Frank Cotolo offers his picks for the $20,000 Pick-4 at Balmoral Park on March 9, part of the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.

Balmoral Park Pick-4, Races 10-13, Saturday, March 9, 2013

There are two things you need to learn when you play multi-race exotics. The first is that there are no safe singles. The second is that there are never enough horses you need to add so you have to make decisions by forecasting prices. That is why you will always find some weird singles on our tickets; we are wagering deep into our contenders, not into our pockets, and the result has usually afforded us some high-priced winners. So when you judge our choices be sure to understand that we don’t want a big ticket, which is why we take some chances singling our second and third choices. We want to avoid the obvious as much as possible.

$2 play 47/2/5/3 = $4

Analysis:

Race 10: (4) Bull Lea steps back into the spot where he can do the most damage, hopefully because he has solved a problem he had with jumping. He closed a ton on Feb. 23 and if he stays flat that kind of power will prove lethal here. (7) Don’t Worry Be Happy can come right back after a tough trip that didn’t bother him nor his supporters.

Race 11: (2) Richess Emperor has struggled a bit since stepping up but not to a point of embarrassment. If he could only get out and command the pace with the speed of his sire he could shine his way up the class ladder. At a good price here he will boost the value of this ticket.

Race 12: (5) Peace may very well have some in reserve after that last win. What looks like a strenuous trip was no problem at all and if you can get the morning line on her today take it with glee because she is ready to make it two in a row with still some left for next week.

Race 13: (3) Giddy Up Boy goes for new connections and seems worth this price and the price he may pay if the morning line is correct. He has won at this level before and may surprise the crowd, making our ticket a blockbuster.