Betting the Whitney on a $20 Budget
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Three of the Whitney contenders - Moreno (inside), Will Take Charge (middle) and Palace Malice (outside) - met in the 2013 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. (Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
Saratoga Race Course will host the showdown between Palace Malice and Will Take Charge during Saturday’s 87th running of the Whitney, a Grade 1 race with a $1.5-million purse.
The winner of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You're In” qualifying race, which will be televised on NBC with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET, will automatically earn a spot in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Palace Malice and Will Take Charge met on the track several times last year in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes as well as the Jim Dandy Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. Palace Malice has a couple of head-to-head wins (Belmont and Travers), while Will Take Charge won the Jim Dandy and finished ahead of Palace Malice while second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Let’s take a quick look at both:
Palace Malice, currently ranked America’s No. 1 Thoroughbred on the most recent NTRA Thoroughbred Media Poll, is the standout favorite for the Whitney at even-money on the morning line. He’s won all four of his starts in 2014, including the Metropolitan Handicap on June 7 at Belmont Park. He proved he can handle the Saratoga main track when winning the 2013 Jim Dandy. Will this be Palace Malice's fifth consecutive win?
PALICE MALICE HAS BEEN DOMINANT IN 2014
Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Will Take Charge, the 2013 Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old male, is the second favorite at 4-to-1 odds. He’s trained well since his last start at Churchill Downs, where he finished second in the Stephen Foster Handicap. Will Take Charge also has a history of success at Saratoga with the Travers win and, out of all the horses on the field, I believe he’s the one to give Palace Malice the biggest challenge.
There are a few other horses to keep an eye on in this race. Moreno (10-to-1) has a lot of speed and is no stranger to Saratoga, having finished second by a nose to Will Take Charge in the 2013 Travers. Depending on how the horses break, I could see Moreno either setting the pace or challenging the favorites right at the finish. Departing looks like he is regaining his best form, coming in third last time out in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. He has the talent to finish in the money, and at 6-to-1 odds there is no reason not to add him for a trifecta bet. Itsmyluckyday (12-to-1) has won three consecutive stakes races, most recently taking the Salvator Mile Stakes on July 6 at Monmouth Park. He will make his Saratoga debut on Saturday, and I’m curious as to how he will respond against this field of horses.
Here are a few ways that I would play the Whitney Handicap on a $20 Budget: #5 Palace Malice, #1 Will Take Charge, #3 Moreno, #6 Departing, #4 Itsmyluckyday
Scenario A: $0.50 trifecta part wheel: 1,3,4,5 with 1,3,5,6 with 3,4,6 = $12.50
Scenario B: $2 exacta part wheel: 1,3,5 with 1,3,5,6 = $18
Scenario C: $5 exacta part wheel: 1,5 with 1,5,6 = $20
$1.5-million Whitney HandicapSaturday, Saratoga, Race 10, Post Time 5:46 p.m. ET1 and 1/8 miles, for 3-year-olds and older
PP
Horse
Jockey
Weight
Trainer
1
Will Take Charge
Luis Saez
124
D. Wayne Lukas
2
Prayer for Relief
Joel Rosario
117
Dale L. Romans
3
Moreno
Junior Alvarado
117
Eric J. Guillot
4
Itsmyluckyday
Paco Lopez
119
Edward Plesa Jr.
5
Palace Malice
John R. Velazquez
124
Todd A. Pletcher
6
Departing
Robby Albarado
121
Al Stall Jr.
7
Romansh
Jose L. Ortiz
119
Thomas Albertrani
8
Golden Ticket
Julien R. Leparoux
117
Ken McPeek
9
Last Gunfighter
Javier Castellano
121
Chad C. Brown
Tune in to Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 10 for the Saratoga Special Stakes and on Aug. 17 for the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes.