Every Thursday through Sunday 1/ST BET handicapper Jeff Siegel offers his best wagering opportunity from a selected North American racetrack. These “Best Plays” can take the form of a win wager, exacta, trifecta, or a daily double, pick-3, pick-4 or pick-6. Selections are listed in chronological order.

Ellis Park Race 6 - Post time: 3:10 CT
8-Ying Yang (7/2)

This $160,000 fall yearling purchase makes her debut in this maiden juvenile filly turf miler and has done enough excellent work in the morning to be fit and ready for a major effort first crack out of the box. Bred to run long on the lawn, the daughter of Point of Entry goes for the powerful B. Cox/S. Bridgmohan team following a local bullet half mile drill (4f, :48.1h, fastest of 13) six days ago that should have her on her toes. In a race in which the known element appears suspect, let’s play this highly-regarded newcomer in the win pool and in the various rolling exotics and hope to get close to her morning line of 7/2.

Ellis Park Race 7 – Post time: 3:40 ET
2-Palm Cottage (4-1)

We’re expecting top trainer B. Cox to have good luck with his first-timers today; here’s another live item in this six furlong main track sprint for juvenile fillies. Palm Cottage is a $575,000 daughter of American Pharoah out of the multi-stalking winning Walkwithapurpose, she the dam of stakes-winning Where Paradise Lay, so with plenty of speed and precocity in her bloodlines this highly-regarded juvenile filly seems primed and ready to graduate at first asking. A bullet five furlong workout in :59 flat two weeks ago points her out, so at 4-1 on the morning line we’ll try her in the win pool and as a rolling exotic single.