ESPN Horse Racing

Updated: November 4, 2009, 4:54 PM ET

Born to pick three

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By Jay Cronley
Special to ESPN.com
Archive

At least they're not racing on Legos on what was once the real grass course.

World championship horse racing without dirt, who would have thought it beyond Eliza Doolittle from the spotless day at the races in "My Fair Lady."

Who knows exactly what's in the fake dirt that has been sprinkled around the country, the concoction is like a stew, as stuff is added and removed naturally and by scientists.

A little of what happened was some of the horse racing industry gave people who didn't know exactly what they were protesting too much credit and treated dirt like hot coals, removing it. As of this writing, nobody knows what's safest. What everybody does know is fake dirt has changed the face of racing. Faces are cleaner. Mid-pack is the place to be. Rachel Alexandra is home munching apples.

This much is true. Horses were born to run on dirt. And we were born to play the Pick Threes.

Concerning handicapping angles, two chief questions loom.

Lots of good horses with short program odds are running on synthetics for the first time. Lots of good horses with short program odds are off two-month layoffs.

What to do about 60 days off? Beats me. I tend to take layoffs with a grain of synthetics and not worry too much about it.

Dealing with first time lint is a key handicapping element.

Two possibilities exist.

1. Throw them all out.
2. Throw some of them out.

I tilt toward leaving them all out.

Here's something that could be interesting. In the Breeder's Cup, on whatever surface, form among the two-year olds tends to hold. There's no such thing as a bad exotic-type bet payoff. So singling a hot two-year old in a Pick Three can bring a person a lot for a nominal investment.

Turf races are always the nuttiest. Saturday's Juvenile Turf at a mile is typically impossible.

All 12 horses could be reasonably listed at 10-1.

The picker's pledge is to bet $2 on what is listed. And always remember, don't listen to idiots.

FRIDAY

Marathon
1. Mastery
2. Father Time
3. Night Lite

Something long: Eldaafer

Juvenile Fillies Turf
1. Lillie Langtry
2. Tapitsfly
3. Hatheer

Something a little long: Rose Catherine

Filly and Mare Sprint
1. Informed Decision
2. Ventura
3. Sara Louise

Long and late: Evita Argentina

Juvenile Fillies
1. Blind Luck
2. Always a Princess
3. Negligee

Slightly long: Beautician

Filly and Mare Turf
1. Midday
2. Forever Together
3. Magical Fantasy

Long: Visit

Female Classic
1. Life Is Sweet
2. Rainbow View
3. Music Note
Long: Proviso

SATURDAY

Juvenile Turf
1. Pounced
2. Viscount Nelson
3. Interactif

Long, long shot: King Ledley

Turf sprint
1. Diamondrella
2. California Flag
3. Noble Court

Long: Delta Storm

Dirt Mile
1. Mastercraftsman
2. Bullsbay
3. Midshipman

Long: Neko Bay

Juvenile
1. Lookin At Lucky
2. Noble's Promise
3. Aikenite

Long: Pulsion

Mile
1. Goldikova
2. Zacinto
3. Delegator

Little Long: Justenuffhumor

Sprint
1. Fatal Bullet
2. Zensational
3. Gayego

Long: Capt. Candyman Can

Turf
1. Conduit
2. Spanish Moon
3. Prescious Passion

Long: Monzante

Classic
1. Richard's Kid
2. Zenyatta
3. Gio Ponti

Long: Twice Over.

Write to Jay at jaycronley@yahoo.com.