I looked at the Appleton Handicap at Gulfstream on Saturday and really like the No. 1 horse, 4-year-old Drum Major. He's coming off a nice win at Calder from off the pace, is 1-1 on the Gulfstream turf and meets a pretty average field of older horses in this stakes race.
He's 8-1 on the morning line and trained by George Weaver, whose a pretty good trainer that most fans don't know about. He trained, I think, Saratoga County last year to a bunch of stakes wins, including the Dubai Sprint, before the horse tragically died due to illness last summer. Bejarano gets the mount and that doesn't hurt.
Two Grade 1s at Santa Anita on Saturday. In the second for 3-year-old fillies, I like Wild Fit, who I cashed on in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies at 6-1 (ran 2nd to Folklore to complete a nice exacta). Hasn't run since, so that's a concern, plus she moves back to a 2-turn race. Mullins is pretty good with horses off layoffs, but the value might not be worth the risk here, but I do think she wins this as the class of the race.
Also, at Aqueduct on Saturday, 3-year-olds race in a stakes race. Achilles of Troy off a 14-length win last out is the big favorite. The trainer has switched jocks to Dominquez, which tells me they think he's a Derby horse and want to secure a top rider before he gets other choices. I gotta pick up the racing form because only the Appleton has free PPs on the Daily Racing Form website.
Anyone else handicapping these races, drop an opinion please.
He's 8-1 on the morning line and trained by George Weaver, whose a pretty good trainer that most fans don't know about. He trained, I think, Saratoga County last year to a bunch of stakes wins, including the Dubai Sprint, before the horse tragically died due to illness last summer. Bejarano gets the mount and that doesn't hurt.
Two Grade 1s at Santa Anita on Saturday. In the second for 3-year-old fillies, I like Wild Fit, who I cashed on in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies at 6-1 (ran 2nd to Folklore to complete a nice exacta). Hasn't run since, so that's a concern, plus she moves back to a 2-turn race. Mullins is pretty good with horses off layoffs, but the value might not be worth the risk here, but I do think she wins this as the class of the race.
Also, at Aqueduct on Saturday, 3-year-olds race in a stakes race. Achilles of Troy off a 14-length win last out is the big favorite. The trainer has switched jocks to Dominquez, which tells me they think he's a Derby horse and want to secure a top rider before he gets other choices. I gotta pick up the racing form because only the Appleton has free PPs on the Daily Racing Form website.
Anyone else handicapping these races, drop an opinion please.
