“It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races.” – Mark Twain Twain probably could have added ‘presidential elections’ to his list of things affected by a difference of opinion. Heaven knows we’re in the homestretch of a doozy right now! But, […]
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Halloween and Breeders’ Cup approach like twin tropical storms. They’ll be here before we know it and respective aficionados demand intensive preparation. For the former, a bed sheet with eyehole openings just won’t do. And, clearly, the latter demands more than a list of entries and a hatpin. While Halloween is meant to scare the […]
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As an abbreviation the letters ‘BC’ are duplicitous. In its most familiar role ‘BC’ usually refers to the epoch ‘Before Christ’–estimated as the time of Jesus’ birth. That religious timestamp must chap hides of those that question or dispute the existence and/or significance of the famous carpenter’s son. Of course, we’re not here to debate […]
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The prestigious Eclipse Awards were instituted in 1971 to honor the crème de la crème of Thoroughbred racing. These awards are named after the phenomenal racehorse Eclipse, who was undefeated in 18 lifetime starts prior to becoming a great sire in the 1700s. By my count, a total of 348 different Thoroughbreds have won an […]
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Below is the Pick 5 ticket for Woodbine Mile Day at Woodbine Racetrack on September 16th. As always, the ticket is $20 or less. Race 8: Steip Amach (#3, 5-2) may be the class of this field after running third in consecutive Group 1’s in France. It is important to note that her only win this […]
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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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A year ago I made the point in this column that in light of Seattle Slew’s marvelous record at New York tracks, one would think one of those tracks would have a graded stakes race named in his honor. Yes, there is the ungraded Seattle Slew Handicap at Emerald Downs in the Pacific Northwest. But […]
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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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Below is the Pick 4 ticket for Arlington Million Day at Arlington Park on August 13th. As always, the ticket is $20 or less. Race 6: Clondaw Warrior (#8, 9-2) beat 20 horses while carrying 159 pounds in his last start. Any horse that can pull that off is a runner, and this nine-year-old pro is as […]
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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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