LottaKash
10-05-2008, 03:08 AM
During the month of June of this year, looking to expand my handicapping horizons, I ventured off to a track that I had never played at before.......Fraser Downs, located in Vancouver, B.C......It is a 5/8ths of a mile, little bull-ring of an oval.....I was only able to catch the last two weeks of racing before that meet ended, but during that time, I found that this track is very kind to early speed and early position contenders.....I cashed a number of nice winners during that brief betting spell, and I also had a couple of nice one's as well in the double digits at that.......
So it was with eager anticipation, that I awaited the re-opening of this nifty liitle raceway for the fall-winter session.......just started on the 19th of Sep...
Last nite 10/4/08 (sat), after having only played 3-times at Mohawk, being skunked on the first two, I finally caught a $4.40 horse that should have been 1/2 in a very formless, classless, and paceless contest......After that I was still suffering from a lack of some more action, so I wandered over to Fraser Downs to see what was shaking....I usually don't get too involved for the first couple of weeks at a new meeting, but it had been 2-weeks since opening nite, so I figured maybe I could latch on to a goody or two tonite.......
Now, I am not bringing this up to toot my own horn, but I was able to cash 4 out of the 5 win bets that I made......$9.60...6.90...9.80...& 14.00......These horses were not 2d and 3d choices, they were all my top picks and the 14 was a co-choice.......This track, if you are a decent enough handicapper has an untold kash potential, and it continues to be so even as it had when I had left it in June.....
The crowd is very good with the 2/5 shots, and fairly good with 3/5's and the even monies.......but that is where it ends......It seems that the folks there are clueless about certain important aspects required of horses to win a race......And, it seems even the backstretch guys are a little over zealous in estimating their horse's chances of winning.......I was and still am a bit baffled by that line of thinking by the stable connections......Goody for us....
This track has an old-fashioned kind of 5/8ths track layout, (reminds me of the old Liberty Bell Park in Phila.), in that there is a good bit of straightway on the backstretch for the start of the race, and outside leavers can get good early position at the onset of the start.....Although if more than 1 outside horse leaves simultaneously with another, one will invariably suffer the consequences of that, and end up hopelessy parked with nowhere to go but to take back to the end of the line or stay out and rough it for as long as he can taking in a ton of extra air.....
Also not only is it friendly for the leavers, but another good aspect of this track is, that if you have a closer that you like, all is not lost, as, if a certain type pace presents itself, the type that is kind to the closer types, and he can get himself into a good striking position on the backstretch the last time around, usually at the 5/8ths-pole, he can get to go around the tiring horses just in front of him and then go 3 or 4 wide, providing he get his momentum up before they hit the last corner, then he has a decent shot at the win, as the last turn is banked just enough that horses racing wide do not seem to lose as much momentum or position as on most other 5/8-milers, and as a result, and even tho the stretch isn't all that long, it seems that is just long enough that the momentum that was built up just before the last corner can and often does carry the wide horse rather well to the wire.....As a result there are some whiz-bang finishes at this oval....
Getting a horse to win using specific fractions at certain 5/8ths tracks is sometimes a lesson in futility and on some days a guessing game at best, but at this track horses coming out of races with a superior 3/4 time seem to have the best of it fractions wise......I believe it is the single most important number that is of serious use, at this place....
The Driver Roster has some genuine top-notch drivers.....Serge Masse-29% wins,...Keith Clark-21%...Bill Davis-27%...Serge Masse-29% are the top guys here, but if you should get a race with a vulnerable favorite or two, there is still hope as there are another half-a dozen drivers in the 15% wins category as well, so if you can find a horse to beat the fave(s) you can get a nice juicy number if one of the topr 4-drivers is not steering your pick.....So the driver issue for the most part is reduced to almost an after thought at this track, at least when you compare it to most other tracks and their driver colony........You (at least I never have) will not find this type of situation at any other track that I know of......Lots of good trainers there as well, and many of the top horses are owned and trained by the same top drivers......
So call me a wee bit giddy tonite, as this is place is "Handicapping-Nirvana for me.......Every guy here has their favorite place to bet, and it is most likely due to the success that they may enjoy there or perhaps it is just brand loyalty.....This Racino is probably about 3500 miles away from where I reside here in north central Florida, but when watching the live video feed, it is right here in front of me, in my own little space on the planet.........Daddy I am home.....
just my 2-cents about Fraser Downs.......:jump:
best,
So it was with eager anticipation, that I awaited the re-opening of this nifty liitle raceway for the fall-winter session.......just started on the 19th of Sep...
Last nite 10/4/08 (sat), after having only played 3-times at Mohawk, being skunked on the first two, I finally caught a $4.40 horse that should have been 1/2 in a very formless, classless, and paceless contest......After that I was still suffering from a lack of some more action, so I wandered over to Fraser Downs to see what was shaking....I usually don't get too involved for the first couple of weeks at a new meeting, but it had been 2-weeks since opening nite, so I figured maybe I could latch on to a goody or two tonite.......
Now, I am not bringing this up to toot my own horn, but I was able to cash 4 out of the 5 win bets that I made......$9.60...6.90...9.80...& 14.00......These horses were not 2d and 3d choices, they were all my top picks and the 14 was a co-choice.......This track, if you are a decent enough handicapper has an untold kash potential, and it continues to be so even as it had when I had left it in June.....
The crowd is very good with the 2/5 shots, and fairly good with 3/5's and the even monies.......but that is where it ends......It seems that the folks there are clueless about certain important aspects required of horses to win a race......And, it seems even the backstretch guys are a little over zealous in estimating their horse's chances of winning.......I was and still am a bit baffled by that line of thinking by the stable connections......Goody for us....
This track has an old-fashioned kind of 5/8ths track layout, (reminds me of the old Liberty Bell Park in Phila.), in that there is a good bit of straightway on the backstretch for the start of the race, and outside leavers can get good early position at the onset of the start.....Although if more than 1 outside horse leaves simultaneously with another, one will invariably suffer the consequences of that, and end up hopelessy parked with nowhere to go but to take back to the end of the line or stay out and rough it for as long as he can taking in a ton of extra air.....
Also not only is it friendly for the leavers, but another good aspect of this track is, that if you have a closer that you like, all is not lost, as, if a certain type pace presents itself, the type that is kind to the closer types, and he can get himself into a good striking position on the backstretch the last time around, usually at the 5/8ths-pole, he can get to go around the tiring horses just in front of him and then go 3 or 4 wide, providing he get his momentum up before they hit the last corner, then he has a decent shot at the win, as the last turn is banked just enough that horses racing wide do not seem to lose as much momentum or position as on most other 5/8-milers, and as a result, and even tho the stretch isn't all that long, it seems that is just long enough that the momentum that was built up just before the last corner can and often does carry the wide horse rather well to the wire.....As a result there are some whiz-bang finishes at this oval....
Getting a horse to win using specific fractions at certain 5/8ths tracks is sometimes a lesson in futility and on some days a guessing game at best, but at this track horses coming out of races with a superior 3/4 time seem to have the best of it fractions wise......I believe it is the single most important number that is of serious use, at this place....
The Driver Roster has some genuine top-notch drivers.....Serge Masse-29% wins,...Keith Clark-21%...Bill Davis-27%...Serge Masse-29% are the top guys here, but if you should get a race with a vulnerable favorite or two, there is still hope as there are another half-a dozen drivers in the 15% wins category as well, so if you can find a horse to beat the fave(s) you can get a nice juicy number if one of the topr 4-drivers is not steering your pick.....So the driver issue for the most part is reduced to almost an after thought at this track, at least when you compare it to most other tracks and their driver colony........You (at least I never have) will not find this type of situation at any other track that I know of......Lots of good trainers there as well, and many of the top horses are owned and trained by the same top drivers......
So call me a wee bit giddy tonite, as this is place is "Handicapping-Nirvana for me.......Every guy here has their favorite place to bet, and it is most likely due to the success that they may enjoy there or perhaps it is just brand loyalty.....This Racino is probably about 3500 miles away from where I reside here in north central Florida, but when watching the live video feed, it is right here in front of me, in my own little space on the planet.........Daddy I am home.....
just my 2-cents about Fraser Downs.......:jump:
best,