AMERICAN TURF CLUB LEAD-PICK FIVE FROM MAY 30TH

By: JOE GIRARDI

               I have said many times in this space that the best bet at the racetrack is the Pick five. Now as the racing starts to get better as we move towards the Summer the pools start to grow larger and Saturday May 30^th was a prime example. Normally I would be at the racetrack live but on Saturday I wasn’t able to make it so NYRA rewards and playing from home would be the way to go.

               The first race was a maiden claimer with a $40k claiming price going six furlongs over the turf. There were nine horses in the race with 2-1 favorite going to Galroyale, a four year old filly coming off an October layoff. I decided to play a pick five and a friend of mine decided to take half my play. The first leg we used three horses, 3-9-10. We got by that leg when Kitty’s Pearl, who stalked the leaders from third, took over into the lane and held safe by more than two lengths returning $8.30 at the windows.

               We moved on to leg 2, a NW1X allowance race with six horses in the race with Eastern Rose going off as the 6-5 favorite. We again used just three horses, 1-2-5. We didn’t use the favorite in the race who was making her first start against winners after breaking her maiden. The 5 Momameamaria came out running from the start, set a sharp pace and never looked back scoring by more than four lengths in a sharp time. The favorite, Eastern Rose pulled up on the turn and was vanned off. The winner, who was 9-1 when the gates opened went to 7-1 was the easiest of winners. That was a good result as we beat both favorites with decent mutuels.

               In the third leg, a $75k maiden claimer going 1 and 1/16^th miles over the turf with a field of nine horses with the 1, Tiz Afleet going off as the slight 5-2 favorite. We used five horses in this race, the 1-3-6-9-10. The 4, Noble Hustle set the early pace with the 6, Kensington Court putting the pressure on through moderate splits. As they moved around the turn, the 6 Kensington Court had taken over the lead but there was a challenge from the 34-1 first time starter, the 5 Doc Curlin. As they moved down the stretch, the 5 had taken over the lead slightly but Kensington Court and jockey Irad Ortiz battled back to get up to win by a nose at 9-1. There was an inquiry and a frivolous claim of foul but the results stood. The winner paid $20.80 and the pick 3 over those three races paid $809. A great start to the pick and we had plenty of coverage over the last two.

               The 4^th leg was a statebred NW1X allowance race going seven furlongs on the turf. There was a field of eight that went postward but only seven betting entrants. The favorite was the 7 Boston Strong who was sent off at even money. We used five horses in this race, the 3-5-6-7-10. When the gates opened the 6 went right to the lead with pressure coming from the purse only entrant Dark Roast. Around the turn, Dark Roast had taken over the lead but was overtaken by favorite Boston Strong but a final move by the 5 Iced Over got him up for the win. That winner paid $19.20, another huge result in the pick 5. We are now going to the final leg closing with four horses.

               In the fifth and final leg, we had the 2-5-6-8, a race for statebred optional $40k claimers, NW2X allowance company. The 8 set the pace while under pressure from the 7 through reasonable splits, as they moved around the turn and into the lane, the 5 moved up to challenge the 8 and those two ran like that into the lane but the 6, This Hard Land, the seven year old veteran and best result in the pick 5 got up to score going away by two lengths. That winner paid $25.40 but more importantly what the pick 5 payoff. $185,140 for the $2 but we had it for 50 cents which $46,285. This more than double the price of the parlay for 50 cents, big pools and lower takeouts make that possible. Our total play was 3x3x5x5x4=$450 for cents. After the taxes were taken out we got a little over $34,000, $17,000 each for our $225 investment. Now obviously this isn’t going to happen every day but with Saratoga just around the corner the potential for a huge score is there, take it.