Weekend Stakes Races – Overlays Can be Found in the Grade III Louisville Handicap and the Grade III Laz Barrera This Saturday

After last week’s Preakness debacle (okay, more than one horseplayer had the winner, Lookin’ At Lucky…it was just a debacle for me), it’s time to get back into the saddle, no pun intended, and find a couple of sterling overlays in two of Saturday’s Weekend Stakes Races.

The first race is the Grade III Louisville Handicap.

The second is the Grade III Laz Barrera Stakes.

The horse racing sportsbook will probably provide Daily Matchup wagers for both races. So, don’t forget to bet those as well.

Weekend Stakes Races

Churchill Downs – Race 10

• Where: Louisville, Kentucky
• When: May 22nd, 2010 at 5:29 pm EST
• TV: HRTV

Grade III Louisville Handicap

$100,000 For Three Year Olds and Upward

1 ½ miles on turf

The best horse in the Grade III Louisville Handicap is Brass Hat. He will also go off as the favorite, and he should also end up in the winner’s circle.

Brass Hat not only is the best closer in the field but he can stay close to the pace if need be, comes into the race with the best speed figures, and shouldn’t be denied.

He’s the pick and is an overlay if he’s anywhere close to his 3 to 1 morning line betting odds. Blushing Bear should be able to get close to Brass Hat at the end but he hung in the lane and won’t get the same pace set-up for his closing kick in this that he did in his last.

Still, at the 10 to 1 morning line odds, he’s definitely worth a shot if you believe jockey B.J. Hernandez can get just a little bit more out of him in the final 1/16th of a mile. Eagle Poise has definite upset potential as he goes back to the turf after running over artificial surfaces in his last 7 races.

He should also get the lead in this pace-less race. That makes him a potential upsettter.

1. Brass Hat
2. Blushing Bear
3. Eagle Poise

Hollywood Park – Race 8

• Where: Inglewood, CA
• When: May 22nd, 2010 at 7:35 pm EST
• TV: TVG

Grade III Laz Barrera Memorial

$100,000 For Three Year Olds

7 furlongs on cushion track

Dixie Trouper returns to an artificial surface after running on the HolyPark turf in its last. The 3-year old out of Dixiland Band is 2 and 1 out of 4 lifetime races and has been training lights out for this. Trouper can either run up close to the pace or stalk from up to 4 lengths off.

That gives jockey Joe Talamo a lot of options. Smiling Tiger is another horse returning to an artificial surface after running over the turf. Like Dixie Trouper, Smiling Tiger has been training very well. Trainer Jeff Bonde is winning at a 40% clip with his horses at Hollywood Park and Smiling Tiger has never finished off the board in 5 lifetime races. Bob Baffert saddles Concord Point in this race.

Not only does Baffert saddle Concord Point but he puts Martin Garcia on Point’s back. The Preakness winning connections might have a good one, as Concord Point appears to be getting better with every race.

1. Dixie Trouper
2. Smiling Tiger
3. Concord Point

Good luck!

Bet the ponies at the best horse racing sportsbook on the Internet!