Padding Your Bankroll for Thursday October 2

National horse racing handicapper Michael Dempsey will attempt to pad his bankroll and yours with his daily column. He will feature at least one Pick 3 or Pick 4 play from a major track along with coverage of major stakes races, longshots, and he will keep you up to date on what is happening on the circuits he covers.

The weather in New York is on the improve, and hopefully our bankroll will follow the same path.

Today’s Late Pick 3 play is a $24 investment, and today’s play of the day holds some promise. Our top pick is 8/1 on the morning line, and we have a good shot of picking up nice exotics in the race.

Our horizons will broaden on Friday as the Keeneland fall meeting gets underway.

Today's Play of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 4 Md Sp Wt (2:36 et)

#7 Can't Buy Love 8/1

#11 I'm Entitled 9/5

#10 City Sneakers 8/1

#2 Fra Lippo 4/1

Analysis: #7 Can't Buy Love dueled for the early lead, took over the lead on the far turn and weakened inside the final furlong to check in fourth last out going 5 1/2 on the lawn at the Spa. The colt was cutting back from a mile and not gets a two month freshening for the Tagg barn. The colt put in four works in September for his return for a barn that is 22% winners with horses coming back off a 46-90 day break. He has a decent turf pedigree, one sib that is a turf winner (Dubliner, $110K) and in just his fifth career start appears to have more upside potential than most of this group of NY breds.

#11 I'm Entitled set the early fractions over a yielding turf, opened up a clear lead and could not hold off the winner late, settling for second while nine lengths clear of the rest of the field. His last two efforts are good enough to beat this group.

Wagering

WIN: #7 to win at 9/2 or better.

EX: 7,11 / 2,7,10,11

TRI: 7,11 / 2,7,10,11 / 2,4,6,7,10,11

Belmont Park Pick 3 Play:

Starting in Race 7: $1: 5,8 / 4,5,7,11 / 4,7,12 = $24

BEL Race 7 OClm $25,000N2X (4:12 et)

#5 Sort of Tricky, #8 Casey's Tribe

#5 Sort of Tricky set the early fractions while down along the inside on the turf and ran out of gas in the stretch, checking in fourth. The filly owns a good edge in early and mid pace numbers and she did break her maiden on dirt so perhaps the surface switch will suit. She figures to be fitter for her second start off the turf for Liz Gray, a former assistant to Dale Romans.

#8 Casey's Tribe made a mild late run to finish fourth last out after racing wide much of the trip. Two back she had some traffic troubles in a third place finish behind repeat winner Under Serviced, who returned to win a NY bred stake in her next outing on 9/7. Both of her wins have come over the surface and she looks like a good fit here for the high % Levine barn.

BEL Race 8 Strawberry Burrah S. (4:45 et)

#7 Sensational Humor, #5 Minister's Joy, #11 Formal Decree, #4 Hard Top

Analysis: #7 Sensational Humor gets some class relief here after taking on solid fields in G3 races in his last two starts. The gelding has some early zip and would benefit if #6 Shake the Bank scratches to run at the Big M (the Motion runner is cross entered). Two back the gelding weakened to finish fourth in the Poker Cap in a race won by Kip Deville, last year's BC Mile winner. The runner up in the race was Tam Lin, who won the G2 Kelso last Saturday here. The gelding has run well over the turf here and has shown he can run over ground with some give to it, which we might see today.