The Nomination Is In: Breeders' Cup Friday Filly and Mare Sprint G1

Four years old, beautiful, sleek and exotic, Informed Decision pictured to the left is The Turk's chalk in today's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She'll be facing eight others and breaking from the 7 spot with a very talented Street Cry filly Seventh Street and the male beating Mare, Ventura on the far outside.

Race 7 at Santa Anita Post Time 6:02 ET; The Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Grade I; 7 Furlongs on fake dirt for F&M 3 YO and Up.

Informed Decision comes in at the end of a very impressive 4 YO campaign, 6 of 6 in the money with a career 6 wins in 6 starts on fake dirt and 10 wins in 13 career trips to the gate. Trainer Sheppard wins 26% of his fake dirt races and an impressive 28% of his graded stake starts, and combined with Leparoux who is up today, they win together 33% of the time. A sharp 5f in :59 and 3/5ths followed a Grade II win at 6f on Keeneland's fake stuff. Hasn't consistently put up three digit BSF's but capable and competitive.

Seventh Street takes a significant drop in furlongs in hopes that her speed will carry through 7/8's of a mile. An interesting runner, 6 of 6 in the money on wet dirt and the horse only has 9 starts, with no sythetic and no turf starts, but a lifetime 9 of 9 in the money and a ton of class. Works slow and last race in September. More bets will hedge down to 4th or lower then hedge this high.

Ventura, heroine of the Woodbine Mile, comes in with everything but a good post position. She is very capable of overcoming that, but its a hurdle and I'll have her in my top four, but where she'll land on the ticket I dunno. 6 wins in last 11 starts, 11 of last 11 in the money, 9 wins in 19 starts on turf and fake dirt, 17 of 19 in the money on combined turf and fake dirt starts, very impressive numbers including a race best 108 BSF, with three 100+ BSF in a row and a Grade I win at SA and a loss by a nose in a GI at SA to a little old horse called Gio Ponti. Best horse in the race from Chester House.

The next rung down could be a blanket finish and a toss up all at the same time. I'd hedging towards Evita Argentina, the 3 YO Candy Ride that has 5 wins on Poly including a Grade II at SA. n Training sharply for Sadler who wins 20% of his fake dirt races and 24% of his 61-180 day layoff starts.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not going too much higher then 3rd of 4th on some tickets with Sara Louise. No fake dirt or turf starts for the 3 YO but two 100+ BSF at Belmont and Saratoga. Training well and Godolphin puts the incorrigible F. Dettori up.

Have Fun, Turk Out!

Post Race Analysis for Race Day June 13, 2009: The Stephen Foster Handicap Grade I at Churchill Downs

The Little Turk was campaigning for glory on the soccer field this past weekend. The chance to watch him run free up the wing gave the Big Turk a chance to decompress after handi-blogging nearly 100 races this calendar year. I had several races set aside this week to handicap, but after spending an hour or so on the Stephen Foster field, I could not find the focus to think of any other hoofbeats.

Resetting the pre-race buzz, I looked at this race as a chance for Einstein to once again prove to the racing world that he is the best older horse racing right now in North America. The Pitts trainee doesn't care about the surface at all, he just runs and wins. I also expected a big coming out party for Researcher and Finallymadeit.

The Turk often talks about the best bets being the ones you don't make. I couldn't settle on a bet strategy that I liked so I passed on betting at all. That proved to be a good move, as two horses I considered candidates for Show and the 4th spot on the Superfecta, Macho Again and Asiatic Boy, went right to the wire for the top two spots, while Einstein had a horrible trip and only his class allowed him to find Show.


Race 10 CD: The Stephen Foster Handicap Grade I: 1 1/8 miles on my ol' Kentucky home dirt for 3 YO and Up.



Watch the trips and tip your hat to the winner.



The race I wanted to handicap this weekend was The Californian at Hollywood Park. Congrats to the former claimer Informed, a horse I would not have picked. The best bets are sometimes the ones we can't make because jr. is playing soccer. Go Fire!

Post Race Analysis for Race Day April 9,2009: The Vinery Madison GI

Race 8 KEE: The Vinery Madison Grade I; 7f on fake dirt for F&M 4 YO and Up.



The Turk couldn't find any good video of the Vinery Madison, but he did listen to the race call live via At the Races with Steve Byk. www.thoroughbredracingradionetwork.com I'm not sure how the pace played into the race (final time 1:21.64 final furlong 12.37) but Ventura came up a nose short at the end. Informed Decision, resting since October, ran a very sharp race and it wasn't a huge surprise that she was there at the end. I expected more from Bsharpsonata, but she was a non factor. The rest of the race I felt I read pretty well and was rewarded with a Tri bet on a bit of a stretch for me, $18 bet on one race for $71 in returns. The Turk's mantra is and continues to be that consistency as a handicapper and a bettor is key. Do the same things every race, analyze the same, learn, evolve, but be consistent. You'll win more in the long haul with consistency then you will gain by being erratic, even if erratic sometimes results in cashing tickets.

The Maker's Mark Mile is today. I don't generally bet turf miles, but I love to watch them. Thorn Song is a really beautiful horse and I wish her well today. If I have time later I'll handicap the race but I may take a break and get ready for the Bluegrass and Arkansas Derby tomorrow. Another big, big day.

Blessed Easter to anyone who is of that persuasion, TGIF to all you secular-only types.