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).

Stop back if you love tacos and want to get a trifecta play!

This week’s eatery:

Baja Grill Chicken Tacos

Score: 7.1

• Chicken has good flavor and was grilled over an open flame.
• Pico de gallo had a good amount of heat but was lacking flavor.
• Single tortilla taco becomes too soggy.

Recap of the previous wager: Our key horse Higher Power was always traveling well and crushed the field in the TVG Pacific Classic Stakes at odds of 9.6-to-1. I was kicking myself all week for leaving out the second-place finisher Draft Pick and missing the $1,400 trifecta. He was the last horse I eliminated off my ticket. I could have easily played it for 50 cents and used him but I got greedy and tried to hit for $1 while cutting out three horses. We got money on the win bet but missed the trifecta. Let’s keep heating up as we get closer to the Breeders’ Cup.

This week’s Trifecta key:

Saturday, Aug. 24

Saratoga Race Course, Race 8, Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes, 3:35 p.m. ET

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#5 Indian Blessing (8-1 odds): She makes her return to Saratoga off of a second-place finish at a mile while competing in Germany. She ran a better-than-it-looked third in this same race last year when going off at odds of 18-to-1. All three of her U.S. efforts last year were solid, and I don't think she’s facing any standouts in this field.

Strategy on $100 Budget:

$1 trifecta: 5 with 1,2,3,7,8,9 with 1,2,3,7,8,9 ($30)

$1 trifecta: 1,2,3,5,8,9 with 5 with 1,2,3,5,8,9 ($30)

$1 trifecta: 1,2,3,5,8,9 with 1,2,3,5,8,9 with 5 ($30)

$10 win on #5 Indian Blessing

ROI Year to date: $1,400 wagered / $106 returned