Six gambling tools for beginners
- Start simple with a simple guide to horse racing betting.
- Not sure what that word means? Horse racing terminology is a language in itself. Let us translate for you
- What the heck is a speed rating? This beginner’s guide to speed figures has everything you need to know.
- Betting on horse racing can be intimidating. Team ABR has put together a number of Do’s and Don’ts for the new fan who is starting to bet on racing.
- We all make mistakes when it comes to horse racing betting, here are eight lessons learned from experience.
- Find out in advance how much each bet will cost with our betting calculator, presented by NYRA Bets.
Some of this Saturday’s best racing and betting can be found at Tampa Bay Downs, which features an 11-race card with four stakes races, including the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes for 3-year-olds heading into the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. For this weekend’s winners, let’s take a closer look at the two stakes races that consist of Tampa’s late daily double on Saturday, the Sam F. Davis Stakes and the $125,000 Pelican Stakes for sprinters. If we can pick the winners of these two races and pair them with a daily doubles match, we should go home with full pockets on Saturday. Good luck.
Saturday February 7
Tampa Bay Downs, Race 10, $125,000 Pelican Stakes, post time 5:00 PM ET
The Pelican Stakes features a nine-horse field of fast sprinters who will cover six furlongs on the main track. #6 Silver Slugger enters this race on a four-race winning streak, including two straight victories at Tampa Bay Downs. He is an ultimate Tampa horse for the course with eight wins in nine lifetime outings on the track, mostly at this six-furlong distance. Silver Slugger’s two most recent victories, including posting a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 in a 2 ¼ score last time, came with close-range stalking trips, and that ability to win without taking the lead will put him in a perfect position in this fast field. #8 Chrome ghost is another horse in exceptional form coming into the race with back-to-back recent wins, which should make for a good stalking trip, close off the pace and fast enough to win on the strength of 90 and 91 Beyers in those last two starts. If you’re looking for a third horse in the field with a chance of better odds on the totalizator board, at least for the exactas and trifectas, then a good place to look is #1 Rolandoa horse with great sprint potential who hasn’t had many decent six-furlong sprint opportunities lately. He won the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes from Gulfstream Park at six furlongs last year and lost a $300,000 race at Mahoning Valley last time out when a bad trip hampered him. He’s good enough to challenge in this spot and could be overlooked.
The play: Bet #6 Silver Slugger (4-1) to win and play him in exacta and trifecta boxes #1 Rolando (6-1) And #8 Chrome Ghost (10-1). If you’re playing the late daily double, join Silver Slugger and Chrome Ghost in this race #6 Defector in the final.
Tampa Bay Downs, Race 11, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, post time 5:30 PM ET
The Sam F. Davis Stakes has attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds who will run 1 1/16 miles for a purse of $250,000 in a race that will award Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first five finishers. There are many interesting potential newcomers in the field, but… #6 Apostate already has quality experience and will be the horse to beat. Although Renegade is still technically a girl, he has already ridden competitively twice against Paladin, a horse widely considered to be one of the current Kentucky Derby contenders. Renegade was the victim of a questionable disqualification in a maiden win over Paladin at Aqueduct two races ago and ran second to Paladin last time out with a good performance in Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes. Renegade tired his legs a little in deep stretches in the longer Remsen Stakes, but should have no trouble here at this 1 1/16-mile distance. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Sam F. Davis a record seven times, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is in town for the mountain. The other logical contender in the field will be that #1 Confession for trainer Brad Cox with Flavien Prat on board. Confessional won his career debut from seven furlong at Keeneland and enters this race after a second-place finish at Gulfstream Park behind none other than Nearly, who came back to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes in impressive fashion in his next outing. This will be Confessional’s first route and he must avoid becoming addicted to a fast pace. If Confessional reverses its early lead, it could open the door #9 Dr. Kapur to go a long way in front. Dr.’s first victory Kapur came in wire-to-wire fashion against the next Gun Runner Stakes winner Chip Honcho, and he could pass for a share of the purse in this race if he was in the unchallenged lead.
The play: Bet #6 Renegade (8-5) to win and play it in an exacta box #1 Confession (2-1). Add in trifectas #9 Dr. Kapur (5-1) on the back of your tickets.
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