Songbird vs Carina Mia (1619 Views)
Posted by:
jimbo66 (IP Logged)
Date: July 24, 2016 12:10PM
No way to bet this race vertically and even horizontally, your only option is to pick the one you like and watch the race. (using both will create negative value in that the take on the multis is 23 percent or so and they will cover maybe 98% of the horizontals (will there even be 2 percent bet elsewhere?)
Anyway, I think a fun race to watch. I realize that every card carrying sheet player will be "all in" on Carina Mia today, but I can't share that view, despite what the figures say. Sure, Carina has the three 1.5 TG figs, which all beat Songbird's best, but not sure that tells the story. Carina, for some reason, didn't get out of the gate in either of the last two races. However, that was a HUGE edge in both races. Look at the charts and watch the replays. Both were heavily contested paces with a huge race flow to closers. So, sure the 1.5 was earned, but was earned under perfect conditions IMO. Any chance Carina gets perfect conditions today? Unless Songbird stumbles out of the gate, she is going to the front, Carina is sitting second if she breaks and she will have to put away Songbird "on the square". Now, Songbird has a string of 3's and some 5's, all which look a bit slow, but how many of those figures were under a hand ride, shut down the last 1/8th of a mile. It is a very reasonable assertion that she could have run faster in almost every race.
Now, the ship is an issue, and relative recency with CArina off two sharp races and more battle tested, helps her cause. But to me, those two small pluses are offset by one EXTREME NEGATIVE. You have a relative match race, with Mike Smith riding a speed horse with inside position while poor Carina gets clueless Frenchie. Is it outside the realm of possibility that Frenchie doesn't even get the 2nd positin early? Possible with his propensity to forget to ride out of the gate. I am no huge Mike SMith fan, if I need a crafty "come from behind" ride on the turf course, give me Castellano, Irad ORtiz, or an "in form" Desormeaux. But on a speed horse with a tactical advantage where Smith can dole out the speed and play "cat and mouse" is there any doubt Smith is the cat and frenchie the mouse?
Good luck to all today. As I said a good race to watch, less so to bet.
Jim