TVG Best Bets of the Weekend: Doubling Up at Keeneland
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America’s Best Racing and TVG 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. Place your bets at TVG.
This Weekend’s Bets
Saturday, April 9
Best Bet
Keeneland Race Course, Race 2, 1:08 p.m. ET
#1 Limousine Liberal: He’s raced against some of North America’s best sprinters in graded stakes, so I’m sure he’ll appreciate competing against much easier in here today. His workouts this year have been great so he’s most likely ready, and I think this is a perfect spot to get a confidence-boosting win to kick off his 2016 campaign.
Exacta Box
Keeneland Race Course, Race 3, 1:43 p.m. ET
#4 Lotta Lolly: In a very wide open maiden special weight race, I think the play in here is to look for a filly at a big price. Finding fillies in here with turf experience is an added bonus. I like how she went off as 3-1 favorite in her first turf race. She hasn’t raced in nearly eight months, but her workouts look OK. Connections remove blinkers after falling victim to a super-fast opening pace in her last start.
#10 Llanita: This filly is definitely deserving of favorite status after three good performances, two of which were in stakes races. Her connections surely thought highly of her to enter her first North American start in a Grade 3 race. Clearly, she’s the one to beat in here, but the price is just far too short with others that intrigue me.
#8 Naylor: I like that this filly already has two starts in 2016. She’s had one turf start going 5 1/2 furlongs and definitely would have appreciated an added couple of furlongs. She’s well-bred, will be ridden by the same jockey in all three of her starts, has turf experience and shows a nice workout five days ago on the Keeneland surface
Longshot Play
Santa Anita Park, Race 6, 5:30 p.m. ET
#6 Oh Great Idea: I like that in every career start, this filly has been heavily bet. I like that she’s always raced 5 1/2 furlongs – I think this is her best distance. I like that she has racing experience, unlike many in here making their racing debuts. She won’t be racing in the maiden ranks much longer and is clearly overdue for her first career win. At a price and againts a weak field, I like her chances today.
Sunday, April 10
Best Bet
Aqueduct, Race 8, Danger’s Hour Stakes, 5:11 p.m. ET
#1 Legendary: The rail has been a nice place to be on the turf at Aqueduct, and I think this colt’s ideal trip would be stalking the pace. Because of that, I think he drew best. He drops out of a Grade 1 race, shows sharp four-urlong workouts and switches over to a better jockey in Cornelio Velasquez. Good shot.