by Bob Pandolfo

Bob Pandolfo offers his picks for the $50,000 Pick-4 at Meadowlands Racetrack on July 22, part of the USTA Strategic Wagering program.

Meadowlands Pick-4, Races 6-9, Friday, July 22, 2011

I hit the Pick-4 this past Friday. The week before I hit one for $333.20. Friday it paid $49.60 but I had it for $4 on my $8 ticket so the return was $99.20. That’s two Pick-4s I’ve hit this meet but I’m still down $43.60. Last night I played a $9 ticket but wasn’t close. Tonight’s sequence looks competitive but not impossible. I’m sticking with a small ticket. Since I cut the tickets down my ROI has improved, although my average ticket was below $20 right from the start. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of tickets that cost less than $10. Tonight I’m playing two tickets, one for a buck and another for $2, for a total of $12.

$1 play: 3/2357/57/1 = $8
$2 play: 3/5/57/1 = $4

Analysis:

Race 6: (3) Corleone Kosmos comes off one of the poorest efforts of his $2 million career but it was against the best trotters in the sport and the 9-year-old isn’t in that league now. He does have three wins in 11 starts this year and beat a better field than this just three starts back. He was freshened a few weeks since last and trainer Ross Croghan can get them ready. Single.

Race 7: Toughest race of the sequence so I’m using four horses on the bigger ticket, (2) McFlirty, (3) Ridge Jumper, (5) On The Glass, and (7) Lr Dancing Dream. On another ticket I’ll single On The Glass, who drops off a tough trip. The bottom line is, if On The Glass doesn’t win off the drop for Team Burke, then the race is wide open.

Race 8: Two trotters stick out to me here, the drop down (7) Captain Primeau and (5) Proud Moment, who steps up off an easy win at Pocono. Last time Proud Moment raced here three starts back he lost by a length against a tougher field than this and he draws inside of the Captain.

Race 9: (1) Dragon Princess drops off several solid efforts and is a single for me.