Scheduled at 2:05PM from Parts Unknown.

$3400 for the first Pick 4. Just shy of $1000 for the Pick 3 races 3-5. A 65k superfecta.

There were plenty of prices out there. It was nice to get some of them in the picks (see previous post below) and build the bankroll for today. Hope you did well.

A few thoughts on today’s Breeders’ Cup Card at Santa Anita, with regards to what we saw yesterday.

• Boy, the track played awfully fast. Both the synthetic and the turf. Unlike last year, you can’t just toss out any of the speeds.
• I thought the inside was the place to be, on both surfaces. Something to watch today.
• You might not be able to throw out the dirt-based horses, at least be aware that they did not run well Friday. Especially those who had their last prep on dirt, I’m upgrading the turf/synth. horses for Saturday’s card.
• Favorites went 0-6 in the top spot. A good day NOT to be a chalk-eating weasel.
• The big story today is the undefeated filly Zenyatta. She’s going to be wildly overbet but take note- the horse chasing her all year (Life Is Sweet) won the Ladies’ Classic yesterday at about 8-1. Gives Zenyatta a decent bump I would say.

Before we get to the picks for Saturday, for fear of angering the handicapping Gods, let’s once again channel the legend of Stu Feiner. Remember to bet with your head, not over it. Picks are listed for fun so you can play with the horses/picks that you like!

Race 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
The Euro horses just look a whole lot better at this stage

1. Viscount Nelson
2. Pounced
3. Dean’s Kitten (gets in off the AE)

Race 3 BC Turf Sprint
One of many very fun betting races as they sprint down the hill at Santa Anita. Looking for a major price here.

1. Cannonball
2. Gotta Have Her
3. Get Funky

Race 4 BC Sprint
ML favorite Zensational vulnerable at a short price. Will play against with closers.

1. Gayego
2. Fatal Bullet
3. Capt. Candyman Can

Race 5 BC Juvenile
Have been aboard the Aikenite bandwagon since Saratoga and will stay on at the right price.

1. Aikenite (Best Bet)
2. Lookin’ at Lucky
3. Radiohead

Race 6 BC Mile
Another race where the Euros look tough. Goldikova is a great horse (won this last year) but post-position 11 will hinder.

1. Zacinto
2. Whatsthescript
3. Delegator
4. Goldikova

Race 7 BC Dirt Mile
Just cannot get past the overwhelming favorite in this one.

1. Mastercrafstman
2. Furthest Land
3. Midshipman

Race 8 BC Turf
Have a soft spot for the #3 Red Rocks after win here in 2006. Not sure he is good enough but will be playing if the price sticks near ML 20-1.

1. Conduit
2. Red Rocks
3. Dar Re Mi

Race 9 BC Classic
Absolute skullbuster. I could only find three horses to toss as throwouts. If I’m looking for a price, it would be hard to pass up 20-1 Twice Over. What to do with Zenyatta? Does Summer Bird run well on the Pro-Ride? I’ll take a stand against both in the vertical bets and hope to get here alive to 5 or 6 in here in Late Pick 3/4.

1. Twice Over
2. Einstein
3. Gio Ponti
4. Zenyatta

Talk to you today at 1PM - Dustin Pedroia joins us at 2:02PM.

http://twitter.com/MikeMutnansky

I post the above video to illustrate two points:

1. What happens when Rob tries to touch me during the show.

2. To show how jacked and pumped I am for Breeders’ Cup Weekend.

As a refresher we had a good day in this space in 2008 tabbing two “on-top” winners and a $75 horse Desert Code in the exotics - a six dollar bet that triggered an exacta of just under $800.

The Breeders’ Cup has expanded to two days. The action starts today at Santa Anita with six BC races and eight more on Saturday. And once again we are greeted by the synthetic Pro-Ride surface.

There is a great local angle today as Manchester, NH based Sovereign Stables is running two-year-old filly Negligee in the $2 million Juvenile Filly race (445 EST). Negligee has an ownership group that includes residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

What makes this weekend great for handicappers is the depth of the fields and the huge prices available. It’s two days of handicapping unseen the rest of the year in American racing.

My approach on days like this is to play multi-race wagers (Pick 3s and Pick 4s) more than I usually do. Because of the added “event” money being put into the pools by people who only play the races once or twice a year, overlays in these bets can mean big, big payouts. That means if I like a short-priced favorite, staying away from the race individually but playing it in the horizontal bets. And playing those favorites and spreading with longer-priced horses that could hit the board and trigger boffo payouts.

I’ll also personally be treading lightly today and saving a bulk of my action for tomorrow’s eight races.

Below are my selections for each race Friday. The top selection will be my “pick” to win the race. The slots under it will be value plays and horses to use with a horse that you like in exactas, tris, etc. They will also include favorites I’m playing against who could hit the board.

As always - bet with your head, not over it. We’ll post Saturday picks late Friday or early Saturday. And Mut and Bradford will actually air during a bulk of the races tomorrow (1-5PM TSSaturday).

EDITS: Bolded and marked up to reflect results.

Breeders’ Cup Marathon
Didn’t like the race last year. Like it less in 2009

1. Man of Iron (14.80)
2. Father Time
3. Mastery

Juvenile Filly Turf
Wide open event where prices abound.

1. Rose Catherine (2nd)
2. House of Grace (3rd)
3. Tapitsfly (21.60)

$1 exacta $76.20
$1 trifecta $479.40

Juvenile Filly
Taking a stand against the CA horses here.

1. Negligee
2. Beautician (2nd)
3. She Be Wild (16.80)

$1 exacta $72.20

Filly & Mare Turf
Lack of speed here really confounds things. Tricky race where I think any of five could win.

1. Magical Fantasy
2. Rutherienne
3. Forever Together

Filly & Mare Sprint
Features the most likely winner on the card, Ventura. I’ll play against but will not be treading lightly in this one.

1. Informed Decision ($8.80)
2. Ventura (2nd)
3. Free Flying Soul (3rd)

$1 exacta $7.70
$1 tri (ice cold) $120.60

The Distaff (I refuse to call it the Ladies Classic)
Truth be told…I found this one to be a skull-buster and ended up with the ML fave.

1. Music Note
2. Cocoa Beach
3. Rainbow View

Follow Mut on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeMutnansky or email him at mutt@weei.com.

Hopefully I can find the old, by now likely too small “Martinez” Sox tee out of the garage.

Just like Pedro, I’ll have a couple of Aleve or Advil, a cup of coffee and a little mango and an egg — and lets go!

Should be fun tonight in the Bronx. Go Pedro and go Phils.

-Mut

Since my World Series pick went 0-6 and out I’m jumping on the Phillies Bandwagon for the next few weeks.

There are few athletes in my lifetime that have as many ‘where were you’ moments as Pedro:

• 17 strikeouts against the Yankees
• 1999 -All-Star Game
• Six no-hit innings out of the pen vs. the Indians 1999 ALDS
• Beat Clemens 1999 ALCS (I was there)
• Tossed Don Zimmer 2003

So yeah, I’m rooting for Pedro and the Phillies.

Mut and Bradford is set for noon on Saturday. We’ll autopsy the 2009 Sox season and look ahead to 2010.

Until then, I’m going to try and figure out the science behind this Rob Bradford headshot.

"I love Irving Oil...."

Look forward to talking with you then - Mut

Email Mike at Mutt@weei.com and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeMutnansky

Like every other homer, I’m picking the Red Sox to win the World Series. Over the St. Louis Cardinals and Raymond, NH native Chris Carpenter. In a much better World Series than 2004.

The Angels are going to run wild on the Sox when they get on base. But between Bradford and Dale and every other Sox fan beating me into submission with the breakdown of the Halos 15 stolen bases vs. the Sox this year and just how spread out they were, I’m finally buying what everyone is selling. But it’s going to be a long, five-game series that is decided by a much better Red Sox bullpen beating a very aggressive Angels team.

Get the Red Bulls and NoDoze ready because first pitch Thursday hits you right between the eyes at 9:37PM EST.

“Mut and Bradford” is scheduled around Game Three of the ALDS Sunday, either before or after the game depending on time. Check your local listings Saturday.

Some other leftovers:

…Here’s the video Rob referenced Saturday with Bobby Bowden. This is right after his team got beat by South
Florida - a team who just lost its best player to injury the prior week.

And we actually got calls (yes plural) defending Bowden Saturday afternoon. Bowden is a college football legend, but like an old pair of sneakers, it’s time to hang em’ up.

…Mark down Week 5 of the 2009 NFL season as the worst week, game by game, in he last decade of NFL games. There are three I would pay to see (Pats/Broncos, Bengals/Ravens, Dolphins/Jets) and another in 49ers/Falcons I’d go if offered free tickets. That’s it. The rest of the lot stink to high heaven. Noon Sunday would be a great spot for a Sox-Angels game three.

…How about UConn alum Darius Butler making plays in Pats secondary? He’s doing the fans at Huskies’ proud.

…Make sure you check out Joey Zarbano’s NFL Power Rankings each week here on WEEI.com each week. The comments alone are worth the click.

…And make sure you follow Rob and Alex as the Sox/Angels begin their ALDS. Great coverage, around the clock.

Look forward to previewing or reviewing ALDS Game 3 Sunday. Talk to you then - Mut

You can email Mike at mutt@weei.com. And follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeMutnansky

Mut and Bradford’s Tony Phillips-like, WEEI utility continues Saturday as we’ll join you after BC Football and lead into Red Sox and Orioles from Camden Yards.

Plenty of Pats and Sox to keep us busy.

Talk to you then,
Mut

Quick progamming note, “Mut and Bradford” will air between the double-header Sunday on WEEI. We’ll join you live from Fenway Park just after game one.

AFC Playoff Teams

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. New England Patriots
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Tennessee Titans
6. Baltimore Ravens

AFC Title Game: Steelers-Patriots

NFC Playoffs:

1. New York Giants
2. Green Bay Packers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Minnesota Vikings

NFC Title Game: Giants-Saints

Super Bowl 44: Giants over Steelers

MVP: Adrian Peterson, Vikings

Offensive Player of the Year: Tom Brady, Pats

Defensive Player of the Year: Osi Umenyiora, Giants

O-Rookie: Mark Sanchez, Jets

D-Rookie: B.J. Raji, Packers

Coach: Mike McCarthy, Packers

Life is good.

As a programming note this Sunday is also the launch of a revamped NFL Sunday here on WEEI.

Being the versatile, utilityman-like show that we are -think my main man Tony Phillips in the early 90s, the guy to your left - “Mut and Bradford” will be moving around a bit in the next coming weeks. This week we’ll join you after the Sox-Rays on Sunday to recap that one, the early 1PM NFL games and get you set for Packers-Bears on Sunday night football.

And Saturday I’ll play the role of pre and post game host for BC Football - talking after the Baseball Show until the game and then after BC-Kent State until Sox baseball.

Interested to your “Patriots Predictions” on the upcoming season Saturday and Sunday. In doing my own NFL Predictions for the blog and the show as well.  (which I will post in full here Saturday morning)I’m not sure I’ll have the Patriots representing the AFC in Super Bowl 44.

Maybe I can even get Rob to post some predictions… if he’s done telling his Jonathan Papelbon Fantasy Football story.

As for tonight, I’m not getting financially involved. But it’s tough to bet against the home team on opening night. Even  if they are Curt Schilling’s Steelers.

Great calls and reaction to the Seymour trade this past Sunday. Look forward to talking to you this weekend,

Mut

You can email Mike at mutt@weei.com and follow him on Twitter at MikeMutnansky