Dec. 17 - Day 9

BIG WIN On Thursday!

WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

After all the seconds on Saturday, then single wins on Sunday and Wednesday I was glad to get back on the beam with a 33% day and a big profit for Thursday's action.  My recovery began in earnest today as I backed off the pain medication and didn't take anything all day as I wanted to regain some sense of normalcy.  The main "event" of the day came when I went to my computer this morning and found it had restarted - uh oh.  Automatic updates that promised to make my experience better.  Uh, yeah, that NEVER happens to me.  The first thing I noticed was my printer could not print anything online.  Then my PDF printer wouldn't work, period.  So re-downloaded that.  Got a hold of the HP support team and they "took over" my computer.  Then I sat there for literally 90 minutes before finally the printer drivers etc. were downloaded.  Seems Windows 10 update thought I'd be happy with the McAfee virus control, which blocked my printer and kicked out the PDF printer.  Well, back to normal right?  No, discovered neither my Dreamweaver or Fireworks software for online web design now worked, so I needed to reload that entire package - luckily I'd saved the files on the eternal hard drive so it was just a waiting game.  In the afternoon I handicapped for the weekend - deciding it would be best for the long run if I did NOT go out to GP on Saturday - and finally ventured out of the house for a small steak at Big Bear Brewery in Coral Springs with Kim.  When we got home I went to the computer and watched the replays.In the opener I bet the minimum on Dunkin Bend in a 5 1/2 furlong spring for bottom level claimers.  He was sent off as a prohibitive 3/2 favorite, but was a well-beaten sixth.  It's a long way for that one from today's drubbing for a $6,250 tag after winning the Grade 3 Sapling Stakes as a juvenile - wow.  In the second I was certain I had the winner.  Exclusive Strike looked "formidable" as I wrote in my analysis after having won at this claiming level last year he set the pace in a Grade 1 and finished third.  He'd paired figures against much tougher and looked tough here.  Cruised to the front under a hand ride with jockey Paco Lopez looking under his arm for competition as he collared the leader.  But as they turned for home he did NOT spurt away and the 12/1 longshot leader held him off the length of the stretch - second.  Wow, again.  I passed the third where 2yo maiden claimers had nothing to offer to me.  In the fourth I passed again in another maiden claiming sprint for juveniles.  But I wrote about one horse, Peaky Blinders who was 6/1 in the program simply because that is a very intriguing Netflix program I like.  Ironically he won at 3/1!  The fifth was THE Race of the Day as it turned out.  This was a Starter Optional Claiming event going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf for two-year-olds.  It was a wide open event with fourteen fillies in the lineup with very few who had faced winners.  One that had was Beautiful Sin.  This gal had two angles that appealed to me.  First, she was dropping out of back-to-back stakes tries into this spot which was for runners who'd started for a claiming tag; and second, probably most importantly, she'd broken her maiden over THIS TURF COURSE, at THIS DISTANCE three back.  I thought, in this field, was a big edge.  This evening when I watched the races I decided to watch them in HD in "full screen" mode on my big monitor via the Gulfstream YouTube channel.  The disadvantage was that I would not know the odds unless my pick was in the top four at some point, and even that wasn't going to be guaranteed the final odds.  As they headed down the backstretch and approached the far turn Beautiful Sin was next to last and the pace was not fast.  Not looking good I thought.  But then with the shake of the reins she hit a new gear and went from ninth to the front while racing four wide through the turn.  She collared the leader at the furlong marker and edged clear late.  Best of all, her odds were 4/1!

I had tripled the bet so the $10.60 payoff led to a return on my investment of almost $80!  I passed the sixth where my second choice won.  In the 7th it was a 2yo MSW going a one-turn mile.  Looked for the Pletcher filly and found one - then found a second.  Sigh, I seem to be zigging when I should be zagging when this has happened so far in the short start to the championship meet.  But I thought that Holders Season with Javier Castellano was the better of the two.  But as they hit the far turn, the "other Pletcher," Caffine was on the lead as the post time favorite at 6/5 odds.  But the pace had been swift and I thought she might have problems holding on.  My issue was that Holders Season was three wide with Castellano urging her vigorously and she didn't seem to be gaining.  But as heads straightened for home she began to make progress.  She and the other stalker now blew by Caffine (at least I was right about NOT betting that one!) and they dueled to the wire - PHOTO FINISH!

Just up to win!  WHOOOO HOOOO and the odds had shown 2/1 as they ran through the stretch, but late money knocked her down to 8/5.  The $5.40 payoff along with my triple investment - that's right, three of them on the day - led to a return of over $40!  In the 8th my pick, Escondido was a huge 7/1 and couldn't quite catch the odds-on favorite, but was a good second.  In the 9th, my final pick of the day One Step Salsa was in the clear turning for home while third and looked to ready to roll....but then ran evenly to the wire.  So for the day a good 2-for-6, but a profit of $55 for the day!  HORRAY FOR ME!