Equidaily Racing Journal

Today's Best Bets

by Seth Merrow
www.equidaily.com
Saratoga Race Course
The Day After
Tuesday September 6, 2011
Meet Total ... 109-397
[Total races corrected: We missed six races on our total on 8/26, and then we completely left out the 13 races from the canceled day when we rolled over on 8/28. However, all 397 races were played by us and that figure is reflected above. The total numbers of our winners-on-top has been correct all along.]
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Don't forget to check out the Challenge page where we started the month with a mythical $1000 $1200 bankroll and attempt to increase that amount as the Saratoga season continues.
Some of the 'usual suspects' rounded out the top five as the 2011 season drew to a close. This year's champ Bill Taylor repeats. And names like Litfin and Graves have appeared at the top of this list in prior years.

The Saratogian did a post-season interview with their winning handicapper Taylor, and the financial industry worker/part-time handicapper compared his two areas of expertise, "There are guys that make a career out of handicapping, but I have a very good career and I love what I do. I trade for a bank, I run a trading desk. To me, that's a lot of fun, too. It's kind of the same thing. It's all numbers, watching trends."

Jerry Bossert of the NY Daily News had a solid season, finishing up in the #3 position. His meet was highlighted by his 9-for-10 handicapping homerun on the last Friday of the meet.

Also notable: Of those handicappers that keep a running total of monies won (ie, the total of a $2 win wager on each top selection) only the NY Post's John DaSilva was able to beat the meet - eeking out a modest profit and needing all of his four winners and $23.20 return on closing day!

Final numbers for previous seasons can be found here: 2010 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003.

Mid-season scorecards are here: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004.

Note: Discrepancies in total number of races played is due to some handicappers losing races due to scratches. And note that the Saratoga Special doesn't publish on Mondays - hence the significantly lower races-played total for their handicappers.

Numbers below are per what is printed in the appropriate editions of the newspapers or are provided by the handicappers themselves. We do not independently audit the figures.

Handicapper
Publication 		Final - Races played ... $2 win total
Mid-season
Bill Taylor
Saratogian 		134-395
74-195
Tom Cavanagh
NY Daily News 		128-397 ... $710.20
77-197
Jerry Bossert
NY Daily News 		120-395 ... $723.80
61-196
Dave Litfin
Daily Racing Form 		115-393 ... $712.40
52-195
Matt Graves
Albany Times Union 		114-395 ... $683.60
57-194
Nick Kling
Troy Record/Saratogian 		114-397 ... $750.70
58-197
Cusano/Pricci* *turf/dirt tag-team
Daily [Schenectady] Gazette 		114-397
60-197
Debbie L
NY Post 		112-393 ... $634.00
60-199
Mike Jarboe
Albany Times Union 		111-397 ... $673.40
56-196
Liam Durbin
Saratogian 		109-395
61-195
Seth Merrow
Best Bets - equidaily.com 		109-397 ... $745.10
64-197
Dave Little
NY Daily News 		108-394 ... $634.50
55-195
Bill Heller
Daily [Schenectady] Gazette 		108-397
57-197
Kyle Brownell
Post-Star [Glens Fall, NY] 		106-397 ... $637.20
53-197
Tom Law
Saratogian 		104-395
49-195
John Shapazian
Saratoga Special 		103-340
Tim Wilkin
Albany Times Union 		102-397 ... $702.70
53-196
Ed Fountaine
NY Post 		102-393 ... $676.30
51-194
Mark Hoffman
The [Amsterdam] Recorder 		101-396 ... $701.10
52-196
John DaSilva
NY Post 		100-393 ... $788.30
48-193
Trackman
NY Daily News 		98-391 ... $625.80
53-193
Vic C
NY Post 		97-393 ... $662.30
43-200
Dan Lauletta
NY Daily News 		95-394 ... $607.20
52-105
Gaile Fitzgerald
Saratoga Special 		94-340
Daniel Feiss
Saratogian 		87-396
41-197
Erin Finley
Saratoga Special 		83-340
Affrunti
NY Post 		83-392 ... $594.60
48-195
Dean Keppler
Saratoga Special 		81-340
Mike Lipack
NY Daily News 		75-393 ... $497.70
41-196
Charles Bedard
Saratoga Special 		71-340
Yesterday

4-11. Winners in the 2nd [$4.20], 3rd [$3.70], 9th [$5.80] and 10th [$8.40]. Also, cold exacta in the 2nd [$8.80/$2]. Top two flip-flopped for the exacta in the 7th [$49.60]. Plus some other gimmicks if the picks were played with a little - and, with one of our top three winning in seven of the eleven races, there were some doubles and 'picks' to be had.

A solid closing day crowd of 16,241 attended and were able to enjoy the day as the precip never really was enough to dampen the spirits. Some off-and-on drizzle - but mostly tolerable with comfortable temps.

Today

That's it.

See you next year.

FIRST RACE
SECOND RACE
THIRD RACE
FOURTH RACE
FIFTH RACE
SIXTH RACE
SEVENTH RACE
EIGHTH RACE
NINTH RACE

If we are interested in both halves of an entry -- in event of a scratch -- it is noted that way [in other words, both halves are named]. If only one-half of the entry is named, then we prefer that half and will move to our next pick listed [rather than the other half of the entry] in event of a scratch.
Archives of daily Best Bets picks and plays pages: 2010... 2009 ...2008 ... 2007 ... 2006 ... 2005 ... 2004 ... 2003
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