There are a lot of big races this weekend, and after sifting through them, I have a couple horses that I will be playing today.
The first is the eighth race at Woodbine, post time 4:55 Eastern. It is the Grade II Nassau. The two inside horses are legitimate graded stakes runners from the States and will be heavily bet.
But we will be playing the 5 horse Shelbysmile across the board. She comes off a nice win at Keeneland, where the competition is very stiff. She has five wins in eight career starts, and has a win over the Woodbine turf course, which can be tricky for horses that have not run on it. We are getting a nice price at 6-1 and we will try to cash on this one.
The other race that is intriguing is the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the eighth race on the card. There is a ton of speed in this race, and a lot of horses that won’t finish if they don’t make the lead. No. 5 Midnight Storm appears to be the speed of the speed, so he has to be used. But even if he wins, he will likely pull the closers with him. There are four horses that fit the profile: The 2, 7, 8 and 9. The two horses worth considering at 1-2 exacta and trifecta plays are the 2 and 7. The 2 has been close in tough company and should get a nice trip. But we are most intrigued by the 7 Big John B at 8-1. He is primarily a turf horse, but his last three trip over the main track have resulted in two wins and a second. We will key him and the 2 first and second and use the 5-7-8-9 with them. We will also play No. 7 across the board.
Good luck.