Your Tracks for Success! Or Not!
by Lucky Duck on Feb 23, 2011 2:54 PM EST
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Print(Matt: Bumped to the front.)
Though it would be interesting to find out other players favorite tracks to play and why. Here's mine.
1) Saratoga - good fields - good horses. Simple
2) Santa Anita - Hate the takeout - but its a track that I simply understand how the races will be run.
3) Tampa - Big fields, lota of overlays
4) Del Mar - Guess I'm just an old Bing Crosby fan.. One of the greatest places to go live to the track
5) Woodbine - Monster fields, big purses and tons of baby races.
Tracks I can't stand:
1) Charles Town - where to start - joke results, stupid track layout, nags galore, no track in the world has as many lates scratches at the gate.
2) Fair Grounds - I simply can't cash a ticket here. I'd have better luck throwing it out on the street.
3) Every Harness track in the world - Why would anybody bet these things. There off! Oh - offstride, boxed in, The most ridiculous form of racing.
4) Hawthorne - Seriously, why even bother with buying a form for this track. Your chances of success would be just as good throwing darts.
5) Bulah - No really - a whole card of $2500 claimers. Woo-hoo!
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This seems to change every couple of years but here's where I stand right now.
Good:
Keeneland Spring – after the Poly came in my fortunes changed for the better. The old dirt track took money from me like it was going out of style.
Saratoga – at least last year…usually I stink at SAR.
Emerald – Overall, I don’t do well with low/mid-level claiming sprints…except at Emerald where I tend to show a profit every year. I won’t complain.
Gulfstream – Not so much the main track but the turf course usually provides several good scores every spring. GP is now my go-to track in the winter.
Tampa Bay – Several years ago I did very nicely at TAM but the last couple have been a bit more difficult. The big fields and unpredictable results can still lead to nice scores.
Bad:
Aqueduct – I don’t even try any more.
Calder – see Aqueduct.
Hawthorne – I played them a bit about three years ago and I don’t know that I ever picked a winner. Money pit.
Del Mar – Usually Del Mar is good to me and SAR is bad. Last year things reversed.
Churchill during the Breeders’ Cup – I turned a profit at Santa Anita and Monmouth BC’s…have been steam rolled in the last two at CD. Hopefully that improves in about ten months.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
I'm with you
On Hawthorne. It’s impossible to pick winners there. Especially if your like me and prefer Pick 3’s and Pick 4’s..
Hell I can’t even get a Pick 1.
Funny though – I’d usually agree about Aqueduct… but I’ve been on fire there this season.. Go figure.
Maybe I'll try Aqueduct again some day...
I haven’t played for a few years. When I did pick winners there they were low priced…I was working hard just to hit favorites. Not good. Plus, I like turf races and those go away once the inner meet opens.
Hawthorne…ugh, that place kicks my butt. Very similar to old Keeneland in my inability to bring home anything of note.
I’d have to say, most of my bad tracks are ones where I have trouble even if I’m picking chalk. I play chalk, it loses. I play a price, it loses. And it’s not like I’m close…these horses lose by daylight. At least at Gulfstream when I have a bad day I’m generally fairly tuned in. The picks will run decently but just not get up for the score. At AQU and HAW, they finish last.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 23, 2011 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
My current form...
1. Gulfstream – 2nd year in a row I’ve done really well
2. Hollywood – tend to do pretty well there. Love the night racing and tvg coverage
3. Saratoga and Del Mar – really enjoy them both but can’t say I have great success at either
4. Thistledown – my hometown track. 2500 claimers galore, but I do very well there. First and only track I’ve ever been to (sad). Home of the Grade 3 Ohio Derby.
Losers:
1. Aquaduct / Belmont – you want to know who will come in 4th at any race at these tracks? Ask me who I like to win
2. Tampa – continually kills me with losing photos or horses that don’t fire for no particular reason
3. Santa Anita – Really hit or miss for me. Although did real nice on both Breeders Cups
Never trust a man who doesn't drink.
by Noir Jim Tressel on Feb 24, 2011 6:04 AM EST reply actions
Belmont
About eight years ago, Belmont was a decent track for me but not so much anymore. I do okay with the turf races but really struggle on the main track.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 24, 2011 9:57 AM EST up reply actions
Favorites...
Saratoga is number one for those simple reasons already mentioned. I especially like the longer lawn races. There are somethings as a sports fan you must do: go to a basketball game at Duke, go to Fenway Park and go to Saratoga.
I am drawn to Woodbine – the purses there are great and there are some good payouts.
There were a couple years where I was doing well at Monmouth Park. I need to get up there – I’ve never been.
I love Pimlico on the Black Eyed Susan Day but that’s really my home track and so there a bias there.
I was at Monmouth only once...
for the BC in 2007. The weather sucked but I really liked the track and have it high on my list the next time I’m out on the East Coast.
"A bad day at the track is better than a good day at the office."
And Down The Stretch They Come | @PressThePace
by Matt Gardner on Feb 25, 2011 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
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