We frequently enjoy referring to our place in the handicapping universe as being “The Home of the Runner-Up Finish.”
And so it was only moments ago at Hawthorne Race Course in Ciceney (or is it Stickero?), Ill.
It was the ninth race on your card, some crazy statebred-only affair at 6f for older-type horses.
The Boys in the Backroom were hot for 20-1 morning-line no-hoper #9 Last Wompus. Except that Last Wompus actually had plenty of hope inside the long homestretch — he truly was in front for much of it!
But then in the last wompus, Last Wompus got tagged on the wire by some fellow-outsider called River Bear. Hoo boy. Not again. How long, o Lord, how long?!
At any rate, the 33-1 winner the premature were already counting among the proceeds of a fantastic payoff, well, it evaporated in those cruel ending jumps. The 4-1 fair odds on Last Wompus would not be rewarded in the win pool. Curses!
The River Bear issue was third-choice on the V6 Betting Line, but without fair odds. What’s a value-type perfecta player to do?
Enter the zany world of the V6 LifeLiner Speed Column Analysis. When the ‘Boys are going over what kept them from collecting up top on a big-odds runner-up, they frequently notice the eventual winner having a solid rating in that all-important Speed column in the LifeLiner Analysis.
So it was here at Hawthorne, Race 9. River Bear was a co-top-choice on that measure. It would not have been too difficult to save in the perfecta with River Bear over top of the outstanding value selection Last Wompus.
To recap: River Bear was 8-1, joint-top on the LifeLiner Speed Column Analysis. Last Wompus was 33-1 and a screaming value win-bet based on the V6 Betting Line nod and fair odds of 4-1 there.
The eclectic but sensible mix-and-match exactor combo on these two returned a fantastical $458 (for $2).
And now you know. This may come in handy some day.
