Today's Best Bets

4-9. Picked up eleven wins in the last two days of Week Three to get us back on a little bit of a roll. Four winners on top Monday (5th, $3.80; 6th, $19.40; 7th, $4.20; 9th, $5.70). With our winners all coming at the end of the card, the Pick Six consisted of four of our top choices and two of our second picks ($3743.00/$2; 5/6 conso, $49.60). Also, we had a cold exacta in the 5th ($12.40). A cold P3 in races 5-7 ($78.50) - with races 6-7 making up a cold mid-day double ($42.40)> Plus assorted other picks and gimmicks using the selections.

On-track, 17,005 enjoyed yet one more nice day weather-wise at a meet that has been blessed in that department so far. Monday was Proud to be an American Day at the track and some of the races were named after the various services with the appropriate military personnel presented in the winner's circle after those events. There was also a naturalization ceremony in the winner's circle for thirty or so new citizens.

A quick look at how the public handicappers are scoring after three weeks of action shows some very positive results for a number of prognosticators. There's a group of five at the top of the list with over 60 wins -- good for a 36% or better strike-rate. Topping them all is Mark Cusano of the Daily Gazette with an astounding 67 winners. For comparison you can check the numbers from the midpoint last season, as well as the 2004 final standings. Cusano also hosts the weekly Down the Stretch program on the Capital OTB television network which is available in much of upstate NY. And it should be noted that local viewers should feel well-served by that OTB-TV channel as four of the five top handicappers on the list below (Cusano, Pricci, Kling, and Brownell) appear regularly on the network.

Behind the top five there is another group within striking distance and we're swimming with that bunch. But we lay down the gauntlet for the leaders and note that at the halfway point in 2004 we had 45 wins in our pocket. Three weeks later we ended the season with 110 winners. A solid 65 on top in the last eighteen days of the meet. So look over your shoulders leaders, Best Bets is coming!

Note: Discrepancies in total number of races played is due to some handicappers losing races due to scratches or adding races with simulcast plays.

	Mark Cusano Daily [Schenectady] Gazette		67-171 ***

	John Pricci Saratogian		63-169

	Nick Kling Troy Record/Saratogian		62-168

	Bill Taylor Saratogian		62-169

	Kyle Brownell Post-Star [Glens Fall, NY]		61-168

	Tom Cunningham Albany Times Union		59-169 ***

	Matt Graves Albany Times Union		59-169 ***

	Russ Harris NY Daily News		59-169

	Tim Wilkin Albany times Union		59-169 ***

	Tom Law Saratogian		56-169 ***

	Jerry Bossert NY Daily News		54-169

	Mike Jarboe Albany Times Union		54-169

	Seth Merrow Best Bets - equidaily.com		54-169

	Debbie L NY Post		52-169

	Dave Little NY Daily News		52-169

	Sherry Ross NY Daily News		52-167

	Bev Swimm Albany Times Union		51-169

	Vic C NY Post		50-168

	Ed Fountaine NY Post		50-169

	Bill Heller Daily [Schenectady] Gazette		47-171

	Mike Lipack NY Daily News		46-169

	Affrunti NY Post		45-169

	Mark Hoffman The [Amsterdam, NY] Recorder		45-172

	John DaSilva NY Post		42-169 ***

*** Some totals might be one winner too high. On Monday there were two races that featured entries where one half scratched while the other half ran -- and lost. The totals noted above by asterisks included winners that were scratched into after the handicappers had used the scratched half of the entry. We're not sure in these cases how the individaul handicapper scores such a scratch. As we note below on this page -- if we like both halves we name the entry, otherwise we just name the single half of the entry we like and we scratch down to our next selection if that half of the entry doesn't run. When we scored Monday's results we gave the *** handicappers above the benefit of the doubt and allowed them the win in those races they scratched into where they only named the scratched half of the entry above the winning selection.

Dark day. No racing.

FIRST RACE
SECOND RACE
THIRD RACE
FOURTH RACE
FIFTH RACE
SIXTH RACE
SEVENTH RACE
EIGHTH RACE
NINTH RACE

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