Every Thursday through Sunday 1/ST BET handicapper Jeff Siegel offers his best wagering opportunity from a selected North American racetrack. These “Best Plays” can take the form of a win wager, exacta, trifecta, or a daily double, pick-3, pick-4 or pick-6. Selections are listed in chronological order.
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Belmont Park Race 8 – Post time: 4:40 ET
2-Amy C (2-1)
Both of her prior outings were accomplished over the Deauville all-weather surface but there’s no reason this European import shouldn’t be equally effective on grass. Following a gate-to-wire trouncing of a good maiden field in France in early March, she seeks to resume her winning ways for the C. Brown/I. Ortiz, Jr. team in this first-level allowance middle distance affair on turf. The English-bred 3-year-old filly a first-time Lasix user with a recent bullet workout at Saratoga to have her plenty fit, and from her inside draw she projects to enjoy an ideal ground-saving trip either on the front end or from a stalking position for a barn that hits at a superb 27% with first-time shippers in North America.
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Churchill Downs Race 10 – Post time: 5:26 ET
7-Aloha West (8-1)
This rapidly-developing 4-year-old colt just crushed a softer field over this track and distance when drawing away in powerful fashion by five lengths in a fast, highly-rated and visually pleasing performance, one that makes him dangerous right back despite the class hike into listed stakes company. Drawn comfortably outside and with the ideal late-running style for this extended sprint distance, the son of Hard Spun shows a recent bullet drill (47 seconds, fastest of 31) to give strong indication that another forward move is lightly. There’s good wagering value in the win pool and in rolling exotic play at or near his morning line of 8-1.
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Churchill Downs Race 11 – Post time: 5:58 ET
7-Flash Magic (3-1)
Showed plenty of promise in a trio of maiden races in California last year when trained by B. Baffert, including a sharp runner-up effort behind future multiple Grade-1 winner Princess Noor in her debut, so if she returns as well as she left for new trainer S. Asmussen she’ll be hard to beat in this extended sprint for maiden fillies and mares. The works, including a bullet gate work in 46 2/5 seconds (fastest of 141 for the distance) two weeks ago should have fit and ready, and as a first-time Lasix user and removing blinkers the daughter of Pioneerof the Nile looks capable of producing a winning late kick. At 3-1 on the morning line, we’ll make her an aggressive play in the win pool and in the various rolling exotics.
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