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.
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
right? Kind of like it, but going with the
Teryn It Up. Nice work after his 1st race, and was more than competitive late.
are certainly interesting.
R7 Laurel: $100K Dahlia Stakes: Going against the
Hawksmoor off the layoff, and looking for a wire job from the
I'm Betty G.
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
Guy American Dream. Tough race to find anything to like, and I don't want any part of the favorite
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
Enrage for a pair that has been hot this meet, just not yet together..., yet.
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
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
Purely Lucky has ran against better, so that is where I landed.
or
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
. Colebrook gets the
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
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
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
Call Provision to get it done. Defending champ in the
Itsinthepost has to be respected as well as the
Hayabusa One that ships right along with him. Looked long and hard at the
Canessar as a possible huge upsetter in here.
R10 Laurel $100K Federico Tesio Stakes: Very interesting field going 9 panels. Ended up on the
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
My Roxy Girl.
is the obvious concern and/or the
. Can I just hit the ALL button on the Aqueduct races?
Thar she blows. 12 races:
I feel my seat at the NHC getting warm.
What do I have wrong? (Actually, what do I have right?
).
While these are a "from the clouds" type of nature, I do find them fun and interesting. No reason not to participate when it is free. 
