I played 4 races at SMALL FIELD WO, yesterday. These were all my plays for the day.
3 exactas, 2 of which were ONE numbers and 1 win bet
I hit a $13 exacta in a 4 horse field, a $16 exacta in a 5 horse field and a $28 exacta (2 horse box) in a 9 horse field. I also ran 3rd with a 29:1 shot that I'd bet to win.
Now, as my objective in this game is to win consistently and NOT go for the (forced) BIG SCORE, why am I worried about any of this ****? I have the skill set to be able to pick out advantageous plays at 6 or 7 tracks a day and I know that if I wait, rather than force the action, I'll hit some big numbers. But I can't be throwing money away while I wait for these scores. My ROI when I'm 'selective' is through the roof. And by 'selective', I mean up to 10 plays a day.
I realize the normal way to play is here EXOTICS. And, I also realize that there's some sort of MACHO thing about forcing one's way through difficult races. I choose not to play that way. I don't play 35 numbers to get back 5:1. I play single units each race and I split these for mostly 2 combination exotic plays (very rarely will I box 3 horses).
(Most of ) the races are SAR are VERY HARD. Why would someone playing limited combos feel the need to play these races? Moreover, the odds there are just not competitive with what I get at the other tracks I play. This can debated all we want but, as I play multiple tracks, it's been shown to be the case.
As for the SAR ambiance/experience: been there done that. Going to ANY track at this point in my life is like starting to frequent DISCOS again.
To each his own: I'm offer a contrarian view, as it certainly can't be the case that EVERYONE here is winning doing the same thing.