While we struggled putting together winning tickets at Belmont Park, the polytrack at Keeneland treated us well, with five winners on top on the nine race card, producing a +111% +ROI for the day.
We have seen quite a few longshots during the first eight days of the meeting, but the biggest price we saw on Wednesday was $13.20.
My winning top picks returned $4.00, $8.20, $8.40, $6.60, and $10.80.
Despite the lack of prices, nobody solved the Pick 6, and there is a $33,111 Pick 6 carryover going into Thursday’s card, which looks a bit tougher than what we saw yesterday.
The feature is the $125,000 Sycamore Stakes (G3), a 1 ½ mile marathon on the turf course that drew a full field of twelve along with three also eligibles.
I am hoping the Todd Pletcher trained Americain somehow bounces back from his last two starts versus tougher where he was drubbed by 11 and then 22 lengths.
We have stakes action at Belmont Park today thanks to Mother Nature. Sunday’s $100,000 Knickerbocker Stakes (G3) was postponed and moved to today.
The race drew eight including the Bobby Frankel trainee Proudinsky, a multiple graded stakes winner who is the 9/5 morning line favorite.
Frankel, who is at home in California with an undisclosed illness, was not winning much in recent months but has picked up five victories in the last ten days and looks to be back on track.
The weather is going to be great in both of our locales today, making for a great day to skip work and head out to the track, or just stay home an fire up the wagering account.
To purchase my full card report for Keeneland and Belmont Park that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opening race from Keeneland to get our day off to a good start:
KEE Race 1 Md $15,000 (1:05 et)
#4 See Rock City 5/1
#10 Dixie Pixie 5/2
#12 Kafe Uno 8/1
#3 Lotsofawe 5/1
Analysis: #4 See Rock City tracked the early pace and came up short in the stretch last out for a $17.5K tag at Turfway Park, checking in third. The filly is the first starter at the meeting for the Pitts barn and she does appear to be on the improve. She ran into repeat winners in three of her first four career starts and she has a couple of sibs that are stakes winners, top earner Urban Guy ($175K). The filly won't have to move forward much off her last outing to get the job done here.
#10 Dixie Pixie takes the big plunge out of the maiden special weight ranks for the Arnold barn that has been sending out live runners at the meet. She took some play in her debut back in January at Gulfstream Park, sent off at 9/2 and she showed some early interest before fading to finish sixth. Her last two came on turf and now she tries poly for the first time. The barn is 29% winners (with a +ROI) in maiden claimers.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 4,10 / 3,4,10,12
TRI: 4,10 / 3,4,10,12 / 2,3,4,9,10,12
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Knickerbocker S. G3 (4:38 ET)
#1 Proudinsky 9/5
#7 Danak 6/1
#2 Operation Red Dawn 8/1
#6 Yorktown 5/1
Analysis: #1 Proudinsky is returning off a four month break for the Frankel barn that seems to be heating up, winning with 4 of 10 starters at the meeting here and five races over the last ten days including the $2 million Canadian International. Last out the six year old ran a good third in the Monmouth Stakes behind the winner Presious Passion, who went on to two Grade 1's in his next three starts. He has run well fresh in the past and looks well spotted here for his return facing a light group here in this Grade 3.
#7 Danak is making his first start in 14 months for the McLaughlin barn that is 19% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. This guy won his first five starts in '06-7 overseas but has not won since. Interesting the barn brings him back in a Grade 3, which seems to signal this six year old may be ready to fire a good one off the long layoff. Makes this race a tricky read.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 8/5 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,2,6,7
TRI: 1,7 / 1,2,6,7 / 1,2,3,6,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Keeneland:
KEE Race 8 Sycamore S. (4:42 ET)
#2 Americain 5/1
#9 Cloudy's Knight 3/1
#12 Winchester 7/2
#7 Always First 8/1
Analysis: #2 Americain drops a notch in class here after getting outrun in two starts since arriving in the U.S. The colt was 4/1 when he checked in a non threatening seventh in the Sword Dancer (G1), then was 7/2 when a distant sixth in the Bowling Green (G2) over yielding footing. This guy won a Group 3 overseas and can handle the distance here, but tough to figure out why this guy ran so poorly. Pletcher brings him right back in graded stakes company for his third start off the bench and this is nothing more than a hunch that the barn has figures out how to get more out of him here.
#9 Cloudy's Knight came back off a year layoff with a sharp win in the Ky Cup Turf (G3). He looks back on track after going 0 for 4 last year. In '07 this guy won 3 of 9 starts including the Canadian International (G1) at Woodbine at today's distance. He did not beat much last out but did not appear to have to work too hard and it could be a good set up to today's outing. I'm not expecting to see a regression out of this guy here.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 2,9 / 2,7,9,12
TRI: 2,9 / 2,7,9,12 / 2,4,7,9,11,12
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Keeneland
R1: #12 Kafe Uno 8/1
R2: #4 Weekend Pass 8/1
R3: #2 First Dude 8/1
R4: #3 Cabazon 10/1
R5: #8 R Brown Sugar 8/1
R5: #1 She’s Extreme 12/1
R7: #7 Attempt to Name 8/1
R8: #7 Always First 8/1
R9: #2 Penitant Prayers 15/1
Belmont Park
R2: #2 Hammering Buckeye 12/1
R3: #2 Discover Jets 8/1
R5: #10 Mary’s Song 10/1
R6: #7 Trigger’s Missile 15/1
R7: #12 Albali 8/1
R8: #2 Operation Red Dawn 8/1
R9: #6 Viva La Gata 8/1
Good luck today!
