Apr
30
Pick Six Fever
Filed Under Uncategorized
After three straight Pick Six carryovers to lead off the new meet, the money poured in on Saturday, with $3.2 million bet chasing the $1.48 million carryover. However, the frenzy came to an end when 71 tickets isolated all six winners for a return of $46,492. It was no gimme, either. Double digit winners in three of the six races, but 3/5 shot “single” SILENT SOUL got home in the 5th and favorite I BEAT THE FIRE wore down his stablemate in the 9th to make it “hittable”.
The performance of the day came from AFTER MARKET, who took the Inglewood Handicap in ultra impressive fashion. After a brutal trip last time out, ‘MARKET didn’t get a whole lot better journey this time. Despite being parked 4-wide through the final 1/2-mile (also known as no-man’s land when running on turf), the royally-bred colt powered away from his rivals through the lane to look like a very serious player in the local turf division. The homebred son of Storm Cat-Tranquility Lake won the first four starts of his career in New York and clearly is back on top of his game now…RED FORT ran well chasing him home but WILLOW O WISP doesn’t look anywhere near the same horse he was before going to the sidelines last May…A. P. XCELLENT made it 3-for-3 on Cushion Track when he wired the field in race 2. Every time time SINISTER MINISTER runs, he proves what a fluke his 12-length win was in last year’s Bluegrass…three more wins for Joe Talamo, who figures to battle for leading rider here.
On Sunday:
With the Pick Six pool guaranteed at $1 million for Gold Rush Day, I really questioned whether there might be a shortfall in the pool. Considering how much money had been sent through the windows chasing the carryovers, I thought there might be some burnout for the Sunday card. Wrong. The pool wound up at slightly over a mil, with only two winning tickets. The fields were large and the racing competitive, which accounted for price horses winning four of the last six heats…it was great to see 24-year-old SNOW CHIEF paraded on the track before the race named in his honor. He looked unbelieavably fit and spry for a horse his age, bouncing around and nipping at the pony like he was back in his prime. The track showed some of his great victories like the Hollywood Futurity and Preakness Stakes, which brought back memories of just what a good horse he was. Running with his head low to the ground, the ‘CHIEF had a huge stride and great acceleration when turned loose.
GREG’S GOLD took heat all the way but held on gamely in the Tiznow…TIZ ELEMENTAL was impressive in winning the Melair, and runner-up CURIOUSLY SWEET ran huge to finish second…the stewards got it right both times, disqualifying GETBACK TIME in the 3rd and taking down ZONINGÂ IN from third in the feature…runner-up C. T. ZEE turned in a very game try while making only his third lifetime start in the same race…NASHOBA’S KEY remained perfect in three starts by taking the Fran’s Valentine (2nd race) under a perfect Garrett Gomez ride.
I had a great day in my graded handicap, picking seven top choice winners, including $16.80 winners EPIC POWER and LEESIDER, who gave Alex Solis his second stakes win in two days (he was also aboard AFTER MARKET but, let’s face it, that horse won despite the ride/trip). If only (and there’s always an “if only” in horse racing) I could have found SOCIAL CLIMBER in the 7th, I also would have nailed the Pick 4 ($60 ticket after scratch) for $6,279 on my Premium Play selections. At least if you came back in the last Pick 3–and that’s what it’s there for when blown out in the first leg of the Pick 4–the return was a healthy $697.
Back to the wars tomorrow…we really need six-day racing during Derby Week, don’t we?
To view Free Samples of Saturday and Sunday Premium Plays, click on the links below: Premium Plays for Apr. 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Premium Plays for Apr. 29
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