Padding Your Bankroll on Thursday September 25

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.

We need to pad our bankroll over the next couple of days to prepare for a huge day on Saturday. There are six Grade 1 races on tap at Santa Anita, and another five Grade 1 races are on tap at Belmont Park.

Among the horses in action will be 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, who will go off as the favorite in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

The Steve Asmussen trainee will be attempting to top the $10 million mark in earnings.

We will not get that rich with today’s play of the day, but our top pick figures to improve with a race under her belt.

Our Late Pick 3 play is a $24 investment and includes five runners at 6/1 or better on the morning line, so we might be able to come up with a decent payoff.

Belmont Park Pick 3 Play:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 1,5,10 / 4,6 / 3,4,8,10 = $24

BEL Race 7 OClm $25,000N2X (4:12 et)

#1 Tergesti / #1a Oedipus O'Neal, #10 Brookhaven's Money, #5 Ruffino

#1 Tergesti prompted the early pace and faded to finish seventh last out when trying to get nine furlongs in NY bred stakes company. The gelding won at today's level two back in gate to wire fashion and the effort was flattered when the runner up Lorccan came back to beat state bred Alw-2 optional claimers in his next outing on 8/18. The gelding is just 1 for 15 over the main track here, three back coming up a nose shy of getting the top spot.

Entry mate #1a Oedipus O'Neal won at today's level last out and has landed in the exacta in 3 of 4 trips over the main track here. Completes a strong entry and the 6/1 ML looks more than fair.

BEL Race 8 OClm $75,000N3X (4:45 et)

#6 Lucky Revival, #4 Boca Grande

#6 Lucky Revival pressed the early pace from the outside, took over the lead and could not stick with the winner late in a runner up finish at Monmouth at today's condition. Two back at Del Park off a three-month layoff the mare was a seven-length winner in a sharp effort. The mare owns a solid pace profile throughout and figures to bounce back with a sharper effort here in her third start of her current form cycle.

#4 Boca Grande was outrun last out in the G1 Ruffian in the slop. Two back off the bench the filly was a good second at today's level, encouraging Shug to try her in a tough spot. She is a G2 winner and G1 placed. Drops back into the allowance ranks for her third start off the bench.

BEL Race 9 Md $75,000 (5:17 et)

#4 Royal Tapit, #8 Powerchord, #10 Ain't No Star, #3 Box Step

#4 Royal Tapit makes his debut for the Iwinski barn that is showing a 0 for 14 mark with first time starters. Before the trainer time off, he did score with a few firsters, and going back five years he is showing a 5 for 58 mark with firsters. The colt is by freshman sire Tapit out of a Well Decorated mare that has dropped three winners including turf stakes winner Certifiably Crazy ($605K). Decent works on the morning tab including a good drill over the turf on 8/22.