Horse Racing Odds - Rachel Alexandra wows 'em
- Who: Thoroughbreds – Rachel Alexandra, Big Drama
- What: Horse Racing Results – The Haskell Invitational, The West Virginia Derby
- Where: Monmouth Park, Mountaineer Park
- When: Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd
Sunday’s Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park was much anticipated by those who bet horses, and the brilliant filly Rachel Alexandra didn’t disappoint. In a breathtaking tour de force, she blew away her competition by a widening six lengths, besting Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and several other talented 3YO colts in the process. In The West Virginia Derby, Big Drama edged out Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, but it was for second place. The lightly-regarded Soul Warrior, trained by Steve Asmussen, stole the show at odds of 23-1.
If you read Friday’s article, you’ll know that I felt strongly that Rachel Alexandra would be very tough to beat. I was willing to accept betting odds as low as 1-2, and it was touch-and-go on the tote board until just before the gates opened. When she drifted up to 2-5 a few minutes before post time, I decided to bet her regardless, and got a bit lucky when she wound up at 1-2. I also recommended a straight exacta, using #4-Rachel Alexandra over #2-Summer Bird, and that got the money too, paying $10.40 for a $2.00 wager.
The West Virginia Derby was another story. I felt that Big Drama would have everything his own way on the front end, and that he could slow the pace down to a crawl, making it very difficult for a come-from-behind type like Mine That Bird to catch up. To my chagrin, Big Drama opened up a huge (10-length) lead on the backstretch, and the pace was anything but soft. He went out in a sprightly :23 3/5, 46 2/5 and 1:10 2/5, which was just enough to soften him up for the stretch run. Soul Warrior ran the race of his life to nail Bid Drama by a neck at the wire. I haven’t heard any explanation as to why jockey Eibar Coa wouldn’t/couldn’t slow things down, and save his horse for the final eighth of a mile. Big Drama hasn’t been particularly headstrong in the past, and has shown the ability to rate, which makes Saturday’s performance even more puzzling. I was willing to take 3-5 odds, and Big Drama was sent off as the 4-5 favorite, so that bet went down the tubes.
I also liked Charitable Man in The Jim Dandy at Saratoga, but didn’t make a bet because he failed to meet my minimum odds requirement of 5-2. He was sent off as the favorite at 1.35-1, and finished third. Sometimes your best horse racing results involve the bets you don’t make, because the value’s not there. Overall, we turned a nice profit for the weekend and enjoyed horse racing betting at its highest level.
Good luck this week and happy wagering!
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 Comments@BetOnline.com.
