There are very few people that I enjoy talking to more than ESPN’s Kenny Mayne. He is smart, has a very dry wit and is very entertaining.
Mayne will have a busy weekend, hosting a Belmont special Friday and then will be part of the network’s daylong Saturday coverage that is highlighted by ABC’s broadcast of the race from 5-7 p.m.
Mayne serves as a handicapper on ESPN/ABC’s coverage of horse racing and I got a few tips from him on “Handicapping 101.”
» See the horses with your own eyes. Instead of reading about the horses, checkout the video that you can find on the Internet so that you can see with your own eyes what a horse can and can’t do on the track.
» See if he or she is fast in a race against class horses. If your horse fairs well against top-name competition thenthat makes for a more enlightened pick.
» Look at the field and weed out the horses with no chance and then focus in on the ones that you feel could win. Then do some homework and hope for a little luck — that never hurts.
So who is Mayne’s choice for the Belmont?
“I like Tiago with plenty of competition from Curlin, Hard Spun and even Rags to Riches has a real shot at winning. The reason I like Tiago is that I think the long race favors him and I wonder if both Curlin and Hard Spun have another good race in them.”
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on www.examiner.com.
