Bigger Picture, Conquest Tsunami, City of Light: Jan 27-28 - Stakes Action
Odds-on favorites - really, favorites generally - are the enemy of most handicappers' methodologies - that is, unless they take the right horses "under" and cash-in a not-too-tawdry exacta. For the weekend of Jan 27-28, a few of these are reviewed.
Bigger Picture wins Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Park over Zapperini
[1.27.2019] - It’s been a while, and he had to find the right competition, but what a beautiful winning run by Bigger Picture in this year’s rendition of the John “He Began His Career as A Democrat but Switched to be a Republican” Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park.
As is wont on his best days, Bigger Picture broke casually, sussed out the throng ahead, and then picked through them, accelerating all the time until he reached the wire ahead of the rest in this 1 1/2 mile test. This was the bloody third year in a row he won the Connaly.
Said Trainer Michael Maker: “He hadn't won a race since this race last year, but he showed up and danced a lot of dances with the best in his division.”
And that is true.
Even Epitomime wondered if he was slowing down – as he lagged in last year’s Man O’ War. But more often than not he was chomping at the bit and giving it a go. His second in the recent Hollywood Turf was a good sign.
Favorite wins we’ve seen Bigger Picture accomplish in the past include the 2016 Red Smith Stakes and the 2017 United Nations. He's a War Horse of Brilliance.
Not much money to be made with him today at .70 on the dollar – but coupling him with 10-1 Zapperini in the exacta proved fruitful at $14.80. Always keep your eye on Bigger Picture.
Conquest Tsunami bests Cistron - wins Clockers' Corner Stakes
He is a survivor of a fire. One of the fastest in the West. Seldom doesn't vie in the early going. has often been on the losing side to a spectacular stablemate. That's Conquest Tsunami. In the Clockers Corner Stakes he took the lead and never gave it up. Second this time was Cistron. Interesting cause they have run close to each other in the past, and Cistron may be on the improve. But Cistron's jock Tyler Baze seemed intent not to immediately engage Tsunami, and that seemed a-ok his jockey, Draden Van Dyke. For that matter, place and shows seem perhaps to be his comfort zone.Nothing wrong, however, with $16.80 for the exacta.
Measure Beforehand
Conquest Tsunami had very good power rating, good avg speed and high speed, good position at 1st and 2nd call, capability at the distance, and a propensity to win.
Cistron had very good power rating, good avg speed and high speed, good position at 1st and 2nd call, capability at the distance, but not a propensity to win.
City of Light over Seeking the Soul in the Pegasus World Cup
[1/26/2019] - The Pegasus Cup this year got rained on pretty seriously – but, unlike some of the events on the undercard, it didn’t lose any runners to scratches. City of Light was a wise guy pick at 1 1/8 mile distance, and he rewarded them, if a payoff of $1.90 on a dollar as second choice to Accelerate is reward. Lousy surface it twas, and it didn’t look like he would be caught if the race had gone another furlong. Accelerate was a worthy Older Horse of the Year for 2018 - but not Overall Horse of the Year, as some would have had him - that was Justify. City of Light is a good one too, now going off to stud on the same van as Accelerate.
Let’s give some credit to Seeking the Soul for a second. The conclusion of Trackman described the horse well and bears repeating: “Finished with good courage."The horse was an Epitomigm pick in the Pegasus last year, when he disappointed. He has won a couple this year. Of more interest is some strong seconds in big ones. That were quite valuable scores. There was the $7 place in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, where he also chased City of Light; and the $19.20 to place in the Pegasus. The exacta for that one was $41.10 for $1.
Related
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Seeking_The_Soul
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/City_Of_Light_1
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=GP&CTY=USA&DATE=20190126&RN=12
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Bigger_Picture
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Zapperini
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=HOU&CTY=USA&DATE=20190127&RN=8
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=SA&CTY=USA&DATE=20190127&RN=8
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Conquest_Tsunami
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Cistron
Bigger Picture wins Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Park over Zapperini
As is wont on his best days, Bigger Picture broke casually, sussed out the throng ahead, and then picked through them, accelerating all the time until he reached the wire ahead of the rest in this 1 1/2 mile test. This was the bloody third year in a row he won the Connaly.
Said Trainer Michael Maker: “He hadn't won a race since this race last year, but he showed up and danced a lot of dances with the best in his division.”
And that is true.
Even Epitomime wondered if he was slowing down – as he lagged in last year’s Man O’ War. But more often than not he was chomping at the bit and giving it a go. His second in the recent Hollywood Turf was a good sign.
Favorite wins we’ve seen Bigger Picture accomplish in the past include the 2016 Red Smith Stakes and the 2017 United Nations. He's a War Horse of Brilliance.
Not much money to be made with him today at .70 on the dollar – but coupling him with 10-1 Zapperini in the exacta proved fruitful at $14.80. Always keep your eye on Bigger Picture.
He is a survivor of a fire. One of the fastest in the West. Seldom doesn't vie in the early going. has often been on the losing side to a spectacular stablemate. That's Conquest Tsunami. In the Clockers Corner Stakes he took the lead and never gave it up. Second this time was Cistron. Interesting cause they have run close to each other in the past, and Cistron may be on the improve. But Cistron's jock Tyler Baze seemed intent not to immediately engage Tsunami, and that seemed a-ok his jockey, Draden Van Dyke. For that matter, place and shows seem perhaps to be his comfort zone.Nothing wrong, however, with $16.80 for the exacta.
Measure Beforehand
Conquest Tsunami had very good power rating, good avg speed and high speed, good position at 1st and 2nd call, capability at the distance, and a propensity to win.
Cistron had very good power rating, good avg speed and high speed, good position at 1st and 2nd call, capability at the distance, but not a propensity to win.
City of Light over Seeking the Soul in the Pegasus World Cup
[1/26/2019] - The Pegasus Cup this year got rained on pretty seriously – but, unlike some of the events on the undercard, it didn’t lose any runners to scratches. City of Light was a wise guy pick at 1 1/8 mile distance, and he rewarded them, if a payoff of $1.90 on a dollar as second choice to Accelerate is reward. Lousy surface it twas, and it didn’t look like he would be caught if the race had gone another furlong. Accelerate was a worthy Older Horse of the Year for 2018 - but not Overall Horse of the Year, as some would have had him - that was Justify. City of Light is a good one too, now going off to stud on the same van as Accelerate.
Let’s give some credit to Seeking the Soul for a second. The conclusion of Trackman described the horse well and bears repeating: “Finished with good courage."The horse was an Epitomigm pick in the Pegasus last year, when he disappointed. He has won a couple this year. Of more interest is some strong seconds in big ones. That were quite valuable scores. There was the $7 place in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, where he also chased City of Light; and the $19.20 to place in the Pegasus. The exacta for that one was $41.10 for $1.
Related
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Seeking_The_Soul
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/City_Of_Light_1
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=GP&CTY=USA&DATE=20190126&RN=12
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Bigger_Picture
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Zapperini
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=HOU&CTY=USA&DATE=20190127&RN=8
https://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRacesIndexAction.do?TRK=SA&CTY=USA&DATE=20190127&RN=8
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Conquest_Tsunami
https://www.horseracingnation.com/horse/Cistron
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