March 28 - 31
We arrived back in the United States from our Mediterranean Cruise (click HERE to see the pics and read the stories from this amazing journey!) late Tuesday night, and I had already handicapped the Thursday card (no racing Wed this week) while flying home from Europe. So I was able to spend all of Wednesday beginning to prepare for Saturday's big Florida Derby Day program. On Thursday I had four selections and didn't cash any tickets - two seconds, a third and a fourth with three of those selections leaving the gate as odds-on favorites. The Friday card was unique in that there were three stakes races late in the program, ALL of which are normally run on Florida Derby Day. My first bet of the day came in the second race, a non-winners of two lifetime claiming event and the lightly raced Levy Land looked pretty obvious. Of the five races showing you could easily dismiss three of them and the other two were a maiden win vs. $35K runners and a good third vs. OPEN company. Today's restricted $125K field looked very beatable. Right to the front and after taking pressure through the opening quarter she opened up and drew off easily.
The next bet was in the fourth, a maiden claiming event for sophomores going seven furlongs. Firery Tale who was in the Barclay Tagg barn. The struggling mark of 1-for-24 was a concern, but 'Tale had run in three straight MSW events on the turf. Her lone try on the dirt came at this same distance against open MSW runners at Belmont and resulted in a sharp third in her debut. Sent off at a generous - in my opinion - 9/5 she tracked the leaders and blew by as much the best. Two for two!
I missed in the next four, though I was REALLY close at 3/1 in the Gr 3 Appleton. That brought us to the last bet on the card and it was my BET of the Day, the Grade 3 Orchid Handicap. I had liked Chad Brown's Santa Monica on the Pegasus undercard, and she was a rallying, just-miss second over soft going. She'd been coming off a long layoff and I thought today with one under her belt, and with the firm going she was a clear-cut favorite. She was well bet, but was still multiple lengths back turning for home as she fanned nearly six wide. Leading rider Irad Ortiz seemed to have the leaders measured and as I watched the live feed on the big screen in the family room it was OH SO CLOSE, but if I had had to wager on the outcome I would have said she had won the head bob of the photo. And she did!
With the "BET of the DAY" investment I finished 3-for-7 and had made a profit for the day! WHOOOO HOOOOO!
Florida Derby Day: March 30
The arrival of Saturday meant that the signature day of the meet was here. It's always the best day of the season, regardless of the outcome. But to be honest I was less enthused as we headed out. I think it was due to a few factors......our best friends Sue & Dan had never missed a Derby Day, but with the four of us just getting back from Europe on Tuesday they couldn't get down to Florida so quickly - plus Sue is coming next weekend for a Girl's Weekend. Second, we only had thirteen (including Kim and I) going today where as we normally have twenty plus guests. I knew part of it was that I missed my father-in-law Ed Woods who passed away a month ago, he always enjoyed going to the races with us and they too had never missed a Derby Day. And I'm sure some of it was because I was still recovering from the long European adventure and travel. Still, I really enjoyed being with the crowd of friends that showed up. I was happy our daughter Julie and her beau, Brendon, came down. Always enjoy being with the Nelson clan - they got some friends/family to come along. And newcomers Kathy and Ron Salerno joined. Kathy and I had taught together at Western High many years ago and had been the best of friends. We'd talked about them joining us for years, and it finally came to fruition today!
I missed on the first three selections but felt VERY confident in the fourth, the first graded stakes of the day....the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Todd Pletcher's Prince Lucky looked like a standout, and he romped as the BET of the Day!
Now here we go I thought! But as it turned out I would miss with two very tight photo finishes and not collect again until late in the program when Jason Servis and Irad Ortiz connected with Restoring Hope. Not hard to figure when these two are together as they were winning at better than a 50% clip for the meet and I'd made a lot of money with them.
Of the thirteen races I bet (from fourteen carded) I was first-second-or-third in seven of them, just couldn't get more than two home first. I have mixed feelings about "the one that got away." Last year on Derby Day, Gulfstream announced they were having a mandatory payout on the Rainbow Pick-6 and expected the pool to grow to more than $15 Million for a $0.20 bet. I told everyone in the group and we split a ticket after the previous year my buddy Jeff Nelson hit it. But we went 5-for-6 last year and all lost out money and the year before when Jeff won it he made very little money, even with the giant pot because it was a mandatory payout. I made a ticket and considered offering it to everyone to split, and then I thought maybe I'd just offer it to Jeff and we'd split it for $50 each. But in the end I thought I'd pass because I next to never win those and I didn't want to give away the $50. Should have played.....
Well, you never know right? WOULD have cashed for $950 for the $50, about $150 each jad we split it 13 ways at $7 per person. But if I'd played all the times I have thought about it I'd be well behind. And my "logic" on any other day would have been if I won two or three in the sequence I'd have made considerable money rather than losing it all. Very disappointed in my Derby pick who really had the look of a star (and was our son Jeff's future bet in yhe Ky Derby). Scroll down to see all the photos from the day!
Sunday March 31: Closing Day
I debated Friday, after I'd handicapped the Derby Day card if I'd play on Sunday, so should I handicap. But I didn't sleep well Friday night so when I was up, very early, I handicapped the card and found a few bets. I won the opener and in the last official race of the meet I scored at 2/1 with a double investment bet! Good way to end the meet and move into the spring-summer-fall racing seasons!
I missed on the first three selections but felt VERY confident in the fourth, the first graded stakes of the day....the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Todd Pletcher's Prince Lucky looked like a standout, and he romped as the BET of the Day!
Of the thirteen races I bet (from fourteen carded) I was first-second-or-third in seven of them, just couldn't get more than two home first. I have mixed feelings about "the one that got away." Last year on Derby Day, Gulfstream announced they were having a mandatory payout on the Rainbow Pick-6 and expected the pool to grow to more than $15 Million for a $0.20 bet. I told everyone in the group and we split a ticket after the previous year my buddy Jeff Nelson hit it. But we went 5-for-6 last year and all lost out money and the year before when Jeff won it he made very little money, even with the giant pot because it was a mandatory payout. I made a ticket and considered offering it to everyone to split, and then I thought maybe I'd just offer it to Jeff and we'd split it for $50 each. But in the end I thought I'd pass because I next to never win those and I didn't want to give away the $50. Should have played.....
Well, you never know right? WOULD have cashed for $950 for the $50, about $150 each jad we split it 13 ways at $7 per person. But if I'd played all the times I have thought about it I'd be well behind. And my "logic" on any other day would have been if I won two or three in the sequence I'd have made considerable money rather than losing it all. Very disappointed in my Derby pick who really had the look of a star (and was our son Jeff's future bet in yhe Ky Derby). Scroll down to see all the photos from the day!
Sunday March 31: Closing Day
I debated Friday, after I'd handicapped the Derby Day card if I'd play on Sunday, so should I handicap. But I didn't sleep well Friday night so when I was up, very early, I handicapped the card and found a few bets. I won the opener and in the last official race of the meet I scored at 2/1 with a double investment bet! Good way to end the meet and move into the spring-summer-fall racing seasons!
Florida Derby Day In Pictures
