Friday the Fourth turned into an exceptional day for me. I entered my first “actual” thoroughbred handicapping match over at the Orleans Hotel. It became the Firecracker Qualifier, and it turned into very enjoyable and, to mention the least, very interesting! The entry fee became $100, and the idea changed into complete within the pinnacle 5 to get hold of unfastened access into the Horse Player World Series in 2009, in which the payoffs can be huge. The layout becomes to select 12 races with a legendary $20 win and $20 region guess, and your total mutual returns were delivered as much as from your factor total.
I knew to go in that I might want someplace between 1100 and 1500 points to have a chance. Hence, the handicapping approach is a little exceptional than in your each day technique because you need to search for horses with an excellent danger of prevailing at a very excellent charge. The first race that I selected for the contest proved to be the start of an emotional curler-coaster of a day. I used a first-time starter with breeding that suggested that he may also like the slop over at Churchill Downs, wherein it was raining closely. He came in and paid $21—forty and $11.40, correct for 328 points.
What a way to get started! I knew if I may want to get or three extra of these in, I could cash and qualify for the massive one, and it has eleven more probabilities made my experience pretty accurate. I stuck to my weapons for the subsequent hour or so using my authentic selections, which have been going off at first-rate odds; however, I saved jogging second and 0.33 using small margins, usually with 10 to one picture and higher. This changed into making the relaxation of the morning frustrating, to put it mildly, as some of my neighbors inside the race ebook could attest to from what they were listening to. Actually, a number of the ones area mutuels had been right, and they included my factor total, which had grown to 516.0.
As the afternoon rolled along, some of my initial picks were getting guessed down to unacceptable odds, so I began seeking out something that would get me one extra big point payoff. The 6th race at Hollywood became coming up, a maiden race, and I noticed a first-timer in there with Richard Migliore riding. After because this horse turned into almost 20-1 and that the relaxation of the sector became beatable because of unimpressive Beyers for the level and a few different angles that I use in maiden races, I took a shot. With Bella Dancer and “The Mig.”
Going 5 half furlongs, Richie broke this horse nicely from the range post and won the lead at the backstretch, and he or she slowly edged clear from the favorite and started to open up within the stretch. What a moment as he drew away to win via nearly six lengths. I did now not listen to anyone else yelling as loud as I changed into and off the route; I hoped that I became the only one that had her inside the contest. She had long passed off at 23-1 and paid $48.60 to win and $16.80 to the vicinity. The contest had a rule as some distance as capping something over 20-1 after the primary $2.00 of the best, but it gave me an additional 594.6 points, bringing my total up to 1110.6.
I had one greater choice going. It changed into in the Flawlessly Stakes. The horse became Ginger Pop, and he or she became going up towards Lethal Heat and numerous other exquisite fillies, but she regarded me as though she may want to pull it off at nine-1. She almost did, completing second after strolling a superb race behind Starry Pursuit and paid $nine.80 to the area, making my final tally 1208.6.
I wound up finishing 1/3 in the contest and qualifying for the World Series, which changed into my intention for the day. It was a brilliant occasion, very extreme and excellent gaining knowledge of revel in together with one helluva journey on a wave of emotions. The parents over at the Orleans race e-book are first class and treated us all thoroughly, and the facilities are excellent over there for playing the horses.
