Independence Day Handicap

Los Alamitos Race Course

Today's card features the running of the Independence Day Handicap where a field of seven will sprint 300 yards in race nine. The top three contenders are Tres Of Linda, Check N Fetch, and Consider. I feel like one those three will win it but it's tough, so I will use all three.

Best Bets:

Race 2 - # 1 Meia Corona: this filly delivered a good second place finish in her debut and then ran into some solid competition in here next two starts when running in futurity trials. She has shown good gate manners and today she faces easier competition. I like the inside post for her and any of her first two efforts should win here. I figured that numbers 1,3 and 4 here would be playing a similar payout in the pick four so I decided to take a stand and single. Hopefully we can catch a price in another leg.

Race 8 - #1 Quenton: he made a big run in his first start as a 3-year-old last out when missing by a neck at odds of 21-1 in similar spot. He encountered trouble at the break and got bumped repeatedly before showing good energy late. He faces a solid field today but with that race under his belt and the inside draw, I think he is the one to beat. He is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.

Selections:

Race 1:  1-7-3   Cheryl was my nightmare last night, using top three.
Race 2:  1-4-3   Top three look similar, trying to get out with a single.
Race 3:  1-5-7   Was all over Engraver on 5/31 (see blog post), but others offer value.
Race 4:  5-2-4   #5 was scary fast last out, #2 runs good fresh & shows two good works
Race 5:  1-4-7    #1 has been favored last four starts, class drop. Zamudio enters two.
Race 6:  2-6-3   #2 could have won with better break, #6 has good post & gate speed.
Race 7:  6-4-2   #6 ran huge last out, but this field has good runners. Four deep.
Race 8:  1-5-2   Big effort for #1 at 21-1, Visscher & Peinado know how to win races.
Race 9:  5-2-6   #5 powered away but G2 winner Tres Of Linda wants rematch.

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  1,3,7 / 1 / 1,2,5,7 / 2,5 = $24

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  2,6 / 2,3,4,6 / 1 / 2,5,6 = $24

Some ugly beats in pick-4's and pick-6 in the past few weeks have accumulated to missing out on thousands of dollars, let's get lucky with those photo finishes tonight!

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Filly Faces Nine Geldings in Vandy's Flash Handicap

Racing fans pack the saddling paddock at Los Alamitos

A full-field of ten runners will sprint 400 yards in the running of the Vandy's Flash Handicap at Los Alamitos Race Course. The lone filly in the field, Feature Malinche, will break from post postion number 8 and is listed as the 5-to-2 morning line favorite.

In her most recent start, Feature Malinche earned a win in the G3 La Pacifica Handicap (restricted to fillies) while two starts back she missed winning the G2 La Primera Del Año Derby by a nose (also restricted to fillies).

Even though those last two races in Feature Malinche's career were restricted to fillies, she has faced, and defeated, plenty of males in her thirteen-race career.

In comparison to Thoroughbred racing, it is more common for fillies to race and win against males in Quarter Horse racing. The Vandy's Flash Handicap will go as race 9 tonight. Some of the top contenders include Mane Event (closed fast after a slow break to miss by a head in his last start), and High School Secrets (has three wins at this 400-yard distance and is a perfect 3-for-3 with Cesar De Alba riding).

Selections:

Race 1:  1-8-3
Race 2:  3-9-1
Race 3:  6-5-4
Race 4:  1-4-8
Race 5:  4-1-6
Race 6:  2-1-4
Race 7:  4-3-6
Race 8:  5-4-7
Race 9:  8-6-3

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  1 / 3 / 1,3,4,5,6 / 1,4,5,8 = $20

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  2 / 3,4 / 4,5,7 / 1,3,6,7,8 = $30

Let's get lucky!

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The GI $1,111,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity

One Dashing Eagle ( '12 Ed Burke Winner )

The Los Alamitos Triple Crown begins tonight with the running of the GI $1,111,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity. The other two legs are the Golden State Million Futurity and the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity. If a horse wins all three legs, the owner also get a $1 Million Dollar cash bonus.

Los Alamitos Race Course is the only race track in the country (of any breed, other than the Breeders' Cup meet), that hosts four races worth a million dollars or more. Those races are the previously mentioned futurities in the triple crown and the $1 Million Dollar Los Alamitos Super Derby. In addition to those great races, Los Alamitos also hosts the prestigious GI $750,000 Champion of Champions for older horses.

Last year's Ed Burke Million went to San Gregorio Racing Stables' & Jose De La Torre's One Dashing Eagle, who later on went to win the GI $2.4 Million All American Futurity and GI Golden State Million Futurity. He was not eligible to enter the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity because of a payment mistake, so the Los Alamitos Triple Crown remained vacant. He went on to retire to stud after his record-setting 2-year-old season and was named AQHA World Champion.

On to this year's edition of the Ed Burke, San Gregorio Racing Stables and Jose De La Torre are back in a great position to win it again. Both individually and as a team.

San Gregorio Racing Stables owns #8 Masherati B (trained by Jose De La Torre) and #9 Five Bar Cartel (trainer by Danny Montes).

Jose De La Torre trains #2 Turbulent Times, #7 Fire Up Willie (also owns), and #8 Masherati B.

The Ed Burke Million will go as race 9, the last race on the card and will close the late pick four.

For some of the runners that did not qualify for the Ed Burke Million, they are invited back for the Ed Burke Juvenile in race 4. Sadly there is a big purse difference in this consolation race and it truly puts in perspective on how tough it is to just have a horse qualify to a big futurity like tonight. The Ed Burke Juvenile will make the early part of the card interesting as it will close the very popular early pick four.

Selections:

Race 1:  5-8-2
Race 2:  3-1-2
Race 3:  6-1-7
Race 4:  2-3-8
Race 5:  6-4-3
Race 6:  3-4-6
Race 7:  1-2-5
Race 8:  6-1-4
Race 9:  3-8-2

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  1,2,5,8 / 3 / 1,6 / 2,3,8 = $24

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  3,4 / 1,2 / 1,4,6 / 3,8 = $24

Should be a good night of racing!

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Two Year Old Allowance Leads The Card

The view from the Vessels Club at Los Alamitos

A tricky sequence in the early pick four will make the first part of the card very interesting. I went back and forth while building my pick four ticket many times. Races 1 & 3 are Thoroughbred events and races 2 & 4 are Quarter Horse events. The two Thoroughbred races were the ones that gave me the most trouble.

I can see both of those races going either way but I ended up singling #7 Singlestar in the third race given that he does not face any strong pace pressure. I figured this is the field he needs if he wants to break his maiden. He gets a hustling rider and lands a good outside post. It's his race to lose.

Race 8 on the card is a solid allowance race for 2-year-olds. All six runners come into this race off a win, three of them won their debuts, and one of them is already a stakes winner. Good race.

Selections:

Race 1:  5-2-9
Race 2:  2-8-7
Race 3:  7-1-5
Race 4:  4-7-3
Race 5:  3-1-4
Race 6:  7-2-3
Race 7:  2-3-5
Race 8:  1-2-5
Race 9:  3-1-5

My plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  2,5,9,10 / 2,8 / 7 / 1,3,4,7 = $32

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  7 / 1,2,3,5,6 / 1,2,5,6 / 3 = $20

Good luck!

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Vessels Maturity Trials

Los Alamitos Race Course

Tonight's card at Los Alamitos Race Course features two trials, races 8 & 9, where eighteen runners will sprint 400-yards in search of being one of the ten fastest qualifiers that will return in the GI $167,900 Vessels Maturity final on July 7.

In addition to Grade I honors, the winner of the Vessels Maturity will also earn a berth to the presigious GI $750,000 Champion of Champions. The Champion Of Champions is one of the premier races for older quarter horses and the winner is usually in the mix for AQHA championship honors. This year's edition of the Champion of Champions will be run on December 14.

Tonight's Best Bets:

Race 2 - #3 I Me Mine (3-1 odds). This filly was off slow in her debut and finished fifth in a field of six. Today she returns with that outing under he belt and picks up the services of Ramon Sanchez. She had posted a 12.3 bullet work before her troubled debut and I have a feeling she will run a much improved effort today.

Race 8 - #3 Fols Jesse (7-2 odds). We last seen Fols Jesse losing the Katella Handicap by a head back in March and today he shows up to this trial with a nice 18.1 workout. His main weapon is his gate speed and I like that he is drawn to the outside of his two main rivals. He is a consistent horse and I think this will be his opportunity to put up a big performance.

Selections:

Race 1:  7-1-6
Race 2:  3-2-5
Race 3:  4-5-6
Race 4:  7-6-3
Race 5:  5-3-2
Race 6:  1-5-6
Race 7:  5-3-2
Race 8:  3-1-2
Race 9:  7-1-6

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  1,7 / 3 / 4,5,6 / 2,3,5,6,7 = $30

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  1,2,5,6 / 2,3,4,5 / 3 / 1,6,7 = $48

Let's get it!

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Lanty's Jet Handicap & $14,789 Pick Six Carryover

Daylight hours at Los Alamitos

A solid weekend for racing at Los Alamitos kicks off today with a nice $14,789 pick six carryover and the running of the Lanty's Jet Handicap. The pick six looks like a very competitive sequence and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

A solid field of eight runners will sprint 350-yards in the Lanty's Jet Handicap which goes as race 8 in the card. #1 Significant Heart made a good impression in her first start as a three-year-old for the Paul Jones barn and I like her right back tonight.

Stay tuned all weekend as The Los Alamitos Claiming Futurity will take place on Saturday night and The Vessels Maturity Trials will be contested on Sunday evening.

Selections:

Race 1:  4-9-5
Race 2:  1-4-3
Race 3:  2-8-7
Race 4:  9-4-3
Race 5:  8-6-4
Race 6:  3-7-5
Race 7:  7-6-3
Race 8:  1-6-5
Race 9:  7-4-1

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  4,9 / 1,3,4 / 2,8 / 4,9 = $24

Race 4 - $2 Pick Six  :  4,9 / 8 / 3,7 / 7 / 1,5,6,8 / 7 = $32

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  3,7 / 7 / 1,5,6,8 / 7 = $8

Good Luck!

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Trials to The GI $1,111,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity

Curtis Treece (Equibase Chart Caller), Ed Burgart (Track Announcer),  and Me.

What: 14 Trials to the GI $1,111,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity.

Where: Los Alamitos Race Course

Who: 112 talented 2-year-olds. The ten fastest qualifiers return to run in the final on June 23.

What to look for: The majority of these runners have been competing at 300-yards, make sure to look at the running lines and comments to find those that have made a late run. Those should benefit from today's 350-yard distance. Also look at the workouts and odds that some of these runners went off as in their previous starts, that might be a good indicator if they were well meant and you might find a better price today.

Usual suspects: Look for these trainers to have plenty of live runners with their top riders: Jones (Sanchez/DeAlba), Flores (Mendez), Willoughby(Aceves), Morales (S Mendez), Glenn (Gomez), De La Torre (Nicasio/Arriaga), Gomez (Aceves/Arriaga). These are some of the combinations that have a good amount of runners today and tend to be in the money at a high percentage. Look for these when building trifectas & superfectas.

Selections:

Race   1:  6-5-3
Race   2:  3-4-7
Race   3:  6-7-4
Race   4:  1-3-4
Race   5:  2-6-5
Race   6:  6-8-1
Race   7:  4-7-6
Race   8:  3-2-6
Race   9:  3-5-7
Race 10:  8-4-6
Race 11:  7-8-6
Race 12:  7-2-4
Race 13:  8-1-6
Race 14:  7-8-1

Plays:

Race   1 - $1 Pick Four:   6 / 3,4,7,8 / 2,4,6,7,9 / 1 = $20

Race   6 - $1 Pick Four:  1,2,6,8 / 4,7 / 3 / 3,4,5,7,8 = $40

Race 11 - $1 Pick Four:  2,6,7,8 / 7 / 1,8 / 1,6,7,8 = $32

Should be a great night of racing!

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2-Year-Olds lead the Card

Riders up paddock at Los Alamitos

The week of racing at Los Alamitos ends today with three straight maiden races for 2-year-olds leading the card. There are some runners that have racing experience and some that are making their debuts, it should make for some interesting wagering opportunities. Short on time so let's get to the selections.

Selections:

Race 1:  5-4-2

Race 2:  6-8-3

Race 3:  3-5-7

Race 4:  3-8-5

Race 5:  3-4-6

Race 6:  1-2-4

Race 7:  6-1-5

Race 8:  1-6-4

Race 9:  3-4-2

My Plays:

Race 1 - $1 Pick Four:  4,5 / 6,8 / 3,4,5,6,7 / 3 = $20

Race 6 - $1 Pick Four:  1 / 6 / All / 2,3,4,6 = $24

Let's close the week on a winning note!

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