The very betable 11-race Woodbine Oaks card contains a trio of stakes: the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, the $150,000 Plate Trial and the $100,000 Alywow.
The Oaks and Trial make up half of the late pick four, a sequence that I’ll dive into. It has a guaranteed pool of $100,000.
The early pick four at Woodbine has a guaranteed pool of $100,000 and it starts with the $100,000 Alywow, a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies. There are two turf races in the sequence, and considering the positive weather forecast, they will likely stay on the grass.
I am going to build a $1 ticket around JAVA’S BOURBON in race 5. He was very impressive winning his first start this year, is versatile, and his Canadian Hall of Fame trainer, Roger Attfield, is winning races at a 35 percent clip at the meet.
The late pick four at Santa Anita is among the more intriguing gimmick wagers there Sunday, and with a 50-cent minimum, it can be played for a modest amount. And with all four races in the sequence being for horses with established form, there are fewer shots in the dark required from horseplayers.
Here’s a look at the sequence, along with the horses I advise using.
Race 6
BEN’S DUCHESS (1), MY FIONA (2), and MEINERTZHAGENI (6) are the three to use.
To play, or not to play, that is the question Sunday at Santa Anita. As always, the decision hinges on price.
BANDIDO TOO would be worth backing in race 1 if he started at his 8-5 program odds. That probably will not happen. The controlling speed in the maiden-40 sprint, he figures to be hammered closer to even-money, which would make the opener a pass race.
Il Campione (#6, ML 5-2) makes his North American debut in Saturday’s Poker Stakes at Belmont Park, and his first start for trainer Chad Brown. Brown is winning at a 28 percent clip when saddling a horse making its first start with him, for a return on investment of $1.80.
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Taking a look at the middle of the Belmont card on Sunday, with a $1 play on the pick three encompassing races 5 through 7:
RACE 5: MAJESTIC RAFFY (#5) rallied well enough for the place last time considering the slow pace up front, and he should get a better setup in this one. ELROI (#9), out of the same race, is another who figures to benefit from the improved pace scenario. ANALYSIS (#12) has been away since October but his Beyers and his running style fit.
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