Handicapper's Corner: June 2011

June 2011 Totals

Selections	WINS	ITM	WIN %	ITM %	Avg. Pay	ROI
215	68	141	31.6%	65.6%	$5.22	$1.79
Two Month Totals
*389*	*132*	*264*	*33.1%*	*67.9%*	*$5.90*	*$2.00*

June 14 - 18 Royal Ascot Week!

I am NOT saying that I won this photo, but handicapping thoroughbred racing is a very difficult task, just to break even as far greater than 90% of fans leave the races each day behind on their profit line. And it is even more difficult to win against the track take-out percentage, and beating the crowd/fellow handicappers to get a winner. But this just made June 18 a harder day to swallow when one race going the other way would have made it a winning day........

I had a "prime time" bet on the inside horse (#6). The slow motion replay on the left appeared, to me, that as the rail went from blue to silver - signifying the finish line - that my nose was down first. Tough to say with the camera angle, and I'll grant you that the frame I've clipped may have been an instant before or after.....the point is, it was VERY close. My issue is when the "OFFICIAL" photo finish picture went up I CLEARLY had lost.....but note the rail. WHERE IS THE BLUE RAIL? If - and again, I'm not saying this IS what happened - but IF you go two or three jumps past the blue finish line the #4 was ahead.....three or four jumps ahead of the finish line would be an all-silver rail. I'm just saying it makes a tough beat even harder to take.....sigh........

One decision, on a single race, makes the difference between winning and losing.........couldn't decide between Switch and Blind Luck. Blind Luck proven at nine furlongs while Switch had yet to win at the distance. But Blind Luck comes from the back and there projected to be an easy pace for Switch to track, she'd have a comfortable lead off an easy trip into the stretch. Instead Switch is taken back, just a length in front of Blind Luck, and now she has to out-finish her. Very close in spite of this......a WIN bet on Blind Luck, I'm a profitable winner with over 33% winners! A better timed ride on Switch and she holds on, I'm a winner! So close.......but a good day none-the-less!

On Sunday June 19 I was reading the DRF online and two articles caught my eye, both regarding stakes races being run today. The first, the Steady Growth Stakes at Woodbine was featured in the DRF Video "Race of the Day." If you look above, it was also the Wizard's Pick of the Day; and it was Jim Bannon's BEST of the Day on his Woodbine Journal/Selections. Seemed too good to pass up. Sand Cove walked with it. At one point he was 1/5, but the crowd let him get away at 3/5.

The other article that normally would not have caught my eye concerned the feature race at Emerald Downs. The reason this caught my eye was the key horse was Noosa Beach. For some reason last year in the Longacres Mile, also here at Emerald Downs I had seen an article on THAT race and Noosa Beach was my pick. He won handily. According to everything I saw today, he looked to be an overwhelming choice again today. Bet #2! WIN #2......Two bets, two wins, nearly $25 "free" dollars in the bank! Whoooo Hoooooo!