Jackpot Day All-Stakes Pick 4 at Delta Downs

All eyes will be on Delta Downs on Saturday, as the Vinton, Louisiana oval hosts their biggest day of racing of the year. Highlighted by the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, the afternoon will include eight consecutive stakes races. With such a nice card, you know I’ll be watching, and with all these nice horses, you know I’ll be wagering. Without further ado, here are my selections for the All-Stakes Pick 4 Saturday at Delta Downs.

Race 4 Louisiana Legacy -  The favorite #4 Our Rapidash figures to sit in the catbird seat behind the early speed in the one-mile Louisiana-bred stakes race for two-year-olds. The son of Half Ours comes off a career best score in a statebred stakes race at Louisiana Downs last time, and from a figure standpoint, he appears the cream of the crop. This will be his first try at Delta Downs, but a repeat of his recent form should be good for the win here. Of the others, #6 Berniestrike and #7 G’s Josh are logical contenders, but the #10 Sea Vow could be the most dangerous of all on the front end.

Race 5 Delta Mile - #1 Departing, a winner of nearly $1.8 million stands over this field of older males going a flat mile, from a class perspective, but he also has not won a race on the main track in a year and a half, so there’s no reason to think he is unbeatable in here. #5 Rise Up looms the speed of the speed, and has done his best running at Delta Downs in the past. #2 Agent Di Nozzo has been running against good ones, and has a powerful late kick. #7 Cougar Ridge is a classy campaigner with ten career wins. #6 Mister Pollard is coming off back-to-back nice performances at Indiana Grand.

Race 6 Delta Downs Princess (Grade 3) - Well, it certainly looks like this is #6 La Appassionata’s race to lose. The daughter of Bernardini gave the impression of being the genuine article in both her career debut at Churchill Downs, as well as in her stakes debut, which was at Delta Downs in October. A winner of her first two races by a combined 11 ½ lengths, she is strictly the one to beat in this $400,000 race. If you want to take a shot to beat the prohibitive favorite, the #2 Learning Curve is the one that interests me. The well bred daughter of Super Saver demonstrated that she is learning with a very good effort in her second career start, a maiden race at Keeneland. Any further improvement makes her the second most interesting filly in the race.

Race 7 Delta Downs Jackpot (Grade 3) - On his best, #9 Exaggerator wins the million dollar highlight of the Delta Downs racing season. He is proven at the distance, nimble enough to navigate the tight turns of Delta Downs, and beaten just three lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he clearly is the class of the field. If for whatever reason he does not run his best only three weeks removed from the World Championships, there are several interesting candidates to take down the top prize, including: #4 Whitmore, a rousing winner of his career debut at Churchill Downs, #3 Sunny Ridge, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne, #7 Found Money, a stakes winner from California, #2 Memories of Winter, an undefeated son of Hard Spun, and the top two from the local prep, #1 Forevamo and #5 Harlan Punch.

The Play

50-cent Pick 4 … 4 / 1,2,5,6,7 / 2,6 / 1,2,3,4,5,7,9 = $35

50-cent Pick 4 ... 2,4,6,7,8,10 / 1,2,5,6,7 / 6 / 3,4,9 = $45

Good Luck!