Dan’s Double of the Week, featuring handicapping analysis from America’s Best Racing’s New York correspondent Dan Tordjman, is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC). Horseplayers.com offers low-cost feeders every day and BCBC and NHC qualifiers every weekend, and it’s the only site where you can qualify for the $1 million BCBC. It’s free to sign up – click here to get information about registering and how to enter contests.

When it comes to making money when handicapping races and betting on horse racing, it’s all about picking winners. Tordjman – DanonymousMan to those who follow him on Twitter – is one of the sharpest horseplayers around.

Each Week, Tordjman will provide readers with his two best bets of the weekend and strategies for how to bet them. Good luck!

Saturday, Feb. 16

Fair Grounds, Race 11, $200,000 Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, 6:29 p.m. ET

#4 Positive Spirit: This filly opened some eyes when she blew away a nice looking field in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct back in December. She comes in well rested for the Rachel Alexandra and figures to sit a similar stalking trip behind the speed of Serengeti Empress (and potentially Molto Bella and Liora). Positive Spirit also shows an encouraging set of works dating back to mid-January. It looks like she’s being handled with care and this should be a logical next step for her.

$10 Budget

$2 win and place on #4 Positive Spirit ($4)

$1 exacta box 4,6,9 ($6)

$25 Budget

$5 win and place on #4 Positive Spirit ($10)

$1 exacta box 4,6,9 ($6)

$1 trifecta 4,6 with 4,6,9 with 3,4,6,9 ($8)

$50 Budget

$15 win and place on #4 Positive Spirit ($30)

$1 exacta box 4,6,9 ($6)

$1 trifecta 4,6 with 3,4,6,9 with 3,4,6,9 ($12)

Saturday, Feb. 16

Fair Grounds, Race 12, $400,000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford, 7:02 p.m. ET

#10 Limonite: While War of Will comes in as the most accomplished horse in the field, I’m going to try to beat him in this spot as he comes off a massive effort last out in the Lecomte Stakes, where he raced wide all the way around in that one and still opened up late. I’m drawn to #10 Limonite. He’ll be making his seasonal debut here after in-the-money finishes in allowance and graded stakes company to close out 2018. This horse probably has to move up about 10-12 points in speed figures to win this race, and I’m confident that’s well within his range. Consider that, covering the past five years, of the 20 horses that trainer Steve Asmussen has brought back off of this long of a layoff in their 3-year-old season, nearly half have hit the board and six have won. Included among those who have come back to win their 3-year-old seasonal debut on the dirt for Asmussen are Gun Runner, Tapiture, and Untapable. I’m not saying that this one is going to end up in that class, but he showed enough as a 2-year-old to give him a shot at what could be a pretty nice price.

$10 Budget

$2 win, place, and show on #10 Limonite ($6)

$1 exacta 10,14 with 8,10,14

$25 Budget

$4 win, place, and show on #10 Limonite ($12)

$2 exacta box 8,10,14 ($12)

$50 Budget

$10 win, $5 place and show on #10 Limonite ($20)

$2 exacta box 8,10,14 ($12)

$1 trifecta 8,10,14 with 8,10,14 with 1,3,8,10,14 ($18)

Last Week’s Earnings: $0

Year-to-Date Earnings: $1,367.96