[chris longshot]

last night it was really cold and the track was like sawdust, winners were coming from 6,7,8 at first call(first quarter mile), speed had no shot, I figured it would be the same way tonight but its about 15 degrees warmer there its definately affected the track, speed is king tonight, mark patterson been eluding to it all night, so it throws my picks out of whack, though I dont think I would have done well tonight anyway.

Mountaineer is generally a speed favoring track, usually winners are speed horses and horses who are on the pace(1,2 lengths off leader). Closers are usually not good bets at Mountaineer, deep closers do even worse. However, if there is no speed bias there is usually a wide bias, these are horses that come wide in the stretch with little early speed, usually from outside posts like 7,8,9,10 but are not deep, deep closers. They roll like they are on a conveyour belt on the outside while the speeds wilt, Lastly, there is sometimes a speed bias tied with an inside post bias, literally, posts 1-5, regardless of odds will come in some nights, its so bad you will see 1-2-3 come in almost every race not in that exact order but you get the point. That what makes Mountaineer one of the most difficult tracks: you have to be a good handicapper plus you have to assess the bias on a nightly basis I goofed tonight with that and I am paying the price.

Look at the last race my longshot Regal Indu ran 3rd at 25-1, I had the winner the 2 horse but not the one for 2nd at 45-1, trifecta paid 547.00 I hate when that happens especially when its another longshot that beats me.