Dan's Double: Oaklawn Opener, Gulfstream Stakes

Gambling
Eclipse Sportswire

When it comes to making money when handicapping races and betting on horse racing, it’s all about picking winners. Dan Tordjman, America’s Best Racing’s New York correspondent, is one of the brightest young minds in the game.

Each Week, Tordjman – DanonymousMan to those who follow him on Twitter – will provide readers with his two best bets of the weekend and strategies for how to bet them. Tordjman will keep track of his return on investment (ROI) throughout the year and, as a bonus, he will also provide picks for a selection of the key races on the Triple Crown trail and the road to the Breeders’ Cup. Dan was able to manage a positive ROI for his plays in 2016.

Come back every week and be sure to follow Tordjman on Twitter.

Saturday, Jan. 14

Gulfstream Park, Race 10, $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes, 4:34 p.m. ET

#10 Jay Gatsby (5-1): This horse showed marked improvement in the second half of 2016, boosting his speed figures an average of 10 points over his numbers from the spring. He finished a hard-luck second in back-to-back graded stakes, including a neck loss in the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga. He’s 5-1 and might get overlooked in the betting on account of a poor finish last out in a soft stakes race at Aqueduct, but watch that replay — he nearly fell to his face at the break, was rushed up and then taken back; that’s generally not a recipe for success, and hence he should be forgiven for the overall poor performance. Speed figures to play a big role in this race with likely favorite Heart to Heart breaking from the rail with gate speed, along with usual frontrunner Diamond Bachelor to his outside. Macagone can also add some heat to the tempo. All of that figures to favor a stalking Jay Gatsby. 

Strategy on $10 Budget 

$5 win and place on #10 Jay Gatsby ($10)

Strategy on $25 Budget  

$8 win and place on #10 Jay Gatsby ($16)

$1 exacta 6,10,12 over 1,6,10,12 ($9)

Strategy on $50 Budget  

$10 win and place on #10 Jay Gatsby ($20)

$1 exacta box 1,6,10,12 ($12)

$.50 trifecta 6,10 over 1,6,10,12 over 1,2,6,7,9,10,11,12 ($18)

Sunday, Jan. 15

Oaklawn Park, Race 8, 5:42 p.m. ET 

#2 Apprehender: We might be reaching a bit with this one but the grizzled 8-year-old veteran has every chance to close into what should be a blistering pace. He also has back form over the course, with four wins and eight placings from 12 starts. Trainer has been sneaky good off the layoff and should have the horse ready for the step up in competition. Would imagine Apprehender belongs with these. Only real threat should come from Whitmore, who's certainly run well over the track too. 

Strategy on $10 Budget

$2 win, place and show on #2 Apprehender ($6)

$1 exacta 2,3 over 1,2,3 ($4)

Strategy on $25 Budget  

$6 win, place and show on #2 Apprehender ($18)

$1 exacta box 1,2,3 ($6)

Strategy on $50 Budget  

$8 win, place and show on #2 Apprehender ($24)

$1 exacta box 1,2,3,4 ($12)

$.50 trifecta 2,3 over 1,2,3 over ALL ($12)

YTD Top Picks: 0/3

ROI: -$203

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