Rich Saber and myself will be conducting a handicapping seminar that will talk about handicapping, using the Power Page and how to structure wagers…  Please come by to join us at Texas Station in the racebook for what should be both informative and fun handicapping session…  

(reprint from last week)

On Zenyatta :   I have now become so enamored with Zenyatta, I consider her to be one of my 5 all time greatest racehorses.  Since I started playing horses in 1976 and was only a casual observer before 1976, I simply don’t go back before that time.  Also, I am only commenting on horses that have raced here in the USA.   So before 1976 I am including Secretariat as one of my 5 greatest horses, I did see him run many times, as did most people who were into sports and in their 20’s during the 1970, so I fee very comfortable including him.    So really this is a discussion of the 5 greatest horses AFTER SECRETARIAT.   Furthermore, I make almost no distinction between the top 5, they all had their various strengths.  In fact they were all really really strong and they all have 1 similiarity, they gave weight away to the competition and beat them doing their thing.  Seattle Slew on the front and Zenyatta coming from behind.   So here are the top 5 in my book in chronological order:  SECRETARIAT, FOREGO, SEATTLE SLEW, AFFIRMED AND ZENYATTA. 

Today’s Free play at Hollywood — Race #5:   This is a great and tough race to figure, but it’s one that we should all be IN.  The reason is there are a number of horses with big price tags that have good shots.  The comment wide-open-race, is one I tend to avoid, but whenever we have one, we should consider betting, because if it is truely a wide-open-affair, then it means that the favorite and 2nd choice are automatically underlays (in most situations).   These races are great for spreading in the middle or back end of a PICK -3 or Daily Double.   Here is the first interesting point, if you made an even wager in a spread using all the horses in the race, you would actually be making a strong wager against the shorter priced horses.  For that reason, these races are fairly easy to structure a bet, because it requires very little weighting, which typically we have to do to get our value properly working for us.  So for example, my RaceDayLasVegas play is Sea Of Pleasure in the 4th race, who is a single for me and also represents value at 5/2 in a small field of 5.  So my opening wager would be a simple Daily Double from Sea Of Pleasure to ALL in the 5ht race.  And then I would come back with another 4 bets on Sea Of Pleasure (#4) to the #1,#2,#3,#7 in the 5th,   This is still a win bet on the #4 in the 4th race.  Because if Sse Of Pleasure wins the 4th, we are definately going to cash as soon as the 5th race is finished, because if the ALL on the first ticket and if one the 1,2,3, or 7 win, then we amp it up significantly.  So right away, I am using this 5th race, which I am describing as an “open race” as a way to search out value!   Now we are not done.  IN the 5th race, Daniella Roth is 15/1, and top rated on the Power Page, also closely rated is Argenta at 20/1 and Sky chant is 10/1.  For me, I would make a key out of Daniella Roth and absolutely under all circumstances make exacta boxes with the 1,3, & 7 and extra ticket with the underlay #7.   If Sea of Pleasure wins the 4th race, we don’t have to make a win wager, but if we lose the 4th race, then I will feel it’s necessary to make either a win wager and a reverse wheel on Daniella Roth…  Because if this high rated high priced horse runs 1st or 2nd, I have to make money…   One more thing, if you like, you can make more than 1 win wager in the 5th, because Argenta is great value also as is Sky Chant.  So it’s okay to double KEY…   Remember, I have always said that anytime you have a top rated horse on the Power Page that is greater than 9/2 in price, that you probably have a good wager, so here it is….Good Luck…