Horse Betting World

Toby’s Corner Takes Whirlaway at Big A

By Mike Dempsey

Trainer Graham Motion may spike a case of Derby Fever after watching his promising three-year-old Toby’s Corner pull off the upset in Saturday’s $100,000 Whirlaway at Aqueduct.

The colt shipped in from Maryland off a 10 ¾ length maiden score followed by a win against first level optional claimers, with bettors letting the colt go off as the 9/2 third choice in the compact field of five.

Ridden for the first time by Eddie Castro, the colt broke smartly, and then was taken back to the rear of the field while saving ground down along the rail.

The colt was angled out for wide turning for home and got to the lead at the sixteenths pole, edging clear late to win by two lengths over the muddy and sealed racing strip, paying $11.60.

“I think he’s a nice horse,” said Castro, aboard the colt for the first time. “And I think he’ll go the distance, too.”

The colt earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88 for the win, which is eight points higher than his last win, which came at Laurel Park.

By Bellamy Road out of a Mister Frisky mare, the colt has three sibs that are winners including stakes winner Bushmills Best (4 for 20, $137,280).

The next logical step for the colt would be the Gotham Stakes (G3) on March 5, which is a key prep for the marquee race for three year olds in New York this spring, the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1) on April 9.

This colt is definitely one to keep an eye on as he continues down the Derby Trail.

More Mo: The Eclipse Award winning Uncle Mo, the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby is gearing up for his three-year-old debut, which will come on March 12 in the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

The Todd Pletcher trainee worked four furlongs in :49 3/5 over the training track at Palm Meadows on Sunday morning.

The colt was perfect in three starts as a two-year-old, winning the trip of races by a combined 23 lengths, capping off the year with a authoritative victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 by 4 ¼ lengths

Twinspired Wins WEBN: The Mike Maker trained Twinspired won Saturday’s $50,000 WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park, drawing clear to win by 4 ¼ lengths, returning $5.00 as the favorite in the field of 12.

The son of Harlan’s Holiday stopped the timer for the one mile race over the polytrack surface in 1:41.57.

The colt was sixth in the Dania Beach on turf at Gulfstream Park in his previous start.

While it was a good looking effort, his Beyer Speed Figure of 76 will not send us running to get a bet down on the colt in the Kentucky Derby Futures.

There are three key Kentucky Derby betting preps coming up this Saturday.

Tampa Bay Downs hosts the $225,000 Sam F. Davis (G3), the $250,000 Robert B. Lewis will be run at Santa Anita, and the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (G3) is on tap at Golden Gate Fields.

Trio of Stakes Highlight Gulfstream Park Card

By Mike Dempsey

With Blame and Zenyatta retired, the question is who among the handicap division will move to the head of the class in 2011.

The question will be answered on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, as a solid field of nine older runners will go nine furlongs in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1), the first major stake for the handicap division in this year.

Among those looking for the win are I Want Revenge, who won the 2009 Wood Memorial (G1), and Fly Down, who capped off his three-year-old campaign last fall with a third place finish behind Blame and Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
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Busy Weekend Ahead – February 5-6

By Joey Adams

This time of year it seems all the focus is on three-year-olds and their march towards the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Unfortunately the prep schedule is pretty light this weekend in those regards.

The $100,000 Whirlaway at Aqueduct won’t have any effect on the Graded Earnings list, but it may produce a starter or two for the upcoming Gotham-G3 and Wood Memorial-G1. That could leave the $250,000 Las Virgenes-G1 at Santa Anita as the most attractive prep race this weekend, as it will feature leading California three-year-old filly Turbulent Descent.
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Twirling Candy Returns in the Strub Stakes

By Aaron Huber

The $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita is a Grade 2 race for 4-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles. The likely odds-on favorite will be only once-beaten Twirling Candy off a record setting performance in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on December, 26 at Santa Anita. While, Twirling Candy has the class and speed to handle this field – upsets in big stakes races at Santa Anita have not been that uncommon – so let’s take a closer look at the entire cast of 8 starters.
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Aqueduct Feature Race Preview – Thursday, February 3

By Joey Adams

Sky Beauty was the champion older female in 1994. During her career she won 15-of-21 races, including nine Grade I stakes. Thursday’s feature race at Aqueduct, an overnight stake, is named in her honor – the $60,000 Sky Beauty.
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Zito is Dialed in for Kentucky Derby

By Mike Dempsey

Dialed In was all set to make his first start after his impressive maiden win in a first level allowance race on Jan.21, but when the track came up sloppy hall of fame trainer Nick Zito scratched the colt, and decided to go in the much tougher $400,000 Holy Bull (G3).

The change in plans worked out perfectly, as the colt became a major player on the Kentucky Derby Trail with an impressive win, drawing clear in the stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths, returning $7.40 for the victory.
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California, Florida Breds Battle for $1.8 Million

By Mike Dempsey

The ninth Sunshine Millions takes place on Saturday at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, with $1.8 million in purses up for grabs along with bragging rights between the two states.

Well, that is what was originally intended nine years ago when track owner Frank Stronach came up with the idea. There was a point system to determine a winner between California and Florida.

However, I could not tell you which state won in any of those years, and there is not a horseplayer out there that really cares.
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It’s Time for Triple Crown (aka Kentucky Derby) Preps

By Joey Adams

The Kentucky Derby is unique. Not only because of the history, tradition and prestige, but also because it’s one of few races in the U.S. that has no trouble filling the starting gate. Where else can you witness a field of 20 barreling down the stretch? If the starting could double in size, and the track at Churchill Downs was a half-mile wide, we could probably see 30-40 starters on a regular basis – the race is that popular.

As it stands, the field is limited to 20 starters. There are always more than 20 wanting in the starting gate, so a “graded earnings” system has been implemented to decide the final starting field. This system has come under a great deal of fire from some – and in some regards that is justified. Yet the system is what we live with today, and the premium is on graded (or group) earnings, whether they were earned this year or last.
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Portland Meadows Oaks has Extra Significance this Year

By Aaron Huber

The Portland Meadows Oaks for three-year-old fillies is enjoying renewed relevance thanks to a purse boost and as an initial leg in the Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 bonus program.

This one-mile dirt race has a purse of $80,000, and while that might not sound too impressive – it is the largest purse offered by Portland Meadows for any race since 1987. According to the Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 program if the winner of this race goes on to win the Santa Anita Oaks, Gulfstream Park Oaks, and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in succession the winning connections will get a $2.2 million dollar bonus.
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Favorites – They Don’t Always Win

By Joey Adams

If you are a “regular” at your local track or simulcast outlet, you’ve undoubtedly endured days like December 29 at Tampa Bay Downs or January 23 at Fair Grounds. On those days the betting favorites dominated, winning 8-of-10 races on the card. Hopefully you’ve also been present on days like January 15 at Aqueduct, when betting favorites were shut out the entire card (0-for-9).

With betting favorites winning around 33% nationwide, nearly every day at the track sees its share of winning favorites. But they don’t win every race. Take a moment to consider that strike rate from a different angle – if 33% of betting favorites win, that means that 67% of betting favorites LOSE!
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