Today is the Arlington Million.

The best runners visit the beautiful oval in Chicago, and you can bet the show has been worth the wait. This is a day where you will want to check in with WinningPonies.com before you make your first wager (check our results in last year’s Million).

A day of this size promises a few things for players. The first being a great deal of value for your basic wagers. The pools will be huge, and a typical 2-1 shot may go off near 5-2. The public is watching some of the best runners in the world, and finding favorites is no easy task.  This is why you will need your guidance in finding that value. The second, is that you will find GREAT value in Pick 3’s and Pick 4’s. All it takes is one lukewarm runner to beat an odds on favorite, and you will be the fat cat.

So, before you wager today know a few things that are constant: the polytrack will be fast, the turf should have some give to it (and favor European runners), and WinningPonies.com should be dialed in for this wagering cornucopia. Today is your day. How much do you want to win?

I have seen every kind of player under the sun. I have started off with win, place and show wagers as we all do and graduated to exotics. But to come back to the basics can be a rewarding experience.

What you want to try before heading to the track is a little something called a place parlay. If you are new, this is where you make a wager on one race, and if you are lucky enough to hit, bet it back on your next selection. Be careful, and use only the races where you LOVE the horses. Don’t just bet to have action. This is about the bottom line, and making money.

Lets start with a $20 bill. If you take $60 to the track, take a look at this little wager to make some extra dough. You are trying to get a horse that can pay $3 to place. That is 1-2 for you bigger players, and that makes it a very short odds play. Here is the plan, and what you could have after “The Rule of Four.”

Race #1 / $20 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $30

Race #2 / $30 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $45

Race #3 / $45 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $67.50

Race #4 / $67 place and your horse pays $3. You now have $100.50

Now, you won’t buy a new boat, but you got 5X your bankroll, and you now have begun to watch races for profit instead of action. Believe it or not, you have just become a horse player, instead of just another face throwing down tickets after the race is over.

Just have patience, don’t be afraid to roll your winnings into the next race, and if you lose in race #3, you have only lost your original $20.

If you watched any TV on Sunday, I sure hope it was the Haskell Stakes. You saw many things in a rapid fire race take place.

The field was not Big Brown’s toughest to date and had only two graded winners in the starting gate with him. He broke like a champ, and with the well guided hand of a conductor, he put himself about two off of the rail. He was not going to get boxed today. It wasn’t going to be that simple. You were going to beat him the old fashioned way.

The bridge jumpers were lined up along the rail, and showed what a short memory they have. They backed this runner with both hands, and looked to get that nickle on the dollar. Try that on Wall Street in such a brief time. Kent Desormeaux had to get Brown down on his belly, and get juice that makes champions run. He rounded for home and a rapid pace was ensuing.  Coal Play was comfortable, and Nick Zito looked like he had the big boy’s number again.  With a quarter of a mile to go, Kent D went to the whip and this was something we never would have thought. This was Big Brown, and he should inhale this field. But when the whip struck and he didn’t immediately fire up and take flight, I began to wonder. The final eighth of a mile showed me what a gutty runner looks like. He was wide as if he was looking for the magic part of the track, and boy did he find it at the right time.

The B.B. Express rolled up on the leader, and went right on past. This pleased everyone except Nick Zito as he was poised to play spoiler again.  But before you nitpick any of the race, remember that this was his first race back. Was he ready? Did he have all of those ailments back?  Would we see the Belmont again? The answer was no… He is back. Simply put. Welcome back Big Brown.  All of the talk, and the hullabaloo about why you didn’t fire on one day is over. Welcome back my boy. The fickle media will gladly have you back, and so will the fans. Whatever the future, you have lived up to the words of a great writer.  “Anyone can come up, get lucky, right place at the right time.  But to comeback shows what you are really made of.  It’s all about the comeback.”  Welcome back…

It’s no secret that Macrovision, the parent company that acquired TVG / Gemstar TV Guide earlier this year, has them on the block for sale. The Swiss-based financial group UBS is shopping around the racing channel, and it probably will be taken over by an entity in the racing community.

Long story short. Why do we need two or more channels showcasing racing? Does Tennis? Golf? Race cars? Even fishing has a home. We need to bring the game together. Is it possible that all factions that own pieces of the two companies come together and roll out a HUGE production that will attract more fans, keep our current fans happy, and provide more quality information. There will always be the ADW sites that can show smaller tracks, and keep the IV line open all the time. This is an opportunity to come together, share the product and make history. I would love to see it happen.

In a time when we need to keep our fast food lifestyle of having every race shown, we could trade this in for having the best in racing TV. How about it? Only the best to watch, and there will be no boundaries to divide players from the opportunity to watch. One channel, one place for racing, and putting down the remote. No need to keep flipping back and forth. Our sport is going to grow up and be big time. Just think. No more wondering what station to watch. One stop, and let the action roll. Two minutes to post. What channel are we going to watch?

Del Mar is running 6 days a week. They have been the house that “Bing Built” for as long as memory serves. They are cutting purses for the final days of racing that will conclude on September 3.

They are down 7%, and other tracks around the nation are down in the double digits. Racing is feeling the hurt in a big way. Horsemen are receiving 8 cents on every dollar wagered, and $4.75 on dollars wagered at sites like TVG. The average field sizes are down from 8.47 to 8.29.  So, what does this mean to you, the player? Racing is hurting, and there is only so much horse flesh to go around. Smaller fields, runners coming back sooner, and no time to rebuild your stash.

In the old days, there was some downtime. Not as many tracks, and not as many dates to wager. There was a time when players could build their bankroll and come back blazing at the windows. The horse flesh was not as drawn thin, and the chase for the big bucks has taken its toll on the game. The competition, the dates, the tracks, and the overlap has lead down a tough road. We need to take a step back, and not cut the purses anymore. The owners and trainers need this money to keep our sport alive. Cut back one day a week, and not only would you not have to cut purses, you may be able to show a small increase. Sound good? It sure does to me. This is where we need a national system overseeing dates, and making sure we have plenty of action to wager. This will also allow us to keep our game from facing cuts. When you hear this call, the horsemen suffer. And don’t forget, they bring the horses to the paddock. We need “Big Brother” watching over our sport.

Every weekend there is action galore at the Spa. After doing homework, keeping notes, reading, and consulting with WinningPonies.com, I see there are some golden opportunities that need a another look before going to the windows.

In the opener there are a few runners worth that second look before making your big move. Especially #3 Mogul Man. Play this runner ONLY if on the weeds. Big dropper in class, and exits a sweet ITM finish in his last two efforts. Frankel is off and running, and this should add to his % nicely.

In Race #3 - #6 I’m So Lucky. A three year old runner who has been tough to get to in his starts since coming back to the races.  He has been shooting more bullets than Jesse James in the morning, and this is usually a sign that says ready to fire. Look for him to stalk just off the pace and trounce to the winners circle.

The 10th at the Spa offer a chalk players dream. #6 - Indian Blessing is 3/5, and looks the part. This is a great opportunity to use in Pick 6’s and Pick 4’s. Has won two G-1’s, and is beginning to mature into an incredible runner.

Here is some food for thought.  Before going to the windows, take a hard look at how much money you want to win.  Be sure and keep your WinningPonies.com form handy because this will allow you to plan your attack to set up multiple race exotics.