Monday kicks off Week 3 of the PDJFund Charity Handicapping Contest: RT's at Lone Star Park, Garrity's at Indiana Grand
Bettors Insider's two horse racing handicapping experts – Chris Garrity (@belmostickey) and RT and SmartCap (@RTsSpot) – have agreed to take part in a weekly handicapping contest throughout June.
For the contest, each handicapper will designate one of his race picks per weekday and two on Saturday and Sunday. Win, place, show betting only. $20 per bet. Weeks run Monday through Sunday.
The 'capper with the most money at the end of each week will have a donation made in his name to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. You can donate to the fund here.
Play along and in future months you may have a chance to beat the pros.
Yesterday
RT bet $7 win, $13 place on 1-Eaton's Memory in the 3rd race at Lone Star Park and $7/$13 on 8-Moro Said Ready in the 6th at Lone Star. Eaton forgot to finish first or second and took third. Moro said he wasn't ready and finished out of the money.
Garrity put $20 to win on 4-Spirit Animal in the 6th at Belmont and $20 to win on 5-Bourbon Bay in the 9th. Spirit Animal won and returned $55, but Bourbon Bay required a bourbon, finishing out of the money.
RT won the second week's contest, finishing down only -$14.50. A donation will be made in his name to the PDJFund. Garrity ended up the week -$125.
RT's Pick
Race 5 at Lone Star Park. $7 to win and $13 to place on 8-Mo Gayle (12/1). Post time 4:43 p.m. EDT.
Why: Claimed two back into the Broberg barn, she ran in a $21K allowance at WRD and just missed closing in on the leader. That was in the mud and most good mud runners make good turf runners, so now in for a tag, she appears in great form and ready to strike. David Cabrera in the irons again.
For RT's full SmartCap analysis on the 5th at Lone Star Park, please check out his post here.
Garrity's Pick
For the contest play today, we’ve selected a race at Indiana Grand Race Course, which opens after a long hiatus. The weather should be ideal, and we’ve handicapped for a fast track. Note: Garrity's regular race picks will return tomorrow with picks for Royal Ascot as he gears up for the Belmont on Saturday.
Pick: $20 to win on 7-Winking At Thedude. Indiana Grand, Race 6, 4:40 pm EDT. Allowance/Optional Claiming, 1 mile, Dirt, 3 & Up.
Why: 7-Winking At Thedude is a very straightforward, if very obvious, play based on speed and pace figures. He ships to Indiana from Gulfstream Park, where he was an amazingly consistent runner going back to last summer. His speed figures are superior to his rivals, and his pace figures are a fit too: he’s a strong closer in a race that looks to have a legitimate early pace, setting up his late charge. Our contest play today is simple: find the best horse, and bet him to win. We’ll put our whole $20 stack on the nose of 7-Winking At Thedude. The bet: Indiana Grand, Race 7, $20 to win on 7-Winking At Thedude.