February 2 - 6
The last "big" Saturday until we get to the Fountain of Youth was this weekend. Well, let me clarify.....it's the last big racing day LIVE at Gulfstream. This coming weekend is Tampa Bay's Sam Davis Day and on the 19th it's the Fair Grounds' Risen Star Day, so don't you worry - there's PLENTY of big races to come! As far as this week goes, I'd characterize it as "an OK week of racing." Enjoyed the handicapping and watching, and I won my share, but at a lower than typical 28%. Here's how the week played out......
For years, literally, I'd stand in my classroom (Room #314) and gaze out the window this time of the year and see the crisp blue skies and sunny weather, and I'd say "If I were retired, I'd be at the track today." And so ever since I've retired I've tried to remember that and go out as often as it fits the schedule and my racing selections on a weekday, even for just a couple hours. Wednesday I was going to be alone all day at home so I went out because I had picks in three of the first four races. As you can see I posted to my social media about why I was there. But, it wasn't my day at the track. Went against the favorite in the first two and ran second. In the second race, a maiden event the winner was a TWENTY time maiden but TODAY picked the day to win; then in the final live bet I had the "obvious" 4/5 favorite who looked loose on the lead going two turns on the turf. Rider decided to try sitting off what turned out to be a loose-on-the-lead front runner and could only finish second. Like I said, not my day. Still, always enjoy being there and being outside at the races! Thursday was better. In the second I had my "Upset Special" and Stribling went off at a whopping 16/1 and right to the front as I'd thought. Led into the stretch and just as I was thinking, maybe.....he stopped to finish sixth. But I won two of the next three. Bill Mott sent out Giverny in a MSW turf sprint. Of the sixteen races run by the field there were only four turf tries and but a SINGLE turf sprint - all by the same horse. Mott's horse had run with talent when she ran here last March and if thought she could run on the turf, I was ok with that. Burst out of the gate and was never threatened to give me my first winner of the week.
In the eighth, trainer George Weaver was bringing Pass the Champagne back off a long layoff. She'd shown some real talent as a 3yo last year and if anywhere close to that she'd be really tough today. In her 3yo debut last year at this same 7f she was a best-of-the-rest 2nd behind a promising filly who came back to be 2nd in a Gr 3. A month later, again at this distance she won decisively. Her first try against winners was in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland around two turns and she took the lead only to be nailed in the final strides by Todd Pletcher's talented Malathaat who came back to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 1 Alabama. 'Champagne tried the Oaks but was distanced. So today she was beginning her 4yo season and you know they had bigger dates circled than this Thursday afternoon allowance. Still, the talent. She was off a step slowly, but recovered quickly to be third into the turn. Collared the leaders easily and ran off as easily the best. Turns out she was the "Best Bet" of the week at Gulfstream.
Finished the day 2-for-5, and that's always good! Friday we were back to our old ways of NOT winning as I had eight bets on the ten race card and won with only one of them. Between today and Wednesday I was thinking I should have a BIG day Saturday. The lone winner was a Todd Pletcher 3yo maiden, well duh. BUT...he was dropping in for a claiming price so there was concern that this was a "fire sale." Still, it's been my experience that when Pletcher - at Gulfstream - drops a horse in for a tag, (a) he wins a big percentage of those and (b) he doesn't mind dropping in IF it's a very likely win spot. Got to the front soon after the start and never looked back for the lone winner of the day.
Keith and I were excited to head out Saturday for the big stakes day at Gulfstream. I told him on Friday after I'd handicapped the card that nearly all the races were REALLY difficult to predict the winner - could be any kind of day! I'd told Kim on Wednesday that I was doubly excited for this day at the track and when she asked why I explained that in Louisiana three of the tracks each have a big state-bred day where they have a full slate of stakes races. Today was Louisiana Premier Day at Delta Downs and is about the only day of the year I play the races there. I was excited because normally Delta runs their races under the lights and on this day I'd play at GP and then have to play at home until after 11 pm. But for some reason, the Delta card was in the afternoon so I'd get to play at the track. I was irritated to have missed in the Gulfstream opener because it was a maiden claiming event with BAD horses. The ideal spot for a first timer, and I listed Evil of Course as my third choice just on that basis alone. But as I told Keith the barn was only 12% with these and none of the works hinted at ability. Should have known that all the others were SO bad that the advantage of NOT having lost a race was huge - scored at a big 6/1 price. Got the first winner of the day at at Gulfstream in a starter for 3yo on the new all weather surface. Panama Truck was dropping out of an allowance event with paired Beyer figures. Got on even terms with the front runner into the lane and they dueled all the way to the wire, one head up and one head down. We were sitting literally on the finish line (even closer than last week) and I was pretty sure I'd won.....
WHEW that's close! It was an hour later when I cashed my next ticket, but it was a good one. The first at Delta had been a starter handicap, but the second was the La Premier Day Matron and Cilla was my BEST of the Day. She'd been second in a Keeneland Grade 2 then WON a Grade 2 at Saratoga. In this La-bred $100K stakes....seriously? Ok it's a horse race. Pressed three wide to the turn and then took off as much, MUCH the best.
Didn't make a lot of money but the "being right" with the biggest bet of the day was satisfaction enough. The fifth at Gulfstream was the first of the five 3yo stakes, it was the Grade 3 Swale for 3yo. In the olden days this was a legitimate Kentucky Derby prep but now it's a good 3yo sprint stakes. Todd Pletcher sent out My Prankster and really my only concern was the rail draw. This was even more of a concern as they got in the gate because earlier on the card he had a well-backed maiden who drew the rail and didn't get away well. And it was the same here, but jockey Luis Saez got him into the clear and up to third into the far turn. Got to the front runner with a furlong to go and edged clear late.
Shortly after that I got my second win at Delta Downs in another starter handicap and I thought, I'm on my way now! Ran third with a Pletcher horse on the Tapeta at a generous 5/1 in a blanket finish and then I was at Tampa where they had two graded stakes on the turf. I'd backed Lady Speightspeare in the Tropical Park Oaks here and I thought the rider - Emma Jayne Wilson, who I'm a fan of at Woodbine - didn't handle her well out of the final turn that cost her a narrow defeat. Trouble comments in the form indicated she'd "jumped tracks" and she looked clearly best in the Gr 3 Endeavour. Led into the final 50 yards when caught on the line by a Chad Brown runner at 7/1 odds. Sigh. Made even worse by the fact earlier in the day I'd had a Chad Brown runner on the Tampa turf at 3/5 who finished off the board.....zigging when I should have been zagging. Next on the sheet was the La Premier Day Starlet for 3yo. Only two in here had ever gone a mile and Free Like A Girl was one of them. I thought she would prove best and was a fair program favorite at 5/2 odds. The crowd hammered here to 1/5 by post time. Right to the front and walked around the track as much the best. Two weeks ago I'd received a card in the mail to come to GP today and get a "FREE" Gulfstream Park pullover. These were offered only to 1stBet customers, unless you bet $50 with them today and/or bought a program. But my card said to just come pick it up. When they began giving them out the line was LONG. I told myself, I don't NEED a pullover so if later in the day there's no line and it's meant to be, I'll go get one. As I was heading to cash my ticket on Free Like A Girl I noticed no one was at the counter. Stepped up, showed my card and the guy said, "What size?" and handed it to me. Smart move Mr. Mark!
I WIN! Free pullover thanks to my Xpressbet Reward Points
Fourth in a GP stakes on the turf where I literally wrote, ".... The biggest question – for ME – will be if after
this race I’m saying out loud, “WHY did you go AGAINST Todd Pletcher in a 3yo
stakes race at Gulfstream?” but that’s what I’m going to do here ..." And yes, that filly won at a BIG 5/1 price. What WAS I thinking? Got a kinda of a reprieve when Prisoner went wire to wire in an Aqueduct non-winners of two event and paid $6.40 allowing me to cash for over $30. Ran 2nd at 3/5 in the Grade 3 Forward Gal for the 3yo fillies looking to go on to the Ky Oaks with Shug McGaughey's unbeaten Radio Days. Like so, SO many of my horses, she broke slowly and for a horse that's usually on the lead, that's almost always deadly. Made a big effort and was second best, but that did me no good. Right after that in the other Tampa turf event, the Grade 3 Tampa Bay I took last year's winner Get Smokin. Was allowed to be a big 5/1 price and was loose on the lead. Opened up by multiple lengths into the lane but like my other Tampa stakes pick, nailed in the final strides.....second AGAING. In the La Premier Sprint Bertie's Galaxy had beaten every one in the field except a one-start maiden (what's HE doing in here?). Right to the front and long gone.
After a Pletcher returnee was a dismal 6th I was inside watching the simulcasts waiting for Aqueduct's feature, the Grade 3 Withers for 3yo colts when I looked up and saw the 3rd at Santa Anita was a minute from post time. The #5 horse was 1/5 - who's that? Opened my Xpressbet app on my phone - it's Shaaz, I know that horse, for Bob Baffert with John Velazquez. I'm GOING IN! I dashed to the windows and got $15 to win. Tracked the 19/1 front runner into the lane and then couldn't get by. Seriously, second AGAIN. But as I watched I thought, maybe I'm just being hopeful but it seemed to me that twice Johnny V had taken up and/or altered course. Waited, waited, and finally....
Oh that's right disqualified after a LONG review - clever boy I DID have a winner :) Got a second winner in New York when Todd Pletcher's Golden Code wired the finale. In retrospect I don't know why I only went in for the minimum here other than I know all the "good 3yo" runners for Pletcher are in Florida and that concerned me that this one, in for a tag, was in New York. Still it was my 9th winner. The "BIG ONE" at Delta Downs was the Louisiana Premier Day Championship and I liked Lang's Day. When I re-read the analysis I had written I became a big concerned, and here's why. Lang's Day is a closer, big time closer. That's a problem on a six furlong track like this with a short stretch to start off with, and almost all the runners today had been on the lead; the others had been close up into the turn. Still, I'd written that it looked like there would be a good set-up for his late kick. The gates opened and he plummeted to last. Ok, I know he belongs there but how about we stay in the same zip code? Down the back stretch you could see all the runners but one - yes, Lang's Day....not even in the TV picture. As the field was approaching the far turn, there was a blur with a #2 saddle cloth on it as the horse began picking off horses. WIDE and I mean WIDE through the turn he continued to run by rivals and when they straightened for home he was fourth just two off the leader. This will be close with the finish line so close. UP IN TIME! WHOOOO HOOOOO.
As the So Cal opener approached the TVG analysts all agreed that MY pick was NOT a favorite they'd like. They liked my second choice. Yes, second, again. In the 3rd it was the Grade 3 Las Virgenes for the fillies. Adare Manor would be ultra hard to beat IF she ran back to her last when earning a 92 Beyer. The Bob Baffert filly pressed the front runner to the far turn, took over and drew off, drawing a "WOW" on my comments sheet. VERY talented. Came right back (after two "PASS" races) and won a MSW with Mark Glatt's Quick Buck.
WOW!
The eighth was the featured Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis for the 3yo colts. Baffert's Messier SHOULD win, but the problem was that (a) he'd drawn the rail (b) he was a front runner making the rail draw even more tricky and (c) there was other speed in the race....would he be caught up in a duel? The good news was John Velazquez got him away well, the bad news was that BOTH the other two speedsters were glued to him. The three of them matched strides through more than moderate splits to the far turn. "We're about to find out how good this guy is" I thought as I watched. Johnny V flicked his wrists and he quickly separated from the other two....one completely couldn't keep up and the other was working hard to stay within range. I think we got him if we have anything left, but can we hold off the late runner? Into the stretch without moving a muscle Velazquez let the colt coast home by a widening dozen or more....if Adare Manor had been "WOW" this was "WOW SQUARED!"
I now sat at 3-for-4 on the day and my pick in the finale I had initially looked past. But in reading DRF handicapper Brad Free's comments he seemed pretty confident. I listed him as a bet but after cashing for the third time I thought I'd pressed my luck enough. The finale pick did win but in a heart-attack, life-or-death photo finish that I would not have been sure I'd won! It was a good week. The highlight for the racing next weekend is it's "Sam Davis Day" at Tampa with is their final prep before the mid-spring Tampa Bay Derby. Then on Sunday Kim and I are off to Denver for three nights for an anniversary get away to enjoy some cold weather and snow!
Holy Bull Day Highlights
Social Media This Week.....
A big highlight for me on Saturday, but first early in the week, Jayce Birch posted a photo of her outfit again - reminded me of the hockey jersey necklines and I told her it looks better on her :)
Then on Wednesday we were very much looking forward to the kickoff episode of "Celebrity Big Brother." As I was watching the CBS-4 local news, "my girl" Lauren Pastrana did a short promo piece on the show. I took a pic of her on air, and you'll note the time in the lower corner that she did this on air - 5:22 pm. I messaged her that we were huge fans and asked if she was. That message was sent, as you can see in the highlight at 5:25 pm, three minutes later. OBVIOUSLY she is on air, and on the anchor desk. Her reply, not simply a "LIKE" - which would have been cool enough - a full message was sent as you can see by the second highlighted time at 5:31 pm WHILE SHE WAS ON AIR. I just find that really cool. I try to imagine her sitting there and she looks at her phone and sees my message, reaches down and clicks "LIKE" or types to me. :)
Then, the first "big" highlight came on Friday. Turned on the CBS-4 news and my other "most favorite gal-pal/new anchor" Karli Barnett was on the Friday anchor desk. Karli usually does the weekends. So I reached out to her - note the time of 5:06 pm, while on the air - and told her how nice it was to see her on the anchor desk. Two very cool things....first, her reply - much like the above with Lauren - Karli wrote back at 5:15 pm WHILE ON THE AIR. But here's the best part. I reached out to her via Twitter, and you'll note my "handle" of mallan56racing - but when she replied, she called me by name. I looked and she has nearly 5,000 followers and yet she remembered from over a month ago that "mallan56racing" and "Mark Love" on Facebook are one in the same. THAT'S pretty cool.
The biggest event on social media came Saturday. I was at the races and I sent out a message to Karli on Twitter. And she answered me, again by name. Again, cool like the above. But what was really, REALLY cool was this.....as you can see on my message I asked if she was chatting live on Facebook. So that evening when I signed on I "said" to her on air, "Happy Saturday Karli!" and her live reply on air was, "Hey Mark, happy Saturday! Hope you had a wonderful day at the races!" - and you can see this clip and the second clip when she's happy I had a winning day. So, again, that she (a) recognized me as one and the same person, and (b) remembered I'd been at the races. Very cool. I also think, though I can't prove it obviously, but Karli's comment " 'See' you this weekend" would be in reference that she knows I am a frequent/regular participant in her Facebook chats. Why else would she'd say she'd "see" me? Very cool indeed.
Karli hopes I had a good day at the races....
Karli is glad I had a good day
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