While I was settling in for the blizzard of 2015 in Chicago I decided to pass some time playing races 9 and 10 from Houston. The 8th was a 1 1/16 turf stake. I thought that #6 Wampas Kitty looked the best and boxed her with #1 Molly\'s Honour. There was a ton of $ bet on #5 I Am Jane Dough who figured to bounce and #9 Expect Royalty who figured to have a tough trip. The 5 ended up winning as a 2/1 chalk with the 1 running second. The 1 was rated extremely well and had no excuse IMHO and Wampas Kitty had a tough trip and was a DH third. I\'m asking for a critique in my handicapping on this race. I really thought I had a solid play and a growing theme for me lately has been getting beat by smart money. Did I miss something on the 5? It should also be noted that they changed tactics on the 5 and she came from well off of a 50 half which also puzzled me.
I would not have played Jane to bounce. At worst, I would have expected a pair-up. especially on the turf. From the trip notes, it seems Wampas and the 9 may have run better than Molly. Considering the weight,post, and odds on the #9, it was sharp to be wary.
Thanks for the feedback. I errored in not taking into consideration that turf horses are usually more consistent.