Weekend Stakes Races – Grade II Coolmore Lexington Stakes and Charles Town Classic Stakes

The horse racing sportsbook has posted early horse betting odds for the Coolmore Lexington Stakes.  At this point, Uptowncharleybrown is a +400 favorite.  Because he’s only a 4 to 1 favorite, horseplayers can rest assured that the Coolmore Lexington Stakes is one tough race to handicap.

Race-day:  4/17/2010

The Lexington Stakes is the first of this weekend’s top stakes races.  The second is a testament to the power of slot machines.

Charles Town in West Virginia used to be a simple racetrack that begged to get some run off betting from those horseplayers tired of Aqueduct, Gulfstream or Santa Anita.  Now, after instituting slot machines, it has made enough money to put on a $1,000,000 race, the Charles Town Classic Stakes.

Keeneland – Race 9

Race-time:  5:15 pm EST

Grade II Coolmore Lexington Stakes

$300,000

For Three Year Olds

1 1/16th miles on Polytrack

Uptowncharleybrown may be the favorite, but the best bet to me looks like Krypton who is going off at +500 in the horse racing sportsbook.  Krypton won’t go off at any lower than 3 to 1 odds in the Lexington Stakes because he’s coming off of a 6 ¼ length victory at 7 furlongs over Keeneland’s Polytrack.  Krypton figures to track pacesetters Lonesome Street, Exhi and Heavenville, before making a run up the rail to the finish line. 

Krypton loves the Polytrack, goes for 36% winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and breaks from the advantageous rail.  Distorted Dave isn’t the worst stab in the world to finish second in the Lexington Stakes.  The 10 to 1 morning line shot sired by Distorted Humor is coming off of a very professional 4 ½ lengths victory in an $80,000 optional claimer at Santa Anita.  Trainer Doug O’Neil puts Victor Espinoza on Distorted Dave’s back and the pace should set up the presser’s closing kick. 

>> Get in on the action now – SIGN UP HERE <<

Bushwhacked is 12 to 1 on the morning line but has a better a shot at the victory than that.  The Jonathan Sheppard trainee is coming off of a maiden victory at Keeneland and looks overmatched on paper, but Bushwhacked had to go 3 wide at the ¼ pole in order to win his last race and jockey Rajiv Maragh is quickly becoming one of the best in the country.  He’s got a shot.

1. Krypton
2. Distorted Dave
3. Buschwhacked

Charles Town – Race 10

Race-time:  10:30 pm EST

Charles Town Classic Stakes

$1,000,000

1 1/8 miles on dirt

If Redding Colliery can clear this field from the 10 hole, then he could upset at huge odds.  The son of Mineshaft was bought for over $600,000 bucks so he isn’t cheap.  He’s also trained by the brilliant Kiaran McLaughlin and ridden by the underrated Anna Napravink. 

Redding Colliery might face some pace pressure from Encaustic in this race, but if it’s not legitimate pressure and the horse is allowed to settle, then the rest of this field is going to find it very difficult to pass him in the lane.  Redding Colliery ran 6 furlongs in 1:11 and 3 in his last race in February going 1 1/8th miles and continued to pull away from the field. That’s very, very fast.  For second, Understatement, whom I predict will go off as the chalk in this race, will be difficult to deny.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Understatement has been brilliant in his last two and appears ready to take the next step into graded competition.  Pletcher is looking to take part of this 1 million dollar purse before putting Understatement into a graded race.  Encaustic should be lying right off of Redding Colliery in the early stages of this race.  If jockey J. Shepherd doesn’t push the button too soon, then Encaustic could definitely hang on for third in this.

1. Redding Colliery
2. Understatement
3. Encaustic

Sign up HERE to start winning some cash today!