Free local handicapping seminars provide Breeders’ Cup insight
The Breeders’ Cup offers two of the best betting days of the year for horseplayers. The Daily Racing Form Breeders’ Cup Advance edition is available in all race books. You’ll need a week to get familiar with 172 horses that pre-entered into 15 championship races.
The betting menu for the Nov. 1 and 2 event at Santa Anita Park also has been set. The best advice I can give is with a low 50-cent minimum in the trifecta, Pick 3, Pick 4 Pick 5 and Super High 5 wagers, you should dive in. Give yourself a chance to make a score. For example, a simple “3x3x3” Pick 3 would cost $13.50.
It has been said with most sporting events that if you can’t attend in person, Las Vegas is the next best place to be. That’s true with the Breeders’ Cup. Every casino race book in town will be rolling out the red carpet for horseplayers.
In fact, there will be free ballroom parties Nov. 1 and 2 at South Point and Nov. 2 at The Orleans. Patrick McQuiggan, the South Point house handicapper and “Track Talk” radio show host, will be organizing team tickets, so talk to him about chipping in on a Pick 5 or Pick 6 wager.
A series of free handicapping seminars will be held next week, too. It makes good sense to hear other people’s opinions, whether you agree or disagree. I’ll list them in chronological order:
■ At 6 p.m. Thursday in the Sunset Station race book, Jerry Jacovitz of Jerry J’s Power Page and I will analyze the Breeders’ Cup cards for both days.
■ At 6 p.m. Thursday in the Palace Station race book, Richie Saber of Gaming Today, Ralph Siraco, host of the “Race Day Las Vegas” radio show, and former jock’s agent Paul Truitt will share their insight.
■ At 12:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Sam’s Town, between races Ralph Siraco and I will give our picks on the Nov. 1 card and our ideas for the Nov. 2 program.
■ On Nov. 1 and 2 at Green Valley Ranch, Nick “The Sarge” Hines, a former trainer and current analyst on TVG, will be at the race book most of the day to offer his thoughts on both Breeders’ Cup cards.
■ At 6 p.m. on Nov. 1 at South Point, John Kelly of Eye On Gaming (eog.com), McQuiggan and Toby Turrell, a highly regarded Southern California clocker, will be on the dais.
■ At 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at Boulder Station, professional handicapper Gordon Jones, Siraco and Tony Vega of Boulder Station will handicap the Nov. 2 program.
If you like betting a little money to win a lot, there are multiple rich Twin Quinella bets for the Breeders’ Cup. Station and Fiesta casinos will offer two Twin Qs of $10,000 on Nov. 1 and $20,000 on Nov. 2. South Point will offer a $10,000 Twin Quin on Nov. 2.
If you think you know the quinella finish of the Mile and Classic, those bets are well worth trying.
Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick.