by Bob Pandolfo
Bob Pandolfo offers his picks for the $25,000 Pick-4 at Delaware, Ohio on September 22, part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.
Guaranteed $25,000 Pick 4 with a 15% Takeout (races 7-8-9-10)
$2 play: 47/16/23/4= $16.00
Analysis:
Race 7: Crossthreaded is the obvious favorite here coming off 5 straight wins but she has post 7. I used her but my top pick is the 4 Osborne’s Sweeper.
Race 8: Whirl Monroe ship in sharp for the Teague barn. He didn’t beat much in last at Harrington but his debut at Pocono was a nice effort for a $20,000 purse. I’ll give him the edge on post position over Rockin Finish, who comes off an improved effort in the Champlain at Mohawk.
Race 9: Pembroke Heat Wave has speed and gets Gingras back in the bike. I’ll also use Action-Broadway.
Race 10: There seem to be three contenders here, the 3, 4, 7, but I’m going to take a shot and single the 4 Blueridge Dancer off the driver change to Sears. His form has been improving and he has speed.
Guaranteed $40,000 Pick4 with a 15% Takeout (races 13-14-15-16)
$4 play: 8/2/45/2 = $8.00.
Analysis:
Race 13: M K G has been showing good speed at Yonkers. Post 8 is brutal at this track but I’ll still going to single this one for sharp connections. Both of the morning line favorites have question marks, Full of Sand has yet to return to his 2yo form and Casino Captor gets post 7 and is unproven over a half mile track.
Race 14: The Little Brown Jug starts here. I’m going to single the 2 Big Bad John. He has maintained sharp form since his defeat in the Hoosier cup in June and he gets a good inside slot for a top money driver, Dave Miller. Custard The Dragon has shown high speed but seemed to tail off in his last two starts at Chester. It could be that he didn’t like that track but he’s been freshened for Teague.
Race 15: Betterthancheddar has improved sharply. In his last start, a win in the Cane Pace at Pocono, he did something you rarely see, he paced a sub :26 opening quarter (:25.4) and won. Today he picks up George Brennan and figures to control the pace. Roll With Joe had post 8 in the Cane and I thought his effort was better than it looks. In today’s speed favoring sport you rarely see a horse brush over the field from far back and that’s the strategy he tried. I have a lot of respect for Up The Credit but he gets the worst post here and his grinding style is more suited to a bigger track. That being said, if Up The Credit gets into the final and draws an inside post where he can go first over he could be tough because he can win that way. I’m going to use two horses in this leg, the 4 and 5. In the Final I’m leaning to Roll With Joe to take the whole thing.
Race 16: Category Six has 37 career wins including three in a row climbing the ladder at Northfield. I’ll single him.
Pick 3 (races 14-15-16)
$2 play: 2/45/2 = $4.00.