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Johnny Racetracks
05-04-2006, 05:58 PM
First of all one word comes to mind in a 20-horse field: CHAOS. Don't take a short price on any horse, especially this year when there are a half dozen or so good horses but zero great horses. Of course the winner of this race will likely be called great, it kind of goes with the territory.

I'll post my final picks sometime on Friday but I'm leaning toward completely throwing out the favorite, Brother Derek, and not using the 2nd favorite, Lawyer Ron, much either.

My top 5 right now:

1. Sweetnorthernsaint
2. Point Determined
3. Barbaro
4. A.P. Warrior
5. Cause To Believe

I might play the race like this:

group A = Sweetnorthernsaint & Point Determined & Barbaro & A.P. Warrior
group B = Cause To Believe & Bob And John & Lawyer Ron & Keyed Entry & Showing Up & Deputy Glitters & Jazil & Sharp Humor & Steppenwolfer & Bluegrass Cat

2 unit Exacta box of all 4 horses in group A, cost = 24 units

1 unit Exacta wheel with group A horses in the win spot over group B horses in the place spot, cost = 40 units

if 1 unit is equal to $1, then cost is $64

for an economy plan I would exclude Bluegrass Cat, Steppenwolfer, Jazil, Deputy Glitters, Sharp Humor; then instead of 40 units the ticket costs 20 units.

Recent $1 exacta payoffs for the Ky Derby, yes $1 prices:
2005: $4,907.40 (crazy race, both big longshots)
2004: $32.60 (favorites finished 1st and 2nd)
2003: $48.50 (big favorite finished 2nd)
2002: $650.40 (2 non-huge longshots)
2001: $614.50 (10-1 over pretty big longshot)

If any of the exactas I gave out hits it should fall most closely in line with 2001 at best, or about $150 at worst (unless Lawyer Ron runs 2nd because he will take a lot of money), of course some are played for 2 units which would be $300.

Prices are hard to guess, for instance if Barbaro wins and Sweetnorthernsaint finishes 2nd the $1 exacta might only pay $70, you never know.

If A.P. Warrior wins and Cause To Believe runs 2nd the $1 exacta might pay $1,000.

I have serious doubts about whether Brother Derek can relax with dirt being kicked in his face and then accelerate down the stretch to hit the board. With the low price any tickets will pay with him getting in the money I'm willing to take my chances betting against him.

SeanieKGB
05-05-2006, 02:17 PM
Johnny very interesting stuff, I am looking to back you here. Can you explain to me what a wheel bet is? I usually play the horses at the casinos to have some fun, but usually only bet win-place-show bets and exact boxes. I don't know much else about betting horses. I was looking to go in betting 3 or 4 horses with $50 WPS bets for $150 each. I agree that Brother Derek is a bet to go against. If I take 3 I'd go with Sinister, Babaro, and Sweetnorthersaint. If I take a 4th it'd be either private vow, or lawyer ron.

Johnny Racetracks
05-06-2006, 12:15 AM
I just heard today that Sinister Minister had an abcess in his foot and will be wearing a special bar shoe. Usually that's an automatic throwout.

A wheel is where you pick 1 or more horses in the win spot and then say "with" and list the horses you want to use in the place spot.

For instance if you want to bet the following exactas:
1-2 and 1-3 and 1-4, you say $1 exacta 1 WITH 2 3 and 4.

SeanieKGB
05-06-2006, 10:09 AM
Thanks Johnny, that was helpful. So a $1 exacta wheel bet, 1 with 2, 3, 4 would cost $3?
I have been studying these horses day in and day out, for the last week. One of the benefits of being young and self employed is not having to work when big events are happening.
Anyways, all my handicapping numbers and analysis has thrown out 10 horses completely from this run.
I have rated all the horses based on countless stats using a 1-5 rating system, with 1 being the best...
#11 2.1 (10-1)
#17 2.25 (4-1)
#5 2.35 (12-1)
#10 2.35 (15-1)
#18 2.75 (3-1)
#1 2.8 (30-1)
#7 3.0 (12-1)
#8 3.0 (4-1)
Steppenwolfer is one of my favorite horses running today. Watching him close is a thing of beauty. If he can keep up with the pace off the go, he can make a huge run coming down the stretch. Lawyer Ron beat him last time out in ARK but if the course was a quarter mile longer Step would have glided to a victory. Steppenwolfer rated a 3.4 on my scale, at 30-1 I like him for an end spot on my trifecta or superfecta

Johnny Racetracks
05-06-2006, 10:23 PM
Originally posted by Johnny Racetracks
I might play the race like this:

group A = Sweetnorthernsaint & Point Determined & Barbaro & A.P. Warrior
group B = Cause To Believe & Bob And John & Lawyer Ron & Keyed Entry & Showing Up & Deputy Glitters & Jazil & Sharp Humor & Steppenwolfer & Bluegrass Cat

2 unit Exacta box of all 4 horses in group A, cost = 24 units

1 unit Exacta wheel with group A horses in the win spot over group B horses in the place spot, cost = 40 units

if 1 unit is equal to $1, then cost is $64


Barbaro wins with Bluegrass Cat 2nd, $1 exacta pays $293.50

I ended up throwing out two horses I thought would get burned out early in the race, Keyed Entry and Sharp Humor. I also used Brother Derek for 1st and 2nd with the four horses in group A since he was 7-1 which is a lot better than 3-1 as he was listed at on the morning line. The deductions of KE and SH saved $8 and the addition of BD cost $4 and $4, so it was a wash.

Profit of $229.50 from a $64 investment.