How to bet Aqueduct's Friday Pick 4 - March 30, 2012
Here's my race-by-race rundown of Friday's pick four at Aqueduct on March 30, 2012. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com, with $0.50 incremental bets and $120.00 budget.
Race 6 (Optional claiming race)
CAT IN THE FOREST (#6) is clearly a shaky proposition having lost last two at short prices, but he did seem to be against it a bit last time trying to track down pacesetters on tiring track opening day on the main surface. All four figures since relocating to New York faster than anything his rivals have been posting recently. Like Cat in the Forest, MANDATED BLISS (#1) was claimed by Roddy Valente and sent across country to Bruce Levine, which has been a dangerous combination for years. No factor behind talented Hoorayforhollywood last time, but he won all three dirt starts prior to that, and 92 Beyer earned for last main track win stands up well to scrutiny. Should be going from the rail. 
Race 7 (Claiming race)
Interested in CAT SWEEP (#2), who hasn’t seen turf since his 2-year-old season, but he didn’t run poorly in either of those starts while facing far, far better. Note that he was entered MTO for those off-the-turfers last fall. ALVITO (#3) was taken by top claiming outfit which is difficult to ignore in this field. Jacobson barn does well on grass, so no real worries there. LIVING RIGHT (#5) isn’t very good, but clearly fits here and is difficult to leave out. Tougher call on CAPTAIN CANUCK (#7), who will win this race if he can still stand up, but has made only one start since the 2010 Price of Wales Stakes – he’s the kind of horse I stand against. 
Race 8 (Optional claiming race)
Feature is more open than it may appear at first glance, as while SACRED SUCCESS (#9) has the fastest recent races and is nicely drawn outside, she will face a real test matching up with several horses that have 2-year-old stakes experience. There does appear to be a lot of speed on paper, and that may play most into the hands of TRUE FEELINGS (#1) shipping up from Florida after bumping hard at the break and racing down on the inside past midstretch of her 3-year-old debut. Thought she ran well in Grade 3 Schuylerville last summer, and going to give her a chance to step forward here. For coverage in the event that my "A" in the 7th comes through, and the AE’s draw in for the finale, I will use SELECT CAT (#5), MORE THAN MINTED (#6) and ODE TO SAMI (#7) as "C's."
Race 9 (Maiden claiming race)
Difficult finale as the strength of the field is stuck on the AE list, so keep an eye on the scratches. If MAN IN BROWN SUIT (#11), ADIOS NARDO (#12), or especially, SOLID D’ORO (#13) were to draw in, they would be on the ticket. In the main body, will stick to QUARTERMAIN (#5) and WIN FOR THE ZIPPER (#7), which brings the ticket to five, but doubt all of them will get to play.
My wagers
With TicketMaker I'm able to put greater emphasis on my "A" selections while still having coverage with my "B" and "C" picks just in case. This allows me to maximize my budget of $120.00 for this pick four (the total ticket comes out under budget at $114.00).
