Prioress Puzzle Solved by Indian Blessing
Posted on 7/6/2008 10:14:06 PM
By Pete Mitchell
In Friday’s article previewing the Prioress Stakes at Belmont Park, I described a method you can use to determine if the horse you like is worth playing at the price. After analyzing the running style of each contestant in the Prioress, I felt that a speed duel was likely, given that Indian Blessing, Secret Gypsy and Tale of the West are all front-running types. That should have set the race up perfectly for the fast-finishing (and undefeated) By the Light. I said she was worth a play at odds of 9-2 or better.
When two of the longer shots in the race (Honest to Betsy and Palanka City) scratched, I adjusted the minimum acceptable odds on By the Light to 4-1, primarily because she would have less traffic to deal with. At closing odds of 7-2, she wasn’t worth a bet.
Not betting on By the Light turned out to be a good thing, because last year’s 2-year-old champ Indian Blessing blew the field away by more than five lengths. The surprising thing, however, was how the race unfolded. Indian Blessing was flat-footed at the start, breaking last in the compact field of five. Meanwhile, By the Light broke sharply and raced head-to-head with Secret Gypsy for the first half-mile. Tale of the West stalked in third and Indian Blessing bided her time in fourth and was widest of all on the turn.
By the time they straightened away for the stretch run, Indian Blessing had assumed command, and By the Light continued on with good courage to finish second by 3 ½ lengths over Indian Way. The top three finishers ran according to their odds, but the way they ran came as a complete surprise.
On another front, as of last Thursday, it looked as though Ellis Park, built in 1922, was closing for good. The 44-day Ellis Park meet had been scheduled to open last Friday, but owner Ron Geary announced the track’s closing due to a dispute with Kentucky horsemen over account-wagering revenue splits. However, an agreement was worked out over the weekend, and the Ellis Park meet has been rescheduled to open Friday, July 11th. BetOnline.com will be ready to take your action when racing resumes at historic Ellis Park.
Pete Mitchell has been handicapping
horses since his teenage years. He has been a professional horse player for
many years, and came to BetOnline.com’s attention through multiple referrals
from industry insiders/sportsbook owners. Pete is revered for
his horse handicapping opinion
and industry experts acknowledge his impressive career
winning record. Thoughts or questions? Email
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