Mohawk Vulnerable Favorites Thread
 

I have been mulling over starting this thread for some time now. This will be an ongoing thread for at least a month. After a month I will then decide whether to continue the thread or its just an exercise in futility. I will be keeping stats and will be sharing with you the results from time to time. I am hoping for a 50 to 60 % hit rate. For the purpose of this thread a vulnerable favorite should not win the race. They can come 2nd or 3rd which most of these vulnerable favorites do end up finishing. I will be targeting the 1st and 2nd morning line favorites which take most of the monies come post time and eventually ending up as the favorites. Weeding out a vulnerable favorite is no easy task. I employ a number of handicapping skills which I have learned over the years which I’ll be discussing during the course of this thread. If you are successful at weeding out a VF (vulnerable favorite) at least 50 to 60 % of the time, you have a chance at making good money in this very tough game. I say this because the horses you will be betting will be going off at decent odds anywhere from 3-1 to 8-1 and even higher. Needless to say weeding out a VF is just half the job and the other half being able to select the right winning horse. For the purpose of this thread we will be concentrating only on the first half ie weeding out the VF. If you have a VF of our own, please chime in this thread. All you have to give out is the track name the date and the horses # and the name of the horse. If you wish to comment on one of my given VFs please do so before the race and not after its all over. Its OK to call me nuts or crazy if one or more of the horses I have declared a VF is the one you liked the most. Enuff said lets get down to business at hand.

Mohawk Thursday April 1, 2021
Race 1 #8 Arrakis is the morning line favorite and rightfully so. He goes into the winning Richard Moreau barn off a claim in his last start. In his last start Arrakis was stalking the leader in the 3 hole when the front end was going at killing pace (-2.03) with a split of 3 secs and yet he managed to get 2nd by 4 lengths. A weak race at best. He went off as the even money favorite and claimed from the 2nd best trainer on the grounds who is no slouch either as a trainer. Arrakis moves from the 2 hole to the tough 8 hole and he is my first VF of the day. The 7/2 morning line favorite is the #2 Apostle Peter and for the life of me I can’t see him winning the race. A definite VF for me.

Race 2 #8 Bluemoon Bayama will be the hot favorite in here. He set a slow pace (+0.47) and prevailed. He is also going in the 8 hole from the favorable 5 hole last time out. I have often seen such horses stop in the stretch. A VF for me.

Great idea. Thanks for posting SB.

Very interesting, Mr. Sea Biscuit. And an added interest to watch these races….:)

Thanks for the comments.

Race 1 The complexion of the race changed dramatically when #9 Montalbano Bi, who was expected to take the lead, made a break at the start of the race. #8 Arrakis went to the top and never looked back on the heavily biased track favoring the front runners.


Race 2 #8 Bluemoon Bayama was installed as the heavy favorite and got himself a 2 hole trip but had nothing left in the stretch to overtake the leader.

Mohawk Friday April 2



Race 5 The morning line favorite is the #10 horse Jaydens Place. He was my pick in that race of March 26 and he rewarded me with a 13.70 mutuel. He won from an impossible position from almost dead last to 1st. He has been docked with the 10 hole once again today and the track of late has been favoring the front runners. Besides that this horse has already won 3 times and asking him to win from the tough trailing 10 hole a 4th time is asking a bit too much from a 15 claimer in my humble opinion. Today he is a VF for me.

#10 Jaydens Place came 2nd.


3 VFs Right 2 times wrong once.

I'll post these numbers for year 2019. Sampling from all North American tracks.

You might be able to use it in evaluating the Vulnerable Fave.
Lowest ROI and Hit% is fave today going off greater than 1/1 but NOT fave in last.

A number that stands out is the high price favorite who was fave in last race. 1.03 ROI !

Good stuff Ray. I guess I have been playing too many long shots. I know this is a sampling but it would be interesting to know more specific stats with tracks separated.

Thx Bogo, I posted it here thinking it could apply to vulnerable faves.

I'll break it down by track in a new thread. Probably won't have a big enough sample for most tracks.

Sounds good Ray. I look forward to the new post. If it covers 2019 there should still be a decent amount of data depending on the track.

Mohawk June 26



Race 8 #6 Cold Creek Cabo VF at best

Wrong this time. He won by open lengths.

Mohawk July 15
 

Race 4 #10 Gaudi Kir Hasn't raced since June 17. A definite VF for me.

#10 Gaudi Kir was dead last after making a dirty break. He went off as the 2nd favorite at 3-1 with a total of $5196 bet on him to win.

Mohawk July 22
 

Race 4 #2 Sassy Blue Chip A VF for me

The morning line favorite Sassy Blue Chip was a no threat 7th in the race.

Mohawk July 27
 

Race 3 #1 Adashious Hanover A VF for me.

Got away with cheap fractions on the front end but still coughed up the race by coming 2nd. $7308 bet on her to win.

Mohawk July 29
 

Race 4 #8 Creme Delight is suspect and a VF

I was right. Creme Delight was a poor 3rd. $7125 bet on her to win.

Mohawk July 30
 

Race 8 #7 So Much More A VF for me.

I boxed 2,6,7 in that race, so I hope that we're both right.

#2 got scratched so I can't lose it all.

2nd at 7/5. $8096 bet on her to win.

Welcome to the forum Rosa.

Thanks, but I'm not new.
Just thought that I needed to change my username to my real name after 15 years.

Mohawk July 31
 

Race 8 #8 Groovy Joe a VF for me.

Groovy Joe won off a pocket trip.

Mohawk August 3
 

Race 2 #3 Flo is a VF

2nd at 4/5 favorite. $8121 bet on her to win.

Race 6 #6 Spellcheck VF

Spellcheck was a poor 3rd at 7/5. $11399 bet on her to win.


Not only were we able to identify the VF but we were able to correctly identify the winner in this race who paid 8.70-5.40

Mohawk Aug 12
 

Race 4 #6 Unloaded a VF for me

2nd as a 2/5 favorite. $16497 bet on him to win.

Mohawk Aug 13
 

Race 1 #8 Best Keepsake A VF

Best Keepsake won as the 6/5 choice.

Mohawk Aug 13
 

Race 12 Going out on a limb here and declaring #3 Voluptious a VF

Voluptious 2nd as a 5/2 second favorite. $8778 bet on her to win.

Mohawk Aug 14
 

Race 2 #6 Erinwood Yves VF

Erinwood went off as the 6/5 favorite and in-spite of a cheap half and 3/4s still coughed up the race at the wire. $14339 bet on him to win.

Mohawk Aug 14
 

Race 7 #3 Town Delinquent Can't see this horse winning this race. A VF for me.