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  • Saturday, October 3, 2020

Las Vegas - Gonna throw a three team 10-point teaser at you, matching two college games with one NFL game. Start out down in Knoxville and bump the visiting Missouri Tigers up from +12.5 to +22.5 points against Tennessee. Slide over to Durham, grab Virginia Tech, and drop the Hokies down from -12 to -2 points over Duke. Then move to the big boys tomorrow, head to Washington, DC., and buy the Ravens down from -14 to -4 points against the Football Club.

Gonna get my horse on, and turn the floor, or dirt, over to my pony guy, Martin Calia, for a look at the 145th Preakness Stakes. Talk to us Marty:

If we learned anything in 2020, it's that everything has changed. It's the same for horse racing. You can throw out all the stats because they don't apply this year. Yes Bob Baffert is 5 for 5 after winning the Kentucky Derby but that was when the Derby was run in May. It's October and the Preakness is the final leg of the Triple Crown, not the second jewel. It's also 4 weeks since the Derby in September, not the traditional two weeks if it would have been run in May. It's also a different track, different distance and different horses. So who's the pick?

No doubt Authentic ran a great race in the Derby. He made the lead easily and sustained a two length lead around the track until Tiz the Law made up 3 1/2 lengths around the turn to pull even at the top of the stretch. At the same time, Mr. Big News was following, going around 6 horses to pull within one length of the top two. Both jockeys used their respective horses around the turn to catch up. As it turns out, it was a losing move none the less. The Churchill strip had played to speed both Friday and Saturday so there was no catching Authentic. But this is the Pimlico Race Course, and if Authentic doesn't get the lead, he won't win. As the 9/5 morning line favorite, I'm taking a stand against him. He very well could beat this field and I wouldn't be surprised, but think we are going to see the Authentic that was hanging on for dear life to win the Haskell at a mile and an eighth by a nose.

Usually very skeptical about betting a horse that was scratched from a race because of an injury. Talking about Art Collector who passed on the Derby because of a hoof problem. As it turns out, he only missed three days of training. He is working fantastic and if you look at Xpressbet workouts, his 5 furlong work is off the charts! I also feel he is just as fast as Authentic if not faster. He leaves from the #3 post with Excession and Mr. Big News inside him who aren't very fast out of the gate, so he should get good position. To his outside, the filly Swiss Skydiver and Thousand Words, should use their speed. Then you have Ny Traffic who sat second until the three quarter poll in the Derby from the #7 post, and Authentic in the #9 slot.

Art Collector could sit behind the speed or try to take this field gate to wire, but he is the pick to win the Preakness. The bet is a full Benjamin to win and place on number #3, Art Collector, and a $5 exacta wheel #3 with all. And if you like to play triples, try the #3 over the 2/4/5/8/9.

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