Horse Betting Popcorn Circuit

The best wedding toast personally ever heard was given by a friend of mine who told the new bride and groom that marriage was not like a 2-furlong sprint from the chute at Los Alamitos but was more like a mile and three eighths marathon at Fairplex when you have to go round, and round, and round.

Horse bettors will have to re-adapt back to the conventional surface for this meet and there are few things they can expect because of history.

With a 5-furlong oval, races run at Fairplex, which begins racing on September 5 and ends on September 22, can be confusing for the rider and the fan. Many a rider has misjudged the finish line over the years and mistakes were made by some very good journeymen.

This is a meeting that can be profitable for the player if he or she is patient, keeps his nose to the ground, and tries to not get caught up in taking short prices.

And even though this is usually identified as a speed conducive track, you can win from off the pace.

Years ago this meeting was a shot for the little guy to come in and get paid but as simulcasting came into view and money came rolling in, the bigger barns could not resist the temptation to run here and steal some purses.

It is a great track to bring a beginner to for the first time because it can be so intimate. You can really get a feel for the game if you venture out to the infield, get to the rail, listen and watch the horses roll by and hear the jockeys screaming and the dirt clods flying. If you can’t become a fan after an experience like that, maybe NASCAR is your thing.

Fairplex has always been a haven for horses for courses and the best horse bettors look to runners that have performed well locally and on shorter tracks in the past. If a racer gets a feel of the oval, and even if the performance is less than stellar, it could be much better than a runner who never tried these tight turns.

It takes a specific kind of athletic horse to maneuver on the tight course and would look for long shots to come from places like Boise, Arizona or Oregon where runners are used to bullring ovals.

Horsemen shipping from Del Mar will try to drop many of their horses at this meet. Droppers will be hammered at the windows but make sure you examine the pace of the race and be careful before backing cold stone closers against cheap speed.

As for the human element, you won’t see many runners trained by Bobby Frankel or Neil Drysdale but the song will remain the same for guys like Doug O’Neill, Jeff Mullins and Ted West. That trio led the lead in winners at the meet last year winning 29 races combined.

Other guys to watch include longshot trainer Ray Thomas and Craig Dollase, who only saddled 5 horses in 2007 but watched 4 of them win.

As for the riders, it starts and ends with Martin Pedroza. He had 35 wins last season but again will be pressed by Tyler Baze.

Value riders that horse bettors should pay attention to are Alonso Quinonez and Isaias Enriquez.