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Preakness Stakes - December 20, 2008Our Saturday Newsletter this week features a total of Five races, with three of them coming from the Fair Grounds, and the other two from Hollywood Park. For those of you who are only weekend players, Aqueduct is on it's annual Holiday break and won't re-open until the day after Christmas. Today's Best Bet is #6 Soupy in Race #1 at Hollywood Park. Friday's Results: Fair Grounds Race #5 Top Pick # 10 (Diamond Tycoon) $5.60.  Today's Horse Racing Picks: Top pick: #4 (TENSAS FLAT) - Excellent debut run at Evangeline Downs despite all sorts of problems at the start and during the running, eventually winding up third. I think she has a lot more speed to her and with a "clean" break she'll show it today. Trainer Troy Young wins at an amazing 46% second time out. 2nd pick: #1 (College Bound Kate) - Late finisher finished well in front of the choice last out, but has litle room for more improvement at this point. Think the "pick" reverses the decision today. 3rd pick: #6 (Tidefalls) - Debut runner only has one published work, but the small barn doesn't waste many runs and their winner at this meet was ridden by John Jacinto (just like this one). 4th pick: #10 (Lightup the Shadow) - Cuts back after racing in a "mile" event last out, her first race in 10 weeks. Effort may have been nothing more than a "conditioning" race for her. Shows her best here. HOLLY WOOD PARK Race #1 at 3:30 PM Eastern Top pick: #6 (SOUPY) - Moves up in class, but is in great shape and is the main speed in this contest. In a good barn (John Sadler) who's stock stays sharp once in condition. Looking for him to go wire-to-wire. 2nd pick: #4 (Asperity) - Good European form was absent when sent here, but in his latest he showed a nice late kick and rallied for second place. Must use in exactas. 3rd pick: #2 (Westerly Magic) - Another who likes to rally from pretty far back. Prospect of a slow to moderate pace won't help his chances, but he's won his last pair on the grass. FAIR GROUNDS Race #6 at 3:50 PM Eastern Top pick: #1 (CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE) - Turf-sprinting is his game and that's what he'll do again today. Former speedball has learned to rate since coming to the barn of Bret Calhoun, but may go to the front as he has the best early gear. Likes this course (two for three) and think he'll win another. 2nd pick: #7 (Storm Treasure) - Runner only recently has become a dangerous one-run sprinter after racing at longer distances (and being a stakes winner) earlier in his career. Dangerous late on the scene threat. 3rd pick: #2 (Kingship) - Professional turf runner, can go both "short or long" and has some very good efforts on this year's resume. He'd love the pace to be fast/contested. 4th pick: #6 (Rock Gold) - Very consistent runner has had an excellent season, only finishing out of the money once. Much improved as the year has gotten longer, and he's a legitimate threat at nice odds. FAIR GROUNDS Race #7 at 4:15 PM Eastern Top pick: #5 (SECRET GYPSY) - Lightly-raced, very fast, and immensely talented. Highly thought of by her trainer (Ronny Werner) she won at Saratoga and then finished second in a stakes that was run in extremely fast time. Won easily last out and she should be able to defeat this group. 2nd pick: #1 (Adhrhythm) - Good barn (Merrill Scherer) has freshened her up since a nice win over a strong field on the Keeneland poly last out. Working swiftly for this and she draws the rail. Contender. 3rd pick: #7 (Dubai Majesty) - Right behind the top pick in a stakes, filly blasted an allowance field at a mile next out. Cuts back significantly in distance, so she'll be racing mid-pack here. Late chance. 4th pick: #11 (Control System) - Steps up a bit today and also cuts back in distance. In good form at present, she'll need a fast/contested pace for more than a minor award. HOLLYWOOD PARK Race #6 at 6:05 PM Eastern Top pick: #8 (FLAT BOLD) - Has an experience edge on this field full of debuting stock. Broke slowly in his debut, rushed up into a fast pace and tired late. Moves off the rail and that should give the leading rider here, Rafael Bejarano some options. Trainer (Craig Dollase) wins at 29% 2nd time out. 2nd pick: #5 (Congaree Park) - Colt has a trio of fast "gate" drills showing and he's in the win-early Baffert barn. 3rd pick: #6 (Turk) - Another runner from the Baffert barn, this colt has one of the best drills of the entire meeting on his resume, a gate work on Dec. 14 that was best of 102 that worked the distance that morning. 4th pick: #4 (Mr. President) - Good barn (John Shirreffs) and colt has been a steady worker, though at least in the mornings not as fast as the top trio. Horse Racing Picks Resources:
Check out the last five Horse Racing Picks Newsletters: Horse-Racing-Picks-December-19-2008 Horse-Racing-Picks-December-18-2008 Horse-Racing-Picks-December-17-2008 Horse-Racing-Picks-December-16-2008 Horse-Racing-Picks-December-15-2008 |
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