Looking for something big to play this weekend but not quite sure where to look?  If you want my advice, Golden Gate Fields is a clear frontrunner.  Why?  Well, it’s their inaugural Gold Rush Weekend and that means big things are brewing in the Bay Area.  Between Saturday and Sunday they’ve got eight stakes races, multiple guaranteed pools and a Jackpot Pick 6 Mandatory Payout on Saturday that savvy bettors won’t want to miss. 

And if you’re in the Bay Area, why not make a day at the track of it?  On Saturday they’re hosting the ‘Golden Gate Get Down,’ a concert and food truck festival with a side of racing!  Tickets are just $25 ($30 at the door) and you get Clubhouse Admission and a free Golden Gate Fields hat.  Visit http://www.goldengatefields.com/events/golden-gate-get-down to learn more and to get tickets. 

But back to the racing.  Here are just a few of the reasons we’re ‘all-in’ this weekend on Golden Gate.

Eight Stakes Races

Saturday’s card is absolutely loaded and the headline race, the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, drew a phenomenal field of 10, including Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero, Grade 2 winner River Boyne and Irish-invader Wentwood.  Add in Blitzkrieg and his 3-race winning streak and a very sharp Le Ken and you’ve got a race that is practically ‘must see.’ 

In lieu of giving my picks (I’d be all-in on River Boyne and Bowies Hero), I’ll let my colleague Jeremy Plonk do the honors.  He made the San Francisco Mile his Xpressbet Race of the Week and has provided his horse-by-horse analysis and $100 Betting Strategy.  Last week ‘Plonk’s Picks’ hit for $325 at Laurel, so he’s coming in hot!

The San Francisco Mile goes as Race 10 at 7:45PM ET.  The other stakes on Saturday’s card are the California Oaks (Race 4, 4:45PM ET), Golden Poppy (Race 5, 5:15PM ET), Lost in the Fog (Race 8, 6:45PM ET), California Derby (Race 9, 7:15PM ET) and Camilla Urso (Race 12, 8:45PM ET).  Sunday’s stakes are the Silky Sullivan and Campanile, both for California-breds.

$100,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4’s + 1 Million Point Splits

Golden Gate is guaranteeing the pool for its Saturday and Sunday Late Pick 4’s at $100,000.  Saturday’s sequence covers Races 10 – 13 and includes the aforementioned San Francisco Mile. 

We’re getting in on the action at Xpressbet by offering our popular 1 Million Point Splits on the Late Pick 4 both days.  Place a winning bet with your Xpressbet account and you’ll Split 1 Million XB Rewards Points both days.  XB Rewards Points are just like cash and you can redeem them in our Pro Shop for Wagering Credits, Past Performances, Track Experiences and more!

Mandatory Payout Jackpot Pick 6

Who doesn’t love the words mandatory payout?  In this world of jackpot bets, they’re music to a horseplayer’s ears.  Take a big pool that has been growing for a few weeks (months, sometimes) and divvy it up to everyone that goes 6-for-6 on mandatory payout day.  Not a bad approach.

That’s the case Saturday at Golden Gate, as their Jackpot-style ‘Golden’ Pick 6 is in ‘everything must go’ mode on Saturday.  Heading into Thursday’s card, the Carryover amount was $314,891. 

My colleague, Jerry Shottenkirk, is finalizing his recommended ticket and will submit it to the Xpressbet website on Friday.  Stay tuned for how he’s playing!

Saturday Late Pick 4 Picks & Ticket

I’d be remiss if I wrapped up this blog without a recommended ticket, so here’s how I’m playing Saturday’s $100,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4, which spans Races 10 – 13. 

Race 10: 1, 10

Race 11: 1, 3

Race 12: 3, 5

Race 13: ALL

Ticket Cost: $40 for 50-cents

Santa Anita NHC Super Qualifier

If punching a ticket to the National Horseplayers Championship (NHC) is on your agenda, this Saturday’s Santa Anita NHC Super Qualifier is the right tournament for you.  Along with our partners at Santa Anita, we’re giving away an NHC Seat for every 15 paid contest registrants.  That means, if we reach our goal of 150 players, we’re giving away 10 NHC Seats!

This tournament includes a $1,500 Buy-In, but $1,000 of that is your live tournament bankroll.  To play, simply make $50 Win/Place bets ($100 total) on 10 different races from Golden Gate and Santa Anita this Saturday.  You must bet exactly ten races to be eligible to win an NHC Seat.

Learn more at https://www.xpressbet.com/april-27-2019-santa-anita-nhc-super-qualifier.

For the latest news on Golden Gate Fields, log in to your Xpressbet account and be sure to follow @GGFRacing, @GGPublicity and Matt Dinerman, Golden Gate’s announcer and racing analyst, on Twitter.