Posted on 11/9/2007 10:51:26 AM

Bet on Horse Racing: Tapped Out

By Brian Mulligan

Just when horse bettors in California were getting somewhat used to the synthetic structure, enter a new player with the appearance of Tapeta at Golden Gate.

The surface, like the Cushion Track and Polytrack, promises safety, good performance and consistency in all weather conditions but like all bettors already know, this is not an exact science and there have to be adjustments made to gamble successfully on all types of surfaces.

Bettors should know that Tapeta was invented by the Mad Genius himself, Michael Dickinson. The trainer is well known for having horses ready to roll off extended layoffs after working at his Tapeta Farm in Maryland.

The Tapeta surface was recently used at the Presque Isle meet in Pennslyvania and if bettors can get a hold of those local charts, it may help point them to the correct styles to back.

The surface itself is deep, and bettors should be aware that it may play toward slow times. Dickinson was pleased with the Presque Isle surface and listen to his quotes about what he wants in the perfect surface. “We like horses’ front feet to go in an inch but no more than two inches. If they’re not going in an inch, it’s too hard. We need the front-end to be forgiving, but it’s even more important to cater to the rear end. There is more pressure exerted on the hind end---a horse has to have stability. “

In my mind, this makes great sense and is a concept that has escaped a lot of bettors and track owners. Although the synthetic surface has been seen as safer, there is the question as to the long-term effect of what can happen to muscle tissue.

According to the inventor, Tapeta was specifically designed and selected for stability for a horse’s hind-end, and that may be great news for the horsemen of Northern California.

One thing the bettors should isolate on this meet at Golden Gate is runners that have worked or raced over the surface.

The young guns saddling runners at Golden Gate also have to be addressed and embraced by bettors. Enter Steve Miyadi and 33-year-old William E. Morey.

Morey grew up on the racetrack as the son of trainer extraordinaire Bill Morey Jr. Despite his young age, he has been within the top 75 trainers in the country the last 3 years and his runners pop at about a 23% clip.

For Miyadi, it’s all about percentage. The 50-year-old is a graduate of Santa Barbara and he wins races in bunches.

Horse racing bettors have to be aware of every single runner he sends out. A couple of season ago at the spring Gate meet, he popped at 42% and really has not stopped yet.

Horse racing gamblers also should know that Miyadi has a super training pedigree. He learned from John Sullivan, an old-school trainer who conditioned some stellar Europeans back in the day. And Miyadi also was an assistant to Mike Mitchell, one of the sharpest Southern California trainers for years.

Angles that sharp bettors can isolate on with Miyadi runners include his second starters off a layoff of between 45 and 180 days. That is a 32% win rate for the trainer.

Sharp bettors already know that Miyadi is more adept with horses stretching out rather than cutting back but when he tinkers with blinkers, either on or off, he is equally effective at nearly 30%.

His most potent asset and this is probably because Mitchell has done the same thing in his career, is win off the claim.

Miyadi can make bettors money with that ploy this meet as career he is 35% in the race after a recent claim.

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