Horse Race Betting Online - SPEED OF THE SPEED

The accent this week will be on velocity, as we’ll look at the players in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs next month.

Going into last year, the average online betting Sprint winner paid 10-1 but there was true value in the superfecta as the average ‘super’ came back over $17,000.

Last year Big Drama parlayed a second in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga to a wire-to-wire Sprint score at 5-1 at Churchill.

Gulch at 9-5 took the first Sprint run at Churchill, Sheikh Albadou took the next event in Kentucky at 12-1 and favorite Cherokee Run cashed as chalk in 1994.

Reraise paid odds-on 4 years later, Kona Gold won as chalk in 2000 and the last time the Cup was run in Kentucky prior to last year, Thor’s Echo tallied at 7-1.

This season, trainer David Fawkes will try to have Big Drama set to defend his title. But the runner had to scratch recently from the Vosburgh after developing a fever. He should have enough time to recover before the big possible payday.

Trainer Bob Baffert figures to have at least two bullets locked and loaded for the Sprint. His student Euroears took the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar at the end of July and the very quick The Factor won the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien at the beach the end of August.

The Eastern contingent could be highlighted by Grade 1 Vanderbilt hero Sean Avery.

When on-line players think about the Sprint, they should know that the race has had more winners paying $20 or more than any race on the BC card. Going into this season, 13 of the 27 Sprint winners paid 9-1 or over, with the Classic second in this same category.

A traffic-free trip is mandatory in this online wagering race as the race figures to be fully subscribed and a horse cannot afford to get stopped at any juncture.

The Turf Sprint has only been run three times with Desert Code paying over $36 at Santa Anita and California Flag cashed as chalk in 2009. Last year at Churchill Chamberlain Bridge came from 9th in the 14-horse field to pay $15 and key a ‘super’ that came back almost $9,000.

Chamberlain Bridge may be back to defend his title. He ran poorly in June but is in good hands and will need a rebound run.

Unzip Me will head the California contingent as he won the Daisycutter at Del Mar in August and is fresh from a 4th on opening day at Oak Tree when dueled into submission in the Senator Maddy.

CHECK, CHECK

Todd Pletcher will likely pin his hopes on Bridgetown, the winner of the Troy at Saratoga in August.

Online betting sites need to pay attention to Margot Did if she ships from England. The soph just shocked 14 rivals in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes in August. She is 5 for 13 career and has banked $425,000 so far.

The blood is there for Margot too as she is out of a winning dam who is kin to over $500,000 earner Floral Dynamite.

Value will be her calling card at Churchill.