of an amazing career, chock-full of […]

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While You Were Away This drivel is titled ‘While You Were Away,’ but I suppose it really should be called ‘While I Was Away.’ After all, you didn’t go anywhere, did you? I was the one on the move. Traveling. Incommunicado. Guess it doesn’t matter which one of us was indisposed. Point is we haven’t […]

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It’s a bit difficult to believe that Saturday’s Belmont Stakes will conclude the 2016 Triple Crown series. But, time flies and the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes are in the books. I know that because I have torn mutuel tickets and a zero balance wagering account to prove it. I don’t think I’ve been entirely […]

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Below is my Pick 4 ticket for June 4th at Santa Anita Park. As always, the ticket is less than $20. Race 8: Broken Up (#10, 6-1) is one of only two horses in this race with a win on the turf. He cuts back in distance, adds blinkers and switches to Edward Freeman, who […]

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