When Does A Pick 3 Beat A Pick 4?

I ventured out to Woodbine on Wednesday night to take in the overnight card which featured several quality allowance races as well as an MSW that included a standout Sam-Son Farms filly.

There's a certain romantic ambiance to Woodbine at night as you can spend an evening outdoors watching the sky turn from an autumnal orange to a midnight black spectacularly lit up with the twinkling lights of the city.

My wagering on this evening was inspired by a massive $33,038.10 Pick 4 payout on Sunday's card for a $1 ticket! That payout was helped by Rahy's Attorney winning the Woodbine Mile over favoured American invaders Kip Deville and Ventura at odds of 13-1, combined with the longest shot in the field bombing home in the final leg of the ticket to win at 33-1. While I knew I would be hard pressed to match such impressive results, I was hopeful that my first foray into Pick 4 wagering might produce a profitable result.


The Wednesday night crowd at Woodbine is a vociferous one and it's fun to head down to the paddock between races to watch the jockeys saddle up and receive their late instructions from the trainer. As the horses make the long winding walk from the paddock, around the willows and out to the track, many of the locals will engage the jockeys in friendly chatter. Most of the jocks do their best to ignore it, but others make the procession with a sly smile on their face.

Wednesday's Pick 4 was set between races four and seven. The sixth race was an enticing route featuring two Queen's Plate competitors in Jungle Brew and East End Tap. The Stronach Stables already had one win on the day when Holy Grace took the first race with ease, and their colt Jungle Brew was looking very much in form coming into the event with several good works following a commanding two and half length win at the same distance that garnered an 81 speed rating. East End Tap, on the other hand, had a disappointing run last outing in the Breeders finishing seventh, some 14 lengths behind the romping Marlang. Also discouraging was the fact that Tap's most impressive race had come on the dirt at Fort Erie when a hard knocking second to Harlem Rocker. I keyed Jungle Brew with confidence as the rest of the field looked just a step below these two.

The seventh and final leg of the Pick 4 featured Sam-Son Farms lightly raced filly Strange Romance who began her racing career this year at the age of four. Placing twice in four attempts, her last race received a huge 84 speed rating and was head and shoulders above the rest of the nine horse field. Easy peasy, two legs of the Pick 4 keyed and I'm now ready to tackle the far more difficult claiming races that made up the first two legs of the Pick 4.

Race four, the first leg of the Pick 4, featured eight $16K claimers routing over the poly in the twilight. Trainer Scott Fairlie had Chantal Sutherland aboard the competitive six-year old gelding Cusoon(GB) who won last time out at seven furlongs. His major opposition seemed to come from the favoured Striking Attitude racing out of the one hole and Abraham Katryan's Gold Cachet. I used all three on my ticket and ignored the dangerous Lion Man with Eurico Rosa Da Silva in the irons. The race got off to a comical start as Sutherland rocketed Cusoon (GB) to the lead, opening up an eleven length lead on the backstretch that knocked all the chicklets off the screen. Into the far turn, Sutherland took a quick peak under her arm to see Tyler Pizarro and Striking Attitude closing the gap to six lengths and diminishing to only two lengths by the top of the stretch. With Cusoon (GB) gasping to the wire, those of us in the grandstand held our collective breath only to watch the brave effort nailed by Striking Attitude in the final stride. Striking Attitude, as the favourite, paid $8.50 for the win. My Pick 4 ticket was alive, but not looking lucrative.

The second leg of the Pick 4 seemed to be a more open contest with seven $20K claimers going seven furlongs. I had selected four horses in this race to round out my 20cent Pick 4 ticket at a whopping $2.40. While a 20cent ticket was worth over $6K on Sunday, I knew that with a favourite winning the opener and two favourites keyed for the final two legs that I needed an upset in this race if I was to make some money. Matt Moore had the ride on Twisted Wit in this race and represented the lone speed as favourite. I used Twisted Wit along with hopeful stalkers High Volt Jolt, Garzon and Angel Of The House. As expected Moore went straight to the lead, setting quick fractions of 23.45 and 46.73 in a speed duel with Na Somsanith on Wise Knight. Constant Montpelier and High Volt Jolt stalked the quick pace from third but my long shots Garzon and Angel Of The House were struggling at the back of the pack. As the horses charged to the to the top of the stretch, Twisted Wit took commanding control, opening up a two and a half length lead as Wise Knight faltered and High Volt Jolt flattened out. From the back of the pack, Patrick Husbands rallied Vegas Venture in an all out sprint to the finish between the two Tiller trainees, but Twisted Wit was too strong holding on to win by a length. As favourite, the payout was a frail $4.20.

My 20Cent Pick 4, though alive, was in dire straits as two hot favourites made up the back portion of the ticket. At this point, I contemplated a late Pick 3 using Jungle Brew and Striking Romance with the field in the final race of the day, but the thought of watching five consecutive favourites trot home was too much to bear.

Steadfast in my picks, I placed a nice win wager on Jungle Brew and keyed the colt over Catch Air who looked to be the lone speed in the race. Tyler Pizarro got off to a smooth start and Catch Air led the short field of six through the half with East End Tap and Dans A Dancin' in behind. Husbands, aboard Jungle Brew, sat comfortably in fifth, saving energy, waiting for his moment to run. Pizarro was walking the oval in 24.64, 48,93 and 1:13.21 and had plenty of horse under him turning for home. East End Tap faded through the stretch, as Poacher's Moon and Emile Ramsammy made their move to the lead engaging Catch Air in an all out struggle to the wire. Husbands made his move late in the stretch as Jungle Brew strode confidently into traffic behind the front two forcing Husbands to angle out and regain his stride before powering into the lead to win by one and three quarter lengths. Catch Air found a second wind in the shadow of the wire, bumping his way past Poacher's Moon for place. Jungle Brew paid $3.50 to win and the exactor was a meaty $13.40. An impressive win for Jungle Brew showing great class to stop and start in the stretch and still win going away. East End Tap may need to be fresehened after a disappointing performance and it's quite possible that the Tap might be better suited for the dirt.

With my wallet in good shape from the previous race, I laid down on Strange Romance to win and keyed the filly over Tapenade and House Advantage looking for another exactor payoff. Jerry Baird and Blonde Humor went straight to the lead in this six furlong sprint in 22.40 and 45.12 before Sutherland and Strange Romance got bored and surged through the far turn into the lead and continued to open up through the stretch striding home a nine length winner. Such a brilliant display was this, that the grandstand actually applauded the winner home. Baird and Blonde Humor held on for place to ruin my exactor that never fired. Strange Romance paid $3.50 to win.

Lost in the brilliance of Strange Romance's performance was my first ever Pick 4 win! The 1/2/9-2/6 paid a whopping $55.15 for a $1 ticket as my $2.40 cent investment reaped rewards of just over $11. I was decidedly unmoved.

I left the track with money in my pocket and a Pick 4 win under my belt but a sinking feeling in my gut that I handicapped my twin spires of Jungle Brew and Strange Romance the wrong way. I was not surprised when I got home to see that the favourite in the eighth race pulled up and a 29-1 shot rallied to beat a 34-1 shot to the wire in a fourteen horse field. The $1 Pick 3 paid $113.35. Lesson learned - the next time I chase a Pick 4, I'll be sure it includes at least one ten-plus horse race.