Breeders’ Cup Analysis – Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections at Keeneland

October 31, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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When you purchase Rich Nilsen’s Breeders’ Cup package, you will also be buying a water filter that will last 5-10 years in a developing community in Central America.

AGameofSkill.com has partnered with our friend Rudy Shaffer’s Water4Life Ministry (501c3) to provide you with this opportunity to bring hope and life-saving measures to an entire village in either Central America or Africa.  I’m doing this unique offer because I believe in my friends and all the good people in racing to support a great cause.  I have given out some great winners over the years on these big race days and I hope to do so again at one of my home tracks of Keeneland.  Will you join me in supporting this ministry?

18x NHC Qualifier Rich Nilsen offers up his Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis for BOTH days of the Breeders’ Cup in ONE report – pre-order today.

Nilsen, who has had some monster days in the past with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland, but this time we have a mission.

Included in his report are top selections for all 5 Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 14 Breeders’ Cup races).  Includes commentary on all the contenders listed, plus spot play wagers.

BONUS: Free pace chart for every race on both days at Keeneland!

You will also receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner.   Nilsen will have Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races hard.

Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet!  Download instantly to any type of device. Only $30 for all 9 Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday + bonus pace chart for the full cards on Fri. and Sat.

Download today to any device 

 

 

Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners from Nilsen’s Analysis!

2020: Several winners at Keeneland with the monster longshot score of $37.60 winner Audarya the highlight!  See the write-up below on the monster $199.20 cold exacta in the 2020 Filly & Mar Turf!!!

$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!

$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!

$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!

$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa

$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten

$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

The list goes on and on!

 

1st- # 11 AUDARYA (12/1) was boxed in a little bit during the stretch run in the Arc and finished well on her wrong lead in straight.  She never really seemed comfortable racing along the inside behind the two speed horses, but, despite that, ran very well and nearly won the prestigious race.

In her prior start she was an upset winner in France, giving her trainer a third career win in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes.  There was a gap of about 4 lengths to the show horse.  The place horse was Ambition who came back to run a decent 5th in the Arc.

Her top trainer in France, James Fanshawe, is ending a 30-year wait for a runner at the Breeders’ Cup.  Fanshawe has trained the likes of Soviet Song and The Tin Man, among other Group 1 winners.

On her latest effort at Longchamp, Fanshawe said, “Audarya ran an excellent race, but there wasn’t much coverage of it afterwards. Most of the attention seemed to focus on the winner Tarnawa and Jessica Harrington’s filly Alpine Star who finished second.”

She’s a major player based on her recent form.

2nd- # 6 RUSHING FALL (5/2) – Has won 11 of 14 lifetime and banked over $2.5M.  She was last seen finishing in under 34 seconds when she gamely captured the G1 Diana at Saratoga.  Trainer Chad Brown has been working her every 7 days since that win in preparation for this start at a track where she is 5 for 6 lifetime.

She’s unproven at the distance but Brown has won many times with this type of stretch out turf runner.  Brown has also won this BC race 4 times…

About Nilsen’s Analysis

In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.

Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.

Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.

Nilsen has worked the past 29+ years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.

Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000.  The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.

The $3 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 18 times. He is a dual qualifier for the 2022 NHC and a member of the NHC Players’ Committee. He was the first player, and one of only a handful, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing News Tagged With: , , , ,

Super Bowl 56 Package from Dr. Alan

February 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment

The Hottest Sports Handicapper in the Land
Over 80% ATS Winners in 2022!

My friend The Wizard, New York’s legendary public handicapper, has never endorsed another handicapper… until he met Dr. Alan, the best sports handicapper and bettor he has ever met. This is why Dr. Alan is the featured sports handicapper on Wizard Race and Sports. Dr. Alan has not disappointed, going on incredible win streaks and producing a profit every year for his loyal followers. Dr. Alan is currently riding a NINE game win streak AGAINST THE SPREAD and he is 13-2 with his select plays, covering college basketball, NBA, and previously college football. This isn’t luck. This is hours of hard work, dedication and experience based on Dr. Alan’s unique method of selecting games.

Dr. Alan is now live with his Super Bowl package – the ATS side selection, the Over/Under and a bonus: his 3 best prop wagers. Put the Doctor in your corner this Super Bowl Sunday!!!

$100 for Super Bowl 56 Package – 5 wagers

 

Dr. Alan the expert

One of Dr. Alan’s Big Wins at Westgate!

Meet Dr. Alan

Dr. Alan got his start in football handicapping and sports wagering over two decades ago through his enjoyment of watching and attending sporting games.

He started off just like the rest of us. Dr. Alan saw that there could be a tremendous opportunity in sports wagering through successful sports handicapping in addition to the enjoyment of being a sports fan.

Dr. Alan decided to pursue the art of football handicapping and sports wagering by approaching it from a business perspective. Dr. Alan went on to invent his special unique method of sports handicapping, which is psychological handicapping, thus earning Dr. Alan his honorary Ph.D. in sports psychology!

Filed Under: Sports Betting Tagged With: , , , , ,

Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar – Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis

November 3, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Rich Nilsen 2016 BC Paddock18x NHC Qualifier Rich Nilsen Offers up Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis for BOTH days of the Breeders’ Cup in ONE report.

Nilsen, who has had some monster days in the past with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.   Included in his report are top selections for all 5 Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 14 Breeders’ Cup races).  Includes commentary on all the contenders listed, plus spot play wagers.

BONUS: Free pace chart for every race on both days at Del Mar!

You will also receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner.   Nilsen has 4 Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races hard.

Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet!  Download instantly to any type of device. Only $19.97 for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races + bonus pace chart for the full cards on Fri. and Sat.

Download today to any device 

 

 

Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners!

$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!

$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!

$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!

$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa

$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten

$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

The list goes on and on!

2020: Several winners with the monster longshot score of $37.60 winner Audarya the highlight!  Here was the write-up on the monster $199.20 cold exacta in the 2020 Filly & Mar Turf:

1st- # 11 AUDARYA (12/1) was boxed in a little bit during the stretch run in the Arc and finished well on her wrong lead in straight.  She never really seemed comfortable racing along the inside behind the two speed horses, but, despite that, ran very well and nearly won the prestigious race.

In her prior start she was an upset winner in France, giving her trainer a third career win in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes.  There was a gap of about 4 lengths to the show horse.  The place horse was Ambition who came back to run a decent 5th in the Arc.

Her top trainer in France, James Fanshawe, is ending a 30-year wait for a runner at the Breeders’ Cup.  Fanshawe has trained the likes of Soviet Song and The Tin Man, among other Group 1 winners.

On her latest effort at Longchamp, Fanshawe said, “Audarya ran an excellent race, but there wasn’t much coverage of it afterwards. Most of the attention seemed to focus on the winner Tarnawa and Jessica Harrington’s filly Alpine Star who finished second.”

She’s a major player based on her recent form.

2nd- # 6 RUSHING FALL (5/2) – Has won 11 of 14 lifetime and banked over $2.5M.  She was last seen finishing in under 34 seconds when she gamely captured the G1 Diana at Saratoga.  Trainer Chad Brown has been working her every 7 days since that win in preparation for this start at a track where she is 5 for 6 lifetime.

She’s unproven at the distance but Brown has won many times with this type of stretch out turf runner.  Brown has also won this BC race 4 times…

About Nilsen’s Analysis

In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.

Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.

Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.

Nilsen has worked the past 28+ years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.

Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000.  The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.

The $3 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 18 times. He is a dual qualifier for the 2022 NHC and a member of the NHC Players’ Committee. He was the first player, and one of only a handful, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.

 

Wizard’s Full-card Analysis + Betting Strategies for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup

Can the Wizard top last year’s tremendous performance hitting 6 TOP winners including Glass Slippers ($22.40) & Best Bet Tarnawa ($11.40).  He closed the day out with a $45.10 exacta in the Classic with his top 2 picks.  The Wizard, America’s #1 public handicapper, has been helping players cash more tickets since 1987.

Wizard’s Package Includes:

9 BC events and 3 undercard races.

Expert wagers for each and every race – all 12

A careful study of many video replays

Extensive trip and track bias notes is what the Wizard utilizes to make his selections & carefully plotted out wagering strategies. This combo package is only $50.00

 

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Gramm Wins BCBC over Kinchen. Donnelly Third.

November 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Economics Professor and Race Horse Owner from Memphis, TN, Marshall Gramm, crushed the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to capture racing’s most lucrative live-money tournament this past weekend.  TV personality Jonathan Kinchen was second, while arguably the best contest handicapper in 2020, Dylan Donnelly was third.  This trio each turned their $7,500 bankrolls into over $100,000 by the conclusion of the weekend.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 12, 2020) – Making the biggest wagering score of his life, Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College and a racehorse owner from Memphis, Tenn., nailed a cold exacta with Authentic and Improbable for $170,250 in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) to propel him to victory last Saturday in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge.

The 12th annual Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, Thoroughbred racing’s biggest live-money tournament, held Nov. 6-7, featured 430 top horseplayers wagering on the two-day card of the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.

Marshall Gramm BCBC winner

Photo courtesy of Carlos Guerrero

Gramm, 47, finished with a total score of 170,250 points. Combined with his first-place prize of $322,500, Gramm had total winnings of $492,750. That put him ahead of second-place finisher Jonathon Kinchen, NYRA/Fox Sports television handicapper and analyst. Kinchen compiled 161,025.20 points, and combined with his second-place prize of $215,000, he had total winnings of $376,025.20. Dylan Donnelly, from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished third with 136,200 points and $118,250 in prize money, for total winnings of $254,450.

In this year’s BCBC, each player was required to fund a $2,500 buy-in and a $7,500 betting bankroll ($10,000 total). All buy-in monies were applied to the prize pool, making the total prize pool $1,075,000. Players made real wagers (win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and daily double) with their $7,500 bankroll on 22 races over the two days and kept all monies earned from their wagering.

A big sports fan who grew up in Washington, D.C, Gramm loved “numbers and statistics,” and learned the handicapping game by reading books from noted racing journalist and author Andrew Beyer.

Gramm has played in the BCBC five of the last six years, registering his best finish in 2018, taking fifth place. He has been teaching economics at Rhodes College since 2000 and currently chairs the department. Gramm has taught a course at Rhodes called Economics of Racetrack Wagering Markets, which he describes as a class on “decision making, price discovery and probability.” Along with Clay Sanders, he is also co-managing partner of Ten Strike Racing, a stable that has won 338 races, including stakes winners Dot Matrix, Long on Value and Warrior’s Charge.

The biggest moment in recent Memphis horse racing history happened at this year’s Breeders’ Cup – local coverage of Gramm’s victory and the TN connection

Gramm experienced a range of emotions when he learned that he had won the tournament. “When I hit (the exacta), I was thrilled, my biggest score ever. You know you’ve had a great day, but it was nerve-racking, and a relief, and I will always be able to say that I am a BCBC Champion.”

In this year’s BCBC, Gramm was in contention throughout. On Friday, he cashed a $600 daily-double wager on Vequist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), followed by Aunt Pearl (IRE) capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). Those bets earned him $17,350 and he closed out the first day of competition in seventh place.

On Saturday, Gramm went “all in” on Monomoy Girl winning the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), wagering his $18,165 bankroll and more than doubling his money. After hitting on a minimum show bet in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), Gramm went into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in 11th place with $36,930. In the climactic race of the World Championships, he made six individual exacta wagers using Authentic, Improbable and Tom’s d’Etat. Gramm wagered $7,500 on the Authentic-Improbable combination and won the tournament.

“Marshall is a dear friend and I am very happy for him. The BCBC is the Masters of handicapping contests. It’s not all about the money, it’s about the title. I wanted to win, but there are about three people in the world I am ok running second to, and Marshall is one of them.” ~ Runner-up Kinchen stated.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at Keeneland, most of the BCBC tournament play was conducted online at TVG.com, the official Breeders’ Cup wagering partner, Xpressbet.com and NYRA Bets. The BCBC was also conducted at designated satellite locations at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

Online qualifying for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge begins this Sunday, Nov. 15 on Horseplayers.com. A guaranteed 2021 BCBC berth will be awarded to the winner of the contest, which has a $500 entry fee and a low 1 per 23 ratio. Players can up for Sunday’s contest here.

What are the dates for the 2021 National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas?

ABOUT BREEDERS’ CUP

The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders’ Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.

The 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, was held on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, and featured a total of $31 million in purses and awards. The event was televised live by the NBC Sports Group.

Source: Breeders’ Cup (edited press release)

Filed Under: Horse Racing contests & tournaments, Horse Racing News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Breeders’ Cup Spot Plays with Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis

November 5, 2020 by 2 Comments

Rich Nilsen 2016 BC Paddock17x NHC Qualifier Rich Nilsen Offers up Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis for BOTH days of the Breeders’ Cup in ONE report.

Nilsen, who has had some monster days in the past with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.   Included in his report are top selections for all 5 Breeders’ Cup stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 14 Breeders’ Cup races).  Includes commentary on all the contenders listed.

You will also receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner.   Nilsen has 4 Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races hard.

Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet!  Download instantly to any type of device. Only $17.97

Download today to any device 

Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners!

$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!

$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!

$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!

$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa

$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten

$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

The list goes on and on!

 

About Nilsen’s Analysis

In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 14 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.

Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.

Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.

Nilsen has worked the past 27 years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.

During his long tenure at the Keeneland-owned properties, Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000.  The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.

The $3 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 17 times. He is a dual qualifier for the 2021 NHC and a member of the NHC Players’ Committee. He was the first player, and one of only a handful, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.

Nilsen is the founder and editor of AGameofSkill.com, a site devoted to horse racing education and promotion.

 

Filed Under: Breeders Cup, Horse Racing News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Handicapping Tip of the Day #49 – Why I Passed on $326,599 in Free Money

September 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Handicapping tips from agameofskill.com

by Rich Nilsen

Tuesday night, September 10, 2019, featured a mandatory payout of the Jackpot Pick-5 wager at Prairie Meadows.  This jackpot wager had been building for months and, with closing day on tap, it was time to pay it all out.  This equated to $326,599 in free money in the pool.  Those funds, plus whatever was wagered (minus the 15% takeout), would be distributed to all the winners.

Despite the slow Tuesday of racing, and the fact that Prairie Meadows had recently been hosting quarter horse racing instead of Thoroughbreds, it seemed like everyone knew about it.  Major ADWs were sending out emails.  People were posting all over social media.  It seemed like if you were a horseplayer, especially one who liked horizontal wagers, you were playing it.

I was among them and was planning to participate.  My first concern was the notice that Des Moines, Iowa and the racetrack had been pounded with rain overnight.  How that might affect the track, even though it figured to be dry by post time, was anyone’s guess.

The second and more important issue was the entries.  The fields were large and with not knowing the track very well, that gave me pause.  If I could find one or two standouts, or a couple of races where I could easily narrow the field down to, let’s say, two major players, then this could be an affordable ticket.

However, that was not the case.  I was having trouble narrowing down the contenders in all five races.  Consequently, this sequence looked like it could pay gangbusters.  Of course, that’s the type of Pick-5 I want to be a part of.  I went back through it again, looking to narrow the races down to even 4-5 plays in most races.  I found it very difficult, regardless of the 2.57% edge as indicated by expert Marshall Gramm.*

Pick-5 Cost

A 4 x 4 x 4 x 5  x 5 partwheel is 1,600 combinations.  With the large fields there were 62,370 possible combinations.   At the $.50 base wager, this type of ticket would cost $800.  This was more than I wanted to spend when I wasn’t confident I would hit.  If I was wrong in just one race, I was toast.

The wise decision was to pass despite the six figures of “free” money.   The winning combination ended up returning $1,737.05.  This was a generous payoff considering the results, but it was hardly a life-changing score.

Recognizing when the situation isn’t right for you and passing on the so-called opportunity is very important.  Another big carryover is right around the corner.

Best of luck!

 

*If you want to learn more about the game, follow Marshall’s tweets.

Filed Under: Handicapping 101, Handicapping Tip of the Day, Learn to Handicap, Money Management Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Basic Horse Racing Bets

December 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Not surprisingly, betting is what drives the sport of horse racing. The thrill you get when your horse hits the finish line in front is second to none. Below, we take a look at the most popular horse racing wagers, in the most basic of details, for you to begin to learn and experience that thrill firsthand.

 

Straight Horse Racing Bets

Win Wager

The easiest wager one can place on horse racing is the win bet and, thanks to its simplicity, it is the most popular among horse racing fans. Handicapping past performances PPsWager on a horse to Win.  If he or she wins the race, you collect the payoff based on a $2 win mutual.  It’s that simple.  The hard part, of course, is uncovering the horse that will win.

Place and Show Wagers

The place bet is wagering on a horse to finish no worse than second, and the show bet is wagering on a horse to finish no worse than third.  There is often confusion among newbies, believing that a horse must finish third in order to cash on the show bet.  Many a ticket has been discarded because of that mistake.

 

Exotic Horse Racing Bets

Daily Double

This is the simplest type of exotic wager, and probably the oldest.  The Daily Double is combining the winners of two consecutive races.  If your wager includes both winners, you cash.  The base wager is either $1.00 or $2.00 depending on the host track.

 

Exacta / Perfecta

The exacta is picking the exact order of the top two finishers in a race.  You can play the exact straight or you can box the wager, so that if the horses finish in any order, one-two, then you cash.  You can include as many horses as you wish in your exacta box, but the cost of the wager goes up exponentially and your chances of turning a profit diminish greatly. The base exacta wager is usually $1.00.

 

Trifecta

The trifecta is picking the exact order of the top three finishers in a race.  You can play the trifecta straight or you can box the wager, so that if the horses finish in any order, one-two-three, then you cash.  You can include as many horses as you wish in your trifecta box, but the cost of the wager goes up exponentially.  The base wager is usually either $0.50 or $1.00.

 

Superfecta

The Superfecta is picking the exact order of the top four finishers in a race.  You can play this quad bet straight or you can box the wager, so that if the horses finish in any order, one-two-three-four, then you cash.  Like the exacta and trifecta, you can include as many horses as you wish in your superfecta box, but the cost of the wager goes up exponentially.  At many tracks throughout the country, the base minimum wager is only $0.10 and that makes the bet affordable for the recreational horseplayer.

The industry has added a lot of new bets over the past few years, and we’ll take a look at them in an upcoming primer.

 

Miss These Gems?

Learn more about horse racing with AGOS Horse Racing 101 articles

Filed Under: Handicapping 101, Learn to Handicap Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

New Wagering Options for 2018 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill

October 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Head2Head Wagering with 10% Takeout

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 23, 2018) – The Breeders’ Cup announced new and exciting wagers that are sure to test the skills of handicappers across the globe for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2-3. The new additions are highlighted by a late Pick 5 wager on Friday and Saturday, as well as the popular Jackpot Super High 5, along with Head2Head wagering and daily double wagering linking Friday and Saturday races.

The complete Breeders’ Cup wagering menu and official race order for the 2018 World Championships will be announced today, Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Additional Friday and Saturday Late Pick 5s Lead the Way

Multi-million-dollar betting pools are nothing new to the Breeders’ Cup but the introduction of a late Pick 5 on both Friday and Saturday figure to take things to a new level. The bet has quickly turned into arguably the most popular wager in the country on a day-in, day-out basis, due in large part to the extremely player-friendly 15% takeout and $.50-cent minimum wager, which the Breeders’ Cup will use as well. Couple that, along with the freshness of the wager, and the fact it will solely encompass Breeders’ Cup races, and the pools could swell to several million dollars.

Breeders CupAmong the featured new wagers to an already blockbuster menu of multi-race bets with million dollar guarantees, is the Friday late Pick 5, dubbed the “Future Stars Friday Pick 5,” which will group all five Breeders’ Cup Juvenile races, exclusively for 2-year-olds, while Saturday, the late Pick 5 figures to be wildly successful as it will culminate with the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). In addition, should any of the three preceding Pick 5s which includes the early Pick 5 on Friday and the traditional Breeders’ Cup early Pick 5 Saturday, not have a winner, that carryover pool will be added to the Saturday late Pick 5.

The Jackpot Super High 5 requires bettors to pick the first five finishers of a race in order, with a $.50-cent minimum wager and 15% takeout. The wager will be offered on every race on the Friday and Saturday cards, including the undercard races, with the exception of the Saturday finale (there will be one race after the Classic). The payouts for the wager vary, depending on how many winning wagers there are. Should there be multiple winning wagers, then 75% of the pool will be paid out, with the remaining 25% of the pool carrying over to the next Jackpot Super Hi 5 race. Should there be one single winning .50 wager, then 100% of the pool will be paid to the winner. If the bet goes unhit and there are no winning tickets, therefore creating a carryover pool, then 100% of the net pool will move on to the next race. Should there be no single winning $0.50 wager in the Friday finale, the jackpot will carryover to the first race on Saturday, and, regardless of the carryover entering the Classic, will be paid out.

With an extreme degree of difficulty to the wager, especially in full fields of 14 (or 12 in the new Juvenile Turf Sprint) with numerous winning contenders, let alone live longshots who could run in the top 5, a carryover pool is extremely likely to occur at some point during the two days. And with a carryover pool comes added interest to the wager, and more betting dollars, which can and will create a snowball effect as Friday turns into Saturday and the Classic nears. As with the two new Pick 5s created, bettors can expect the pools to be robust, and millions could be on the line should a carryover occur into the Classic, or if there are no single winning tickets throughout the day and the pool repeatedly gets funded by an additional 25% with each added race.

Head2Head Wagers Combine the Future with the Present

Head2Head wagering is not unfamiliar to fans of the Breeders’ Cup and will be back this year, with three to be determined offerings Friday and four Saturday. The $10 minimum wager should appeal to a wide audience, as it offers just a 10% takeout and figures to include matchups that have a theoretical 50/50 chance against each other. An example of a head-to-head wager could be the Europeans vs. Americans in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, as well as possible individual matchups in other races. Fans of sports wagering could especially be enticed by these wagers, as they will essentially be offered as an even-money proposition, yet with no point spread involved. The Breeders’ Cup will once again offer special Daily Double wagering that links a Friday race to a Saturday race, with a $1 minimum. While the Friday late Pick 5 is titled the “Future Stars Friday Pick 5,” the special daily doubles link the future to the present, as they will offer wagering on the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile into the Classic, the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The Breeders’ Cup has a longstanding history of not only offering the best equine and human stars to fans and bettors alike, but also the Thoroughbred racing’s best wagering menu of its kind, and this year’s added enhancements to the slate should only provide further proof of that.

Source: Breeders’ Cup

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2017 Breeders’ Cup Analysis, Spot Plays & Wagers

November 1, 2017 by 6 Comments

13x NHC Qualifier Offers up Pace Scenarios, Spot Plays w/ Wagers, Top Selections and Analysis

Rich Nilsen, who has absolutely been on fire with his major race selection sheets, is back for both days of this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.   Included in Nilsen’s report are top selections for all 4 stakes on Friday and all 9 stakes on Saturday (all 13 Breeders’ Cup races).

You receive Nilsen’s expert pace analysis, which is often the key to selecting the winner.   Nilsen has 3 Spot Plays with wagering strategies to attack these races.  He has also included wagering strategies both day’s feature events – the Distaff (Friday) and the Classic (Saturday).

Get every Breeders’ Cup race for BOTH days (Friday & Saturday) in one sheet!  Download instantly to any type of device. Only $18.97

Highlights from Previous Breeders’ Cup Spot Play Winners!

$29.40 Sprint Spot Play Winner Trinniberg with Cold $203.40 Exacta!

$15.80 Turf Sprint Spot Play Winner Mizdirection, keying $1,757.65 Pick-4 wager!

$40.40 Spot Play Winner Work All Week with $1,064.70 Trifecta!

$13.00 F&M Turf Spot Play winner Dayathespa

$16.40 Turf Sprint Winner Bobby’s Kitten

$64.80 Exacta with Main Sequence over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf

The list goes on and on!

Download today to any device 
Buy Now

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Nilsen caught the horse racing bug at a young age when his father took him to the racetracks in New York. He eventually attended the University of Louisville Equine Business Program with the goal of making a career in the horse racing industry.

Nilsen has worked the past 25 years in the equine industry, serving most of those years as the Marketing Director for Brisnet.com and TwinSpires.com, the Official Wagering Site of the Kentucky Derby.

During his long tenure at the Churchill Downs-owned properties, Nilsen managed the successful Players’ Pool syndicate, which pooled funds from the account wagering members to go after large Pick-6 carryovers. During Nilsen’s leadership, the Players’ Pool produced a significant profit for the members over the course of seven years. One of the best hits was when the Players’ Pool took down half of the Pick-6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day 2007, with a gross return of over $500,000.  The Pool had several other hits over $250,000.

The $2.8 Million National Handicapping Championship (NHC) is the premier horse racing tournament in the nation. It is basically horse racing’s version of the World Series of Poker, with the main difference being that players cannot buy their way into the NHC. Players can only win their way in via tournaments held throughout the country. Nilsen is one of the top participants in the history of the event, having qualified 13 times. He was the first player, and one of only two, to finish in the top 10 at the NHC twice.

Nilsen is now the founder and editor of AGameofSkill.com, a site devoted to horse racing education and promotion.

About Nilsen’s Analysis

In this comprehensive yet concise report, I provide selections for all 13 Breeders’ Cup races for both days, as well as pace scenario analysis which is absolutely vital for predicting the outcomes of these events.

Spot Plays are my best bets and key wagering horses for the big weekend. Picking your spots is key to profiting on the races, especially when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. The opportunities are plentiful but you improve your chances by selecting key spot plays and focusing most of your bets on those plays.

Set aside a budget for these two days and be sure to have plenty of ammunition for the bigger of the two days, Saturday. Best of luck!

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Show Us The Money? The Plight Of A Simple Pari-Mutuel Wager

August 6, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Where money goes in horse racing

The modern menu of betting options in North American horse racing has reached dizzying levels. Daily Double, Pick 3, 4, 5, 6, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, Super High Five, Pick 6 jackpots, Grand Slams, Place Pick All. You get the idea.

Source: ‘Show’ Us The Money? The Plight Of A Simple Wager

Filed Under: Horse Racing Education, Horse Racing News Tagged With: ,
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