Rest then Best Bonanza Recap
Last Saturday September 24, the 7th race at Los Al, a 6 furlong Allowance sprint, was very lucrative for those focusing in on Rest then Best horses. The 3 RTB horses finished 1,2,3 for some sweet returns.
6-5 winner Tough Sunday was a standout, as he had returned to the races three weeks earlier, posting his Best of 6.0, which was also the fastest Number of any horse in the race. Tough Sunday certainly was no secret and he scored convincingly by over 6 lengths, as the prohibitive favorite.
On the other hand, runner up Blue Anchor, who was also a RTB horse, was overlooked by the crowd, and was let go at 12-1. He teamed with Tough Sunday for a sweet $43.00 exacta. As mentioned in the race preview, I like it when a GOOD trainer steps his horse up in class after a non-winning effort. This theory is contrary to the standard race track rule of thumb of looking for those horses dropping in class. Proper placement of horses has a lot to do with a trainer’s winning percentage, so when a GOOD trainer raises his horse in claiming price, or in this case, up to an Allowance race, I recommend taking a long look. This situation usually provides good value, and in this case, Blue Anchor was dismissed at 12-1 from a morning line of 8-1, a 50% increase in value.
A word of caution here: I do not consider it to be a good wager when a trainer with a low percentage raises his horse after a non-winning effort. Again proper placement is often reflected in the winning percentage.
Completing the trifecta was 5-1 3YO Pedro Cerrano, who also was a RTB horse. His return Number was slower than the top 2 finishers; however it was a very solid win after a 6 month layoff. 3YOs often improve by leaps and bounds. This guy gave a decent account of himself, checking in third and completing a very nice $93.00 tri.
Summary
Watch for Rest then Best horses with competitive Numbers, especially if there are other positive factors!
