Taking stock in the ponies
Betting the horses is a lot like playing the stock market. You wouldn't invest in anything but solid companies, right? Solid, proven companies like Coca-Cola, Exxon-Mobil and Phillip Morris. The type of companies that have a track record year, after year, after year.
Well, it's the same with the horses. Why bet trainers who win less than 10 percent of the time when there are plenty of good opportunities out there to bet on horses that are conditioned by solid, proven trainers who have posted a high winning percentage for many years running?
Today, in the fourth race at Santa Anita, Craig Dollase has a horse entered named Amazin Blue. Dollase has given the 3-year-old son of Marquetry two sprint races and is now stretching him out to 1 1/16 miles. Corey Nakatani, who was aboard for the colt's first two races, sticks around to ride. He's 5-1 on the morning line. Dollase won with 20 percent of his starters last year, a solid success rate, and this horse looks like a solid investment. I'll bet good win and place money on the horse.
If you like taking a chance, i.e. investing in a weaker stock that is much riskier but offers huge opportunity for a great reward, take a look at Zig Town in today's nightcap. Trainer Gary Sherlock won with only two percent of his 95 starters in 2006. But if you want to take a chance, the 4-year-old gelding was closing stoutly last time out while racing four-wide into the stretch. You should get 20-1 or more on this guy.
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