Tip of the Week: Favorite Things

Favorites are sometimes the best bet, as was the case with Kitten's Roar, pictured above. (Photo by NYRA/Coglianese Photo)
The key to a successful day at the races does not hinge solely on finding double-digit longshots.
If it did, given how infrequently longshots roll around and how difficult they can be to select, the majority of your days at the track would not be fulfilling.
That’s why there’s nothing wrong with backing a favorite, especially if there are several compelling reasons to wager on that horse.
One reason to avoid a favorite is because of a weak field in which no one stands out. In essence, you do not want to take low odds on a horse who is the “least worst” in the field. You want a horse in good form that seems poised for a strong effort – a horse like Kitten’s Roar.
One of the most difficult class jumps is from a maiden race to a test against winners in allowance company, and a horse that can handle that jump with aplomb in its first try deserves close attention.
Enter Kitten’s Roar.
On April 19, Kitten’s Roar made her career debut at Gulfstream and posted a length victory as a 5-2 favorite. Then on May 28, she took on first-level allowance rivals and finished a game second by two lengths at 9-2 odds.
It was a promising enough debut against winners that stamped Kitten’s Roar as a horse to watch in her next race – which came on June 24 in the fifth race at Belmont.
She returned in another allowance race and was the 5-2 morning line favorite, which probably turned off those handicappers eager to turn a $2 wager into a steak dinner.
But those folks content to more than double their money had a grand opportunity. Not only was she coming off an effort that painted her as the horse to beat, but her trainer, Chad Brown, is well-known for his success with turf runners, and her jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., is one of the more successful riders on the circuit.
Everything added up to Kitten’s Roar being a solid play in the race, making her final odds of 8-5 quite palatable - especially when she registered a length and a half victory and returned $5.40.
Yeah, she was a favorite, but Kitten’s Roar also provided her backers with a trip to the cashier’s window, which is the name of the game for anyone who visits a racetrack.
THE LESSON: Favorites may not generate a jaw-dropping payoff, but sometimes the obvious horse in a race is also the best horse to bet on in the race.