Papa Dudes Free Picks for Lone Star Park 6/27/21

Yesterday was the last day at Churchill and my betting on a budget wagering has been paying off as I made a profit each of the last three days. So, I will switch to Lone Star down in Texas for my Sunday picks. I’ve got my boots and stetson and a brand new monster belt buckle ready to go. Yeehaw!!!!

Also I’ll try to make sense of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and have some thoughts and a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals in the NHL. Let’s get started.

Race 1: Allowance

My Picks: 1,5,7 Not much excites me in this one for Texas breds. Mild interest in the 1 and the 7, but not enough to risk getting off to a bad start.

No Bet

Race 2: Allowance

My Picks: 6,3,2 I think #6 Ima Discreet Lady is a possibility at 6-1 in this one. He started the year with 2 small stakes wins at Sam Houston before faltering in his last three starts. Ok, I just talked myself out of betting him. Then there is #3 Mr. Money Bags who finished 2nd by a half-length in a small stakes in his last start here. But he is 6-5 and I don’t like that either.

No Bet

Race 3: Claiming

My Picks: 2,1,4 This looks like a battle between two horses trained by Karl Broberg. Which one do you pick? Beats me.

No Bet

Race 4: Maiden

My Picks: 2,4,7 I usually stay away from Maiden races but #2 Five Dreams caught my eye but maybe for the wrong reason. He has finished 2nd five straight times and that is something that is not necessarily a good thing. Is he just content to run at the front or will he finally be able to finish in front? He is going to do it this time but I’m not going to spend a bunch.

The Bet: $10 to Win on #2

Race 5: Allowance

My Picks: 7,6,3 This is an allowance race for non-winners of two. There are two in here who have raced once and both won impressively. #7 Irish Unity and #6 Brad’s Time should battle it out for the win. They both have early speed but I’m thinking the 7 will close and win late.

The Bet: $10 to Win on #7

Race 6: Maiden

My Picks: 2,7,5 Steve Asmussen sends out #2 La Muse and she has two seconds in two starts. I’m betting the third time is the charm.

The Bet: $10 to Win on #2

Race 7: Claiming

My Picks: 5,7,8 Staying with the Asmussen train he has #5 Upgrade Me in this one. This horse has been running in much tougher races which is a concern because he is taking a huge drop. But, Asmussen, likes to win races and if someone claims the horse he will only have 999 horses under his watch instead of 1000.

The Bet: $5 to Win on #5

Race 8: Grand Prairie Turf Sprint Stakes

My Picks: 3,5,4 This is a toughie here. I can see 3 or 4 horse winning this race. So I’m going to pass it up.

No Bet

Race 9: Wasted Tears Stakes

My Picks: 3,2,1 I like #3 Valentine’s Day trained by Bret Calhoun in this slot. He has finished on the board in his last two outings and will be closing hard down the stretch.

The Bet: $5 to Win on #3

Race 10: Chicken Fried Stakes

My Picks: 3,6,2 I’ve been debating this one before settling on #3 Yes It’s Ginger. She has been remarkably consistent in her 2021 starts with only one clunker in the bunch.

The Bet: $5 to Win on #3

Race 11: Singletary Stakes

My Picks: 3,8,2,4

The Bet: 50-cent Trifecta Box $12 Wager

Papa Dudes Sports Play of the Day

Milwaukee at Atlanta

It is Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and I have no idea what to think of the Hawks. I feel like the Bucks have been pretty consistent and can be expected to play well. They are probably the best team. But, does that matter to Atlanta? The 76ers were better too, but they aren’t playing are they? I’ve given up on the Hawks a couple of times and it has bit me on the butt. Trae Young plays for Atlanta which gives them a chance. He has been remarkable throughout the playoffs but in Game 3, Milwaukee put the clamps on him. Did they find the magic formula or was it just a bad game for Young?

My Pick: Milwaukee -4

The Stanley Cup Finals: Montreal vs. Tampa Bay

I know most American sports fans are not into hockey but you don’t know what you are missing. The NHL playoffs have been awesome this year and we are down to the final two teams that will decide who hoists the Stanley Cup which might be the most famous trophy in all of sports. It can be argued (and a ton of people agree) that it is the most difficult prize to win. I can tell you this: In 2019, I watched the St. Louis Blues (my team) win the 16 games you have to win to claim the Cup and when it was over it was the most satisfying sports moment any of my favorite teams had ever achieved and I root for some pretty good teams.

This year we have the Canadiens, who have an historic past but that was almost 30 years ago, and who were 50-1 long shots to win the Cup. They were down 3-1 in the first round against Toronto before rallying to win the next three games. They then swept Winnipeg in 4 straight and beat the heavily favored Vegas Golden Knights in 6 games. They have the hottest goalie on the planet in Carey Price and are playing defense like no other. And, when they get the opportunity to score they are burying the puck in the net. Plus, they have the prettiest uniforms in hockey.

Their opponent will be the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The defending champs have had to endure three grueling series to get to the finals again. They defeated the Florida Panthers in 6 games, a great Carolina team in 6, and then eliminated the gritty New York Islanders in Game 7 last Friday night. They are battle tested, experienced, and can play any style they have to in order to win. They have the 2nd best goalie on the planet and are building a rich tradition also.

Everyone is waiting for Montreal to crack but they have proven they are for real. They aren’t going away. Tampa Bay won’t overlook them either. This has the making of a great matchup starting Monday night in Tampa. Expect a low-scoring, physical, in-your-face series between these two teams.

I highly recommend anyone who loves sports to sit back and watch a game and give hockey a chance.

That is it for another week. My next assignment will be the Iowa Festival of Racing next weekend from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa. This will take my back to my horse racing roots as I used to follow this track every summer. I’m really looking forward to it. Also, there are big changes coming to the Other Sports section of this website coming very, very soon. I am super excited to see where that is going to take us.

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