Dan's Double: Weekend Winners for Jan. 9-10
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When it comes to making money when handicapping races and betting on horse racing, it’s all about picking winners. Dan Tordjman, America’s Best Racing’s New York correspondent, is one of the brightest young minds in the game.
Each Week, Tordjman – DanonymousMan to those who follow him on Twitter – will provide readers with his two best bets of the weekend and strategies for how to bet them. Tordjman will keep track of his return on investment (ROI) throughout the year and, as a bonus, he will also provide picks for a selection of the key races on the Triple Crown trail and the road to the Breeders’ Cup.
Come back every week and be sure to follow Tordjman on Twitter.
Saturday, Jan. 9, Race 1, Gulfstream Park
#5 Concert Stage (5-1 ML): Concert Stage is a hard-knocking 9-year-old who has been around the claiming ranks of Florida and New York for years. In recent months, he’s been up against tougher horses. On Saturday, he drops down to the $16,000 claiming level, which he won at last April. He also finished second at this level in August but that was going less than a mile. He’s a stalker who does it best work at just past a mile and this 1 1/8-mile distance should suit him perfectly. Lastly, he’s been in the money (first, second or third) in 21 of his 30 lifetime starts at Gulfstream.
Strategy on $10 Budget - $5 win and place on #5 Concert Stage ($10)
Strategy on $25 Budget - $1 trifecta key 5 over 1, 3, 4, 11, 13 ($20)
$1 exacta: 1, 3, 4, 11, 13 with 5 ($5)
Strategy on $50 Budget - $10 win on #5 Concert Stage ($10)
$1 trifecta key 5 over 1, 3 , 4, 11, 13 ($20)
$1 exacta: 5 with ALL ($13)
$1 exacta: 3, 13 with 3, 4, 5, 13 ($6)
Sunday, Jan. 10, Race 8, Santa Anita Park
#8 Sheer Pleasure (3-1 ML): Sheer Pleasure comes back off a long layoff in what looks like a very winnable spot if she’s cranked up. And, if her :59 2/5 bullet work (best of 136 works at the distance) last Sunday is any indication, she should be ready to roll off the layoff. Additionally, her trainer Phil D’Amato scores at a healthy 24 percent clip off the long layoff. Sheer Pleasure has two wins at Santa Anita and when last seen at Del Mar she got moved up to second - behind a next-out winner - following a disqualification. She also finished fourth behind Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Stellar Wind in last year’s Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.
Strategy on $10 Budget - $10 win #8 Sheer Pleasure ($10)
Strategy on $25 Budget - $1 trifecta key 8 over 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 ($20)
$1 exacta: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 with 8 ($5)
Strategy on $50 Budget - $15 win and place on #8 Sheer Pleasure ($30)
$1 trifecta key 8 over 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 ($20)