Return to Today's Full Edition

www.brisnet.com
Phone: (800)354-9206
edit.staff@brisnet.com

 
 Printer Friendly Page 

COMMENTARY

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Finding value in pool 1 of Kentucky Derby future wager

by Ed DeRosa

My strategy in recent future wagers has been to play horses in the 20-1 to 50-1 range that I thought had a good chance of making the gate and showed talent enough to win it. It's a grind having many units tied up for months, but it paid off last year when I got about 3-1 on my money when I'll Have Another rewarded my confidence in him early (Derby week I switched my pick to Hansen, ugh!) and returned $1,669.50 on $395 wagered.

2012 future wagers: All bets

Horse   Price   Investment   Return
Prospective   200   $5.00   $1,000.00
Cyber Secret   325   $5.00   $1,625.00
Wharton   200   $20.00   $4,000.00
Take Charge Indy   42   $30.00   $1,260.00
Rousing Sermon   70.4   $20.00   $1,408.00
Longview Drive   141   $5.00   $705.00
Junebugred   58   $10.00   $580.00
I'll Have Another   23.85   $70.00   $1,669.50
Midnight Transfer   68.26   $25.00   $1,706.50
Scatman   97.5   $5.00   $487.50
Castaway   45   $10.00   $450.00
Empire Way   37.1   $20.00   $742.00
Mark Valeski   38.7   $20.00   $774.00
Secret Circle   30.9   $30.00   $927.00
FIELD 3   6.1   $100.00   $610.00
My Adonis   73.2   $10.00   $732.00
On Fire Baby   80.9   $10.00   $809.00
Total:       $395    

I think this year's offering (click for FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate PPs on the 23 individual horses plus select "field" contenders) requires a different approach, however, because three of the top four horses in my mind are far better than the next tier of horses. If the field and/or the other 20 individual betting interests take too much money, then I wouldn't hesitate to play Itsmyluckyday, Flashback or Verrazano in the 15-1 range.

What would make me shy away from Itsmyluckyday and possibly others as we learn more about their next targets is that they might not even run again before the second (or third!) future pool. It's important to ask yourself how dormancy could affect prices. If individual interests run again, those who run well will be shorter prices in future pools.

In this pool, Itsmyluckyday, Revolutionary and Shanghai Bobby might not run until Pool 3 weekend or beyond. I.e., there's a very good chance Itsmyluckyday could be 12-1 in this pool but 15-1 in seven weeks. Nothing will have changed except other horses showing capability (others will drop off, too, of course).

That's not as big a risk with Verrazano and Flashback since they're both more likely to run again, if not by Pool 2 then certainly by Pool 3. Verrazano, in particular, has shown me enough talent that I'm interested in him if the 15-1 morning line holds up. Unfortunately, I think he'll be more like 12-1.

Horse   Top
Speed
  Top
Class
  Track
ML
  %   Ed
ML
  %   My
Line
  %
Capo Bastone   90   119   30   3.23%   40   2.44%   45   2.17%
Code West   99   117   50   1.96%   60   1.64%   100   0.99%
Delhomme   103   121   30   3.23%   30   3.23%   35   2.78%
Den's Legacy   94   119   30   3.23%   45   2.17%   60   1.64%
Dynamic Sky   96   119   30   3.23%   30   3.23%   50   1.96%
Falling Sky   92   119   30   3.23%   25   3.85%   35   2.78%
Flashback   98   120   15   6.25%   15   6.25%   15   6.25%
Frac Daddy   101   119   50   1.96%   55   1.79%   200   0.50%
Goldencents   101   120   20   4.76%   25   3.85%   40   2.44%
He's Had Enough   91   120   50   1.96%   60   1.64%   1,000   0.10%
Itsmyluckyday   111   123   15   6.25%   14   6.67%   12   7.69%
Mylute   94   119   30   3.23%   35   2.78%   45   2.17%
Normandy Invasion   104   122   20   4.76%   22   4.35%   25   3.85%
Overanalyze   104   122   15   6.25%   20   4.76%   25   3.85%
Oxbow   94   121   20   4.76%   25   3.85%   40   2.44%
Revolutionary   103   119   20   4.76%   16   5.88%   20   4.76%
Shanghai Bobby   103   121   12   7.69%   15   6.25%   20   4.76%
Super Ninety Nine   103   119   20   4.76%   22   4.35%   25   3.85%
Uncaptured   106   121   20   4.76%   30   3.23%   40   2.44%
Verrazano   104   121   15   6.25%   12   7.69%   15   6.25%
Violence   98   121   12   7.69%   16   5.88%   25   3.85%
Vyjack   100   122   20   4.76%   25   3.85%   30   3.23%
Will Take Charge   93   120   30   3.23%   40   2.44%   100   0.99%
FIELD           1.8   35.71%   2.5   28.57%   3   28.57%
                37.90%       120.61%       100.30%

Which brings us to the field. I can't imagine the super horse it would take for this option not to be favored in Pool 1, and we certainly don't have that this year, but I do think we have enough good horses that maybe the field drifts a bit into the $7+ range for a $2 ticket, and I'm definitely interested at 3-1.

I've typically shied away from the field because the aforementioned 20-1 to 50-1-range horses offer the most value, but there is a good collection of horses in the field that I suspect will be a part of Pools 2 and/or 3 next month, which goes back into the concern I expressed for taking Itsmyluckyday now versus later.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com


 


Send this article to a friend