Just four days until the Breeders’ Cup weekend gets underway at Del Mar, and I can’t wait.   I’ve been bunkered down with my homework for the past week or so, and coming off a strong summer of play, I feel like I am going to have some strong opinions and a chance to cash well.   Breeders Cup day has yielded some big scores for me, my favorite being a $1,500 base trifecta with 42-1 Repent being the key horse way back in 2001.   On big days like the BC, you can always find horses that are far underbet relative to their chances of winning.  It’s easy to be distracted by the biggest names, and the “now” horses, or workout reports, etc.  It’s important to remember your handicapping basics and not over-react to any extraneous information.

As you do your homework, two podcasts that may be helpful are Steve Byk’s “At The Races” and the DRF Players Podcast with Peter Thomas Fortunale and Jonathan Kinchen.  Byk has every horseman worth his salt on the show with great regularity.  It’s a great listen, particularly in the lead up to a big race week (or meeting), and hearing the principals speak about their horses I find to be a great resource.  If you’re a poker player that enjoys reading people, I think you’ll pick up some tips.   The Friday Players Podcast usually has a good discussion of the upcoming weekend’s stakes races, which I usually enjoy with a pair of headphones while going for a walk, or perhaps on a drive to the track.   They do a good job framing the races, and while it’s not a substitute for doing your own handicapping, I always enjoy the opportunity to riff with good players about a race, so when my gambling pals aren’t close at hand, this is a nice substitute.

I will be posting my full card of plays for the Breeders Cup, with as much analysis as I can put together.  Its a busy week, so it may get up late, but I will definitely post in advance of the races.