Crafting a Winning Drive
It is finally football season again! It is one of the best times of the year to be a dual horse racing and football lover. To celebrate this joyous time, I am going to play some three down offense by picking some of this weekend’s best races. Hopefully, I avoid that dreaded three and out…
1st Down- Locust Grove Stakes
The 10th race on Saturday’s card at Churchill may be in the shadows of the two-year-old preps but should not be overlooked. I am all about the Illinois-bred Diva’s Diamond in this event. With 41 starts on her resume, she is certainly the Peyton Manning of this race. She currently sits at ML odds of 8/1, which would be a dream price if she manages to stay there. This talented mare sits just outside a couple of slower longshots, which should give her a clear path to stalk from. She has returned to her winning form in the last two races and looks primed to extend that winning streak this weekend.
2nd Down- Natalma Stakes
Earlier this summer, I visited Toronto and fell in love with the city. Woodbine is a fantastic track and has a great card on tap Saturday. I am going to throw up a screen to my favorite jockey, Florent Geroux, for both of my next plays. He will be aboard Catch a Glimpse in this event, who dominated an allowance event last time out. She flashed early speed and plenty of grit winning over the turf. Trainer Mark Casse has won this race five times including three of the last four. I think this filly has the talent and speed to help him continue his dominance in this event.
3rd Down- Summer Stakes
I am going to return to Woodbine for my final play of the series and rely on my favorite weapon to get the job done. Florent Geroux will be back aboard The Zip Zip Man in this Grade II event. The gelded son of City Zip is coming off a solid second place finish in the Colin Stakes at Woodbine in July. He just missed the break last time out but finished well, which is important when dealing with two year olds. This will be his first time of the turf, but don’t fear because Florent is here. Geroux is one of the top jocks on turf this year, winning at a 21% rate. He is third among jockeys with 12 stakes wins on the grass, including 3 graded stakes. Florent has proved that he is a top performer for a third down situation like this!
TOUCHDOWN, but I promise I will not try do any crazy end zone dance on my way to cashing my tickets! As always, I hope everyone has a winning weekend!