BetAmerica Best Bets of the Weekend for Feb. 20-21
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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, handicapper and avid gambler Monique Vág 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, Vág 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.
She also will look for strong exacta plays for the weekend or occasionally try to spot a nice opportunity for other wagers.
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This Weekend’s Bets
Best Bet
Saturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 2, 4 p.m. ET
#1 Undeniable U: This colt narrowly missed breaking his maiden twice with two losses of less than a length. He tries the turf again and adds an extra eighth of a mile onto the mile distance he’s used to racing. I think more than anyone in here he’ll appreciate the added distance. Victor Espinoza stays aboard and this one is completely overdue. I like the break from the rail, means he’ll likely be placed closer. At a short price, he’s my Pick 5 single.
Best Bet
Saturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 3, 4:30 p.m. ET
#5 Ziconic: How can you possibly go wrong with a horse by Tapit and out of Zenyatta? This race marks the much anticipated debut of this colt. I like that connections have taken it slow and allowed for him to accumulate many workouts. I’m excited!
Exacta Box
Saturday, Fair Grounds, Race 8, Daisy Devine Stakes, 4:54 p.m. ET
#5 Fauflier: This horse tries Lasix (furosemide) for the third time. She’s also shortening in distance to a mile and sixteenth, in a smaller field than her American turf debut. This mare is well bred for the turf and going distances over a mile. I think she’s been training well with nicely spaced workouts. I think she’ll be closing late.
#6 Pink Poppy: She’s faced a couple of North America’s top turf milers and it’s hard to ignore her performances in many graded stakes races. She looked hard to handle in many instances throughout her 2016 racing debut. I’d like to see her break better and race closer to the front so I’ll give that race a pass although she closed nicely. I like the addition of Florent Geroux; he’s been amazing on the turf this year.
#10 Notte d’Oro: It’s hard to ignore this mare’s stunning turf pedigree and three wins out of four starts over the turf surface at Fair Grounds. She’s making her first start in almost four months, and that is not necessarily the best sign to see. I think her back class and turf experience make the racing hiatus excusable for me, although I would have liked to see a 2016 start. I do however like the extra sixteenth of a mile to make up for her outside post position.
Longshot Bet
Sunday, Fair Grounds, Race 5, 4:25 p.m. ET
#1 Oh No Petrino: In a field that lacks turf experience, I think she has a good shot to win. This mare is making her third start off the claim for new connections. She stood no chance in her 2016 debut over the dirt in a stakes race, but this is a spot she’s won in before. I think she fits well in here and may be overlooked by bettors playing some of the mares who drew outside posts. If the price is right, she’s worth a closer look.