Horse Racing Betting Picks for Saratoga and Monmouth Park

Monmouth Park is back in action on Friday with an outstanding 12-race card with a regular post time of 12:50 ET, while Saratoga goes to twilight racing this afternoon, with a first post of 2:30 ET.

The feature at the Spa is the $70,000 Fleet Indian, which drew a field of eight fillies and mares who will go seven furlongs on the main track.

It appears to be a battle between the very sharp Meese Rocks and the veteran mare Weathered, who has won 11 of her 28 career starts, but comes into today’s race in less than stellar form.

Monmouth Park continues to offer horseplayers large fields and competitive racing with its three day a week schedule and average of $1 million in purses per day.

The track holds its signature event on Sunday, the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1), which drew a strong field of three-year-olds including Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Lookin At Lucky.

Friday’s card on the Jersey Shore is a good warm-up for Sunday, and our late Pick 3 ticket could send us into the weekend with a juiced up bankroll, as it appears as if we can beat at least two of the likely favorites.

Today's Play of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 7 The Fleet Indian (5:48 ET)

• #5 Meese Rocks 3/1
• #3 Weathered 6/1
• #4 Shine Upon 5/1
• #7 Wicked Diva 5/2

Horse Betting Analysis: #5 Meese Rocks comes into this race razor sharp, a good looking winner last out against open Alw-3 optional claimers, earning a near career top.

This mare won a NY bred stake three back and makes her second start off a four month break here. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and she seldom runs a bad one.

#3 Weathered looked weathered in her last two starts, both fourth place finishers. She appears to have lost her edge, but she does return to the NY bred ranks and will appreciate the cut back here to seven furlongs.

She can bounce back here and the 6/1 ML looks fair enough to toss her in the mix.

Horse Wagering

WIN: #5 to win at 5/2 or better.

EX: 3,5 / 3,4,5,7

TRI: 3,5 / 3,4,5,7 / 1,2,3,5,7

Today’s Pick 3 Play from Monmouth Park:

Starting in Race 10: $1: 3,9 / 3,6,7 / 4,5,6,11 = $24

MTH Race 10 Alw $80,000N1X (5:12 ET)

#9 Ennis Lady, #3 Wardelle

#9 Ennis Lady will need a scratch to get in off the AE list, but is worth a good look if she does draw in. She set the early fractions and weakened to finish third last out over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle.

The $225K Keeneland purchase is bred to handle turf, out of a Cozzene mare that has dropped three turf winners including stakes winners Karra Kul ($286K) and Chopinina ($614K).

#3 Wardelle tracked the early pace from the outside and finished evenly for third last out. The runner up #2 Purrfect Bluff came back to run a good second again in her next start.

This gal appears headed in the right direction form wise and likely will offer more value than our third choice, and they were only separated by 1 1/4 lengths last out.