Welcome to Tacos and Trifectas! Each week, America’s Best Racing’s Southern California correspondent Jose Contreras - @LosPonies to those who follow him on Twitter - will provide a taco review along with a selection that he will key in trifecta bets in hopes of winning some cash to buy more tacos! Contreras will map out a trifecta betting strategy for how to key his main pick and keep track of his return on investment (ROI), which was positive in 2017.

Stop back each week if you love tacos and want a trifecta play!

This week’s eatery:

Rudy’s Taqueria
524 Stevens Ave.
Solana Beach, CA 92075

Score: 8.8

• Beer-battered fish tacos made to order
• Tasty salsa bar
• Good selection of sodas and beers
• Handmade tortillas are a nice bonus
• Convenient location close to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club

Recap of previous wager: Our key horse St. Joe Bay showed the speed we expected, took the lead in deep stretch, and was caught in the final strides to just miss third by a neck at odds of 19-1 in a game effort.

This week’s trifecta key:

Saturday, August 11, Arlington Park, Race 11, $1 million Arlington Million Stakes, 7:08 p.m. ET

#5 Century Dream (12-1 odds): I liked his effort in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot two starts back. He broke well, showed good early speed, was rank behind horses, got shuffled back and looked to be uncomfortable through most of the race. He then showed good acceleration to take the lead in deep stretch and battled gamely to the finish to just miss the win by less than a length at odds of 20-to-1, finishing fourth. I thought it was a tremendous effort considering the trip he got and how rank he was early on. There’s not an abundance of speed in this field and I think he will be in a good position early on. His rider William Buick is no stranger to winning this race, he won this event back in 2010 aboard Debussy with a rail-skimming ride at odds of 11-1.

Strategy on $80 Budget:
$.50 Cent Trifecta: 5 with 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 with 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 ($21)
$.50 Cent Trifecta: 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 with 5 with 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 ($21)
$.50 Cent Trifecta: 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 with 2,3,4,6,8,10,11 with 5 ($21)
$17 Win on #5 Century Dream

ROI Year to date: $1,073 wagered / $969.20 returned