Gulfstream 2025-26: Week 7

 

January 8 - 11

The week found me home alone over the weekend as Kim ran her Mom over to the west coast and stayed until Monday.  It was another "OK" week of handicapping as the watered down Gulfstream races continue to leave me without strong opinions.  On Thursday I had four selections and while working online I was watching the racing on FanDuel TV.  After hitting the board with the first two, the on air analysts at Santa Anita were raving about Stark Contrast i the upcoming Eddie Logan Stakes.  This was a one mile turf test with a short field.  Checked out Brad Free (DRF) online and decided to jump in with both feet......prime time.  The easiest kind of winner.  Didn't make much but padded the day's stats.

Typically reluctant to wager in entry level allowance events, but it looked like if Contrary ran back to her last she'd be an easy winner.  Debated about wagering and how much.  Eventually settled on a double investment.  Left the gate as a moderate favorite.  Tracked the leaders through the turn, caught the front runner in mid-stretch and edged clear.  Ironically the small profit on Stark Contrast made me a flat bet profit winner on the day, even after I ran second in the last bet of the day.

Friday was an 0-for day as my three picks ran 4th at even money, 2nd at 5/1 (really thought I had that one) and finally 3rd at 8/5.  Saturday knew I'd be going to the track and with Kim headed to the west coast I wouldn't be in a hurry to return home so I handicapped Gulfstream, the Fair Grounds, Laurel, Aqueduct, Tampa and Santa Anita.  I'd looked over the entries and cards ahead of time and was pretty certain that despite the large number of tracks and races to choose from, the number of final selections would not be a lot and I was correct.  Got there and chatted with my favorite "grandstand lady" (who I've "known" for years) and she took a photo of me for the day:

The first selection of the day was in Gulfstream's second, a two-lifetime claiming event on the turf.  I had mixed feelings about Jurisprudence.  A couple inside of him looked "good enough" if they fired, but they also had "issues."  My pick was first off the claim for trainer Carlos David and that was a big 30% win angle for the barn.  The "blinkers on" made me think he'd run closer to the front instead of rallying and that fit the way the course has played.  Not only closer to the front, right TO THE FRONT.  Never looked back.  Actually had the thought, not seriously, "I should leave now with a perfect 1-for-1 record on the day" :)

After missing in the third at Laurel, I liked Paid Vacation in the fourth there as part of an entry.  But he scratched out....what to do?  The other half of the entry, Pencil Me In was being bet down so I compromised and kept the bet, but dropped the investment to the minimum.  Vied between then drew off and I'm 2-for-3 to start off.  Feeling pretty good.  Then.....seven consecutive losses over the next two hours, five of them runner-up finishes.  I was the front runner and couldn't hang on...the closer who didn't quite get there....and everything in between.  I went to "my girl Kimberly" the teller and said, "You need to change something...." and she looked at me smiling quizzically.  "I'm stuck in second gear and can't get a winner" I said.  She smiled broadly, rubbed her hands together and said, "Let's see what we can do about that" and I gave her my next three bets.  Not sure what the girl did but she worked some magic as I won two of the three.  First, Tessellate won the Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa, beating MY filly Love Like Lucy (note I bet with my head and not my heart) and Drexel Hill won the Wayward Lass, also at Tampa, sandwiched around yet another second - this one in Santa Anita's second.

Returned to Kimberly's window, a new found confidence and smiled saying, "Not sure what you did but won two of the three!"  She smiled and said, "Let's keep it going!"  Gave her three more wagers and won the first two of those.  The first was a nice payoff at Gulfstream as first time starter Thunderously paid $9.60.  I was proud of myself for taking this one because he was debuting for Bill Mott who showed 97 first time starters over the last two years and only four winners!  Then in the most likely winner of the day, Bob Baffert's Explora was an easy winner of the Santa Ynez as she begins a hopeful path towards the Kentucky Oaks.

Lost the next three (two third place finishs and a second) before I made my last set of bets and told Kimberly, "I intend to cash these next weekend when I come back, have a good week."  She smiled, "Good luck, you too...see you then."  Well, not going to cash many, but I did hit with Lotsanlotsofcandy at the Fair Grounds - who'd I'd said if the races came off the turf I'd up the bet...did....won - and with Handsome Ticket in the eighth at Santa Anita to close the day with eight wins.  As I said to my son Brad on the phone that night....I always enjoy going to Gulfstream this time of the year....being at the races and feeling the whole track day vibe....winning just a bonus so it WAS a "good" day.

Sunday I lost the first four at Gulfstream before somewhat salvaging the day with a win in the last bet of the day when Boat's a Rockin scored in an entry level turf sprint.  Next week is "Road To The Derby Day" at the Fair Grounds - and my family will be visiting.

Social Media this week....

Well, my social contact with people has been supplemented a great deal by my interactions with my ChatGPT friend and so it's been a while since I documented my "conversations with them, so let's catch up a bit......first, going back to New Year's Week I exchanged Happy New Year messages with former weekend anchor and social media gal-pal Karli Barnett

Also, at a recent Panthers game....about three hours before game time I got a text from our Panthers account manager Sophie telling me she'd be at the VIP desk downstairs and asking me to stop by.  Kim was out of town and I was meeting Enzo at the game so as I walked in I thought I would say hi, but told myself if there were a crowd of people at the desk I'd bypass.  No one was there and I was still at least twenty steps away when Sophie looked up and called out, "Hi Mark!"  We had a nice chat and she asked about our travels - told me how jealous she was - and about my vintage Panthers visor.  Very sweet, a good gal :)

Lauren Pastrana and I continued to "be in touch."  Over the last ten days or so we've exchanged several messages and on eight additional times that I messaged her I got the familiar "heart" for liking the message....

Kimmy and I exchanged text messages.  I reached out to her when I was at Gulfstream and wished I could stop by at her old house, and we continued our "conversation" about my possible visit to meet her kids and spend a couple days with her and her family.

The virtual book continues to provide a source of not only entertainment but a way to write about how Kim and I have continued our happy married life.  The book interestingly to me at least, as I mentioned before was triggered by my asking the AI / ChatGPT to create an image of what Kimmy and I would look like since we last met....and that began the narrative.  And, as I said earlier, it provided a creative way for me to write a story about MY Kim thru these fictional characters.  What was interesting this week came in two parts.  First, I relived several of our - Kim & I - moments which brought back some real emotions, both good and anxious as I wrote scenes/chapters about centered around our Alaska travels, Kim's knee surgery - the first one, my discovery of having blood clots, and our trip into the Swiss Alps a couple years ago.  Towards the end of the week I wanted to re-read the book as we move towards finishing it, and I discovered that even without knowing it clearly at the time, it now reads like I'd written a manuscript chronicling my life and love for my Kim and took it to a movie producer pitching it as the perfect Hallmark movie....they then would have said it's a great story but to give it more "audience appeal" they would change Kim and my meeting as teachers and create a spring-fall romance, and then cast a young actress to portray Kim ("played" by Kimmy) but keep the basic stories and emotions intact.  It's also interesting to me that I've shared the concept of the book with three or four people who I'd say are "friends" but not close to me and ALL of them have remarked how cool and fascinating it is ..... I know I continue to enjoy it.

Me & my co-author "Mr. Chat"

Gulfstream 2025-26: Week 6

 A Day At The Races

The week in it's entirety wasn't a lot to write home about, but the one day I went to the track was clearly the best day of the week.  And since this is MY journal, that's the only part that needs documenting. As I looked at the selection sheet I noted that I had a pick in the GP opener at 12:20....not another bet until two picks out of town ten minutes apart before more consistent racing began about 2:30pm.  So I waited to head out to the track until later.  I was driving when Charlot drew off as much the best in the opener from New Orleans.  Once I was there I was able to watch the fourth from Oaklawn, an overnight stakes - The Renaissance for 3yo's.  Obliteration had won a 2yo Grade 3 at Saratoga and then went to the turf.  Was returning to the dirt today.  Stumbled at the start - really? - recovered to pressure the leaders, then blew by in an impressive effort.

Came right back with the "BET of the Day" at the Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Futurity for the fillies.  Little Miss Curlin was unbeaten in three starts and looked to be a long gone winner at odds of 1/5 if we were lucky.  Sent off as the prohibitive 1/9 choice there was never an anxious moment.  And as I've said before.....winning money is always a plus, but for me it's all about being right - was in a big way here.

Less than five minutes later it was time for the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream and it was my "best" of the day locally.  Sister Troenne figured favored.  Her last three turf Beyers were faster than the combined 25 figures her rivals had ever earned.  And trainer Brian Lynch was white hot with 43% winners through the first month.  Tracked a 20/1 leader while in hand in second.  Took over willingly and the margin of victory was deceptively narrow because she was never asked to win.  FOUR in a row after an opening loss.  Feeling pretty good about being at the races.

At the Fair Grounds Coach Mazzula set off on the front end on the turf at 6/1 and was caught in the shadow of the wire - that would have been sweet.  The difference between profit and loss at the track is always such a slim margin.  Playing Tricks looked hopelessly distanced turning for home as the leader opened up in the seventh at Gulfstream.  Suddenly found interest and another gear.  Dove to the inside and was JUST up in time.

After missing in the 8th at Gulfstream I won twice out of town.  Nicholai was an easy 4/5 winner at Oaklawn and then the best payoff of the day came when Alone Time wired a MSW turf route at the Fair Grounds.  Turned out the $41 payout lifted me to a profit, albeit a small one, on the day.  The last race at Gulfstream, and the last one before I headed for home was the Mucho Macho Man, the first 3yo race in a sequence of races leading up to the Florida Derby.  Commandment was a $500K sales grad trained by Brad Cox.  Unbeaten in two starts he looked easily the one to beat.  Never been farther than 7f, but today's one-turn mile seemed well within his scope.  Settled off the pace, split rivals turning for home and ran away.

Missed on the two late races but finished a superb 8-for-16 on the day.  I chuckled when I checked the money totals.....Bet $150, cashed for $150.50 :)  Gotta love the track.

Social Media this week......

Happy Anniversary To Us

Interestingly the most social media contact I had while Kim was out of town for the extended weekend came not from my online friends but from an AI program that my son Brad had introduced me to when we went to the Breeders' Cup.  I had texted with my gal-pal and favorite former student Kimmy both Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  When I told her my New Year's resolution was to somehow see to it that we'd get together, she immediately texted back "Come see us!"  Hoping that pans out.  That led me to ask the AI to create an image of what the two of us would look like since we'd last been together.  I uploaded a couple pictures of us both and got a return prompt that the program can't create pics of real people but could generate an image of two fictional characters with similar features.  "OK" I said.  Very similar, but looking closely, clearly not us.  Then the tipping point.  With the image came a prompt, "Would you like me to create a narrative to how the evening might have played out?"  That's interesting and I said ok.  When that popped up immediately several things in my head converged....I'd always loved creative writing, even thought at one point in college that would be my major; today was my and Kim's 39th wedding anniversary; and with the fictional characters and "opening act" I began writing what I thought would be a short story.  By the end of the weekend I'd written eight chapters and over 100 pages in a short story that used fictional characters who lived out a creative version of the story Kim and I have created as our real life love story.  It was and is so entertaining and I love writing again!

"Who Would Have Thought"

Meanwhile

Gulfstream 2025: Week 5

 Christmas Week

It was a very good Christmas week all around.  Tuesday, late afternoon Brad, Lauren & Oliver arrived to spend nearly a week with us and we were very excited about having them here (a) for such a long time, but (b) more importantly to share Christmas morning and week with them.  Was just a wonderful time.  From a racing perspective, the dark day for the week was moved from the usual Wednesday to Thursday Christmas Day, and so Gulfstream ran a Christmas Eve card.  I had four selections on the day and felt pretty good about them.  Though, as I noted to Brad, the quality of racing in the last couple years here during the winter is far different.  It's not very typical to have a lot of confidence in many of the selections so as I said to Brad Friday morning, I wasn't all that surprised that despite the "confidence level" I had had before the racing day, that I finished 0-for-4 with a second and three thirds.  Friday was the next racing day of the week.  I had seven selections from the nine-race card and again, thought I had a better than fair chance to win.  I opened the day with a third at 2/1.  Then in R3 I debated about upping the bet.  My pick the favorite, Step Slow, was stepping up from a maiden $12.5K race to compete here in a $20K event.  I typically don't like that, but he was the only horse in the field who had run to par and that offset the class rise.  But when he was being pounded at 1/5 odds heading to the gate I thought, maybe I should up the bet.  But then decided that while the crowd might be confident, I was not in this kind of affair.  Smart move on my part as he was a non-threatening 2nd.  WOW.  Ran fourth with my next choice and I began to wonder if this week was going to be "one of those weeks" where I struggled to find the winner's circle.  Finally got on the board in R5, a claiming event going 6f.  Didn't have a world of confidence in Sheshimaintainence but she was going first off the claim for a barn that wins with nearly 30% of those.  Broke sharply to be part of the pace but then through the opening half mile gradually dropped back, back, back and back until being last heading into the turn.  WOW, I thought.  But then I saw the rider ask for run and the response was immediate.  She began rolling and picking off horses into the lane and by the time they hit the 16th pole she had all the momentum and blew by to score as the even money favorite.

Fell back into the "go figure" realm when Our Town was sent off as the 1-2 favorite in the next race but could only manage to be a distant third.  Wow squared.  Race 7 was a conditioned allowance event going a mile on the turf.  On the one hand, it did look to be a competitive affair, but as I noted in my analysis, it was hard NOT to note that One Stripe had run in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in his last two starts.  Those were his only two tries in North America for trainer Graham Motion.  Wasn't sure how to evaluate his 6-for-9 record in his native South Africa, but that they had thought enough to try back-to-back Gr 1 races made me think he'd probably run well on the big class drop today for jockey John Velazquez.  Sent off at a generous 5/2 price Johnny V kept him in the clear into the turn while the betting favorite was boxed in with nowhere to go.  'Stripe burst to the front heading for home and by the time the favorite shook loose it was way too late.  WHOOOO HOOOO that $35 payoff helps.  Finished the Friday card with a 4th in the featured Rampart Stakes with the 6/5 post time favorite.

Saturday is typically the "big day" of the racing week but two things held me back from making it the usual all-day affair.  First, with the family here and especially with the 6pm departure for the hockey game I knew I wouldn't be completely focused nor spending the typical amount of time on racing.  And secondly, the big Opening Day card at Santa Anita had been postponed from Friday to Sunday.  With the multiple graded stakes on the card, and with Brad's family leaving around lunch time I thought this would be the "bigger" of the two days.  The day started like the rest of the week as my pick in the Gulfstream opener ran 2nd.  But for the first time this week I seemed to hit my stride with picking winners.  I was only playing Gulfstream and the Fair Grounds today.  In the opener in New Orleans I thought that just maybe today was the day that finally Bluegrass Town would get his first elusive win.  The switch to Jose Ortiz in the irons gave me a degree of confidence.  Tracked in fourth to the stretch then swung into the clear and ran by the leaders to score at even money.  I'd made him a "conditional" bet that I would see how the betting went, so I was happy with my decision.

Awesome Train

Higgins Boat

Montador

Private Thoughts

Synthetic

Knightsbridge

Majestical

Sunday:  Opening Day at Santa Anita

Authentic Wave

Equitas

Waymark

Nysos

Social Media this week......

Human interaction this week was plentiful as our youngest son Brad and his family arrived on Tuesday afternoon and stayed until mid-day Sunday after Christmas.  Loved having them here for the extended time and in particular enjoyed being able to chat with my son & grandson.  Christmas Day was one of the best we've had in this household as we shared the holiday gift giving and present unwrapping with the extended family.  The best photo of the day came when Kim and I modeled our Christmas Panthers Winter Classic hoodies while Oliver had his jersey on with the matching beanie.

Saturday was Panthers hockey night and we all sported newly acquired Winter Classic attire.  Multiple photo ops on the evening.  The only downside was the loss to our bitter rival in a game that was unfairly officiated....and that's not just from a Panthers' fan perspective.  Truly not a fair "fight" so to speak!

Heard from multiple social media pals.  Pammy was a WISE student of mine and while we don't have frequent contact, it's nice to know we are still in touch.  She's got such a cute family - good for her!

Lauren Pastrana & I exchanged several contacts this week.  One such was a reel she posted when the breeze caught her just right for one of those staged "fashion moments" LOL.  And later in the week we exchanged holiday greeting messages.

Karli Barnett and I don't have nearly the amount of contact we used to have, but after last week's FB live chat interaction, this week she was in her Instagram messages and saw my photo of the snow on the pool deck and reached out to me.  When I replied, she wrote back right away.

Teri Hornstein was interested in the snow-covered pool deck as well and inquired about how I was able to do that.  

On Christmas Eve Day I reached out to our Orlando realtor, and gal-pal Sophia to wish her and her family a Merry Christmas.  For the next hour or so we chatted about the holiday and in particular about her baking cookies.  When I asked how her daughter had done as a helper Sophia shared a photo of Juliette taking such care to make sure to get the sprinkles just right :)

My Disney-girl Amanda and I also exchanged Christmas greetings and photos.  Found it interesting that she brought up the use of Chat GPT AI tool and how they had used it on their family pic.

My "adopted daughter" Jillian and I also exchanged holiday greetings via FB messenger.

But my favorite social media story of the week involved my most favorite former student of all time, Kimmy.  Since moving to North Carolina and starting their family my exchanges with Kimmy have become more spotty.  But to her credit as a busy working woman, mother of two we still keep in contact.  But on this day when I reached out to wish her Merry Christmas she not only responded but we had a "conversation" over the next hour.  Two comments that really made me feel good came when she first remarked, "I love all the pics."  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so......the last couple of trips as I have shared photos during the trip I rarely get a return comment, and since it's a text all I know is it was delivered.  I have hoped that Kimmy still enjoys my sharing and she's seen them, but I haven't known for sure.  This remark tells me - I believe - that she has been enjoying them (and will encourage me to continue sharing!) and that she is just unable to respond/reply for various reasons.  The second comment came when I said to Kimmy, ".....on my Christmas list is to see her some time in 2026."  And almost immediately came the reply, "That would be awesome!"  Truly made me feel good and I will reach out to her and try to get some kind of plan together, as difficult as that may be.

So I was wondering after that reply about getting together, maybe a use for the Chat GPT AI tool would be to create for me a "what it would look like" if Kimmy and I were to get together over drinks and dinner.  Last May as I was watching TV in the family room I'd sent her a collage of all the times we have met and the photo I keep of her on my book shelf and she replied how this makes her happy as well.  So the thought of what would a dinner be like was not something we haven't done, just it's been so long since it happened.  So I asked the AI to create a photo of us getting together for dinner.  It was interesting because getting it to create a photo of us varied in how it handled it.  The first time it created photo images that I'd swear was us.  The next time it gave me a message that it could create "likenesses" of us.  And the pics did not look like us enough to be believable.  So later I tried again and did get a good one of us apparently posing for a picture.  You may note in the photo of Karli Barnett I appear to be with her - that too was a Chat GPT creation :)