Four in a Row for Forego

This Saturday is the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga. One of the greatest achievements in horse racing history is the four consecutive victories that Forego recorded in the Woodward back when it was run at Belmont Park. Read about the great Forego in my blog on HorseRacingNation.com.

The first time you may have noticed the yellow cap with the three black rings was when Forego ran fourth behind Secretariat in the 1973 Kentucky Derby. Forego was part of the great 1970 thoroughbred crop that included: Secretariat, Sham, Mr. Prospector, Shecky Green, Ancient Title, Allez France, Dahlia, and Desert Vixen. Those horses achieved greatness in many different areas of racing, but Forego outlasted them all.

Despite chronic leg problems, throughout his career, which were caused by an enlarged sesamoid in his left front ankle, Forego managed to run for six years. One of his greatest achievements was winning the Woodward Stakes for four consecutive years beginning in 1974. Read the rest at horseracingnation.com

To Todd Or Not To Todd

UPDATE - 6:00pm - We hit the Pick 4 with our AAAB ticket for $363.25 on the 50¢ play! Final score was Todd 2, Not Todd 2 (including Uncle Mo's nose defeat in the King's Bishop and a second in the Victory Ride).

It's Travers Day at Saratoga and racing has been cancelled at Monmouth, so we have to play the $1,000,000 guaranteed all stakes 50¢ Late Pick 4.

We would be remiss if we did not address the question: "To Todd or not to Todd?" Trainer Todd Pletcher has at least one horse in all four legs of the Late Pick 4. Is it that easy a play: Todd/Todd/Todd/Todd or if you prefer: Todd with Todd with Todd with Todd? In race 9 he has #1 Maple Forest at 12-1 morning line. In race 10 # 3 Hilda's Passion goes for Todd at 2-1. In the King's Bishop, # 7 Uncle Mo makes his long awaited return. Race 12 is the Travers and Todd has #9 Stay Thirsty at 5-2.



Regular rider John Velazquez is up on Maple Forest and Uncle Mo, while Javier Castellano will ride the other two. Of course Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty run for high profile owner Mike Repole.

That comes to a 50¢ Pick 4 play of: 1/3/7/9 or Todd/Todd/Todd/Todd. Is that the winning ticket? How often does a trainer have horses in all the legs of a major stakes pick 4?

Here is my Travers Day play. We have the all Top Choice ticket for $27 and the Top Choices with one back-up for a total of $90.Good luck and enjoy the great day of racing!

RACING CANCELLED

Racing has been cancelled Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28, due to Hurricane Irene. It is the first time that racing at Monmouth has been cancelled by a hurricane since Bertha in 1996. The racing days will be made up later in the meeting and the stakes races will be redrawn for next weekend.

It appears that racing will continue at Saratoga with the Travers Day card on Saturday. I am looking forward to the King's Bishop, who did race in the Haskell. Uncle Mo returns in the seven furlong grade one stake. I hope Uncle Mo wins. Racing needs his star power and I am a fan of Todd Pletcher.

I will probably post a 50¢ Pick 4 play for the $1,000,000 guaranteed late pick 4 (races 9-12) for Travers Day.

If you didn't get to read the excellent article about Pletcher in last Sunday's New York Times, search it out at nyt.com. It is worth reading.

Also, I reviewed Six Weeks in Saratoga, How Three-Year-Old Filly Rachel Alexandra Beat the Boys and Became Horse of the Year for my blog on HorseRacingNation.com. I met the author, Brendan O'Meara at Monmouth Park on Haskell Day. I enjoyed the book as much as I enjoyed talking with him. Check out my review at HorseRacingNation.com and buy O'Meara's book!

Day 42 - Friday, August 19, 2011

UPDATE-We did not hit the $19,900 Pick 5 or the $790 Place Pick 6. Family vacation to Maine on tap now, so there will be no picks until next Friday. Good Luck betting and to us for better weather than last year.

Back at it at Monmouth Park, where it is a beautiful summer day with no rain in sight. The main track is fast and the turf course is good. I was a bit surprised that there is turf racing after all the rain we have had in the area. The 50¢ Pick 5 play is one all top choice ticket for $96.

In the 50¢ Place Pick 6 it will be the standard $36 play: 3,7 with 1,2,6 with 3,8 with 7,8,9 with 12 with 3,5.

Thanks to reader James M. for catching my mistake on the pick 5 on Sunday. I appreciate it!

Is There Life After The Haskell? I say, YES!

Is There Life After The Haskell? I Say, YES!

Early in the summer I remember several of the Monmouth Park writers having a discussion about the quality of racing after The Haskell. Which hearkens the question: Is there life after The Haskell?

There is still a lot of very good horse racing this summer in some of the historic Jersey Shore stakes.

Will Blind Luck run in the Molly Pitcher Stakes?

Read more at HorseRacingNation.com

Day 41 - Sunday, August 14, 2011

Update Day 41 - 5:40pm - We had both the 50¢ Pick 5 and the 50¢ Place Pick 6. In the last leg of the Place Pick 6 we hit an exacta, so we have the $58.75 twice for $117.50. The Pick 5 (on a BAAAA ticket or one backup and 4 top choices) has winners of $9.20, $10.80, $4.60, $5.80, and $4.80 pays what seems to be a very large $455.95. I guess we should get a higher Tomlinson Rating for wet track ability. Hope you all
were betting today.

I am back in NJ after a week in Saratoga. There is not much more you can say about that. It has been pouring rain here since late last night and it is supposed to rain all day.

All races are off the turf and the main track is sloppy and I am sure will stay that way all day. The 50¢ Pick 5 play is two tiered with an all top choice ticket for $18 and top choices with one backup for $108.

Remember at Monmouth a sloppy track usually favors front runners.
In the 50¢ Place Pick 6 let's try our standard $36 play: 3,10,13 with 4,6,8 with 1,7 with 5,10, with 9, with 4,5.

I hope everyone enjoyed the photos I tweeted from Saratoga @AndyScoggin.

Day 39 - Friday, August 12, 2011

I'm back with a Place Pick 6 play at Monmouth today, although I am still in Saratoga. For just $24 let's try: 3,9 with 5,7 with 5 with 1,8 with 2,8 with 3,6,8.