Two Late WINS Produce Winning Day To Kick Off Long Week Of Racing
Wednesday January 13
With holiday racing on Monday, MLK Jr. Day, today was the first of six consecutive days of world class thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park. After completing my third straight day of walking four miles plus, I was on the computer through the first part of the afternoon so I watched the first seven races live. Ironically it wasn't until I walked away from the live feed that I had both of my scores! In the second Word was a GP 40% Club play for trainer Kelly Breen, and I made him my top selection in a MSW event in spite of Breen's 0-for-12 start to the meet. Paco Lopez had him on the lead into the stretch before giving way to cross the wire fifth. In the fourth Protection had fired a best of sixty-four bullet work that led me to pick him in an upset. He rallied three-wide into the lane and was part of a five-horse blanket finish ..... second oh-so-narrowly at 7/2. In the 7th I agreed with both the online analysts, new hottie Gabby Gaudet (who is an excellent handicapper by the way) and NYRA old codger Andy Serling, when then commented that it would be hard to go against Rock Eagle in this 2-lifetime claiming event if he were anywhere but marooned in the parking lot with a post 14 draw. Not so sure that this was the cause for the result but he was wide out of the gate and guided to the rail, which was a smart move, but as they hit the far turn he was dead last. Never moved much out of that spot finishing a distant 8th without really ever showing anything. At this point I walked away from the races and decided to watch the last three selections by replay after dinner. When I came back to the replays on twinspires.com I noted that my top choice in the 8th, Ami's Flatter, had been sent off as the 6/5 favorite. He had scored at first asking here last winter and then saw nothing but stakes rivals after that. In that run of races he had produced an excellent second place finish in the $100K Mucho Macho Man here, and even better second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, and an even better than that third in the $1 million Grade 1 Florida Derby. But he'd been away since July and was facing older runners for the first time. His two sharp bullet works told me he was ready to fire and I anticipated a big effort. He tracked the dueling leaders into the far turn, moved to the front and through the final furlong powered home in a very quick final time for seven furlongs in 1:21 and change - that's stakes quality race time!
I'd doubled the bet so I was collecting over $20 with my first win of the long week of racing action. Right back in the ninth in a starter optional claimer going 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf. I thought that this was a wide-open race and initially hesitated to make an investment. But after looking closely at all the potential win candidates the fact that top rider Javier Castellano moved off of one of the win contenders to Scrumpdilicious on the rail AND that there appeared to be multiple horses who wanted the lead which would put him in an ideal garden spot to trip out behind the fast pace and set him up nicely to produce his best effort. Combine those facts with that his last race produced a career best 88 Beyer figure while finishing second at this level by a mere neck all added up to a winning play. The race played out exactly like this as the early leaders set a :22 and change opening quarter, followed by a :45 half mile split, both WAY too fast for a mile and a sixteenth. Meanwhile Scrumpdilicious was sitting chilly in fourth, clear of the field some five off the leaders. As those early sprinters began to tire into the far turn Castellano glided his mount three wide to engage and then run by the leaders. The rest of the field was now closing ground quickly, but Castellano had a ton of horse under him and he opened up to win easily.
The generous $6 mutual produced $30 into my account and I had a winning day! In the finale Updraft threaded through the field from far back and beat all but one home at a 2/1 price for my second runner-up finish of the day. 33% winning average and a profit for the day - I'll take it!
Saw Gabby (far right) at Pimlico on Black-Eyed Susan's Day
Thursday January 14
Oh so close...... The highlight of the day was a big win early in the card, but the story of the day was that I ran second THREE times today and missed with my only two added money selections. In the opener I had the first of my runner-up finishes when Star Contender made his move entering the stretch on the grass but simply was second best. I was fourth in the second half of the early double at 5/2 when Dunkin Bend didn't fire. But the third was my day's highlight. It was a wide-oen maiden claimer on the turf and I settled on Weight of Gold. I liked him (a) because the field was weak (and slow) and I liked the fact that his two first starts were over the Woodbine main track in sprints. The barn was clicking at a 20% overall rate and had won with 33% of their first-off-the-claim runners. Finally, he was cutting his price tag in half and had breeding to suggest he just might like the grass and the distance. Weight of Gold sat mid pack to the turn then swooped up decisively to run by the leaders and drew off impressively through the lane. And the best part - the price:
If only I'd doubled the bet to go for an "Upset Special!" But I settled for almost $35 on this minimum play. I had my two "best bets" coming up so I felt confident that I'd win one of them and finish with a clear profit. Not so fast my friend.....Crazy Frank C pressed the pace, dueled and gave way to be second best in the 6th; and in the 7th the horse I liked best on the day, Market Strength (a Chad Brown colt on the turf in a 3yo MSW with Javier Castellano) was near the back early and improved his position only marginally while simply passing tired horses. The last pick of the day saw Afleet Accompli run 5th at 5/1 without threatening. So for the second day's results I was only 1-for-7, but the big price let me finish close to even.
Friday January 15
And the rains came DOWN! ...... Today, in spite of the weather I was an excellent 40% and BOTH of the wins came with BIG TIME investments. I had selections in the 2nd and 5th on the turf, but did not like anyone when they were rained off. My first selection came in the fourth which had been scheduled to go five furlongs on the grass, but now was on the main track. Wellingtons Appeal was a GP 40% Club play on the turf with the class drop, but when moved to the main track it was a double club play. He dueled early, took over approaching the far turn and led all the way to deep stretch before weakening late to finish third. The sixth was my first "prime time play" and it was in a old maiden claiming event. Our Commodore had been very sharp last winter when third behind Danzig Moon who went on to be graded stakes place. He was then fourth at Keeneland behind Wisecracker who was also a talented colt. 'Commodore had not been out since that spring but the paired figures, the 32% win rate for the barn with MSW droppers all pointed him out to me with top rider Javier Castellano up. Oh, and did I mention that it was a Pletcher runner? :) He was a fair price of 6/5 until they left the gate then took a lot of late money to end up at 4/5 odds. He dueled into the stretch then edged clear without being asked to run hard - WINNER!
I cashed for nearly $40. In the 7th it could have been my "day-maker" as Strong Composition went off at a juicy 4/1 as another 40% Club play. Trainer Larry Pilotti only makes the club under one set of conditions - when Luis Saez rides. Saez had him pressing between horses, but when they spun out of the turn he burst to the lead and was clear to the 16th pole. Then here came my second choice in the iconic Ramsey colors for Michael Maker with Castellano up - JUST caught me in the shadow of the wire. Missed with Castellano on another Pletcher maiden that I didn't have a lot of faith in, but hey, it's a Pletcher 3yo maiden at GP.....Morning Dancer was third at 3/1. Then in the 10th it was my BET of the Day - probably the BET of the WEEK unless something unusual pops on the Monday holiday card. On Opening Day my "Best" had been in the second race with a Pletcher first-time starter, Zulu. He'd won and had looked good. But not so good that I thought, "here's a Derby horse." But in the weeks since then I'd read that his connections thought he might be that good. So when he appeared in the entries for today I was all over it. I was just a touch concerned when I was watching the pre-race day handicapping show and both Gabby Gaudet and Andy Serling were against Zulu and went with the #5 horse. I looked up Ron Nicoletti's picks and he had Zulu as his best. So I stuck with my "prime-time plus" investment. But as the betting started for the 10th - I was watching on the big screen via the live feed - the first thing I noted was that the #5 was scratched. I went online and upped the bet! Zulu broke sharply and was stalking two early leaders through the first quarter mile of a one-turn mile. As they clicked off the opening half, the first of the longshots dropped out. Jockey John Velazquez shook the reins ever so slightly and Zulu shifted to a higher cruising gear quickly collaring the leader and poking his head in front as they spun out of the turn and sprinted for the wire. For about 100 yards it looked like that one would press the favorite, but by the time they reached the furlong pole it was all over as Zulu lengthened his stride and easily drew off as much, MUCH the best! WHOOOO HOOOOO!
I was thankful that in the final minutes of wagering some "value" money had come in on the other runners that allowed Zulu to move up off the 1/9 odds and up to 1/5. So I will cash out for $60 on the BET of the Week! Tomorrow is Sunshine Millions Day with seven stakes races, and as an added bonus it is "Road To The Derby Day" in New Orleans where the Fair Grounds has multiple stakes including the first prep races for the Fair Ground Oaks, a precursor to the Kentucky Oaks, and the Grade 3 Lecomte which is a prep for the Louisiana Derby with runners hoping for a bid to the Kentucky Derby!
I cashed for nearly $40. In the 7th it could have been my "day-maker" as Strong Composition went off at a juicy 4/1 as another 40% Club play. Trainer Larry Pilotti only makes the club under one set of conditions - when Luis Saez rides. Saez had him pressing between horses, but when they spun out of the turn he burst to the lead and was clear to the 16th pole. Then here came my second choice in the iconic Ramsey colors for Michael Maker with Castellano up - JUST caught me in the shadow of the wire. Missed with Castellano on another Pletcher maiden that I didn't have a lot of faith in, but hey, it's a Pletcher 3yo maiden at GP.....Morning Dancer was third at 3/1. Then in the 10th it was my BET of the Day - probably the BET of the WEEK unless something unusual pops on the Monday holiday card. On Opening Day my "Best" had been in the second race with a Pletcher first-time starter, Zulu. He'd won and had looked good. But not so good that I thought, "here's a Derby horse." But in the weeks since then I'd read that his connections thought he might be that good. So when he appeared in the entries for today I was all over it. I was just a touch concerned when I was watching the pre-race day handicapping show and both Gabby Gaudet and Andy Serling were against Zulu and went with the #5 horse. I looked up Ron Nicoletti's picks and he had Zulu as his best. So I stuck with my "prime-time plus" investment. But as the betting started for the 10th - I was watching on the big screen via the live feed - the first thing I noted was that the #5 was scratched. I went online and upped the bet! Zulu broke sharply and was stalking two early leaders through the first quarter mile of a one-turn mile. As they clicked off the opening half, the first of the longshots dropped out. Jockey John Velazquez shook the reins ever so slightly and Zulu shifted to a higher cruising gear quickly collaring the leader and poking his head in front as they spun out of the turn and sprinted for the wire. For about 100 yards it looked like that one would press the favorite, but by the time they reached the furlong pole it was all over as Zulu lengthened his stride and easily drew off as much, MUCH the best! WHOOOO HOOOOO!
I was thankful that in the final minutes of wagering some "value" money had come in on the other runners that allowed Zulu to move up off the 1/9 odds and up to 1/5. So I will cash out for $60 on the BET of the Week! Tomorrow is Sunshine Millions Day with seven stakes races, and as an added bonus it is "Road To The Derby Day" in New Orleans where the Fair Grounds has multiple stakes including the first prep races for the Fair Ground Oaks, a precursor to the Kentucky Oaks, and the Grade 3 Lecomte which is a prep for the Louisiana Derby with runners hoping for a bid to the Kentucky Derby!
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