Albertus Maximus, Ventura poised for good runs at Gulfstream, Santa Anita
Gulfstream betting: Hard work will pay off for Albertus Maximus
WHO: 2008 Breeders’ Cup winners Albertus Maximus, Ventura
WHAT: Donn Handicap, Santa Monica Handicap
WHERE: Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park
WHEN: Saturday, January 31
Did you ever notice that millions of people who never bet like to put a few bucks on the Super Bowl?Enthusiasm for the big event translates into hundreds of millions of dollars in betting action. Even professional gamblers get caught up in the excitement and find themselves betting at the sportsbook on an event that they might pass on if it were just another game.
The same psychology manifests itself in the world of horse racing…we’ll often bet on big races because of the excitement they generate, even if there’s no clear-cut “edge.” With that in mind, let’s exercise a bit of fiscal restraint when betting on Saturday’s big races at Gulfstream and Santa Anita.
The “main event” at Gulfstream this Saturday is the Grade 1 Donn Handicap (Race 9), but it’s preceded by the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes (Race 7) for three-year-olds. Let’s try to put a Pick 3 ticket together for races 7-9.
The Holy Bull features only two entrants with a win over the track, and by far the more impressive of the two was Danger to Society’s 3 ½-length win over first-level allowance foes on January 8. He’s now two-for-two lifetime, and the son of Harlan’s Holiday out of a Deputy Minister mare appears to have a very bright future. He’ll enjoy a ground-saving trip from post #2, and should be tough to handle at odds of 5-1.
The middle leg is a Maiden Special Weight affair for 3YO’s going one mile on the main track. Barbaro’s little brother Nicanor is getting all the press for his career debut, but I like #10-Dubinsky (Morning Line Odds 7-2) off his solid 2nd-place finish under similar conditions on January 15th.
In the Donn, I’ll take Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner #2-Albertus Maximus. He’s been training up a storm at Palm Meadows since his BC triumph, and is capable on dirt as well as Pro-Ride, as his 2-1-1-0 career record on dirt attests. At 4-1, he’ll round out a nice Pick 3 ticket that should return about $300 (for a $2 wager) if the morning line odds hold true.
For the final horse racing betting tip of the day, stick with Ventura in the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap (Race 7) at Santa Anita to repeat her Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint mastery over the top-notch Indian Blessing. Ventura loves Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface, while Indian Blessing merely tolerates it. I’ll bet Ventura to win at odds of 7-5 or better.
Good luck, online betting fans, and enjoy the weekend’s great races (but don’t get carried away).
