Dec. 12 - Day 6

Rampart Stakes Day

2nd - 2nd - 2nd - 2nd - 2nd -2nd

Yes, it was a day more noteworthy for I was close than I won.  Ironically I was thinking about how fortunate I'd been through the first five days of the meet with a big winning percentage; and that I knew it would at some point even out.  Didn't really think it would be today however.  The first oddity about the day was that even though I handicapped four different tracks and two of them, Gulfstream and the Fair Grounds, had multiple stakes races I only had seventeen selections on the day.  The foreshadowing for the day came in the opener at Gulfstream, a maiden special for two year olds and there were TWO Todd Pletcher runners.  I went with Javier Castellano who was the crowd's pick at 8/5.  He pressed the lead to the turn, took over and then coughed it up to the other Pletcher ridden by Johnny Velazquez at a big 3/1.  Missed on five more before finally scoring at 1:35 pm in the fourth at Gulfstream with Baby Bear's Soup.  This Ken & Sarah Ramsey colt was also sent out by Todd Pletcher, also with Javier Castellano and I stuck with him even though it came off the turf.  He'd run well on the turf in his NY debut and then had run even better in a one-turn mile at Belmont on the dirt.  He won off by seven widening lengths as MUCH the best. 

And best of all he paid $6.00!  With my double investment I cashed for $30 and thought I was on my way.  It was a s-l-o-w day with the lack of action and there were two different time frames where I had only back-to-back races at Gulfstream so I had a long wait in between plays.  After missing at Aqueduct I won the first stakes of the day at the Fair Grounds with Pacific Pink in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Stakes.  She was caught between horses but finally found a seam and burst through to score with authority as much the best.  Only paid $3.00 but with the win at GP and now this one, two of my last three I thought I'd be off on a winning streak.  But then the seconditis began.  In the 7th at GUlfstream Kismet's Heels, another Pletcher runner, broke behind the field and then was flying late to be second best at a big 5/1 price.  The next bet wasn't until the 8th locally and again it was a Pletcher runner, Prospectus, who again was a price (4/1), who AGAIN broke behind the field and AGAIN was flying to just miss, second.  WOW.  My bad racing luck continued when my "bet of the day" at the Fair Grounds - String King in the La Champions Turf - was carried about ten wide in the first turn by a loose horse that had dumped his rider, and then String King rallies to miss by a head, second again.  Similar in the South Beach Stakes when Hope Cross rallied up the rail, too little, too late to be second.  And finally in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes I went against Valid who was the fastest on figures, but he nearly always disappoints as a favorite.  My pick was multiple Grade 2 winner Madefromlucky from the Pletcher barn.  Second behind......yes, Valid.  I left then - at 4:35 because my BET of the Day in Gulfstream's El Prado Stakes, War Correspondent, scratched.  The two late races from the Fair Grounds, both stakes resulted in.....guess.  No really, go ahead.  Right, second and second.  Oh well, it's been a good six days over all and there's more racing tomorrow!