Frank Cotolo offers his picks for the $20,000 Pick-4 at Balmoral Park on Saturday, Jan. 12, part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.

Balmoral Park Pick-4, Races 10-13, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013

The 2013 campaign began just the way we like it, with a profit. It would have been better only if we hit one of the first two exotics but our win bets are there to cover the action and help with the cash flow. We singled Catmando last Saturday and he won and paid $37.20. On Sunday we singled Fox Valley Matinee and he won, paying $10.60. Even with the Pick-4 tickets and other win bets, we came out ahead. Saturday’s ticket paid more than $10,000, which is the kind of price we love. We wonder if whoever hit it singled Catmando? Hope springs eternal, or at the least, through 2013; let’s try to stay ahead one way or another.

$2 play: 4/38/2/5 = $4

Analysis:

Race 10: (4) Tamarac Sassy is not listed as the morning line choice and we want to know why, though we like her at 6-1 and will single her in this group of Open mares that offers few truly Open mares.

Race 11: (3) Jackson Berlow has every right to be respected in this field and may offer a fair-odds price for our money. He was taking it easy last week, his second rising from a 4-1 win in the class below (for state breds) but did that at 34-1 off of a fine trip that was ignored by the public (look at his gain before that awful finish). (8) Major Monet got going too soon last week after a great race in the slop at 25-1. He lost fighting at 4-1 and may be ignored today to surface a big overlay.

Race 12: (2) Major Degree is the hidden talent here, at least we feel that the public won’t judge his recent outings so well as to make him a short price. Toss out the break in conditioned company and see his grand attempt at that same level and then at this tag two back (at 42-1) and you got a contender, one that can rival those expected to have favoritism in this event.

Race 13: (5) Ducky T Fra shows the kind of lines a common bettor hates, making them love letters to us. From post nine last time, a level up, he was challenging at the half with spunk. The Panderosa guy put in a clunker before that but three back in this class he had only to thwart a late bid by another to win, coming off an eight length win the race before. He is our kind of contender.