For horseplayers, the Breeders’ Cup is one weekend you have to clear the deck of any and all distractions. There’s too much money at stake and you can’t afford to miss on any of your strongest opinions. You want to have your seat picked out and your past performances spread in front of you so you can grab whatever shred of information you need at a moment’s notice.
What you don’t want is to be driving, and having to pull over to the side of a Nevada highway between Stateline and Las Vegas, like I had to a couple years ago to get a Win bet down on Caledonia Road in the Juvenile Fillies. The race was chock full of speed and seemed to set up perfectly for her off-the-pace running style.
And she was approaching the starting gate at odds of 17-1.
Since I was in the state of Nevada, I was using an archaic sports betting app that clearly wasn’t designed with the horseplayer in mind. Win bets were easy enough, but trying to get multi-leg wagers down was a chore. So I stopped the car on the side of the road to get my bets in.
I punched in my Win bet and Exactas, keying Caledonia Road on top of speedster Alluring Star (8/1) and fellow closer Blonde Bomber (30/1). The app I was using was so difficult to deal with, I eventually surrendered and didn’t bother playing the Trifecta with the same horses.
I scored for $366 on my $20 Win bet, $392 on my $2 Exactas, but the .50 Trifecta I didn’t play because it was too much trouble returned $2,290. Lord knows what could have happened had I taken a shot at the Superfecta, which paid a whopping $29,371 for a buck.
What I’m getting at is, when it come to the Breeders’ Cup, logistics are as crucial as preparation. Don’t be like me and leave things to chance like I did a couple years ago on a lonely stretch of highway between the moon and Las Vegas.
If you like to bet the horses with cash money, get yourself to PlesasntonOTB. Get yourself a seat with a view you like, that’s also a short jaunt to the betting windows. So when the time comes to get down on your strongest opinion, you won’t get stuck writing about bets you should have cashed two years later.
Special Breeders’ Cup Hours, Post Times and Promotions
OTB doors open at 9:45am on Friday, Nov. 1 and at 8:45am on Saturday, Nov. 2.
If you’d like to reserve a table in the Turf Club, just call the Front Desk for reservations at 925-426-7622.
Post time for the Breeders’ Cup Future Stars Friday program at Santa Anita is 10:30am.
Post time for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Championship program is 10:07am.
Breakfast will be served each day until 11am, after which the full Turf Club lunch menu will be available. We will also have $20 Corona Buckets (of 5) on Friday and Saturday.
Last but not least, take a free shot at $1,000 in our Breeders’ Cup Final 5 Pick ‘Em Contest. Just pick the most winners over the final 5 Breeders’ Cup race on Saturday and you could win or split $1,000. Entry is FREE with admission or CHRB license Friday and/or Saturday. You can play two entries if you attend both Friday and Saturday at Pleasanton OTB.
Winners will be announced by Sunday, Nov. 3. See the OTB Front Desk for details.
