Saturday is Derby Day. Ok, not that one. This derby will be in Arcadia, Ca, at Santa Anita instead of at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, KY. We’ve got to wait a bit longer for that showdown. At this point, as bat-excrement crazy as 2020 has been, we’ll settle for handicapping and wagering on any derby […]
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Last week, in this space we suggested horseplayers take a stand against heavily favored Maxfield in the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. We were wrong. Get used to it. If you’re playing the horses, you’re going to be wrong way more often than you’re going to be right. Sports bettors need to back the […]
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When the word ‘Great’ is used as an adjective to describe you, you’ve got to be better than the rest. Way better. ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky didn’t just score goals. He created them, like works of art. Lots of ‘em, too. Nearly 900. More than anyone else, ever. Instead of blank canvases Gretzky used […]
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Saturday night, I received an e-mail with the following headline: Breaking News…Baffert Sweeps Oaklawn 3-year-old Stakes! What’s next? Just In…Sun Set in the West! Film at 11. It should be breaking news only when Bob Baffert doesn’t train the winner of a 3-year-old graded stakes race at Oaklawn Park. The Hall-of-Fame trainer has been treating […]
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Two…that’s two…for the price of one. To borrow a phrase, ‘Double your pleasure, double your fun.’ There’s no Kentucky Derby Saturday–COVID 19 saw to that–instead we’ve got two versions of the Arkansas Derby—where 22 original entries necessitated a ‘split’ of the race into two divisions. It’s a unique opportunity to see if, on the first […]
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Race 8–Count Fleet Sprint Handicap—Six Furlongs 1. Lexitonian Sisterson/Beschizza 30-1 Returns after roughly six months on the bench. He showed some decent efforts at 3 but needs to get better. Let’s see one first. 2. Flagstaff Sadler/Rosario 7/2 Overcame issues to show talent at 5 and has continued to be solid at 6. He should […]
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This season’s traditional Triple Crown series is, like most of us, under quarantine. The Kentucky Derby has been re-scheduled for the first Saturday in September. But, at this writing, there’s no word on Preakness or Belmont fates. Along the road to the Triple Crown familiar signposts have been removed. Last Saturday, for example, Santa Anita […]
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This is what grandparents warned us about: a rainy day. Remember, they’d say, ‘Save your pennies for a rainy day.’ Never quite got it. I do now. That ‘rainy day’ has arrived. It’s today and tomorrow and the day after, at least for the foreseeable future. They should have cautioned that the downpour could last […]
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Historically, the Florida Derby has been a fruitful tree from which to pluck Triple Crown success stories. However, present times suggest an uncertain future that, undoubtably, will result in a unique 2020 Wikipedia section. The world is in the throes of a pandemic, the likes of which citizens of the world haven’t experienced since the […]
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With the Kentucky Derby now rescheduled and to be contested Saturday, Sept. 5, traditional 3-year-old prep races must be viewed differently. No longer are they stepping-stones toward an approaching destination. Now, they must be handicapped as valuable, stand-alone events. Scheduled major 3-year-old races still award coveted points toward stalls in the Derby starting gate but, […]
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Spanning the Globe Those of a certain age can recall hearing venerable sportscaster Jim McKay’s dramatic weekly voiceover, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic competition. This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports.” It’s doubtful that this weekend’s Thoroughbred events […]
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Jeff Siegel’s Daily Analysis & Wagering Strategies Santa Anita Friday, February 21, 2020 * Specifically designed for the rolling exotic player, Jeff Siegel’s “Daily Analysis and Wagering Strategies” isolates those horses that should be included in daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and the pick-6. * It is recommended that Jeff’s selections be used to augment […]
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Relax. Take a break. Hit ‘pause.’ Your determined search to find probable Kentucky Derby in-the-money finishers is suspended. For now. This weekend there are no races with Kentucky Derby starting-gate points attached. However, don’t get too comfortable. Consider this Saturday and Sunday a mere coffee break, not a vacation. The hunt for the first four […]
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This past weekend felt like the start of something big—the journey toward horse racing’s premier annual event: The Kentucky Derby. Granted, as the thermometer on the wall reminds, we’re a couple of months away from the first Saturday in May. However, from now until the Arkansas Derby April 11, just about every winter weekend offers […]
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The 2020 Pegasus, fourth renewal of the event, struggled through early rounds while taking several potent jabs to the face. First, in a single, delayed announcement, the race’s purse was reduced from $7 million to $3 million and hopefuls were informed that starters in both the Pegasus World Cup Turf and Pegasus World Cup Invitational […]
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