Best Horse Racing Bets for Tuesday, December 28, 2021

I found some good end-of-the-year stakes races for my Tuesday picks—Mahoning Valley Race Course, Parx Racing, and Turf Paradise.

The morning-line and I agreed on more than the usual number of races, and while I didn’t find any sleepers for Tuesday, I did find a third-favored (at 5/1) horse in the Kris Kringle Stakes at Parx.

Don’t forget that you can check out the starting gates for all the races at one of our best horseracing wagering sites.

Good luck!

We’ll start with race two, a 1-1/4 miles starter allowance run on the main track for three-year-olds and upward. I’m backing the 3/1 second-favored Double the Laugh, ridden by veteran jockey Sonny Leon.

This six-year-old gelding finished in the money 34 of his 53 career starts, winning 14, which gives him the winning profile in this eight-horse field. Sure, he’ll see some real pressure from the top half of the 1/1A coupled entry—Itasca—but I believe Double the Laugh will prevail.

A newcomer who’s already establishing a solid winning record for himself, Alejandro Murillo Rodriguez, trains Double the Laugh for Premier Stables Unlimited.

Race five is a six-furlong allowance run for Ohio-bred fillies and mares three years old and upward that have never won two races. I agree with the morning line: bet on the 3/1 favorite, Aujara, with Sonny Leon in the irons.

Cirilo Gorostieta trains Aujara for owner Elizabeth Rankin.

Race seven is a six-furlong allowance race for fillies and mares three years old and upward. I’m betting my two dollars on the second-favored (at 4/1) Cat’s Rhythm, with Brandon Tapara aboard.

While this seven-year-old mare’s overall record falls short of the morning line favorite’s, in 2021 she’s the stand-out with nine money finishes in 12 starts, four of those wins—including her two most recent.

For the record, Cat’s Rhythm finished 16 of her 37 career starts in the money, with seven wins.

Longtime racing veteran Danny R. Bird trains Cat’s Rhythm for Strike Plate LLC. Bird has put Tapara in the irons for Cat’s Rhythm’s last three stars, resulting in a third-place finish followed by two wins.

Parx features a trio of stakes races on its Tuesday race-card, so let’s start with race seven—the Mrs. Claus Stakes, a $100,000 purse, seven-furlong main track run for fillies and mares three years old and upward.

My money’s on the 5/2 morning-line favorite, Don’t Call Me Mary, piloted by veteran jockey Kendrick Carmouche.

This four-year-old filly moneyed eight of her 12 career starts, winning six, including the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes (Black Type) her at Parx in August.

Hall of Famer Todd A. Pletcher trains Don’t Call Me Mary for The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant).

Race eight is the Kris Kringle Stakes, a $100,000 purse, one-mile and 70 yards main track run for three-year-olds and upward. I like the third-favored (at 5/1) Rock On Luke, ridden by top jockey Paco Lopez.

Regina Brennan trains Rock On Luke for owner Jennifer M. Truehart.

Race nine is the Blitzen Stakes, a $100,000 purse, six-furlong main track run for three-year-olds and upward. This is a 16-horse field with a couple of also-eligibles on the card, so let’s look at our options.

If Fortheluvofbourbon starts this race, bet him and his jockey, Mychel J. Sanchez, to win. The four-year-old gelding moneyed seven of his 13 career starts, winning five, including the Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes (Black Type) in August here at Parx. Michael V. Pino trains Fortheluvofbourbon for Smart Angle LLP.

If that doesn’t happen, then bet the also-eligible favorite (at 7/2) Hollywood Jet, ridden by jockey Luis M. Ocasio. This three-year-old gelding finished in the money nine of his 16 career starts, winning five, including his last three.

Hollywood Jet is trained by owner Carlos J. Milian, who has tapped Ocasio to saddle Hollywood Jet for two of his three most recent wins.

We’ll begin with race two, a one-mile starter optional claiming race for three-year-olds and upward. I’m betting my two dollars on the second-favored (at 7/2) Top of the Game, ridden by Enrique Garcia.

This eight-year-old gelding moneyed 25 of his 51 career starts, winning 16—and his 2021 record is even better: ten money finishes in 15 starts, six of them wins.

Miguel L. Hernandez trains Top of the Game for Stable H.M.A. Hernandez has put Garcia in the irons for Top of the Game’s last four starts.

Race seven is the Richard Hazelton Overnight Stakes, a $37,800 purse, 1-1/16 miles main track run for three-year-olds. My money is on the 3/1 morning-line favorite, Tony’s Tapit, with Sahin Civaci in the irons.

Thirty-year racing veteran James R. Brown trains Tony’s Tapit for owner Kirk Sutherland.

Let’s switch to the turf course for race eight, a one-mile claiming run for three-year-olds that have never won two races. I must agree with the morning line here and bet on the 5/2 favorite, Who’s Cheatin Who, ridden by Jose Luis Zunino.

This three-year-old gelding moneyed eight of his 13 career starts, winning one, which makes him most likely to succeed in this 12-horse field.

Longtime racing veteran Curt Ferguson trains Who’s Cheatin Who for Stable H.M.A.