ThoroFan Blog

How to play the short Bold Ruler field

By: Robert Marks, (@theyreinthegate) 

Saturday at 4:57 pm Eastern time is the $100,000 Grade 3 Bold Ruler Stakes, a handicap race for 3-year-olds and upward on the dirt at 7 Furlongs. This will be the final weekend of racing in this crazy Pandemic year of 2020. There will be no fans allowed in, but you can watch the race on MSG, Fox Sports Network, or TVG. This is a good race to watch. As far as betting, I would like to see a larger field, but we will have to accept the short 6 horse field and go with that.

Here's your field of 6

 

In a short field we always look for value. Thus for us, we toss Phat Man, Share theRide, and Majestic Dunhill, all at 2-1 or lesser odds.

 

That leaves us with the Arch Cat (10-1), Wendell Fong (10-1), and Mihos (4-1).

 

Mihos last won back in April in an Optional Claimer against much weaker competition. He ran at Belmont on June 3rd in the Grade 3 Westchester, finishing 6th with a poor speed figure. However, that was a 1 1/16. He’s much better at the shorter distances and shows a high-speed rating at 7 furlongs. I also never count out Irad Ortiz Jr. as the Jockey on a NYRA track.

 

Wendell Fong is now in the barn of Natalia Lynch after a claim back in July. His speed figures are poor compared to the field, but this hard knocker type horse has a win at Belmont in May of 2019, going 7 furlongs. Ideally, this is a horse you like at 6 furlongs; he seems to automatically fade at the 5-furlong mark in all his races. Might hang on for a 3rd or 4th here.

 

Arch Cat ships in from the Mid Atlantic Circuit with most of his races at Park racetrack in PA.  Looking at his form, 7 furlongs might be the right distance for this gelding, with 3 wins out of 5 races at 7 furlongs. Seems to be in form with 3 wins out of the last 4 starts. If he stays anywhere near his 10-1 morning line odds, I would jump all over this pick.

 

Picks:

I am going to play around with a $100 total wagering budget on the 3 longer odds horses as follows:

$10 win-#4 Arch Cat

$10 Exacta Box :1, 3, 4

As always, watch the Odds Board and examine the horses in the Paddock before posting final wagers.

Good Luck