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Golden State Racing

The Golden State Racing meet at Pleasanton was originally scheduled to end Sunday, but a Saturday rainout paved the way for a nine-race Wednesday makeup program. I have picks for five of these races to help you take advantage of some of the mandatory payout pools.

Best bet: Tura Lura, race 5

Best value bet: Horse Doctor, race 2

Race 2

No. 1 Horse Doctor (5-1) shook off a July layoff to nearly rally for the score at 16-1 here last month. He should get plenty of pace to chase in this one. No. 8 Wound Up (5-2, morning-line favorite) is the most dangerous of the speed types in this one as he was a runaway winner two-back and almost held on to beat tougher last time out. No. 9 Irrefutable (8-1) figures to make an impact on the class drop and could get the run of the race stalking from this outside post.

How I’d bet it, based on a $100 budget: $3 exacta box 1/8/9

Race 5

No. 1 Mineral Rights (5-2, morning-line favorite) profiles as the controlling speed and outfinished major danger No. 5 Your Royal Flyness (3-1) when they met on Nov. 23. Your Royal Flyness typically starts slow but finishes fast, so look for her late. No. 8 Union Harbor (4-1) makes sense underneath on the turnback in distance.

How I’d bet it: $15 exacta 1/5, $5 exacta 1/8

Race 6

No. 5 Tura Lura (7-5, morning-line favorite) didn’t have the best of beginnings when finishing behind no. 7 Hollywood Mistress (6-1) on Nov. 1 but was able to reverse the result in a big way after making the lead on Nov. 23. She’s clearly fastest on paper when at her best. Hollywood Mistress has been in the money in five straight starts. No. 2 Remember Sue (5-1) has been in sharp form at the meet (2: 1-1-0) but heads up the class ladder today.

How I’d bet it: $15 exacta 5/7, $5 exacta 5/2

Race 7

No. 1 Big Bet (3-1) gets the slightest nod over No. 9 Maximum Capacity (5-2, morning-line favorite) in what looks like a two-horse race on paper. He ran away with a maiden race here two-back before being out-gamed in a race similar to this one. Trainer O.J. Jauregui is firing at 30% at the meet, and jockey Assael Espinoza has won with three of the last five Jauregui charges he’s ridden. Maximum Capacity steps up in class a bit after beating N2L claimers but his early speed will put him in the hunt. No. 5 Elegant Boy (20-1) could pick up the pieces late.

How I’d bet it: $10 exacta box 1/9

Race 9

No. 5 Brother o’ Brien (3-1, morning-line favorite) might be on a five-race winning streak were it not for a pair of rivals in Rich Gold and Sea Dog, who ran 1-2 ahead of him a staggering three straight times between August and November. He’s mostly been racing at higher levels than this and gets effective class relief today. No. 1 Wine and Whisky (8-1) looks like the value of the race as he was a strong 3: 2-1-0 at the $3,200 to $4,000 levels prior to biting off way more than he could chew vs. $16,000 runners. The claiming price is slashed in half today. No. 7 Supermazel (6-1) gets class relief as well and could be heard from late.

How I’d bet it: $12 exacta 5/1, $4 exacta 1/5, $4 win 1, $2 exacta 5/7

I also constructed a 20-cent Super High-5 ticket if you want to chase the mandatory payout pool: 5/1/2,3,7,9/2,3,7,9/2,3,7,9 = $12.80

Robert Criscola is a free-lance handicapper based in New York.