Sunday, May 29, 2011 - Day 6

Excited by yesterday's great Pick 5 value at Monmouth. Let's attack today's card with more back-up horses in level two and three. In race 9, 4th leg, scratch the 3, changing the expense. Now in race 10, top pick #8 is out. So, I have put up an all new box. The all Top Choice Pick 5 is only $18. Level two using one race's back-ups at a time increases the play to $81. At level three, with the double back-ups, the total cost goes up to $144.

Remember to visit HorseRacingNation.com/blogs/Monmouth to read my "Racing at the Jersey Shore" blog. HRN is an extensive website that offers insight into every aspect of racing. HRN is also a great source for data about horses, past and present. Click here or on the HRN logo in the right margin.

update - 6:58pm - 4 out of 5 in the pick 5, but we really missed on that 3rd leg. Only paid $195 this time with all winners paying below $8.40. The Place Pick 6 paid about the same amount. Tomorrow is a day off for me. Thanks for following, we will hit a good one soon!

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New Blog on horseracingnation.com

Today was a beautiful, warm and breezy, day at Monmouth Park. The track was the last stop in my 10 year son’s birthday celebration which included gymnastics, delicious burgers at Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace, and water fun at the nearby Sprayground. We arrived at the track in time for today’s John J. Reilly Handicap. I could not miss seeing this showdown for the best New Jersey-breds.
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Saturday, May 28, 2011-Day 5

May, 28, 2011, is my son's 10th birthday, so this should be a lucky day. In the 50¢ Place Pick 6: 1, 6 with 1, 6 with 4, 7 with 6 with 2, 3, 9 with 8 for a total of $12.

For today's 50 ¢ Pick 5, there will be an all top choice ticket for $48 and a second ticket with one back-up that will cost an additional $16.
Today's 11th race is the John J. Reilly Handicap for New Jersey-breds. In the field are two of the top 10 earning Jersey-breds in history. Click on the HorseRacingNation.com icon in the right margin to go to my "Racing at the Jersey Shore" blog to find out more about the best NJ runners.

UPDATE - 7:01pm - Joey P. finished 11th and Who's the Cowboy 9th in the John J. Reilly H. The Pick 5 for 50¢, hard to believe, pays $622.35. The winners paid $4.80, $6.40, $5.80, $10.80, $3.00 and produce an IRS winner! WOW! We had 3 winners and 2 seconds. One second was a first timer in race 7 that got bet to 2.20-1, but it was the second leg. I didn't see if it got bet in the race 6 DD's. The value is definitely there!

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New Blog on horseracingnation.com

Two of the Top 10 New Jersey-breds to Run on Saturday

New Jersey-bred horses have had an impact at Monmouth Park and on the national racing scene for almost a century. Top New Jersey-breds have been conditioned by Hall of Fame trainers, won the Kentucky Derby, or were owned by celebrities. Three New Jersey-breds are in the racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga. Regret (left), the 1917 Kentucky Derby winning filly, joined the Hall of Fame in 1957. Cavalcade, who also won the Kentucky Derby in 1934, got in the Hall of Fame in 1993. read more

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sorry that this is going up a bit late, but it was a busy weekend with work, family, and racing. Late's try the three prong approach to the pick 5 and I will give you a Place Pick 6 and hope for better prices today.In the 50¢ Place Pick 6, for only $16, let's try: 5, 7 with 4, 5 with 3 with 5, 8, with 6, 9, with 1, 3. Remember that starts in race 4. Good Luck.

7:03 pm-update-Wow, how about the 50 ¢ Place Pick 6 payout to one winner for $4,846.25? The Pick 5 paid $18,365.35. I guess our 3 out 5 doesn't seem so bad. I was hoping for a carryover.

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Preakness Day at Monmouth Park

Saturday, May 21, 2011, is day 3 at Monmouth and the Preakness. So, let’s have some fun in both. For Monmouth’s very tough card I seek some inspiration from a favorite movie, The Sting (1973). Remember how Hooker and Gondorff make the sting on banker/gangster Doyle Lonnegan?

Doyle Lonnegan: I put it all on Lucky Dan; half a million dollars to win.

Kid Twist: To win? I said place! Place it on Lucky Dan! That horse is gonna run second today.

Thus, I am taking advice from Kid Twist and betting to place today. Let’s make a small play in the 50¢ Place Pick 6 that begins in race 4. Race 8 has already been taken off the turf and I have tried to predict the scratches. Total bet is $18: 6, 9, 11 with 1 with 8 with 1A (scratched), 2, 5 with 8, 10, 14 with 5 with 8. Let’s root for 1^st and 2^nd in the races where more then one horse has been selected and we will collect more than one winning ticket. Please check back tomorrow after scratches have been posted.

For the Preakness let’s try a $1 trifecta play. Total bet is $60: 9, 10, 11 with 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 with 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14. Good Luck everyone. Have a great day of Racing at the Jersey Shore!

5:45 pm -Update- We have good news and bad news. We hit the Place Pick 6 TWICE and lost money. It paid $7.75 x 2 = $15.50, but we bet $18. It was fun, though. On to the Preakness. After 3 tries at the Place Pick 6 we are +$53.80, cashing in 2 out of 3.

7:45 pm -Update-How about Shackleford? Jesus Castanon slowed it down after the first quarter and they hung on to get the Woodlawn Vase! Remind me to tell you a great story about Castanon from when he was riding at Philadelphia Park.

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WOW! The Saturday Card at Monmouth Looks TOUGH!

WOW! The Saturday Card at Monmouth looks extremely tough. It might be a day to just dabble in the Place Pick 6. On the bright side (no weather pun intended), it looks like the rain might be finished. So, maybe there is a chance that there will be turf racing this weekend. Sunday, a trainer friend of mine has a horse in the 9th race. He has got a shot in there.

I'll be back with more definitive information on Friday evening. If you are handicapping Saturday's card , I'd love to hear your ideas.