Hastings Handicapper

Brian McGregor-Foxcroft

 

19/ 06/ 00 – Vancouver: Warn weather favored Hastings Park last weekend, but the wet weather earlier in the week took a heavy toll on the track surface, which necessitated repairs. Apparently this is a minor problem which Racing Director Greg MacDonald has under control. Reports indicate that, in spite of a long spell of very wet weather, attendance and handle are still up over last year’s figures. One glitch this year may be the survival of Wednesday evening races, which is putting a strain on the limited number of horses at the track. In fact, the horse shortage is so bad, at the moment, that live racing in Kamloops is severely restricted to small fields and cards. There is still hope that more horses will drift in from south of the border, now that the new $2,500 claiming level is in place.

 

There were some nice pay outs over the weekend, beginning Friday night, when Miss Gun Feu won the 6 furlong 2^nd race, paying $12.20/ $6.30/ $4.60, a nice across the board bet. In the 5^th race, long-shot Whererainbowsmeet shot across the line in the 3 ½ furlong starter race to pay $39.30/ $15.80/ $10.10. Cousin Jim, in the 6^th race, came in to pay $14.50/ $6.70/ $6.00, another nice across the board flutter. And here’s a giggler, Kingsview, who won the 8^th race of the night, was claimed yet again, this time by Runaway Stables. This horse moves around more than a traveling salesman.

 

Saturday was a favorite’s day, with two exceptions. Hold Your Britches snuck in to win the 6 ½ furlong 3^rd race, paying $12.70/ $6.20/ $3.60. And in the 6 ½ furlong 5^th race, Western Glory, who was due, got up to sweep the field away with a powerful run, returning a whopping $21.20/ $10.50/ $5.50. The feature 1 1/8 mile race of the day, saw Deputy Sue beat out a front running Sky Borne to return $4.70/ $2.70/ $2.30. I must also mention the feature race from Stanpede Park, the $75.000, 1 1/16 mile Alberta Derby, which was won by Scotman, who ran the entire event four wide before splitting the other two front runners, Cash On The Run, and Hastings Park’s own I’m Five, ridden by Alan Cutherbertson. Scotman went off at 4-1, which was a good price for such a live wager.

 

Sunday dawned sunny, but windy. Again, racing was fairly even, with only one real surprise, Belle Of BC, with Ruben Solis in the irons, swept home in the 1 1/16 mile 3^rd race, at long odds, to pay $60.70/ $19.70/ $5.60. Nice runs were also put in by Penny’s Flyer, in the 1 1/16 mile second race, while Maxwell Smart did not disappoint in the 6 ½ furlong 6^th race on the card.

 

I would like to write a few lines about a new feature which will be offered by www.countrytimes.com in the next week. It’s the Rail Bird’s Picks. This is a handicapper’s sheet, in which I will attempt to pick out the best bet prospects in every race of every live card at Hastings Park. This is a little task I set for myself last year, and didn’t do too badly. But I have fine tuned it this year, and my “in the money horses” for each race day stands at about 55% to 60%. As an added feature I will try to give you at least one long-shot prospect (based on the Morning Line odds) for each race day, as well as one probable exacta prospect for each day. I will indicate my top pick for each race by placing an asterisk [*] after the horse’s name. And I will also indicate each good wet runner with a [w] after each horse’s name. This becomes important if track conditions suddenly come up sloppy – which can happen suddenly in Vancouver. I will pick two horses for each race with a field of fewer than seven horses, and I will pick three horses for every field over six horses. For each superfecta race I will pick four horses.

 

The secret to effective handicapping is best summed up by the word “consensus.”  It is always best to weigh up your own personal picks against the picks of other professional handicappers. For example, if seven out of eight handicappers tell you that a certain horse has the best shot at winning, then betting that horse is a reasonable way of winning your wager back. In the final analysis, I play my own picks. Generally speaking, I play The Daily Racing Form very carefully. You could call me a “formula handicapper,” because I avoid hunch plays, unless I have a “well informed” hunch. I also keep my ear to the ground, listening for information about certain horses who are coming into form. You will notice the picks sheet is simple in format, but I believe that this is the most helpful and convenient format for the player.

 

Finally, watch for a special Hastings Handicapper, in which I will attempt to help newer and beginning handicappers with “how to” advice on playing the horses. Experienced players can ignore this one. But it is hoped that beginners will find my advice both helpful and profitable. It has been my experience that people would like to attend live racing, but feel intimidated by their ignorance about what to do when they get there. Folks don’t want to be embarrassed by having to ask too many questions. I believe that by answering their questions before they arrive at trackside, they will be more inclined to venture out and give it a try.

 

Two last minute items, don’t forget that The Queen’s Plate, Canada’s premier race, is going off this coming Saturday. Two horses to watch are Pete’s Sake, who won The Plate Trial, and I And I, who placed. Another item just in, High Yield, the D. Wayne Lukas horse who’s made $1,170,196, has been retired to stud after fracturing a sesamoid.