Lemon Drop Husker
04-21-2018, 10:30 AM
One of my big ticket items is to qualify for the National Handicappers Championship. Been close a number of times, but have yet to ever qualify. :pout:
The NHC has some 'free rolls' they host once in a while, in which a few seats are offered up for a completely FREE entry if you can beat 5,000 or so other people on a given day of 12 races. I was eerily close once in qualifying via one of these events, being in the Top 10 heading to the last race with a real, real shot to get it done. Sadly that didn't happen.
So..., strap on the boots and dig in I will.
As always, it is a deep and really tough card. 4 each from Keeneland, Laurel, and Aqueduct. Laurel has a fantastic card today of extremely tough fields, and Keeneland (as always) in its Spring meet, isn't for the meek.
Without further adieu:
R6 Keeneland: $74K Maiden - Looked long and hard for any kind of angle in here, and it is slim pickins'. The Ramseys have the 6/5 ML fav Kitten trained by Maker who is having a horrid meet, so I have to find something to beat him. What better way than another Kitten in the :9: right? Kind of like it, but going with the :7: Teryn It Up. Nice work after his 1st race, and was more than competitive late. :2::6: are certainly interesting.
R7 Laurel: $100K Dahlia Stakes: Going against the :4: Hawksmoor off the layoff, and looking for a wire job from the :8: I'm Betty G. :1: is the fallback plan.
R6 Aqueduct: $40K Maiden Claimer: Weird turf race, and I'm going deep with the 1st on turf angle with a Freud/Storm Catter in the :8: Guy American Dream. Tough race to find anything to like, and I don't want any part of the favorite :7: off a 5 month break who has never flashed any speed other than on an off track.
R7 Keeneland: $76K Allowance N2L - Short and sweet, I'm pulling the Colebrook/Hernandez card here with the :3: Enrage for a pair that has been hot this meet, just not yet together..., yet. :9: was my first inkling in yet another tough Keeneland field.
R8 Laurel: 1 1/16th $125K Weber City Miss Stakes: The race 2 back for the :7: Indy Union is where I'm going here along with her first crack as a 3YO. Get her out and let her roll.
R7 Aqueduct: 1 1/16th State Bred OC $80K: I think the :1: Purely Lucky has ran against better, so that is where I landed. :4::8: or :9: wouldn't surprise me. Hell, anything at Aqueduct wouldn't surprise me.
R8 Keeneland OC $80Kn3x: I see a couple taking way too much money in here and like the :8::2:. Colebrook gets the :8: back, and while never far back, puts blinks back on. Jimenez does nothing but win on this guy.
R9 Laurel 1 Mile Turf $100K Henry Clark: Probably the toughest race of the lot (and that is saying something). This may be a stakes race but has G2 quality entrants with massive amounts of mixed signals. Digging real deep here with a first-timer on turf amid this crew with the :6: El Areeb. I just feel somebody can steal this one on the front, and why not with a solid J/T combo looking to take that very risk and at a ML price of 12/1 that will almost assuredly go up.
R8 Aqueduct State Bred Allowance $66Kn1x: Pretty much stabbing at the :9: J J's Dreaming at odds likely shorter than they should be. These Aquedump races really stink.
R9 Keeneland G2 Elkhorn: Likely the race of the day with a very deep and tough field. Gonna call on Ortiz/Brown with the :3: Call Provision to get it done. Defending champ in the :10: Itsinthepost has to be respected as well as the :12: Hayabusa One that ships right along with him. Looked long and hard at the :6: Canessar as a possible huge upsetter in here.
R10 Laurel $100K Federico Tesio Stakes: Very interesting field going 9 panels. Ended up on the :2: Still Having Fun, but there are a number you can make a case for in here.
R9 Aqueduct 6 1/2 $100K New York Stallion Stakes: Going with the :6: My Roxy Girl. :4: is the obvious concern and/or the :9:. Can I just hit the ALL button on the Aqueduct races?
Thar she blows. 12 races: :7::8::8::3::7::1::8::6::9::3::2::6:
I feel my seat at the NHC getting warm. :ThmbUp:
What do I have wrong? (Actually, what do I have right? :pound:).
The NHC has some 'free rolls' they host once in a while, in which a few seats are offered up for a completely FREE entry if you can beat 5,000 or so other people on a given day of 12 races. I was eerily close once in qualifying via one of these events, being in the Top 10 heading to the last race with a real, real shot to get it done. Sadly that didn't happen.
So..., strap on the boots and dig in I will.
As always, it is a deep and really tough card. 4 each from Keeneland, Laurel, and Aqueduct. Laurel has a fantastic card today of extremely tough fields, and Keeneland (as always) in its Spring meet, isn't for the meek.
Without further adieu:
R6 Keeneland: $74K Maiden - Looked long and hard for any kind of angle in here, and it is slim pickins'. The Ramseys have the 6/5 ML fav Kitten trained by Maker who is having a horrid meet, so I have to find something to beat him. What better way than another Kitten in the :9: right? Kind of like it, but going with the :7: Teryn It Up. Nice work after his 1st race, and was more than competitive late. :2::6: are certainly interesting.
R7 Laurel: $100K Dahlia Stakes: Going against the :4: Hawksmoor off the layoff, and looking for a wire job from the :8: I'm Betty G. :1: is the fallback plan.
R6 Aqueduct: $40K Maiden Claimer: Weird turf race, and I'm going deep with the 1st on turf angle with a Freud/Storm Catter in the :8: Guy American Dream. Tough race to find anything to like, and I don't want any part of the favorite :7: off a 5 month break who has never flashed any speed other than on an off track.
R7 Keeneland: $76K Allowance N2L - Short and sweet, I'm pulling the Colebrook/Hernandez card here with the :3: Enrage for a pair that has been hot this meet, just not yet together..., yet. :9: was my first inkling in yet another tough Keeneland field.
R8 Laurel: 1 1/16th $125K Weber City Miss Stakes: The race 2 back for the :7: Indy Union is where I'm going here along with her first crack as a 3YO. Get her out and let her roll.
R7 Aqueduct: 1 1/16th State Bred OC $80K: I think the :1: Purely Lucky has ran against better, so that is where I landed. :4::8: or :9: wouldn't surprise me. Hell, anything at Aqueduct wouldn't surprise me.
R8 Keeneland OC $80Kn3x: I see a couple taking way too much money in here and like the :8::2:. Colebrook gets the :8: back, and while never far back, puts blinks back on. Jimenez does nothing but win on this guy.
R9 Laurel 1 Mile Turf $100K Henry Clark: Probably the toughest race of the lot (and that is saying something). This may be a stakes race but has G2 quality entrants with massive amounts of mixed signals. Digging real deep here with a first-timer on turf amid this crew with the :6: El Areeb. I just feel somebody can steal this one on the front, and why not with a solid J/T combo looking to take that very risk and at a ML price of 12/1 that will almost assuredly go up.
R8 Aqueduct State Bred Allowance $66Kn1x: Pretty much stabbing at the :9: J J's Dreaming at odds likely shorter than they should be. These Aquedump races really stink.
R9 Keeneland G2 Elkhorn: Likely the race of the day with a very deep and tough field. Gonna call on Ortiz/Brown with the :3: Call Provision to get it done. Defending champ in the :10: Itsinthepost has to be respected as well as the :12: Hayabusa One that ships right along with him. Looked long and hard at the :6: Canessar as a possible huge upsetter in here.
R10 Laurel $100K Federico Tesio Stakes: Very interesting field going 9 panels. Ended up on the :2: Still Having Fun, but there are a number you can make a case for in here.
R9 Aqueduct 6 1/2 $100K New York Stallion Stakes: Going with the :6: My Roxy Girl. :4: is the obvious concern and/or the :9:. Can I just hit the ALL button on the Aqueduct races?
Thar she blows. 12 races: :7::8::8::3::7::1::8::6::9::3::2::6:
I feel my seat at the NHC getting warm. :ThmbUp:
What do I have wrong? (Actually, what do I have right? :pound:).