Daily BEST BETS Roll Home
For the three days, the headline tells nearly the entire story, save a side item of interest so let's take a quick look back at the three week-day cards of the fifth week of the Championship Meeting....
Wednesday January 6 - Day 21
We were back from our nearly two week odyssey to the cold north over the holidays and so I was doing a lot of catch-up work today online, so I watched the live feed from Gulfstream. I had found half a dozen races where I had enough interest to bet the race. In the first I trailed the entire way at 5/2. In the fourth race I had two top selections and went with Artefacto to run down Right On Ready who'd been loose on the lead for me last time out but was moving into a low percentage barn and getting a bug-boy rider today. That one got loose again and I was second best chasing him. In the fifth I went with what I knew would be a price-play, but it was a Pletcher maiden on the turf. Who's Your Drama was FLYING late and just missed at 9/2, man that would have been nice. Then I was a distant seventh at 5/1 in the seventh race behind my second choice at 4/5. And in the ninth Divine Intrigue was a GP 40% Club play with top rider Javier Castellano on board. Made a strong bid at 3/1 into the lane, then hung finishing fourth. The lone win on the day came in the third where I was certain Super C Me would win. This was a basement level "beaten" claiming sprint for a tag of $6,250. But as I've said before, you don't need to bet a Grade 1 Breeders' Cup World Championship race to find a "BET of the Day!" Super C Me not only had won four of his last five starts, so much more consistent than the entire rest of the field, so he looked much the best. But wait - his last FIVE consecutive figures would win here with ease. BUT WAIT.....he was the LONE SPEED! Duh, hello! I planned to bet $20 on him but as I watched the pre-race betting and listened to the analysis of the GP handicappers I became even more convinced so I upped the bet to an unusually high - for an online play - of $50. Right to the front and long gone. WHOOOO HOOOOO!
Thursday January 7 - Day 22
I had considered going to Gulfstream both yesterday and today but it was a rainy, gloom day on Wednesday so I decided against going. I was pretty sure I'd go today but when I got up this was what it looked like off the back porch:
I was ready for the third and my first bet with tickets in hand. I liked Midnight Dance who was a GP 40% Club play. He ran 4th at 3/1 while the program favorite - going for a 2-for-36 barn wired the field despite having pressure the entire way. In the fourth I ran an even 4th again, at a fair 4/1 price. In the fifth my pick in this turf sprint was Lakota Warrior. This $16K non-winners-of-two-lifetime sprint was full of runners who'd already lost in restricted company. But at least Lakota Warrior was dropping out of a $30K try while going for a new barn last time out. He'd been second over the all-weather track at Presque Isle, in Erie (which plays like turf) against better. He was 5/1 in the early betting so someone liked him, but as I moved to the rail he floated up to 7/1 and then 8/1 as they moved into the gate. I was thinking as the last horses loaded that (a) I couldn't be unhappy with my lack of wins so far because I'd gone for price plays, and (b) I just wanted to see the green cap of Lakota Warrior's jockey early to know that I at least had a chance. The gates sprung open and quickly one horse was clear by two lengths.......LAKOTA WARRIOR! As they hit the far turn I could see on the jumbotron that his odds were a double-digit figure. Without glasses I couldn't see clearly if that was the case, so I took a quick photo with my zoom lens and it was 10/1.....oh my! As they moved through the turn the stalkers and closers were being vigorously urged by their riders but my jockey was still as a statute! UH OH, I've got a real chance here. Through the lane no one came within two lengths of him and Lakota Warrior scored handily! The pay out of a whopping $22.60 was delightful - made my day! I so wish I'd doubled the bet, but even with the minimum investment I would be cashing for nearly $60! WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!
I am going to have a winning day and the BET of the Day is up next. The sixth was a Maiden Special sprint for 3yo colts and the obvious choice was Deep Sea who ran for trainer Mark Casse. This colt debuted at Churchill Downs in November as the 2/1 favorite. He dueled from post nine through wicked fractions of :21.2 and :45.3 and was beaten less than a length while earning a big 80 Beyer. He'd been drilling bullets for his return and top rider Javier Castellano was riding. I was delighted when he floated up to 1/2 at one point, but at post time the crowd had come to their senses and he was back down to 1/5 odds. He stalked the leader to the turn, glided up and sprinted home as EASILY the best!
I headed for home after that with three late bets in my pocket. A rallying best-of-the-rest second in the seventh race as the 6/5 favorite; a blanket finish where I was beaten less than a length at huge 9/1 odds, fifth officially; and I thought I SHOULD have won the finale with 5/1 Tiz Jeweled when Castellano gave one of his most uncharacteristicly poor rides - constantly in traffic and every decision to go inside or outside was the wrong move - fifth. Still the tickets and the big upset with the BET of the Day victory made for a sweet Thursday at the races!
Friday January 8 - Day 23
I spent nearly all day Friday handicapping five race cards for my assault on the track Saturday, including the big Gulfstream card which included three graded stakes. While I was doing that I again watched the live feed as I had six selections on the day. I missed at 2/1 in the second in a MSW event where I had a brief glimmer of home after running third but Castellano claimed foul against BOTH the winner and runner-up. No surprise both were disallowed. Then I scored with Bill Mott's maiden Post Script. He'd run ok in his debut then improved for his second start. But Mott NEVER has his runners ready for a prime-time performance in their first (or often second) start. Today he was coming off a sharp second, beaten a mere half length in spite of an outside draw. Today, her third start, stretching to a one-turn mile and with paired speed figures, she looked like the winner on paper. She tracked inside the dueling leaders, moved off the rail, collared the front runners and edged clear late to win. A fair price of 6/5 allowed me to cash for over $20.
Right back in the fourth was my best of the day, and eight furlong starter optional claiming event. I picked Moonshine Promise who was coming off of a win in the $100K Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at this distance. She faced MUCH slower company today and just was the class of the field for trainer Peter Walder and jockey Javier Castellano. She was being hammered at 1/9 early and I decided to up the bet to a full $20 win bet. The crowd let her float up to a huge 1/2 price at post time! She cruised up to the lead on the turn and was never threatened while winning EASILY. Two wins on the day! WHOOOOO HOOOOO.
But that would do it for the day. I rallied belatedly with Legend of the Kitten at 5/2 when 4th in a two-lifetime turf event; third at 4/1 in the eighth with a Pletcher allowance returner, Enchantress - a solid effort. And finally I was a huge 10/1 in the ninth with a Castellano-ridden horse on the turf in Mata Mua, a GP 40% Club play. Thought it might be the play of the week as she sat second into the stretch and then.........faded badly to 10th. Still, it was a nice week of winners, and again the highlight was not one, not two, but three straight days of scoring with the BET of the Day!
I am going to have a winning day and the BET of the Day is up next. The sixth was a Maiden Special sprint for 3yo colts and the obvious choice was Deep Sea who ran for trainer Mark Casse. This colt debuted at Churchill Downs in November as the 2/1 favorite. He dueled from post nine through wicked fractions of :21.2 and :45.3 and was beaten less than a length while earning a big 80 Beyer. He'd been drilling bullets for his return and top rider Javier Castellano was riding. I was delighted when he floated up to 1/2 at one point, but at post time the crowd had come to their senses and he was back down to 1/5 odds. He stalked the leader to the turn, glided up and sprinted home as EASILY the best!
I headed for home after that with three late bets in my pocket. A rallying best-of-the-rest second in the seventh race as the 6/5 favorite; a blanket finish where I was beaten less than a length at huge 9/1 odds, fifth officially; and I thought I SHOULD have won the finale with 5/1 Tiz Jeweled when Castellano gave one of his most uncharacteristicly poor rides - constantly in traffic and every decision to go inside or outside was the wrong move - fifth. Still the tickets and the big upset with the BET of the Day victory made for a sweet Thursday at the races!
Friday January 8 - Day 23
I spent nearly all day Friday handicapping five race cards for my assault on the track Saturday, including the big Gulfstream card which included three graded stakes. While I was doing that I again watched the live feed as I had six selections on the day. I missed at 2/1 in the second in a MSW event where I had a brief glimmer of home after running third but Castellano claimed foul against BOTH the winner and runner-up. No surprise both were disallowed. Then I scored with Bill Mott's maiden Post Script. He'd run ok in his debut then improved for his second start. But Mott NEVER has his runners ready for a prime-time performance in their first (or often second) start. Today he was coming off a sharp second, beaten a mere half length in spite of an outside draw. Today, her third start, stretching to a one-turn mile and with paired speed figures, she looked like the winner on paper. She tracked inside the dueling leaders, moved off the rail, collared the front runners and edged clear late to win. A fair price of 6/5 allowed me to cash for over $20.
Right back in the fourth was my best of the day, and eight furlong starter optional claiming event. I picked Moonshine Promise who was coming off of a win in the $100K Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at this distance. She faced MUCH slower company today and just was the class of the field for trainer Peter Walder and jockey Javier Castellano. She was being hammered at 1/9 early and I decided to up the bet to a full $20 win bet. The crowd let her float up to a huge 1/2 price at post time! She cruised up to the lead on the turn and was never threatened while winning EASILY. Two wins on the day! WHOOOOO HOOOOO.
But that would do it for the day. I rallied belatedly with Legend of the Kitten at 5/2 when 4th in a two-lifetime turf event; third at 4/1 in the eighth with a Pletcher allowance returner, Enchantress - a solid effort. And finally I was a huge 10/1 in the ninth with a Castellano-ridden horse on the turf in Mata Mua, a GP 40% Club play. Thought it might be the play of the week as she sat second into the stretch and then.........faded badly to 10th. Still, it was a nice week of winners, and again the highlight was not one, not two, but three straight days of scoring with the BET of the Day!
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