Fast and firm on Preakness Day at Pimlico with a difficult 13 race on tap.  Didn’t do so well on Friday and my choice in the Black-Eyed Susan fell over a horse down the backstretch so maybe today will be better.

In race 12, The Preakness, there is very little pace in the second jewel of The Triple Crown, and I’m betting that a long shot could steal the race early and light up the tote board.  The problem is, there are several candidates that can do the job. Yawanna Twist (#5) is lightly raced, but has run well enough to win this at a huge price if he can set or sit off a slow pace.  I’m keying him up and down in exactas and triples including Jackson Bend (#6), Super Saver (#8) and Schoolyard Dreams (#2).

In race 10, The Maryland Sprint Handicap, Lantana Mob (#9) reunites with Albarado who won with him in a Grade 3 stakes on this track, goes second off a long layoff and gets a fast pace to set up a late run — I’m keying in all doubles and pick 3’s and playing an exacta box with Ravalo (#7) and Snapshot (#1).  Here’s the entire card and good luck!

Race 1: 5 with 4 and 2

Race 2: 6 with 1 and 11

Race 3: 7 with 3 and 4

Race 4: 1 with 7 and 9

Race 5: 5 with 1 and 9

Race 6: 4 and 3

Race 7: 7, 2 and 1

Race 8: 1 and 7

Race 9: 4 and 8

Race 10: 9 (Best Bet) with 7 and 1

Race 11: 1 (Best Bet) with 4 and 9

Race 12: 5 with 6, 8 and 2

Race 13: 2 and 5

Sloppy and yielding with races 3 and 5 off the turf on Derby Day.  The card is impossible enough without having to factor in wet track conditions, but I’ll do my best.  Hope to carry some momentum from Oaks day where I listed 8 winners, 6 on top, including both “best bets,” with a great flat bet profit all around!

In race 11, The Kentucky Derby, Ice Box (#2) gets the perfect race set up, has 3 nice distance races on traditional dirt around two turns, worked a bullet in the Churchill slop and has the Zito magic in his corner — my pick to win the big one with a late surge at 10-1 if the track is kind to closers.  I’m going to key on top with Awesome Act (#16) and play around in exotics with Lookin At Lucky (#1), Noble’s Promise (#3), Super Saver (#4) and Stately Victor (#6) whom all figure to move up on a wet track.

In race 10, The Turf Classic, Blues Street (#7) gets a nice set-up and loves a yielding course — I’m keying iin all doubles and pick 3’s and playing an exacta box with Yate’s Black Cat (#9) and Court Vision (#3). Here’s the entire card and good luck!

Race 1: 1 and 6

Race 2: 3, 8 and 11

Race 3: 2, 7 and 11

Race 4: 9 with 6 and 5

Race 5: 4 with 11 and 3

Race 6: 2 and 4

Race 7: 5 and 7

Race 8: 2 with 10 and 3

Race 9: 12 (Best Bet) and 7

Race 10: 7 (Best Bet) with 9 and 3

Race 11: 2 (Best Bet) with 16, 1 and 3

Race 12: 2 with 11 and 8

Race 13: 7, 8 and 3

Finally, the big day is here at Belmont.  It’s a beautiful Summer day, the track is drying out and they will be running on a soft turf course for all races except #12 & #13.  So who’s going to win the Belmont Stakes?  Well, it’s Summer Bird (#4), a horse I fell in love with so fast, I never it saw coming!

This lightly raced son of Birdstone (a past Belmont winner), trained by Tim Ice, gets a tremendous rider switch to Kent Desormeaux  (from CR Rosier), and is my pick to upset the field at 10-1 or better.  He ran a deceptively good race in the Derby and gets blinkers today which will help him stay closer to a slow pace and finish.  I like him to catch Charitable Man (#6), who ran a great race in the Peter Pan and who is the main speed they will all have to catch.  I’m playing both on top in doubles and pick 3’s, the pick 4 and pick 6.  I don’t think Mine That Bird (#7) will be able to rally from far back given the slow pace and I won’t use him today!

Good luck!

The second that Mine That Bird went past the finish line in yesterday’s Derby, I did what every serious horseplayer would do…I went back to the Racing Form and tried to make a case for the winner.  I went over and over the stats, for at least 30 minutes, and I couldn’t find one good reason to back this horse in the most important race of the year.  In fact, he should have been 100-1!

Oh well.  It just reminds you that this game can be cruel for handicappers and you have to be out of your mind to think you can predict everything.  But guess what — there’s always tomorrow!