Posted on 4/18/2008 7:33:35 PM

Betting On Horses and Padding Your Bankroll

By Michael Dempsey

National horse racing handicapper Michael Dempsey will attempt to pad his bankroll and yours with his daily column. He will feature at least one Pick 3 or Pick 4 play from a major track along with coverage of major stakes races, longshots, and he will keep you up to date on what is happening on the circuits he covers.

It’s last call for the Big Dance.

Today’s $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) is the last chance for connections with promising three year olds to earn enough graded stakes money to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Eleven will enter the gate on Saturday, with one hoping to become the next Charismatic, a Lexington winner who went on two weeks later to win the Run for the Roses.

Only Salute the Sarge, who has $258,940 and sits 21st on the graded stakes list, seems certain to have enough to get into the Derby.

Tomcito and Atoned may get into the Derby by finishing in the money. For the rest of the field, a win and a payday of $201,500 is needed to earn a starting berth in the Derby.

Atoned is the 3/1 morning line favorite and has $130,000 in graded stakes earnings. It’s possible the Todd Pletcher trainee could sneak into the Derby field with a runner up finish. The colt ran evenly last out in a fourth place finish behind the gate to wire score by Recpaturetheglory in the Illinois Derby (G2).

In his two previous starts, the colt came out on the wrong end of photos in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and the Remsen Stakes (G2).

Salute the Sarge was a good looking winner last out in the Sam Miguel Stakes, which was his three year old debut and his first start off a five month layoff. He was one of the leading two year olds on the west coast last year, winning the Best Pal (G2) and finishing in the runner up spot in the G1’s Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk.

Racecar Rhapsody is coming off a fourth place finish in the Lanes End Stakes (G2), beaten four lengths by Adriano. The colt has just a maiden win on his résumé but looks capable of moving forward in his second start off a 3 ½ month layoff for trainer Ken McPeek.

Tomcito made his U.S. debut in the Florida Derby (G1) and while no match for Big Brown and Smooth Air, he did finish third. The colt won four of five starts in Peru including a pair of Group 1’s.

There are two interesting longshots in the field, Riley Tucker and Samba Rooster.

Riley Tucker ran a good second in the Transylvania Stakes (G3) over the polytrack in a race taken off the turf. The colt was beaten just a half length for the top spot and now trainer Bill Mott adds blinkers to the mix here. The colt looks appealing if we see close to the 12/1 morning line.

Samba Rooster is sitting at 8/1 on the morning line and is worth a good look. The colt set the early fractions and could not hold off the winner late in a runner up finish against first level allowance foes in his last start at Gulfstream Park.

The colt caught a dead rail that day and it’s interesting to note the trainer Bob Baffert saw enough in this colt to purchase him privately after his last race. Could this colt be the next War Emblem?

Selections

1-#3 Samba Rooster

2-#10 Riley Tucker

3-#2 Salute the Sarge

4-#1 Atoned

Saturday’s card at Keeneland also features the $100,000 Fort Harrod Stakes for four year olds and upward going 1 15/8 miles, and the $100,000 Giants Causeway Stakes for fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on turf.

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