TwinSpires Promo Lets You Bet With Head & Heart

California Chrome will be both the sentimental and wagering favorites when he starts in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby (FREE Brisnet.com Ultimate PPs) on Saturday at Parx—his first start since snapping a six-race winning streak when fourth in the Belmont Stakes in his failed bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

A win would undoubtedly make California Chrome one of the top two choices in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 1 at Santa Anita Park and set up a likely showdown with undefeated champion Shared Belief.

The racing fan in me wants to see him win and for the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic to mean something again, but the racing bettor in me is dubious of his chances at 4-to-5 against in-form graded stakes contenders like the West Virginia Derby exacta of Tapiture and Candy Ride, the looking-to-rebound Bayern, and the up-and-coming Portonico, winner of the local prep for this following a third-place finish to eventual Travers Stakes winner V.E. Day in the Curlin Stakes.

The beauty of the TwinSpires.com Can’t Beat Chrome promotion is that you can have it both ways because we will refund your win bet (up to $25) if your selection finishes second to the three-time Grade 1 winner. So if your horse wins then you win, and if your horse finishes second to California Chrome then racing wins and you sort of tie, which is a net win. If neither your horse nor California Chrome wins then it’s boo hoos all around.

Dan Zucker of Predicteform.com said on the Brisnet.com podcast that he favors Tapiture. I prefer Bayern, but my concern there is he has the feel of an “all or nothing” horse. I.e., we either get the Haskell win or the Travers bust. That’s fine for a standard win bet, but if you’re looking to get cash back if the favorite beats you, then a California Chrome-Bayern exacta might not be the best bet.

All that said, as a TwinSpires.com employee, I’m not eligible for the win back, anyway, so I’ll stick with Bayern on top at better than 3-to-1.

Here are some useful links related to this weekend’s action in the Mid-Atlantic:

Parx handicapping reports ($)

Predicteform.com & Brisnet.com Parx Preview Podcast (free)

Daily Selections full-card analysis with best bets special for Parx & Charles Town ($)

John Pricci’s analysis of the all-stakes Pick 4 on Saturday at Parx ($)

Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances for the Pennsylvania Derby (free)

Brisnet.com Ultimate Past Performances for the Cotillion Stakes (free)

Predicteform.com Pennsylvania Derby Analysis (free)