Key Trends to keep in mind:
The inside positions are still winning races at a higher rate especially in dirt routes and turf sprints.
Maiden Races pay attention to horses with experience.
Three Trainers of note this Summer
While you can depend on Chad Brown (training leader), Linda Rice, and Todd Pletcher to lead the way in wins- and they are- they run the most horses and are usually over bet leading to little value.
Therefore, include those trainers in horizontals wagers, but try to beat them for value.
Three trainers that demand your attention as we are one week away from Travers Day:
1. Tom Amoss has 4 wins out of 10 starts. It seems he -like Bill Mott - is choosing quality over quantity. Tyler Gafflione won on Amoss’s She’s AHoney Badger in race 9 on Sunday.
2. Adam Rice is 6 for 9 and 5 for 8 on turf over last 5 years when he ships in to the SPA. Adam is Taylor Rice’s brother which makes him Jose Ortiz’s brother in law. He is also the nephew of Linda Rice. I usually play him when Jose Ortiz rides, but I was rewarded when Jose Lezcano brought in Closethegame Sugar in Sundays finale.
3. Norm Casse has 4 wins out of 8 starts with 2 double digit winners. His first was Bear Oak on 8/3. Most recently, his 2 year old Rhyme Scheme ran away to victory on 8/12.
These three trainers are winning at over 40 percent.
Additionally, Bill Mott keeps winning stakes races in spite of two of his short price favorites losing in stakes races: Warlike Goddess did not have enough to hold off younger Mcculick and Cody’s Wish did not fire when stretching out in the Whitney. However, Elite Power and Casa Creed did not disappoint.
Bill Mott is still a serious contender in stakes this summer.
Additionally, Mott seems to be winning with more first time starters in both turf and dirt- he used to be a skip in debut races and a must play in second time starter stretching out on turf and getting first time lasix with Junior Alvarado in the saddle.
Honorable Mention:
Trainer Mark Hening is having a terrific meet 7 wins out of 28 starters- watch for Hening with Johnny V in the saddle.
Not having a great meet but showing a new dimension: Steve Asmussen
Asmussen is winning in the turf this year. His Cogburn won on Whitney weekend and he finished second behind Adam Rice’s Closethegame Sugar in Sunday’s finale.
