The horses are back at the border oval, and what better way to enjoy Fort Erie Race Track's opening day, May 28, than to try your hand at one of the two $10,000-guaranteed Pick 4 wagers.
The 127th racing season at Fort Erie gets underway with a first race post time of 4:30 p.m. and the two feature races, the annual Summer Solstice Cup and Sprint Into Summer Cup, are in the second Pick 4 sequence, which begins on Race 6 and has a 20-cent base bet.
As with the start of any race meeting, it’s always a good idea to note the trainers who have had previous success early in the season.
Trends
Four-time leading trainer Julie Mathes is loaded with runners on opening day with horses in all but one of the races. It makes sense to consider all of Mathes' horses, especially since many of them are racing fit. Mathes typically races throughout the winter at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia or Mahoning Valley in Ohio. Her main client is leading owner Bruno Schickedanz.
Other trainers who have a good track record winning races at the outset of the Fort Erie season include John Simms, Richard Davis, Joseph Humber, Kevin Buttigieg and Roy Agostino.
A new trainer to Fort Erie who has several entrants on opening day is Juan Silva who is coming in from Mountaineer. Silva has already won 26 races in North America this year.
Horses who have had a start or two (or more) in 2024 must always be considered strong contenders. Horses coming in from races at Tampa Bay Downs, in addition to Mountaineer and Mahoning, are particularly dangerous in the early dates of the Fort Erie meeting. Of course, Woodbine shippers also must be respected.
Short Distances - Track Surface
Most of the races in the first few weeks of the Fort Erie season are short dashes and not all horses entered in these races will be specialists at five furlongs. Some horses will simply be in these races as a springboard to a longer event. Indeed, the five-furlong distance is made for horses with quickness, so be sure to tab their record for the distance show in the track program or Daily Racing Form.
One thing to note about Fort Erie racetrack is that it gets more than its fair share of inclement weather during the spring and summer. The track can come up sloppy in an instant with a downpour and races could be taken off the grass. Be sure to check for late changes.
Race by Race - Opening Day's Late Pick 4 Wager
Race 6
The $30,000 Summer Solstice Cup is for maiden three-year-olds and upwards, fillies and mares at five furlongs with trainers who have stalls at Fort Erie.
The first horse to consider in the race is the beautifully-bred No. 2 AMONG THE ROSES. A daughter of world-class sire Curlin, this filly raced twice at the highest level last year at Woodbine and didn’t show much. The fact that her owners and breeders have brought her back this year suggests they believe she can get to the winner's circle, which would add to her value.
The two other contenders in the race are morning line favourite No. 1 AMI'S GIRL, who was second in her latest at Woodbine on the Tapeta surface when dropping to $15,000 claiming. Trainer Buttigieg is 8-for-28 this year in the U.S.
And No. 8 BELLASPINA is a lightly-raced seven-year-old maiden who may be worth a look simply because Woodbine's current leading rider, apprentice Sofia Vives, is slated to ride her.
Using: 1, 2, 8
Race 7
The $30,000 Sprint Into Summer Stakes is for maiden boys at five furlongs and there are a few horses to consider in this competitive dash.
No. 1 BUSTA GROOVE made a start at Woodbine in a maiden $10,000 claiming race and was battling on the lead to early stretch. That should set this Agostino-trained gelding up well for his return to a track he enjoys.
The Mathes barn sends out the class-dropping No. 2 SCREEN LEGEND, who raced four times at Woodbine last year. He returns to action as a gelding (two first-time geldings won at Woodbine on May 26).
First-time starter No. 3 FOLLOW ME HOME is interesting not only because he’s trained by Buttigieg, but he shows workouts at Mahoning Valley and then an above-average prep on May 20 at Fort Erie (48.40, third fastest of 28 who worked four furlongs that day). Follow Me Home's dam, GREATEST ESCAPE, was very quick and she won the first race of her career.
Lastly, the experienced No. 7 AUTUMN'S SO FLASHY is hard to leave out even though he has had 20 previous chances to win his maiden. He has run well at Woodbine and Fort Erie and will win one of these days.
Using: 1, 2, 3, 7
Race 8
This race is scheduled for five furlongs on turf but there’s plenty of rain in the forecast, so it could be moved to the main track.
This is a maiden claiming race and the most logical contender is No. 8 JIMMY IS A BREEZE, who, despite her 0-for-21 record, looks very ready to go based on her fast workout times and her good record at Fort Erie (on dirt). The five-furlong distance looks good for her as she drops to a new low-class level.
No. 3 HELECONIA raced once in 2023 and that was at Woodbine against much better competition.
No. 4 CHROME'S BIG BREAK is a Mountaineer invader who has been second in both starts.
Using: 3, 4, 8
Race 9
This is one of the most competitive races of opening day as Woodbine shipper No. 1 KID FORESTER tries a traditional dirt track for the first time.
No. 3 TRULY MISCHIEF comes in from Tampa Bay Downs where he won two of his last five races and No. 6 STRONG ENDING, a previous Horse of the Year at Fort Erie, often runs well when he’s back from a vacation for Davis.
Using: 1, 3, 6
Pick 4 wager (20 cents)
Race 6: 1, 2, 8
Race 7: 1, 2, 3, 7
Race 8: 3, 4, 8
Race 9: 1, 3, 6
Total: $21.60
Good luck with your bets at Fort Erie.
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