Horse Pick of the Day – Monmouth Race 4

Race-day:  6/10/2009

Race-time:  2:07 pm est.

Racebook fans should be looking to the New Jersey shore for some terrific overlay wagers.

Monmouth Racetrack is often overshadowed by Belmont Park and Saratoga until the 1 million dollar Haskell Invitational is run later on in the summer.  That’s a shame because Monmouth runs a meet from late May all the way to September.  It’s one of the longest meets of the year.

Let’s take a look at Race 4 at Monmouth on Wednesday.

Monmouth – Race 4

$40,000 Maiden Claiming

For Maidens, Fillies and Mares, Three Years Old and Upward

1 1/16th miles on turf

Lady’s Wish – - 4/1 morning line

This first time starter sired by Johar debuts for Alan Goldberg who wins with 18% of his first time starters.  Goldberg also wins with 30% of his debut turf runners and 26% with his maiden claimers.  The real knock is that they purchased Lady’s Wish for $175,000 but aren’t even attempting to run her in a maiden special weight race.  Lady’s Wish gets the rail, C.C. Lopez, who’s winning 18% on the year, debuts with Lasix and is bred to win on the turf.  My hope is that Goldberg is looking for the victory and not to just unload her.

Queen Caribees – - 7/2 morning line

After trying to win with Queen Caribees at the maiden special weight level, trainer Barclay Tagg finally gives up on her and drops her into this $40,000 claimer.  He does put blinkers on her and she should definitely improve.  She’s been training better and the big drop in class should help.  A big turnaround is expected because she’s lost her last two races by a combined 31 lengths.

Don’t Get Married – - 5/1 morning line

Don’t Get Married is also dropping into a maiden claimer.  She’s also going back to turf, where she lost by a neck three races ago, after trying to break her maiden on the dirt.  She should be ready to put forth her best effort as her trainer, Jane Cibelli, is winning at a 30% clip at Monmouth.  She was boxed in two races ago, the last time she ran on turf, and with a cleaner trip could get there in time.

Wagering Strategy

Lady’s Wish is as close to being a first time starter stand out in a maiden claimer as horseplayers are ever going to find.  I will bet her to win and place.  I will put Lady’s Wish, Don’t Get Married and Queen Caribees into an exacta and trifecta box.