Dan’s Double: A Speedy Pick in the Charles Town Classic

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, April 23
Charles Town, Race 12, Charles Town Classic, 6:05 p.m. ET
#7 Stanford (9-2): I haven’t ever been a very big fan of Stanford, from a betting standpoint, at least. However, he ran a pretty huge race last out in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, when he was right up on a pretty fast and pressured pace. He then battled on to save the place spot, nearly winning the race. He posted a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in that race, which was a career top, three points higher than his previous best in the race before. Two career numbers in back-to-back races indicate Stanford has come back a more durable horse in 2016.
I’m not really sure who might go with him early in this race but it sure is nice to have the best jockey in the country, Javier Castellano, coming in to ride the horse. If the opportunity presents itself, I can see Castellano trying to open up some daylight early. This track is notoriously challenging for horses who get caught wide on its sharp turns. That fact alone may compromise some of the wider drawn chances like #10 Hard Aces and #9 Page McKenney. The biggest threat to Stanford is likely race favorite #4 Donworth, who lost all chances when he clipped heels badly last out in the Santa Anita Handicap. He was loaded turning for home and if he can sit a ground-saving (and trouble-free) trip here, he’ll present the biggest challenge late to Stanford. 
Strategy on $10 Budget
$3 win and place on #7 Stanford ($6)
$2 exacta box 4,7 ($4) 
Strategy on $25 Budget
$1 trifecta 4,7 with 4,7 with ALL ($16)
$1 exacta 2,4,7 with 2,3,4,7 ($9) 
Strategy on $50 Budget
$1 trifecta 4,7 with 1,2,3,4,5,7 with 1,2,3,4,5,7 ($40)
$5 win and place on #7 Stanford ($10) 
Sunday, April 24
Keeneland, Race 5, 3:18 p.m. ET
#6 Sister Blues (4-1): This filly looked like a completely different horse in her first try over the turf last out at Tampa. On paper, this is a pretty significant step up in class but this is far from the most inspiring group of first-level allowance horses. There are a few concerns here, namely that jockey James Graham is only 1-for-40 at the meet, as of this writing, and trainer Tom Proctor hasn’t even hit the board with five starters. That said, this trainer and jockey combination can connect from time to time and you’d have to figure a repeat of that aforementioned previous race puts Sister Blues in the thick of this. From a pace perspective, there isn’t much of it in this race and Sister Blues looks like one of the few who can actually be on or near the lead. The other one who can flash is Salty Breeze, so we’ll be using her on most tickets, too. 
Strategy on $10 Budget
$1 exacta box 2,5,6 ($6)

$2 win and place on #6 Sister Blues ($4)
Strategy on $25 Budget
$.50 trifecta 5,6 with 1,2,5,6 with ALL ($18)

$3 win and place on #6 Sister Blues ($6)
Strategy on $50 Budget
$1 exacta box 1,2,5,6 ($12)

$5 exacta box 5,6 ($10)

$.50 trifecta 1,5,6 with 1,2,5,6 with 1,2,4,5,6 ($13.50) 

$7 win and place on #6 Sister Blues ($14) 
ROI year to date: $2,176.20 wagered/$3,090.20returned (+$914 YTD)