Posted on 5/14/2008 3:23:11 PM

Wagering on Horses Online 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.

Preakness Week is upon us and we have just a couple of days to do some online sports betting and pad our bankroll in advance of the second jewel of the Triple Crown on Saturday at Pimlico.

Today’s feature is from Churchill Downs and we’ll invest a modest $24 in today’s late Pick 3 from Belmont Park.

Today's Play of the Day from Churchill Downs:

CD Race 8 Alw $43,100N1X (4:56 et)

#4 Route 7/2

#7 Go West Bert 4/1

#1 Blue Lion 5/2

#8 It's a Rap 20/1

Analysis: #4 Route makes his turf debut here after running on poly in his first three career starts. Was not a threat last out in a sixth place finish going seven furlongs, his first start off a six month layoff. Colt has plenty of pedigree to handle grass, by Dynaformer out of the stakes winner Trip, who did her best running on the main track but did have a 5-1-2-0 record on the weeds. She has dropped one other foal to race, Passport ($169K), a stakes winner on dirt who is 1 for 3 on turf.

#7 Go West Bert made a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot last out at Keeneland going nine furlongs on turf, beaten 3/4 of a length for the top spot. Gelding is on the improve, earning back to back career tops. He is a half to a pair of turf winners. Two of her sibs are stakes winners on the main track, Hurricane Bertie ($940K) and Allamerican Bertie ($799K), both of those runners with one turf win each.

Wagering

WIN: #4 to win at 5/2 or better.

EX: 4,7 / 1,4,7,8

TRI: 4,7 / 1,4,7,8 / 1,4,7,8,10

Belmont Park Late Pick 3

Starting in Race 7: $1: 2,3,5 / 2,3,4,9 / 4,6 = $24

BEL Race 7 Clm $35,000N2L (4:12 et)

#3 Formal King, #5 Metinicus, #2 Bel Viaggio

#3 Formal King ships in from Gulfstream for her first start against winners after graduating in his turf debut against $25K maiden claimers. The gelding dueled for the early lead and finished gamely for the win. The third place finisher in the race was Starship Victory, who graduated in his next start on 5/9 at Calder versus $32K maidens. Gelding has three sibs that have also won on turf and this guy is making just his fourth career start and appears to have much more upside than most of this group.

#5 Metinicus went gate to wire to break his maiden in his eighth career start. Tries grass for the first time here for low profile barn that is 0 for 7 moving runners from dirt to turf. Colt is a half to stakes winner Colonial Colony ($921K) who won 2 of 14 starts on turf ($84K).

BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:45 et)

#2 Best Alibi, #3 Prince Rahy, #9 Cougar Bay, #4 Retribution

#2 Best Alibi makes his U.S. debut here in a Alw-2 race that came up real tough. He made his last start last October, a third place finish at York. He is a G2 winner and spent the winter prepping at Payson for barn that is 38% winners (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff.

#3 Prince Rahy had to steady in tight quarters while down along the inside on the first turn and finished well for the runner up spot while unable to get to the gate to wire winner. The third place finisher in the race was Banrock, who came back to win the NY bred Kingston in his next outing on 5/11.

BEL Race 9 Clm $16,000N1Y (5:17 et)

#4 Touchdown Kid, #6 Hana Highway

#4 Touchdown Kid makes his first start for Jacobson barn off nearly a two month break. The barn claimed this guy for $25 and jams him in here for $16K. Barn has been sending out live runners at the meeting (9-3-4-1) and is 13% overall first off the claim. Owns back speed figs that are a good fit and would be no surprise to see this guy bounce back with a better effort here.

#6 Hana Highway was caught in tight quarters entering the far turn and was not a threat in the stretch in a sixth place finish at Gulfstream versus open $18K foes. Finds a god spot here facing non winners of a race in five months.

Live Longshots:

These are price plays to watch today. A small win-place wager is in order or if your pockets are deep enough, use these runners in your trifecta and Pick 3 and Pick 4 wagers. One or two of these could be the difference between a regular day at the track and hitting the IRS window with a signer.

Churchill Downs

R2: #6 Silver Sabin 12/1

R3: #4 My Private Lake 12/1

R4: #3 Sabre Dancer 8/1

R5: #7 Polar Paul 12/1

R6: #5 Sea of Spices 8/1

R8: #8 It’s a Rap 20/1

Belmont Park

R2: #7 Bishop’s Creek 12/1

R2: #6 Tomlinson Hill 8/1

R4: #7 Phone Conversation 20/1

R6: #9 Big Wig 8/1

R6: #5 Gravitational 12/1

R7:#5 Metinicus 12/1

R7: #1 Chamaco Loco

R8: #2 Best Alibi 8/1

R8: #3 Prince Rahy 8/1

R8: #4 Retribution 10/1

R9: #4 Touchdown Kid 8/1

R9: #2 Sonny Pajamas 12/1

Good luck padding your bankroll today!

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