The Nomination Is In: The Grade 1 Woodward at AQA

Life Is Good: Bill Denver/Eclipse Sports Wire

 Welcome friends to The Turk and the Little Turk, now in our 15th year of providing racing handicaps and warm hearted banter to people who never asked for it and most definitely didn't pay for it.  I'd like to thank the good people at The Thorofan for indulging me.

Belmont at the Big A.  That's the silliest thing I've heard in a long time.  Today's race is at Aqueduct, I'm not sure why they just couldn't say that.  I'm not sure why Belmont construction couldn't avoid the fall racing season, but that's over my pay grade.  The Woodward.  When I first got into horse racing as an adult this race was at Belmont, but it wasn't until the move to Saratoga did I form lifelong memories of this race.  Usually on the Saturday before Labor Day, it was a perfect opportunity to spend a last bit of summer at Saratoga, away from the stress of the day job:  Rachel Alexandra, Curlin, Mine That Bird (a shadow of himself) and Harve de Grace.  The race hasn't been so good at the end of Saratoga meet and I'm glad it came back to Belmont where it can be positioned as a Breeders' Cup prep, but this edition?  Life is Good and four also rans. This isn't horse racings='s finest to offer.  

What do do with something like this race?  Don't play it.  You're either a horseplayer or you are a fan.  If you are purely fan, do what you like, enjoy the most dominant colt in training currently.  If you're a horse player, box the other four in an exacta or put the four in the win and the field in the place box and hope for something whacky.  

I wish I had more to offer you, but I can't make gold from straw.  If you really want some action, don't bet Life is Good at all.  Perhaps he has a bad step or doesn't seem right, I'm sure the Jockey instructions will be clear to protect the horse regardless of today's race.  Now you got some value.  The reality is longshots most likely Place, not Win.  There isn't much to be gained except an Exacta with Life is Good to Win and Informative or Thomas Shelby to Place, the two horses I think most likely to be lowest odds on the board.  If you must be right, regardless of the betting philosophies against this, single Life Is Good Over Keepmeinmind and/or Law Professor.  

A glorified two turn work for Life is Good.  

Have fun, Turk Out.