Xpressbet.com & Horseplayer.com's Jeremy Plonk has been using the Betmix online handicapping database to investigate some common handicapping myths. Read & click below for his discoveries for the big Del Mar & Saratoga meetings.
Is Saratoga Still The 'Graveyard of Favorites'?
Long ago given the moniker “The Graveyard of Favorites,” Saratoga is where Upset beat Man o’ War in 1919 and Onion knocked off Secretariat in 1973. It’s a badge worn both of hope and fear, but is it accurate? Do favorites perform any better or worse these days at Saratoga than other tracks?
Do Barns Really Step Up for Del Mar?
The summer showcase meet at Del Mar is considered boutique for its relatively short length and high quality. For those reasons, there’s a narrative that everyone wants to find the winner’s circle at Del Mar. But are there trainers who actually find more success behind those apparent desires?
Fast Starts Imperative at Saratoga & Del Mar?
Given the relatively short nature of high-class racing meetings at tracks like Saratoga and Del Mar, which get underway this week, horseplayers long have long leaned on those jockeys and trainers who get off to a successful start to the meet. The thought is that momentum is important and time is short on correcting a lack of it.