Betting the Fleur de Lis Handicap on a Budget
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Sheer Drama (pictured winning at Gulfstream Park) looks to rebound off a runner-up effort in the Fleur de Lis Handicap. (Photo by Coglianese Photo/Lauren King)
Exactly a week removed from American Pharoah's triumphant Triple Crown run at Belmont Park, the eyes of racing fans turn to Churchill Downs for a great lineup of races on Saturday. One of the featured races is the Grade 2, $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap, a showdown between some of the best older fillies in the country.
One of the clear standouts in the field is Harold Queen's homebred #7 Sheer Drama. It took a while for her to start attracting attention but this horse has been good from the start. In just her fourth career race, she set a 1 1/16-mile track record at Laurel Park. She's been in the money (finished first, second or third) in 12 of her 16 career starts and captured her first graded stakes win two races back - a 6 1/2-length win in the Grade 2 Royal Delta.
While Sheer Drama is as steady as they come, we're only going to make money on a short budget if we can find a price horse to go with her. My long shot pick here is #4 Yahilwa. She's listed at 15-1 on the morning line and I'd consider that to be great value, in light of how this horse has run of late. In April, she won the Grade 3 Sixty Sails at Hawthorne and was perhaps even more impressive in defeat last out in the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico. In that race, she posted blistering early fractions - while being pressed by challenger after challenger - and still managed to hold on for second behind Stopchargingmaria (a multiple graded stakes winner who would be 3-5 in this field).
AMERICA
Photo by NYRA
Others to consider are #1 America, #2 Tiz Windy and #9 Gold Medal Dancer. America has been disappointing in graded stakes company but if there's enough pace up front - and there should be - she could very easily run into the trifecta. The same goes for Tiz Windy, who rallied nicely last out in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes. Gold Medal Dancer has a win over Untapable on her 2015 resume but I'm not sure that she wants a mile and an eighth, nor do I think she'll have anything left late if she chases the pace.
I’m going to take a stand against the likely second choice #8 My Sweet Addiction. She absolutely walked on the lead when winning the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes last out. She might turn out to be a really nice horse but this is a really tough spot for a horse shipping in and her price will be too short to make her appealing from a betting perspective.
Here are my selections and plays on a $20 budget.
Selections: #7 Sheer Drama - #4 Yahilwa - #1 America - #2 Tiz Windy
Wagers:
$1 trifecta 4,7/ 4,7/ ALL ($14)
$.10 superfecta 4,7/1,2,4,7/1,2,4,7/1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9 ($6)
$200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap
Saturday, Churchill Downs, Race 7 at 9:08 p.m. ET
1 1/8 miles, Fillies and mares 3-years-old and older, Dirt
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
Owner
M/L
1
America
Joel Rosario
116
Bill Mott
Bobby Flay
10-1
2
Tiz Windy
Julien Leparoux
116
Carl Nafzger
James B. Tafel, LLC
8-1
3
Pearl Turn
Jesus Castanon
115
William Van Meter
Thomas VanMeter, II and Brad Grady
15-1
4
Yahilwa
James Graham
117
James Cassidy
D. P. Racing
15-1
5
Glorys Last Chance
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
113
John Hall
Whippoorwill Farm, Inc.
30-1
6
Frivolous
Jon Court
116
Victoria Oliver
G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.
20-1
7
Sheer Drama
Joe Bravo
120
David Fawkes
Harold Queen
2-1
8
My Sweet Addiction
Mike Smith
121
Martin Jones
Pamela C. Ziebarth
5-2
9
Gold Medal Dancer
Luis Quinonez
118
Donnie Von Hemel
Pin Oak Stable
3-1