Welcome to Tacos and Trifectas! Each week, America’s Best Racing’s Southern California correspondent Jose Contreras - @LosPonies to those who follow him on Twitter - will provide a taco review along with a selection that he will key in trifecta bets in hopes of winning some cash to buy more tacos! Contreras will map out a trifecta betting strategy for how to key his main pick and keep track of his return on investment (ROI), which was positive in 2017.

Stop back each week if you love tacos and want a trifecta play!

This week’s eatery:
Taqueria Los Magueyes
185 Euclid Ave.
Upland, CA

Score: 8.7

• Al pastor was flavorful
• Green salsa had the right amount of heat
• Pickled vegetables with jalapeños were tasty
• Tacos are only $1.50 each

Recap of previous wager: Our key horse ROCKET HEAT showed that tremendous speed we expected, led deep into the stretch but tired in the final yards to finish sixth. One horse we used in the trifectas was scratched so we saved $15 off the total budget.

This week’s trifecta key:

Saturday, Oct. 13, Keeneland, Race 9, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup presented by Lane's End, 5:30 p.m. ET

#6 Secret Message (12-1 odds): She got off a bit slowly last time out and found herself in last place going around the first turn. She had to steady severely going around the bend and was in an uncomfortable spot behind a slow early pace. She ended up vying for the lead around the final turn and battled gamely to the wire in a good second-place finish. I like the way she has progressed in her last two starts and I think she’s worth a gamble at a nice price.

Strategy on $100 Budget:
$1 Trifecta: 6 with 1,2,3,5,7,8 with 1,2,3,5,7,8 ($30)
$1 Trifecta: 1,2,3,5,7,8 with 6 with 1,2,3,5,7,8 ($30)
$1 Trifecta: 1,2,3,5,7,8 with 1,2,3,5,7,8 with 6 ($30)
$10 Win on #6 Secret Message

ROI Year to date: $1,380 wagered/$969.20 returned