Christmas Week Racing

 December 22 - 26

It was a busy holiday week with lots going on, but thanks to the wonder of the Internet I was able to play the races every day there was live racing, including a massive day of racing on Sunday the 26th, a lot of which came while we were traveling home from our trip to Orlando to visit with our grandson for Christmas.  The Wednesday card at Gulfstream had ten races on the card, SEVEN of which were on the new Tapeta all-weather surface.  I'll be anxious when I run the numbers for the first month of the meet to see what kind of results I'm getting on the new track.  It SEEMS to me that I am not winning or losing any more or less than on the dirt or the turf.  The first bet of the week was in the second, a two turn event on that artificial surface and I liked Appointing.  Two back he'd beaten a notch better, decisively.  And then I thought he ran even better in his last when facing much better and running sixth, only four off the winner in a race that was TEN lengths faster.  He broke sharply then allowed a price horse to take the lead.  Swung outside of him on the turn and drew away to score at better than 2/1 odds.  Only had the minimum.  

Went winless the rest of the day with only four other races drawing my attention.  The Thursday card had another ten races, with a good mix on the three surfaces.  But I honestly could only find three races where I felt I had an edge.  The BEST of the Day came in the fifth race where we were going a mile on the turf course.  I was perplexed to see that neither Mike Welsch of the Daily Racing Form or Ron Nicoletti from Gulfstream had my top choice, Whimsical Muse on top.  The key to the race came in reading the conditions.  For this race they were, "....for 3yo and up which have never won three races or have not won a race since June 23...."  Knowing this, look at the past performances for my top choice....

Hello, duh!  Could the fit be any more snug?  AND with 4 wins on the turf, AND with the top rider on board?  What were they thinking.  I made her the BET of the Day.  Tracked the leaders in third and fourth to the far turn, swung up three wide to blow by and ran off as clearly, CLEARLY the best.  Every year you get a couple of winners that are like this - a near perfect fit for the dated conditions.  Just have to read those every day, every race!  Missed on the other two, one of which when the horse broke in the air, spotting the field half a dozen lengths.  WOW.

Friday, Christmas Eve Day!  The first multi-win of the week.  Unfortunately two of the three were with minimum bets.  I was engaged and very interested throughout the day because Xpressbet was offering a free $10 bet on the Rainbow Pick-6.  The pool was over $550K when the sequence began.  I thought I had a good chance for only $9.60 and of course I'd get it all back should it not come in.  I hit the first leg and had the top two choices in the next - ran 2nd.  Sigh....but I singled in the last two legs and I ran 2nd in the next-to-last leg as well, so I wouldn't have won.  The payoff was over $800 with no one taking down the entire pool.  I got my first winner in the opener, a two-turn event on the all weather for maiden claimers.  Beastfromtheeast pressed the pace into the far turn then took off as much the best.  Got my second win in the day's seventh, a claiming event for two-year-olds.  Yes I'm The Beast was ridden by model-jockey, hottie Chantal Sutherland for trainer Jorge Delgado - the same connections from the day's first race winner!

The "first beast" wins.....

......and then the second beast wins!

The highlight of the day - after seeing the Pick-6 chances evaporate came in the day's finale....but fortunately for me Xpressbet was offering a money back special on the races today as well as the FREE Pick-6 wager1 It was a stakes race to close out the card, and it was the highly unusual distance of TWO MILES on the turf.  Noboday ever - or hardly ever - goes that far.  So I looked for marathon runners, but then I found the key to the race.  Todd Pletcher's Abaan, ridden by top jockey Luis Saez, was the one and ONLY front runner.  While he'd never been two miles, coasting on the front end he'd have no problem going the added ground.

Gotta love playing for FREE!

Christmas Day saw no racing but we had a great day.  Opened gifts in the morning and it was so fun to watch the little man, Oliver enjoy the excitement of Christmas.  In the afternoon we all went to see the latest Spiderman movie and it was a GREAT movie.  Even more impressive was the fact that the five year old sat there transfixed for over two hours watching his favorite (for now) superhero in action.  A wonderful day.  

SUPER SUNDAY STAKES DAY

Today was Opening day at Santa Anita and it featured SIX graded stakes.  It was also "Road To The Derby Kickoff Day" at the Fair Grounds with six stakes.  At Laurel there were another half dozen stakes on their "Christmastide Stakes Day" card; and finally Gulfstream had two stakes events.  We played until close to noon then drove home.  But before we headed out I made bets for the first half of the big day.  Once we got home I watched the replays of the first half of the day's action.  I was a disappointing 3rd at 6/5 with a Todd Pletcher maiden at Gulfstream - that's unusual.  Won my first stakes even in Laurel's second, the Gin Talking Stakes for two-year-olds.  Buy The Best looked like a standout, even in a group of lightly raced juveniles.  She'd won two in a row, including a stakes race - here.  And her last two figures TOWERED over every other number on the page.  She swooped up to collar the lone speed entering the turn and edged clear late.  "Here we go I thought," but that was NOT to be the case as I proceeded to lose SEVEN straight (two seconds and two thirds in that mix).

Finally, in the fifth at the Fair Grounds I got back into the winner's circle.  It was the Blushing K.D. Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf course.  It appeared that Summer In Saratoga was a very legitimate favorite in here.  Already a 6x winner on the turf, she'd crossed the wire first in both of her last two trips over the New Orleans grass, including a win in the Tom Benson Memorial last March in her last here.  She was exiting a win in the Grade 3 Dowager at Keeneland last time out to run in this listed event.  But as the field hit the far turn she was still last of the field for jockey Corey Lanerie.  He asked for her run and she began picking off horses, but to get clear sailing she was some 6 or more wide into the lane, losing valuable lengths.  She was gaining with every stride but the wire was coming quickly.  In the shadow of the wire she got her head in front and edged clear by less than a length.  I'd tripled the bet and on the 6/5 price I cashed for nearly $35!  

Made it wo in a row with a "prime time" bet in Santa Anita's fourth, a maiden special sprint going six furlongs.  Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has spent the mast many winters in South Florida at Gulfstream.  But in the last year and change he's had several mounts for Bob Baffert who's based in So Cal.  This year, Velazquez had committed to ride on that circuit and this horse, Shaaz had to be one of the many reasons why.  The $1.1 Million sales grad was debuting today with some sizzling works.  DRF analyst Brad Free noted that his recent work was with an accomplished allowance winner, and he clearly out-worked that one.  Free not only put Shaaz on top, but made him his BEST Bet of the Day!  Much like the Fair Grounds winner in the previous race I was more than a little concerned when heading to the far turn he was at the back of the field.  Uh oh, and adding to that was the fact that his stablemate was loose on the lead.  But into the turn he began to accelerate and pick off horses.  However, like at the Fair Grounds, so wide into the lane it cost him several of the lengths he'd made up and it appeared the "other Baffert" had something left.  It was three strides to two Shaaz was gaining, but it was slowly and would not be in time until at the 16th pole he found another gear and burst by to be up in time!  WHOOOO HOOOO!

Three out of four, and we're heading into another stakes at Laurel that I felt pretty comfortable about, the Robert T. Manfuso Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth.  As I said in my analysis, I always look for who the favorite is and are they vulnerable.  If not, are they a good bet.  Well in this case, Cordmaker was a legitimate favorite I thought.  He'd won two of his last three and three of his last six with the only off-the-board try in a graded event.  Even more "OH" was the fact that of the 87 running lines on the page, not a single one - none - would beat either of his last two Beyers.  He rode the rail saving ground in third until they spun out of the far turn.  Shifted three wide and accelerated to the front and edged clear as a popular winner.  Again a 6/5 number and again cashed for over $30.

Missed at Gulfstream with a minimum play before the Richard Scherer Memorial at the Fair Grounds came up.  I had caught up to live racing and was now watching live feeds as they loaded into the gate for this five and a half furlong turf sprint.  Just Might was the play here and as I noted, you COULD use a number of angles to try and beat him.  On the upside, in his last six races....toss the graded try two back, and what you had were FIVE STRAIGHT WINS in listed stakes like this.  Now to be fair, and this COULD be one of those "play against" angles, the last three were all on the main track.  BUT his numbers on the turf and the dirt didn't seem to be any different, and I really liked the fact that he'd gone wire to wire in his last, the Thanksgiving Day Classic on Opening Day on a drack labeled as favoring closers!  Not only wired the field, but won "geared down" according to the comment line.  Right to the front, dueled...put that rival away, was clear in the lane and when the field got within a couple of lengths in mid-stretch he opened up again to win without any threat.

No sooner had the Fair Grounds gone official than they were loading into the gate for the Gulfstream feature, the Tropical Park Derby.  No surprise that I liked Todd Pletcher's Never Surprised.  And as an added bonus here, jockey Luis Saez had a white-hot hand today as he was looking for his FIFTH win on the program, wow.  Really, REALLY hard to look past this one and the fact that he was NOT less than even money was amazing to me.  Here's why.....his overall record was 6/3-3-0 and his last two wins had come in listed events like this.  ALL THREE losses were best-of-the-rest second place finishes in GRADED stakes, oh.  On top of this he was the LONE SPEED.....and drawn inside.  OH MY.  Need more, well, the reason he was my BEST of the Day at GP was that of the 137 races on the page for his rivals, none of them...ZERO, beat either of his last two.  How does this Pletcher colt leave the gate at odds of 1-2?  Right to the front, took some early pressure and the early pace seemed fast, but as they were 2/3 down the backstretch he effortlessly widened the margin.  Continued to draw off on the turn and when asked in the lane he distanced the field by nearly a pole.  WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!

My seventh winner on the day and now the day was more like I expected.  Three disappointing efforts at less than even money led me to the final play of the day.  At Santa Anita there were six graded stakes on the card.  BUT this week had seen a deluge of rain and all the races were off the grass so I lost several what I thought were good bets.  The final race on my sheet, the Grade 1 Malibu was the national feature and had one of the most intriguing three-year-olds in the country.  Check out the past performances....

Those Beyer figures - oh my!  So here was the "problem" with Flightline.  First, he'd coasted home in both those scintillating wins, so what would happen if he faced a REAL challenge?  That second win had been an ENTRY level allowance, today he was in a Grade 1.  AND the second choice in my analysis was a 3yo - like him - who'd just run 2nd in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint after WINNING the Grade 1 Bing Crosby and Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in his previous two starts.  Compare my analysis to that of handicapper & track announcer Vic Stauffer - which when I read it made me give pause....

But I stuck with my opinion.  I was surprised, and agreed with all the analysts on the TVG broadcast who were saying THEY were surprised at how short a price Flightline was in the betting.  But in MY opinion, I thought he was going to run huge today.  Immediately upon the gates opening, trouble was brewing as he broke slowly.  Jockey Flavian Prat sent him up between rivals and got to the front before they'd gone a quarter of a mile.  Let me tell you - when a front runner does NOT get immediately to the front and has to use extra energy early to get that spot, almost always they pay for it in the lane.  ONLY when they can slow the pace down do they often keep going.  But not today.  He had pressure through a swift opening quarter in :22 flat and while he was clear into the turn, the half mile split was a wicked :44.2.  And, did I mention he was going SEVEN furlongs today?  This can't be good.  But then, the "OH MY....WOW" performance of the weekend - he opened up, effortlessly!  And while that two time graded stakes winner was being asked for his best, Flightline was opening up by nearly a dozen without ever being asked.  YOWZA!  The connections following the race were excited about stretching him out to classic distances.  We may have the next big superstar here!

Check out the number on this win - OH MY....squared.

For the day I cashed on eight winners, a good 33% - especially considering the way the day started.  Didn't make money since NONE of them were big payoffs, but on the day I had not one but THREE prime-time plays and cashed on all of them.  Next week is New Year's Day on Saturday, but there WILL be live racing with multiple stakes events at Gulfstream, and I'll be there!

Christmas Week Racing Highlights

Social Media - this week I had a few contacts online.....

It was our good friend Mishele's birthday and we exchanged messages....

And it was my good buddy Jeff Nelson's adorable daughter Chloe's birthday as well....

And among the many Christmas wishes exchanged online two were to Gulfstream handicapper Acacia Courtney and CBS-4 Anchor Karli Barnett.

Harlan's Holiday Week

December 15 - 19 

It was the first "Super Saturday" of the meet with FIVE stakes, four of them graded in what was billed as "Pegasus Preview Day."  But the truth of the matter, to those who follow the racing closely here, is that many of the stakes contenders today would be longshots at best on THE BIG Day in January.  It was a good week of racing and several of my key angles/thoughts proved to lead to winners this week.  Here's how the week played out as we head closer towards the Christmas Holiday.....

You know I had to wonder how the week was going to go when in the first race of the day on Wednesday, and my first wager of the week, my horse ran FOURTH at 1/5 odds.  Ouch.  But I came back to score in the second with Lunar Blast who got the best of a photo finish after dueling the length of the stretch in a two-lifetime one-turn mile.  

Missed in the fourth but then came the fifth, a five furlong dash on the all-weather Tapeta surface in another two-lifetime event.  As I went through the field the one thing I could say with conviction was that there were NO legitimate win candidates.  But, well, here's my analysis....

Of course, like so often, my pick was away slowly but Saez moved him up quickly into fourth and was three wide through the turn.  Surged between runners in mid-stretch and was up in time!  AND, the best news was he was an inflated 5/1 price.  Wish I'd at least doubled the bet, but to be fair, I didn't think anyone had a legitimate edge so it was a true value angle.

In the seventh it was a one-turn mile, entry level allowance, but for me it was oh-so-obvious.  I know that 16x training king Todd Pletcher doesn't win every race he enters, but there are some angles with his horses - especially here at Gulfstream in the winter - that nearly always pay off.  And in the case of Liam, he met not one but two of those angles:  First, a lightly raced and talented horse making a comeback off a long layoff.  Those kind, especially on the main track win at a HIGH percentage.  And secondly, first time running for Pletcher.  He almost always seems to have them peaking to prove to the ownership that they made a wise choice moving the runner into his barn.  Check out his past performances:

Away quickly he was confronted by a 7/1 pace rival.  Put that one away on the turn, and then the stalkers and finishers began to close in as they turned for home.  How good is this guy....very good.  He opened up and drew off as MUCH the best allowing me to cash on my third winner of the day!

Thursday, unlike Wednesday I started the day off with a short priced winner.  The identical 1/5 price was offered on Dominant Joy who had already failed to deliver on four occasions.  BUT, two of those efforts had been two turns on the turf and she obviously wants no part of the grass.  The two tries on the dirt produced runner-up finishes.  They BOTH produced Beyer figures above par for this level, and both were in events for a bigger tag than today.  Looked much the best.  Was away slowly, again for me - wow - but rushd up the rail to the leaders.  Moved outside on the turn then drew off earning the patented call from Announcer Pete, "....that's EEEEAASSSYYYYY MONEY!...."

In the second it was hard to look at Whiskeyonhislips and not immediately move on.  Not once, but SIX times she'd gone down in flames as the favorite, from prices as low as 8/5 and all the way down to 3/5.  And she would be a miniscule price today.  But, as I often say, it's all about the match-up.  She moved to the lead turning for home and watching her visually I would say she was ready to call it a day but jockey Luis Saez NEVER lets his horses quit and he pushed her.  She responded and held all the challengers safe to score at 1-2 odds.

Three of the next four selections I'd made all scratched, wow again (ran sixth at 7/2 with the other) before it was time for the finale, a MSW for two-year-olds and YES Virginia, there was a Todd Pletcher filly in the field.  Avow was a $300K daughter of champion Arrogate with bullet works and Luis Saez in a field that looked moderate at best.  Considered going ALL in but decided, it's only Thursday, let's stick to the plan and play the triple investment.  The gates opened and A-G-A-I-N there was my horse last out of the gate.  But this time, not only breaking poorly, but hopping at the start and literally the entire field moved away in the TV picture and no sign of my filly.  To the turn, STILL no sign of Avow.  But watching the chicklets on the bottom of the screen I could tell she was making up ground and as I did, Announcer Pete called that she was "lifting her feet now."  She soared up outside the field, circling them and picking off horses then was some six wide into the lane but accelerated again and not only won, but by by daylight....going away....and geared down.  The WOW MOMENT of the week.  Check out the video of the race, just WOW.  Maybe my Oaks filly?

Friday - well let's just say that I thought it was a pretty weak card to start with and by the time I was done handicapping I had only three selections from the nine race.  Ran second twice and was eased in the other pick.  Not my best day at the races, but fortunately there were not many picks today.

Headed out to Gulfstream for the big Saturday of racing and I was excited for the four graded events.  I'd seriously considered putting all my energy into JUST Gulfstream and not playing any other track.  I also, at the time invited Kim to come with me for the day so I didn't want to be going back and forth to watch races.  But when the weather looked "iffy" at best we decided it wasn't a good time for her to come with me, much less to sit there for over six hours while I did my thing and she just sat and people watched.  So I decided to add another track....then a third...and then a fourth.  I tried to be a little more picky about the out-of-town race selections, but at the end of the day, man was I glad I'd decided to add on Aqueduct and Laurel in particular!  The opener at Gulfstream was a five-furlong turf dash for 2yo MSW runners and Mr. Pletcher had one.  Bet down to even money he sat near the back, and stayed there.  WOW - not the way I'd envisioned the day beginning.  The opener at Aqueduct was coming up and while I'd told myself to only play out-of-town runners who had solid form and credentials I'd picked Early Voting in this one-turn mile MSW for juveniles.  The six lined up from the rail out looked below average....at best.  That left the first time starter on the outside.  Early Voting was a Chad Brown trainee, from the Klaravich Stables, with Jose Ortiz up.  OK, now in comparison to everyone else, he wins.  As I watched the early betting he was getting hammered.  Apparently somebody knows something for him to not only be ONE of the favorites but to be THE short-priced favorite.  So I upped the bet to a double investment.  Broke sharply - how my, how unusual for one of MY picks - and pressed the leader to the turn.  Responded when asked and ran away as easily best.  WHOOO HOOO.

Missed at Gulfstream in a race that was a stretch-long duel and a PHOTO finish.  Watched the replay multiple times and I thought, not only "maybe" did I win, but I was sure of it.  Then the camera started following the "OTHER" horse.  What the?  C'mon man, seriously?

Things took a turn for the better after that - you just gotta move on - and it started at Laurel Park.  There had no racing in Maryland for several weeks because after putting down a new track there'd been several incidents of horses having to be put down.  But they'd gotten the "all clear" to race again beginning this past Saturday.  I like playing Laurel so I was happy to be "back" at the Maryland Jockey Club venue.  The second was a conditioned allowance going a one-turn mile, and as I said, it was all about the promise of how good Miss Chesapeake COULD be rather than what she'd shown.  After a runaway win in a sprint debut she'd been sent immediately to stakes action where she was a good fourth in the Politely Stakes.  Could she get the added ground, her Tomlinsons said yes.  Stalked the leaders in mid-pack to the turn, swept up and on by to win going away.  Was 5/1 when I bet her, went off at 2/1 and I wished I'd wagered more.

Right back with what turned out to be my lone win in Tampa (after a good Saturday there last week).  Quick Conversation was a Christophe Clement trained filly in a MSW turf sprint.  The four Beyers in her career topped 47 of the 48 lifetime numbers of her rivals, and the last three topped all 48.  Edged up on the leader into the lane, but could not put that one away until deep stretch.  Still, a win's a win.  And as a side note.....I'd "found" two of my most favorite tellers, "the Twins" in the simulcast wagering area.  So I spent the day with them today.  I've often written about them for a couple reasons.  First, one of them is blonde and the other darker haired and the blonde's name is Kimberly and the other Karen.  SO similar to my wife and her twin.  Secondly, they are big Florida Panther fans and we often talk hockey.  We are as much "friends" as you can be without actually BEING friends.  So after winning the Tampa race I asked Kimberly if she'd mind doing a selfie with her sister and I.  And so we did :)

My second most favorite set of twins :)

Missed in the fourth at Tampa before scoring again at Aqueduct.  Much like Miss Chesapeake at Laurel it was all about what COULD be with Happy Medium.  After a ho-hum debut she'd gone to the bench for six months.  Came back with an eye-popping 9 1/2 length win earning a stakes-worthy 103 Beyer speed figure.  Backed that up in her next, an entry level allowance with a daylight score and a 93 Beyer - still good enough to beat many stakes runners.  How would she do today?  Hustled to the front and immediately cleared the field.  Opened up under a hand ride and widened the margin to mid-stretch before being geared down through the final 100 yards in a truly impressive effort.

Time for the stakes action to begin at Gulfstream!  Nothing is an "absolute" in handicapping, but one of the best angles is the "Double Beyer" advantage.  That's when the last two numbers by the top choice is better than all the LIFETIME figures of the rest of the field.  Well, in the Grade 3 Suwannee River, Shifty She's LAST THREE speed figures topped the combined 166 career numbers on the page.  AND she exited a wire-to-wire win in a Grade 3 at Belmont.  Right to the front, looked long gone, but then a back-class Todd Pletcher filly ran her down at 6/1 odds.  WOW.....Pletcher, just when you least expect it sometimes!  Back at Aqueduct where Bold Journey looked hard to beat in a MSW sprint for juveniles.  Just like Happy Medium in the previous....right to the front and never threatened.  THREE wins in New York already!

Missed on three straight at Gulfsteam including with Queen Nekia in the Rampart  where I thought the field was pretty evenly matched, but she was Ron Nicoletti's BEST of the Day.  Fourth at 9/2.  And the final of the trio was a head-bobbing second with 3ven money choice Fran's Rocket in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl.  But sandwiched in between were two of the better wins of the day :)  The sixth at Laurel was a conditioned allowance sprint and I liked Fraudulent Charge.  As I wrote, the big question for you as a bettor here was did you believe she simply didn't like to win or was it where she'd run.  She showed a career mark of 7/1-5-1, oh, that's not good.  BUT four of those losses came when 2nd or 3rd in stakes company.  The other two losses came in allowance races where the winner came right back to score with authority, the second of which was the winner of the Politely Stakes.  Recognize that race?  That was the one that my first Laurel winner today, Miss Chesapeake had run 4th in prior to her start today.  So I wrote during the handicapping to reflect on how SHE had run before making the bet.  Because Miss Chesapeake had won emphatically I decided to go PRIME TIME with Fraudulent Charge.  She was sitting at 2/1 when I bet, what are people thinking.  But was hammered down to odds on by post time.  From the nine hole the rider smartly let the field burst out, and dropped down to the three path and began stalking while saving ground.  Began moving 3-wide on the turn and easily assumed command before running away.  WHOOP WHOOP.

The other notable win came in the Aqueduct co-feature, the New York Sire Series Fifth Avenue Stakes for 2yo fillies.  Immediately when I looked at the race Yo Cuz jumped off the page to me.  Why?  Well, first, because she was a maiden, yep...a maiden entered in a stakes.    Then I looked at the trainer - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who's well known to be a conservative sort.  He would NOT be putting a maiden into a stakes unless she had some talent I was certain.  In her career debut she'd broken dead last in a field of a dozen and was quickly THIRTEEN off the leaders.  Closed with a rush to come within 4 1/2 of the winner.  And best of all, one of my favorite angles, a best-of-117 - yes one-hundred-seventeen - bullet work.  She took money but was a fair 3/1 price at post time.  Broke a step slowly, but quickly split rivals and took command.  I could see on the turn the other riders were asking for some run and my jockey was motionless.  Wire-to-wire and I cashed for $40!

After a loss as the 3/2 favorite at Tampa it was time for the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream.  Todd Pletcher's Fearless and I had a history :)  He'd won for me in his maiden and again in his second start, and I remember seeing that allowance win on Holy Bull Day when I was at the track with my Mom.  He was sent to the Fair Grounds to run in the Gr 2 New Orleans Handicap and I bet him but he had all kinds of issues in the stretch so when he came back at Oaklawn I bet him back.  But jockey John Velazquez took him way, WAY back to trail early before finishing with a rush to be a just-miss 2nd.  He'd closed out the 4yo season with a no-show 7th in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill before coming back HERE last February in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile.  I'd pounded him that day and he won at a generous $7.60 payoff.  Two close seconds out of town in graded stakes before another layoff.  He returned in a $60K Handicap here off the bench and was second again.  I thought that was the ideal prep for today's two-turn try.  Luis Saez had him sitting behind the embattled duo into the far turn before he glided up effortlessly to take over and run away to the short stretch first finish line.  I'd been at the head of the lane to film the break from the gate from the rail and then walked back to the first finish line to film the dramatic stretch run.

From the rail, the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday....they're off and Fearless WINS!

Cashed for over $30 on my BEST of the Day at Gulfstream.  That was the final winner for the day as I finished 8-for-22, nearly 40%.  BUT it was not the end of the excitement.  New GP analyst Brian Nadeau had hit a Pick-5 two days ago with a $36 investment that paid $1700.  Then Friday he bet an $8 ticket in the Pick-4 and it paid $952!  So I watched a video of he and hottie handicapper, my "gal-pal" Acacia Courtney analyze the Late Pick-4.  I put their tickets together with my choices and found a lot of overlap, so I played Acacia's ticket with one additional horse for a total of $15.  Here's the ticket with a photo of the lovely Acacia interviewing winning rider Luis Saez after Fearless won the Harlan's Holiday:

So in Race 8, the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl, you'll recall I ran second - but that was to the 2/1 second choice #5 who paid $6.20....I'm alive!  In the 9th i was the Harlan's Holiday - my BEST BET - and I won!  In the 10th, a "go figure" edition of the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale going nine furlongs on the turf, the winner was #1 wire-to-wire paying $11.00.  All I needed was the 6/5 favorite in the finale.  And this guy, Chad Brown's Ridley's Major was Acacia's SINGLE, Ron Nadeau's SINGLE, Ron Nicoletti's top choice, and the DRF's Mike Welsch's BET of the Day.  The payoff for my $0.50 ticket, costing $15.00 was $89.50.  I felt awfully comfortable and was already thinking of making a video to tweet to Acacia to thank her for the big ticket winner.  That is until Ridley ran 2nd to an 8/1 upset winner.  Sigh.  Well considering I only had ONE winning ticket at GP for the day I had to be happy that I'd won close to 40% on the day AND had been alive through four straight to close the day.

Sunday was a bit anti-climatic.  Missed in the first three picks of the day.  In the 6th it was another Todd Pletcher first time starter and he was taking all the money, so I upped the bet on Greatitude who was off slowly.....wow.  Hustled up to track the leaders to the turn, then took over and drew clear easily.  Cashed for nearly $25.  Ran 2nd and 5th (a Pletcher 2yo maiden on the Tapeta) to end the day.

Had a good week though:

Next week is Christmas week, so there's no racing on Saturday.  Which is a good thing because we will be visiting the grandson in Orlando for the big day.  Racing resumes Wed-Fri and again on Sunday.  And in an unusual twist, on Sunday it's Opening Day at Santa Anita - they traditionally open on December 26th, but still thought maybe because it was Sunday they'd move it - and there are a plethora of stakes that day.  AND for some reason the Fair Grounds is having their "Road To The Derby Kickoff Day" on Sunday with several stakes as well!  I'll be handicapping through the end of the week to play all those days!

Saturday December 18th Racing Highlights

Social Media This Week.....

On Monday, when I turned on the CBS-4 Local News, there was "my girl," Karli Barnett on the anchor desk.  Now, she's typically on the weekend anchor and my other girl Lauren Pastrana is the week-day anchor.  So I reached out to Karli, while she was on the air....and she replied WHILE on the air.  I know, I find that cool :)

On Tuesday I posted my weekly, "Follow My Racing" pic on Facebook and I messaged my gal-pal Jennifer Cook, "Cookie" - who's applied for and been named my "track assistant to be" and she enjoyed that message.

One of my newer gal-pals, Jen Greb - a former student - posted an adorable pic of her and one of her daughters, to which we exchanged reactions....

Wednesday evening on the CBS-4 News, THERE was my girl Lauren, who'd been missing for a while and I welcomed her back.

It was also Melissa Bennett-Boorom's birthday, so I reached out to my good friend....

But then later in the day I saw Jen Greb was online and I messaged her about getting together to catch up.  Her reply that she wished she was local BUT that I probably didn't know she'd gone to Miami (Oh) where I went led to a several hour conversation online.  How cool is social media?

Kim and I went to the Florida Panthers game on Thursday and greeting everyone in the lobby were the Ice Cats, and truly it was KIM'S IDEA to have my photo taken with them.  Several friends either thought this was funny - how is this funny? - or told me to behave....quack quack.  A couple asked where Kim was, like I was sneaking around, what the????

I exchanged messages with hottie handicapper Acacia Courtney when she was not on the air, at all on Thursday and I expressed my displeasure.  She assured me she'd be back the next day and through the weekend.

On Sunday it was Stephanie Noelle-Shrock's birthday.  Now I've not mentioned her before, or at least for a long time.  Several years ago, probably at least ten, our good friend Michelle Rojohn-Hewitt came to town and she brought a friend of hers from North Carolina, Stephanie.  We met them at a bar/restaurant and spent several hours with them.  Stephanie was sweet and friendly and we exchanged Facebook friend invites.  And have been online pals since.  Don't see much of her, or interact with her much, but I've always remembered how sweet she was and so I sent her b'day wishes, which she appreciated.

This weekend "my girl" Karli was NOT on the CBS-4 anchor desk, she'd mentioned in the online chat (remember the video?) that this week she would be at a wedding.  So we got a nice treat to see Brooke Shafer anchor.  I reached out to her, and she responded.  I truly do believe - and I've told her so - that she reminds me of Lauren Pastrana several years ago when that girl was "just" a reporter....then worked her way up to weekend anchor, to morning anchor, and now she's on the main desk for all the big time news stories.  I think Brooke is a talent on the rise.

Finally, Monday it was the first day of Christmas vacation for teachers, so I "welcomed" them to my world.  I then reached out to Jen Cook, who I saw was online and told her this was what she could look forward to.  You can see we "chatted" for a bit and she promised she'd be the best assistant.  And I'm sure she will be :)