Yes, the beloved Saratoga meeting is ending, always a downer for dedicated horseplayers. But do not despair, my fellow parimutuel warriors, because Kentucky Downs is coming to your rescue and usracing.com is on your side.
High-stakes action is the attraction at the country track once known as Dueling Grounds, where Southern “gentlemen” settled disputes with pistols way back when. Now bettors take their best shots at lucrative payoffs there. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Saturday’s 12-race card at Kentucky Downs offers purses of $11.74 million, including four consecutive graded stakes totaling $9.5 million. The feature is the 1 5/16-mile Nashville Derby Invitational (G3) for $3.5 million, and NBC will televise live from 4-6 p.m. ET.
I’ve been given an imaginary $500 to bet on those stakes. I’ll focus primarily on the Pick 3s covering races 8, 9 and 10 and races 9, 10 and 11. But first, here’s some intel to give you the lay of the land.
Unique is the only word to describe North America’s only all-turf track, a 1 5/16-mile layout that’s kidney-shaped, not oval, and is anything but flat. There’s a slight incline on the backstretch, a gradual dip into the far turn and a gradual rise to the finish line.
Although it’s situated in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky Downs is a destination for trainers throughout the country and from Europe. The reason? The massive purses being handed out at the seven-day meeting that opens Thursday (Aug. 28). They total a record $41.7 million, including 18 stakes worth $30.5 million.
The popularity of Historical Horse Racing slot machines at Kentucky tracks fueled the bonanza. As the old prospectors said, “There’s gold in them thar hills,” and horseplayers love Kentucky Downs’ huge fields that produce inordinately high mutuels.
Last year’s average return for a $2 win bet was a generous $14.86, and the rewards on the exotics were amazing. Exactas were worth $148 for $2, with the .50 trifecta payback at $301. The average Pick 4 score was $2,237, and the average Pick 5 bonanza paid $22,825 (both on 50-cent base bets). The addition of a $1 Pick 6 for this meet may produce life-changing scores.
The pools are gigantic, rising from $7.5 million in 2011, when Historical Horse Racing was introduced, to $90.1 million last year.
As four-time meet leader Tyler Gaffalione said, “Where else would you rather be?”
Good question.
Besides Gaffalione, superstars Jose Ortiz and Frankie Dettori will be riding all seven cards. Not even the chance to win the coveted meet title at Saratoga could keep Ortiz away from Kentucky Downs. “I love it more every year,” he said.
So will you, once you cash on some winners.
Jockey agent Ron Anderson has represented eight Hall of Famers – Fernando Toro, Gary Stevens, Chris Antley, Jerry Bailey, Garrett Gomez, Joel Rosario, John Velazquez and Dettori.
When asked about the key to success at Kentucky Downs, Anderson said, “You want to be on horses who have run well there. There’s no substitute for that.”
Because there’s nowhere else like it, it’s the ultimate “horses for courses” track. Some of them love it; others can’t handle its undulations and quirky configuration. Always give extra credit to a horse that won there or ran well. Even if its current form is unimpressive, it could wake up at a big price. It happens all the time.
And what about track bias? Well, that depends upon the day. Last year there were cards where speed was king, while others favored stalkers or deep closers. Overall, the stats were remarkably balanced. Out of 77 races, 23 winners led throughout, 25 sat just off the pace, six came from midpack and 23 from far back.
For those who bet on horse racing, here are some insights on Saturday’s stakes, races 8 through 11 – the $2 Million Ladies Turf Sprint (G2, 6 furlongs); the $2 million Kentucky Turf Sprint (G2, 6 furlongs); the Nashville Derby and the $2 million Ladies Turf (G3, mile).
As outspoken owner Mike Repole says, “First, make your win bet.”
