Big Metro Card Saturday

This Saturday at Mohawk, there is a very good card if you are a fan of the sport. Included in the 13 races, are the $1M Metro and the Canadian Pacing Derby (entries here).

Some highlights and thoughts:

In race two, Hambo winner Muscle Massive surfaces, and hopes to prep for the Canadian Trotting Classic later this month. I would expect he will be overbet, but it does not look like much of a betting race to me.

In race five, the Metro pace consolation for $100k occurs. It features Lookinforadventure who threw in a huge clunker last time. He is right back in and if anything close to right should be likely to win, however, if the odds board is not kind, I will be looking elsewhere.

In race seven, the Metro, there are several possibles. The three elimination winners all look logical and one can expect the speediest of the three to be the favorite, but both he and Big Jim will take a pile of money. Personally, I loved the way Great Vintage won last time. I know he did not go as fast, but he looked to win like a good horse. Often times the most relaxed and mature horse wins the Metro, rather than the one with the most pure speed. I think I will take a poke at him, if the odds board cooperates.

In race eight, the She's a Great Lady stakes, the monster chalk on paper is the best horse by far. But, it's rare to see a two year old in a hood, because at times, they can run big early and then falter later after the early speed catches up with them. As well, this is first time D barn for a young horse, which can cause problems. Although there looks to be little chance she will be beat, you can't get rich betting 1-9 horses, so I won't. I will probably play Shyaway. She is 12-1ML, had some nice pace in her last, looked great on the track, and looks like she knows what she is doing out there.

The older pacers are always my favorite races. This Canadian Pacing Derby is simply awesome. Shark Gesture, who took the bye last week, is one of the toughest horses you will ever see. He will run through a wall for you, and then look for another one to run through. I want to see him win, and he probably will, if his form tells us anything. The 5-2 shot, Hypnotic Blue Chip, has always had a ton of talent, and he is throwing yet another piece of evidence that it is not how old you are, it is how talented you are, which equates success or failure in the aged division. Although I expect those two to do well, I will again (surprise, surprise) go off the board. I will take a shot at 30-1 ML shot Bettor Sweet, and hope for some racing luck. I think this horse is hugely better than he is showing right now, and one of these weeks he will pop at a big price.

The race card starts at 7:30 and the big race is televised nationally here in the Tundra, on the Score Television network.