by Frank Cotolo

Frank Cotolo offers his picks for the $20,000 Pick-4 at Balmoral Park on June 2, part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.

Balmoral Park Pick 4, Races 10-13, Saturday, June 2, 2012

Two of four winners from our May 26 ticket were cheap—In Over My Head, $3.80, and Richess Emporer, $5.80—so they don’t get tallied as win bets. Our partner in leg one was second and contributed to a $23.60 exacta; not that we are playing exactas but it is good to know our choices are in the mix. On Sunday the ticket was dumped due to a scratch in leg four, which was a single. We had a winner, though, with Rock N Lawyer, paying $16.60. That put the two days in the red column by only $5.40, leaving our loss column with $434.00

$2 play 8/2/6/4 10 = $4

Analysis:

Race 10: (8) Unlce Smoothie is the outsider of the main contenders, although he was a favorite in this stake’s elim. He has a very good and classy list of races since April, going back and forth from Chicago to Crete and can start this ticket off with a cool number.

Race 11: (2) Brooklyn’s Desire should have won last week but got a slow start and had to make up too much ground from post 9. Still, he was right there at the wire with the top two.

Race 12: (6) Real Or Magic wasn’t much good leaving from the outside but the race before that was very impressive and makes the rest of this group look rank. He was challenged with a long outside journey, dueled and still put a good horse away to win.

Race 13: Shooting up the inside at 19-1, (4) Majestic Royale found the opportunity to use the late speed he can demonstrate when a clear path is set before him. Here he could find a way through and do so once again as an overlay. (10) Galactic Star is good right now and may be able to race well from the outside, as he has in the past.