With the horse racing season in somewhat of a down time, I figured it would be an excellent time to break down the past performance page for beginner handicappers.

Today, I will focus on one horses PP page, and next week, I will break down that horse compared to the other horses in a race to try and come up with a winner. As I mentioned last week, Pyro was a wonderful two-year-old that I began following last winter, so I figured I would start with his past performances. The race he was entered into for this past performance was the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita last October.

A past performance chart is exactly that -- a chart that breaks down Pyro’s last few races. Some charts such as the Daily Racing Form will break down all of Pyro’s races, while charts that you might buy at the track will only break down his last few. This particular chart breaks down Pyro’s last six races. The chart also gives random information such as who the jockey will be, who the owners are, and how the horse has raced on particular surfaces.

I will begin on the top left of a past performance page, which is fairly self-explanatory. The number "6" is which post position Pyro will be breaking from. It is the number that is used for all betting purposes. If Pyro was a horse you would like to bet on, you would refer to his No. 6, rather than by his name. Sometimes, an owner or trainer will enter two horses in the same race, and if this happens, it is considered a coupled entry. The two horses will be numbered 1 and 1A. If you bet on the 1, you will also get the 1A.

Beneath the 6, a color is written to display which color the horses’ saddlecloth will be. The 20-1 is the morning line that has been set on this horse. It is used as a guideline and does not mean that if you bet Pyro, you will get 20-1 odds. As people bet on Pyro, the odds will increase or decrease. Whatever the odds are when the race goes off are the odds you will get. The Owner, Silks and Trainer are displayed next.

The Silks refer to the uniform the jockey will be wearing. It is meant to make it easier to follow the jockey through the race. Next to the trainer is his statistics at this meet (0-0-0-0) 0 %. That means that today’s races at Santa Anita will be Steven Asmussen’s first races of the year at Santa Anita. Next to Pyro’s name is (L). This means that Pyro is using a medication called Lasix.

If there is a little 1 next to the L, it means that he is using the medication for the first time, and is an angle I take into consideration. If a horse has been racing without Lasix and then adds Lasix, I expect that horse to run a little better than he did without Lasix. The 122 is the weight that Pyro will be carrying on his back.

Beneath Pyros' name is the color of the horse, the age and sex of the horse, the father and the mother of the horse, and where and when the horse was born.

The top right of the past performance gives a quick overview of how Pyro has fared in his career at different surfaces. Shaun Bridgmohan is the jockey that will be riding Pyro on this day. Beneath his name is how he has fared at this meet. He has not raced at Santa Anita, either. The 97 is the estimate for what Equibase Speed Figure the horse will get in the race. I will get into speed figures more in-depth next week.

On the top right is how Pyro has raced in his career, and it is broken down by year, surface type and distance. For example, in 2008, Pyro started in eight races. He finished in first place in three races, finished in second place in two races, and finished in third place in one race. He has earned a total of $953,165 in 2008, and his best speed figure in those races was 105.

This particular race was on the dirt, so it is good to see that Pyro has raced on the dirt quite a bit (12 races) and has done pretty well (first, second, or third in 10 of the races). The OSA (which stands for Oak Tree at Santa Anita) is how Pyro has raced at this track in his career, and this is in fact his first race at Santa Anita (which was immediately a huge warning sign).

AllWeather is how Pyro has raced when the weather has not been good. Some horses are very good when the track is sloppy or it is raining, so if you are at the track on a messy day, this is important to consider. On this particular day, the weather would not have an impact.

The next part of the PP page is how the horse has raced in his previous starts. I will go left to right. On the far left is the date of the race and what track the race was at, including what race number. That is followed by the track condition (in the last race, the track was fast), the race distance (1 1/16), and how many days off the horse had going into that race (Pyro had 42 days off going into his last race). The times given are the times of the winning horse.

Next you have the type of race. Any race with a G is considered a Graded Stakes race (considered the best type of race), and followed by the amount of the purse money. I could go on for pages on all the different types of races, but the three main types of races to recognize are Stakes races, Maiden races and Claiming races. Maiden races are for horses that have never won before, and Claiming races are races in which horses can be purchased for a specific price.

When looking at this section, I generally look to see if a horse is taking a major drop in class. Let's say a horse has competed in three stakes but has not finished better than fourth place and is now racing in a Claiming race. His competition, on the other hand, may have a few wins, but they are all at Maiden and Claiming levels. The horse that has not finished better than fourth may still be the best pick because his competition has been much harder.

The next section is the part of the racing form I personally pay the most attention to. To beginners, it looks like a bunch of random numbers, but this is where you can really pick your winners. We will look at Pyros' last race to explain what each number means.

The 65 and 103 are the speed figures for this race. The Official Equibase® Speed Figure tells you how fast a horse has been running in his recent races with a single number. In this race, Pyro finished with a 103. The 65 refers to the pace of the race. The next number (12 in this case) refers to the post position which Pyro broke from in his last race. In this race, we already mentioned that Pyro will be breaking from the 6 post position, while in the last race he was outside at the 12 position.

The next three numbers refer to what position Pyro was in during different points of the race. This is how I tell a horse’s running style. In this race, Pyro was hanging out in the back prior to charging late. He went from seventh place early in the race, began to make a move to third and ultimately finished in second place. The little number represents how many lengths back he was of the next horse.

In this race, Pyro finished in second place, one length behind the winner. For speed horses that like to set the pace, you will usually see all oness in this section as they like to try and get out to the front. In next week’s edition, I will explain how I compare different horses' running style to come up with a prediction of how the race will turn out and ultimately how to pick a winner.

Next, you see who the jockey was for this race, how much weight Pyro was carrying in that race, and that he was on Lasix for that race as well.

The *1.20 refers to the odds that Pyro went off at in that race. The * denotes that he was the favorite on that day. Next is the order of the top three horses in that race, followed by the weight they were carrying and how much they were in front of the next horse. On the far right of each race, there is usually a little note on how the horse ran. In this race, Pyro was five wide (from the inside), and drifted in the stretch (which may have cost him the come-from- behind win). The 12 refers to how many horses were in that race.

The final section on the PP form is the recent workouts that the horse has run. It gives the date, the track, the length of the workout, the time of the workout, the workout type and the rank of that day. The types of workout are Breezing and Handily. Breezing means that the horse worked at a moderate speed, which is less effort than Handily. Handily usually means the horse ran with little push from the jockey or ran at maximum effort. The rank is how the horse ranked against other horses working out at that facility, at the same distance on that day on the same surface.

It’s a lot to take in, but if you break it down section by section, it becomes easier to understand. This is a good building block to build from, and next week, I will continue to give some insight as to what it all means and eventually offer some strategies to help you pick some long-shot winners. To be continued …

Word of the week
Handicapping: This is the study of factors in the past performances which determine the relative qualities and abilities of horses in a race.

Fun fact of the week: The first major thoroughbred racing track in the United States was at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1863.  Known as the “Spa,” the six-week meet in upstate New York is considered one of the best and most competitive meets in the racing year.

On the second day, the Europeans won five of the nine Breeders' Cup races, including the Turf, the Mile Turf, and the Juvenile Turf. Switching from turf to polytrack was an easier transition than switching to traditional dirt, and that is why so many horses were brought in from Europe to compete.

The major upset came in the Classic, where the race was being referred to as “Curlin versus the world.” Curlin took the lead around the final turn but could not hang on and finished a disappointing fourth. Curlin runs best on the dirt, and I think he lacked that closing kick on the polytrack. Had this race been on the dirt, the results would have certainly been better.

Although Curlin disappointed his fans, another fan favorite took care of her business the day before. Zenyatta was the main attraction on Day 1 as she remained unbeaten in her career by taking the Ladies' Classic in impressive fashion. She was content to fall behind to start the race, only to circle six wide coming into the stretch and then surge for home.

Curlin's loss and Zenyatta’s win set up a very intriguing debate about who should get the Horse of the Year award in January. On Sept. 25, I wrote right here on Across the Board, “With a little luck, it’s possible that she [Zenyatta], could be horse of the year. Of course, she would need both Big Brown and Curlin to stumble a bit.”

Big Brown retired prior to the Classic, and Curlin did stumble a bit with his loss. Even with the loss, though, Curlin faced the much tougher competition on the whole for the year, including a win in Dubai. Zenyatta only faced fillies this year, and lacking a race against the males may be the reason her name is not pulled for the Eclipse award. Although, according to NTRA.com, the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll has Zenyatta ahead of Curlin with 11 first-place votes compared to Curlin’s seven first-place votes.

This reminds me of the argument you hear every year in college football when there is an undefeated team with a weaker schedule compated to a team with one loss that plays a tougher schedule. Curlin does have to be given credit for racing in the Classic on a surface that was not his favorite, and his connections have to be given credit for bringing Curlin back as a 4-year-old. They could have made a lot of money by retiring Curlin to stud, but instead decided to bring him back to race against the best (unlike Big Brown's connections who planned on retiring him a while ago).

I can go either way with this argument, and I am torn on who the award should go to. It's hard to look past a perfect record, and I am leaning toward giving the prestigious award to Zenyatta.

While I didn’t have too much luck with my trifectas last week, I did mention a few horses that came through for me, and a few of them even paid some nice prices. While watching the first few races Day 1, I made note that early speed was not holding up, most winners were coming late to win and this would be a major factor for the rest of the weekend.

Stardom Bound did go off as the favorite in the Juvenile Fillies and made a huge move on the outside with a strong finish for the win.

Prior to race six on Day 1, it was noted that Forever Together has a pint of Guiness every morning, and sure enough, she went out and came late for the win, paying a nice $11.80. Maybe the pint of Guiness will become a trainer's trend.

The first race on Day 2, I mentioned Muhannak as a serious contender, and she went off at 12 to 1. She ran a nice race and came off the pace to win, paying $26.80.

Desert Code came late to win at the wire in the second race and paid $75.00, which was the second-biggest payout in the Breeders' Cup history.

The only other race I was right on was the Juvenile where I loved Midshipman. I was hoping to get better odds on him, but unfortunately, he went off at 3 to 1, and ended up paying $9.20. This is a horse that I will certainly be keeping my eye on for the first week in May of next year (Kentucky Derby).

Donativum is another two-year-old who won on Day 2, and we will have to keep an eye on him as well. You never know where the next Triple Crown winner will arise from, but victories in the Breeders' Cup could be a great place to start.

With the Breeders' Cup in the rearview mirror, it is time to begin looking at the 2-year-olds to see who will be contenders for next year's Triple Crown challenge.

This weekend, Churchill Downs features two Grade 3 races for Juveniles, the Iroquois Stakes and the Pocahontas Stakes. Court Vision won last year's Iroquois and went on to compete in the Derby. Competitors for the Iroquois include undefeated Casey’s On Call, Nick Zito-trained Brave Vicory, and stakes winner Abbott Hall. This race will be a start for looking at next year's serious contenders.

Words of the week:
Apprentice: A jockey who has ridden for less than a year and who receives weight allowances.
Juvenile: A 2-year-old horse

Well, it’s been a tough week. The Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs, and the Bruins lost two games in shootouts. But there is no better cure than the unbelievable races taking place this weekend.

It is the Super Bowl of horse racing, and that is the Breeders' Cup. Although there is no Big Brown-Curlin showdown, there are fourteen Breeders' Cup races taking place at Santa Anita, with the best in the country battling for a spot in the winner circle.

For horse racing fans, it's the most exciting two days of the entire year. (Yes, even more exciting than Derby day). Without further adieu, let’s look at Friday’s races. Friday features the fillies and mares, and includes the Ladies' Classic. I began to touch on the Filly and Mares Sprint last week, but with the entries and post positions out now, I’ll start there.

Race 3: Filly and Mare Sprint
This race was full of early speed until an untimely temperature all but cancelled Indyanne from running in the race. The fever was reported on Wednesday, and although there is a slight chance she may still run, it is very doubtful. Indian Blessing is a very strong horse who figures to be going at it early with Indyanne. With her out, Indian Blessing should have an easier time getting to the front. She has the ability to go wire-to-wire for the victory. Another speedster to look for is the 9 horse, Dearest Trickski. She is three for four this year, and her one loss was after a four-month layoff. Morning line has her at 15-1.

With all the early speed, I like to look for a closer who will take advantage of them tiring each other out. Intangaroo has the ability to come late and has finished in the money in all five starts at Oak Tree. She’s hard to throw out of your exotics. The 6, Zaftig, is a horse that has actually beaten Indian Blessing, but I don’t like that she hasn’t raced since June. The last time she took more than a month off, she came back to finish fourth.

I’m going with a 3, 5, 9 trifecta box, and a 5/3, 4, 9 trifecta key. These are based on the fact that there is no Indyanne.

Race 4: Juvenile Fillies Turf
The added distance may be a question for a few in this race, especially since they are 2-year-olds. The 2 horse, Laragh, is the early speed in the race and can go wire-to-wire. I like the 8, Sugar Mom and the 11, Saucey Evening, coming late. This is a wide-open race, but these are the three horses I have circled.

Race 5: Juvenile Fillies
The 10, Stardom Bound, has been installed as the morning line favorite at 2-1 coming off two Grade 1 victories. In both of those races, she came late, and in her last, she won at a mile and a sixteenth at Santa Anita.

As always, I’m looking to beat the favorite, though, and in this race, C.S. Silk and Dream Emperor are intriguing horses. C.S. Silk went wire-to-wire her last time out in what was her best race yet, and if she can repeat that performance, she will be in the money. It’s important to note that Robby Albarado will be riding her over Dream Empress.

Dream Empress is coming off a Grade 1 victory at the same distance. He will be coming off the pace. Be Smart ran well in that race with Dream Empress and will be going at it early.

I’m going with a trifecta key 12 / 5, 8, 10.

Race 6: Filly and Mare Turf
The sixth race on Friday is a mile and a quarter on the turf and features two of my favorite horses, Dynaforce and Mauralakana.

Dynaforce is coming off a win in the Flower Bowl Invitational in which she went wire-to-wire. She is sired by Dynaformer, who is excellent with horses on the turf.

Mauralakana finished second in that race but was no match for Dynaforce. I had a good feeling about Dynaforce in that race when I wrote about it a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I don’t have that same feeling for this race. I don’t think she is going to be able to hold off the field down the stretch.

Wait a While is three for four at this distance and is three for three at Santa Anita, and I can see her being strong enough to take this race.

I always give consideration to Godolphin Racing Stables, and they have Folk Opera entered in this race coming off a Grade 1 victory. She will be looking to go wire-to-wire.

I am going with a trifecta key, 5 / 6, 7, 9 and a trifecta box 5, 7, 9.

Race 7: Ladies' Classic
The seventh race on Friday is the Ladies' Classic, and it features Zenyatta, the filly who is eight for eight in her career. I have written a lot about Zenyatta over the past few weeks, including the possibility of her winning Horse of the Year if she wins this race.

She has been listed as the 3-5 favorite and, in fact, is the biggest morning-line favorite of all the races. I am rooting for Zenyatta to take it home, and I think she will. Hopefully, being the in No. 1 post position is not an issue.

Zenyatta will be looking to take down the defending champion, Ginger Punch. She will be stalking the lead and coming on late.

Cocoa Beach has worked out very well this week and will be looking for the upset. It should be one of the best races this weekend.

I’ve known for over a month that there was a possibility of witnessing history in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last Saturday, but the excitement didn’t set in until the field turned for home. It was at that point that I found myself screaming at the TV, urging on Curlin. It was on that final turn in which Curlin began to make his move into the history books. He overtook Wanderin Boy and Merchant Marine at the top of the stretch, and while Wanderin Boy didn’t quit, Curlin did what he needed to do to win his second consecutive Jockey Club Gold Cup and pass Cigar to become the all-time leading money earner in North America.

It also sets up what could be one of the most exciting races in a long time -- the possible duel between Big Brown and Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Curlin took his first trip over the Poly track this week, and the only question remaining was how he would react to it.

It’s a story to follow over the next few weeks to get a better idea if Curlin will in fact be entered. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it will be a great race for the sport, and I am really hoping that it happens. I’m taking Curlin all the way if it does.

In the Jockey Club Gold Cup, I had a dollar on the trifecta which returned $24.60, covering the other bets I made and adding 60 cents to the pot. Oh well, Curlin wasn’t going to get beat. Aside from Curlin winning, there were 22 other major stakes races, and overall, the favorites did not disappoint. In fact, Black Seventeen, who went off at 23-1, was the only long shot to win. 

It was a good meter on how competitive this year’s Breeders Cup may be. Zenyatta, whom I mentioned last week, came on strong in the final furlong to win the Lady’s Secret. She has now won eight consecutive races, and if Big Brown or Curlin stumble in the Classic, she will be horse of the year.

Dynaforce beat out Mauralakana and Communique on the turf in the Flower Bowl Invitational, further proving what I wrote last week that any horse by Dynaformer is a good horse on the turf. He returned a nice $8.60 for a $2 bet. The $2 trifecta paid $32.80.

Mani Bhavan, Pyro, Shakis, War Monger and Doctor Dino are the headliners in action this weekend, as the meet at Keeneland opens on Friday. Being from Boston, I will admit I placed Mani Bhavan on my watch list solely because of his name which is similar to our old friend “Manny being Manny,” but he was actually very impressive up at Saratoga with two wins including one in the Grade 1 Spinaway. Alan Garcia, arguably the hottest jockey in the country will be aboard him again. Be sure to give him some consideration in the ninth race in the Alcibiades Stakes on Friday.

Pyro will be racing Saturday in the Indiana Derby. He looked good closing in the Travers and will be in the money in this race.

One of my personal favorites, Shakis, will be racing on Saturday in the Shadwell Turf Mile, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Other contenders include War Monger, Rahy’s Attorney and Lord Admiral. I will have more on this race coming soon.

Doctor Dino (FR) is the 2-1 favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine. The winner of this race earns a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. He has three Grade 1 victories already.

The Shadwell Turf Mile is one of five Grade 1 stakes races at Keeneland on Saturday and should be a great race. I don’t see there being a huge fight for the early lead and I see Thorn Song having an easy time grabbing that lead. He has been in the money in all five races at a mile, and had the lead against Shakis and War Monger in the Grade 2 Baruch before yielding. That race was a mile and 1/8 though and maybe the shorter distance suits him better. The 5, 9, 11, and 12 shouldn’t be far behind Thorn Song. It appears that there will be quite a few horses running late, which might set up nice for Thorn Song.

I am a big fan of Shakis, but he is the morning line favorite and I think he can defiantly be beat, which might set up nice for a good pay day. With that being said, the 11 horse, Karelian, is a very interesting choice that may get some very nice odds. He is six for six in the money at a mile, is two for four in the money at Keeneland, and he is coming off one of his best races back in July.

Also on the outside, the 12, Rahy’s Attorney is a very strong horse coming off a win in the Woodbine Mile. Lord Admiral, the 5, is coming from overseas, as is Lovelace, and both should be able to run an impressive race on the turf.

With Shakis going off as the favorite, I am going with Thorn Song to top my keys.

$2 Trifecta Key 3 / 5, 11, 12      = $12
$5 ACB 11                                = $15
$1 Tri Box   2,3,12                     = $6
$.10 Superfecta box 1,3,10,11   =$2.40

The race is wide open and you can make an argument for many different scenarios. Best of luck to all.

Racing term of the week
Mare: A female horse, 5 years or older.

Fun fact of the week
Suffolk Downs in East Boston opened its doors on July 10, 1935, and hosted over 35,000 fans on that day. In that same year, Top Row won the first-ever Massachusetts Handicap. The third running of the Mass Cap in 1937 was won by the legendary Seabiscuit.

Welcome to the all-new "Across the Board" blog, your source for local and national thoroughbred news and the one place to follow all the big names in horse racing. Look for tips on how to read past performance charts, how to enjoy a day at the races and insight to upcoming big races. Today’s issue focuses on the upcoming Massachusetts Handicap being run at Suffolk Downs this Saturday.

While Northeasterners dread the coming of Labor Day because it marks the unofficial end of summer, racing fans dread the holiday because it marks the end of the meet at Saratoga. It marks the end of one of the most competitive meets in the entire sport, and this year was no different.

The weather dampened the spirits of many beachgoers in the Northeast through July and the beginning of August, and it also affected the meet at the Spa. Attendance was down 18.9 percent through the first three weeks, but made a significant rebound once the sun began shining.

Even though the weather was bad, the excitement was not. From Nick Zito’s 7-year-old Commentator going wire to wire to capture his second Whitney, to the battle at the wire between Colonial John and Mambo in Seattle in the Travers, to everything in between (including a $2 Trifecta that paid over $106,000), the racing was once again very competitive.

After the calendar turns to September, horse racing fans and Red Sox fans turn their attention toward October and championships. The Red Sox battle for their second straight championship, and thoroughbred fans get ready for the 25th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which runs at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 24 and 25.

Here in Boston, though, we anxiously await Sept. 20 for the 66th Massachusetts Handicap, which does actually have an impact on the Breeders’ Cup. For one day a year, racing fans turn their attention to East Boston. The racing may not match the 36-day meet in upper New York, but considering there wasn’t a MassCap in 2005 and 2006, I’ll take it.

The nine-furlong race joins four prestigious Grade 1 races as a qualifying race for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Breeders’ Cup Challenge features a “Win and You’re In” format, so the winner of the MassCap will automatically qualify for entry in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The other four races include the Whitney Handicap (won by Commentator), the Pacific Classic (won by Go Between), the Jockey Gold Cup and the Goodwood Stakes (both to be raced on Sept. 27).

If you haven’t been to the track before, this Saturday is the day I highly suggest you attend. It is very exciting when the horses are coming down the stretch, thundering toward the wire. You can bet as little as $2 on a race and still have just as much fun. Over the course of the day, that would only amount to $20. There’s no better feeling than cheering for your horse and having your pick come through first at the wire.

If you haven’t been to the races before, here are a few hints to help make your day more enjoyable – and hopefully more profitable:

1. Show up early on Mass Cap day since the crowd continues to grow as the day goes on. The first race will go off around 12:45 p.m.

2. Bring a pen for keeping notes in your program. (They sell them at the track for 25 cents if you forget one). The program costs $2.

3. If you plan on betting, don’t bring more money than you plan on losing. Beer and food is rather reasonable ($4.75 for a beer, $5.25 for a mixed drink, between $2 and $4 for snacks, hot dogs, pizza, etc.). There is a parking lot that is free.

4. Try and get a spot where you can see the paddock (the area where horses are saddled and paraded before a race) and the track. But also be in position to get to a betting window fairly easy. Watch the horses in the post parade.

5. Pay attention to the first few races and what is happening. Are horses going wire-to-wire for the win, or are they coming from behind and catching the leader in the stretch? Are the favorites or long shots winning? Is there a particular jockey or trainer who is on a hot streak? Take these into consideration as the day goes on.

The entries for the MassCap were drawn Wednesday and are as follows:

Post -- Horse, Jockey, Morning Line, Trainer, Weight (pounds)

1 -- Beck and Call, Tammi Piermarini, 20-1, James Taglianetti, 110

2 -- Commentator, John Velazquez, 3-5, Nick Zito, 122

3 -- Won Awesome Dude, Casey Lambert, 8-1, Michael Mareina, 112

4 -- Cuba, Pedro Cotto Jr., 6-1, Bobby Dibona, 112

5 -- Volcanic Force, Clifford Dooley, 20-1, Osvaldo Rivera, 110

6 -- Dr. Pleasure, Cornelio Velasquez, 7-2, John Ward, Jr., 112

7 -- Riversrunrylee, Pedro Gonzalez, 15-1, Juan Camilo, 112

Commentator is the heavy morning-line favorite at 3-5, and rightfully so. He is a Nick Zito-trained horse and won the Whitney Handicap for the second time of his career in July at Saratoga. He went wire-to-wire with the lead in that race, and a repeat of that performance should be enough to take home this race. He has three wins in four starts this year, and his lowest Beyer Speed Figureof those those races was a 108. Hall of Fame trainer Zito has been eyeing the MassCap for Commentator since the end of July, so Commentator will be ready for sure.

Five-year-old Dr. Pleasure ran in last year’s MassCap and finished in third place behind Brass Hat. He has had some solid races since then, including a win his last time out at Saratoga.

Cuba has won five of his last seven races and has won racing different styles. He has won going out to the lead also has won coming off the pace.

Won Awesome Dude is another horse having a very good year. He has finished in the money in six of seven races, including three wins. His Beyer Speed Figures in his last four races have all been over 100.

Race Breakdown
By no means am I a professional handicapper, but here’s how I see the race shaping up …

Commentator is the best horse in the race and will be tough to beat. He will most likely go to the front and try to go wire-to-wire. The other early speed horses in the race will be Riversrunrylee and probably Volcanic Force. I can see Beck and Call and Won Awesome Dude trying to run down Commentator late. If anyone can beat Commentator, I think it will be Won Awesome Dude. His last four races were the best of his career, and since his last race, he has had three strong workouts. He should be making his move toward the end of the race, and if the front-runners can wear down Commentator, it will set up nice for the No. 3 horse.

Out of the three long shots (Nos. 1, 5 and 7), I think the No. 7 horse, Riversrunrylee, has the best chance of placing in the money. He has the most experience on the Suffolk track, and his best races have come more recently. It will take his best effort.

So, while I think Commentator will take the race, I am going to box him in hopes to get a nice price with Won Awesome Dude.

$2 Trifecta Box 2, 3, 4 = $12 bet

$5 Win, Place on 3 = $10 bet

$1 Trifecta Key 2/ 3, 4, 7 = $6 bet

Total bets = $28

A few other notes on the races besides the MassCap:

Anthony W. Dutrow has some competitive horses running, including an impressive horse Cavallo Pazzo in the ninth race.

In the seventh race, Trainer Donald Kielty is running Hold On Smokey. He is 14-for-18 in the money which is a 78 percent clip. Not too bad.

News and notes
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown ran a very impressive race on the turf in the Monmouth Stakes on Sept. 13. It was the return to turf for Big Brown, whose first win came at Saratoga on the turf when he won by 11 lengths. Big Brown went to the front early and pressed the pace. Coming around the final turn, it looked as though the field was going to catch him, but he showed great determination, dug in and hit the wire first. Proudinsky was closing on him down the stretch but Big Brown was very impressive in fending him off. 

The race on the turf was a prep race for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The question is, will it be against Curlin? While all race fans want to see the two match up against each other, Curlin fans are hesitant as the surface at Santa Anita favors Big Brown, especially after watching him in the Monmouth Stakes.

Curlin is slated to run next in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 27. If he wins that race, he will pass Cigar as the all-time leading money earner in North America with over $10 million.

Jim Dandy winner Macho Again will race Saturday in the $500,000 Grade 2 Super Derby. You may remember Macho Again from the Preakness when he finished second behind Big Brown. He is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 10-horse field.

Racetrack terminology
Front-runner: A horse who usually leads (or attempts to lead) the race for as far as he can.

Fun fact
Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes in 1973 by 31 lengths in 2:24.