Archive for September 2018
When bad handicapping leads to a nice score
Saturday was not a great day for public selections here at LoneSpeed. In fact, it was a terrible day. Our three longshot plays at Belmont ran like longshots. And our Play of the Day, Del Mar May, appeared to encounter trouble in the clubhouse turn and finished last in the Chandelier. Making matters worse, my…
Read MoreSaturday Play of the Day
You never want to see a Grade 1 with a purse of $300k draw a field of only six, regardless of the overall talent in the field. But that’s what we’ve got at Santa Anita on Saturday in the Grade 1 Chandelier at 1 1/16miles for 2yo fillies. Your expected favorite is Bellafina for Simon…
Read MoreThree Angles for Saturday
The name of the game is value. And sometimes we have a tendency to force our way into finding it when perhaps it isn’t there. That said, there are three horses running at Belmont on Saturday that warrant at least a second look and maybe an inclusion in your wagers. Race 8- The Joe Hirsch…
Read MoreReturning to the scene of the crime
Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (referred to endlessly as the Jockey Gold Cup by lazy speakers) features two horses that experienced extreme difficulty in their respective Kentucky Derby tries in 2017 and 2018. And with the goal for both being the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in November, a Breeders’…
Read MoreHow good is West Coast?
It seems like Bob Baffert is likely to run West Coast in the Awesome Again at Santa Anita this weekend. It will be his first start since his runner-up effort to Thunder Snow in the Dubai World Cup, and only his third start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Full disclosure: West Coast has been…
Read MoreTourney Talk- There are no mistakes
A man has an affair, gets caught, and tells his wife “I made a mistake.” She doesn’t buy it. Why? Because that’s not a mistake. A bad decision? Yes. But not a mistake. A mistake is forgetting to grab the milk while grocery shopping. Or failing to carry the 1 when balancing your checkbook. But…
Read MoreSunday Play of the Day- Belmont Race 2
Go watch the replay of his debut and get back to me. I don’t think we’ll get 6-1. But I’ll take 3-1.
Read MoreThis never works
I’ve seen it happen so many times over the years. A horse is taken out of his normal, established running style in an attempt to make him more competitive in a given race, and the change in tactics doesn’t work and the horse runs off the board. Does that mean Bill Mott’s clear attempt to…
Read MoreBrown Town
We have some serious racehorses making appearances at Parx on Saturday. The highlights are the Cotillion and the Pennsylvania Derby for 3-year-olds. Both with a purse of $1,000,000. Both with Grade 1 status. And I think extra consideration needs to be given to two contenders from the Chad Brown barn who are both double digits…
Read MoreMeet the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Winner
She races in the Cotillion at Parx on Saturday. Her name isn’t Monomoy Girl. Her name isn’t Wonder Gadot. Her name isn’t Midnight Bisou. You can thank me later. Oh, and bet her on Saturday until it goes click. And don’t tell anyone competing against me in The BIG One.
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