HANA and the Tampa Bay Pick 3

In HANA's (Horseplayer's Association of North America) ongoing experiment of trying to give horseplayers some say in the development of the game they support more than just about anyone, today's Pick 3 (races 6 - 8) at Tampa Bay Downs in the target. For background, click here for the rundown. While you're there, poke around and even join up. It's free and you can show your support for the sport we love and would like to see flourish.

For their last effort, HANA chose a maiden race at Will Rogers Downs. Handle for that one race jumped 90% over average. Sure, it was hit and run, but certainly should have gotten the attention of anyone at the track that pays attention to mutuel handle. And really, that's the point. If horseplayers can band together a bit and take their play to tracks that treat them right (low takeouts, for one example) it can show immense power in the one place that everyone feels it: in the pocketbook. Opponents of lowering takeout wonder how that money can be made up. If the Will Rogers experiment showed anything lower margins but at much higher volume should fatten your bottom line.

Enough preaching. My play for races 6 - 8 at TBD today:

Race 6:

I'm going with Celebration Dance and Number Uno Lady. Both look to be on the improve and while Celebration Dance has suffered from seconditis lately, she's dropping into this group and should prevail. Another horse with seconditis in this field is likely favorite Silver Truth and currently hot jock Rosemary Homeister (25% winners in the past month), but I'm going to bet against the favorite right out of the gate and see if I can start out with a bang and bring some value to the ticket.

Race 7

My choice here would have been AE Nick's Girl if she got in, but she didn't and that leaves me with my second choice, Barefoot Babe. I think she's been strong at this level, though had some trouble in her last. Really, I could go deep in this race with the inside three, but I think the Babe is the bet here.

Race 8

A couple of horses show the possibility of some early speed - So Very Irish and See I A. I'm not sure either of them possess the talent to control this field or enough early speed to burn each other out. African Angel is dropping way in to where she belongs, but it's tough to tell if her flat effort in the last two were a result of just being overmatched. Getting the distance, dropping in class and hopefully controlling the race should let See I A "make every pole a winning one" and will be the prime play in the 8th.

So a recap: 2-4-7 with 3 with 1-3-5 (yeah, I decided to cover my butt a bit!)

Visit HAHA, bet Tampa Bay and let's make a difference (and hopefully some money!) this afternoon!