BetAmerica’s Best Bets of the Weekend for Dec. 26-27
Image:
Description:
Photo by Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing
America’s Best Racing and BetAmerica team up to provide horseplayers with their best bets of the weekend in a regular feature blog that will run on Fridays.
Each week, one of our crack handicappers - Jose Contreras, Dan Tordjman, Victoria Garofalo, Mike Johnson or Vince Mathews – will provide at least one “Best Bet” of the weekend, ideal for a win bet. The post also will include some combination of additional bets for the weekend.
For some posts, our handicappers will try to identify a longshot play of the weekend, a nice opportunity to swing for the fences on a win bet or to take a shot with a show bet.
Our handicappers also will look for strong exacta plays for the weekend or occasionally try to spot a nice opportunity for other wagers.
Place your bets at BetAmerica, which prides itself on outstanding customer service combined with the safety and security of wagering with a reputable advance-deposit wagering platform. Place your bets and you can walk away with some extra cash in your pocket.
Saturday, Dec. 26
BEST BET/ WIN BET
Santa Anita Park, Race 4, $100,000 Daytona Stakes, 4:38 p.m. ET
#7 Alert Bay is a multiple graded stakes winner on the dirt and on the turf, including a 4-for-5 turf record at Santa Anita. This will be his first time trying the downhill course but he’s already proven he can sprint — he’s a stakes winner at this distance on the dirt. This course tends to play well with runners who have been racing at longer distances while being close to the pace and this guy fits that description.
BEST BET/ WIN BET
Santa Anita Park, Race 6, $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes, 5:47 p.m. ET
#1 Ground Rules got off to a slow start and was bumped slightly in his first turf start last time out. He appeared to be completely out it by the time they hit the final turn. I’m willing to give him an excuse for that effort. He’s been given some time off since Halloween and looks to be coming into this race with a good set of workouts. If he can take his dirt form to the turf, then I think he has a good shot in this race at a nice price.
Sunday, Dec. 27
BEST BET/ WIN BET
Santa Anita Park, Race 2, $75,000 Blue Norther Stakes, 4 p.m. ET
#2 Sweet Queen made her debut a winning one last month at Del Mar while going off at almost 9-1 odds in a six-horse field. She looked sharp and was well clear of the second-place finisher while earning a solid final time. Although she’s facing much more experienced opponents this time around, I think she has plenty of talent to step up to this level. Her sire was a multiple graded stakes winner sprinting and routing on synthetic and turf surfaces. I think this filly has much more to give.
BEST BET/ WIN BET
Santa Anita Park, Race 8, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes, 7 p.m. ET
#6 Peace and War is winless so far in 2015, but I like this move to turf. This will be her first try on the turf since finishing second in a stakes in England in August 2014 before arriving in the U.S. There is plenty of speed in this field to set up her closing kick if she’s good enough. Jockey Joel Rosario knows this course pretty well and has been aboard this filly before.