January 4 - 14
Two key points about the past two weeks as we hit mid-January. First, we were off to Iceland for a little over a week and I played the full five days of Week 5 (Jan 4-8) but played only on Saturday of Week 6 because, second....the prices continue to be double digits for nearly 40% of the winners at Gulfstream. And it's not so much the payoffs as it's the fact that nearly all of them have been "go figure" kind of horses that you'd never pick with any kind of handicapping angles. On Wednesday prior to the trip I only had three picks. Ran 2nd at even money with the first one and then scored with Todd Pletcher's maiden special runner Patou Road in an unusual mile and 3/8th race on the main track.
On Thursday I had six picks and dropped the first four. 3rd at 6/5, then back-to-back second place runs with a 3/5 and 8/5 favorite before closing the losses with another third at 9/5. Got on the board with Collaborate - a Saffie Joseph drop down runner into a restricted claiming event and then got a nice price with American Diamond who I thought looked awfully good. Had moved to the Mike Maker barn and run three straight sharp efforts in maiden special and then the allowance ranks. Dropping today into a two-lifetime claiming event he was a clear winner on the turf.
On Friday I dropped the first two and then when both the Gulfstream analysts raved about my top choice in the 8th race I upped the bet on Frosted Oats and made him the bet of the week. Very impressive scoring on the turf - thinking this one has a future in stakes company.
Our limo picked (yes, a limo!) us up at 11 am on Saturday so I made all my wagers before packing up my laptop for the trip. There were stakes races at both Santa Anita and Gulfstream today. I got my first stakes win in the opener out west when The Chosen Vron scored as the DRF's Brad Free's BEST of the Day. Won three of the next five (with two seconds) including Todd Pletcher's Cairo Consort in Gulfstream's co-featured Ginger Brew Stakes for 3yo fillies on the turf. But then closed out the day with three losses out west.
On Sunday we landed early in the morning in Iceland only to discover our luggage had not left New York where we'd had a connection.....sigh. So the first thing on our agenda was a shopping spree to carry us over through two days because we were leaving the first hotel early in the morning on Monday. Fortunately our luggage arrived Monday morning and was delivered to our second hotel - waiting for us when we arrived in the late afternoon.
With the way the prices were going, and particularly with how busy our days were I decided to not even look at the races during the week. I downloaded the past performances for Saturday's races on Friday before we left and got a little handicapping done before our flight left Iceland. But didn't finish handicapping until Saturday morning once we were home. I'd thought MAYBE I'd go out to the track on Saturday, but the ultra-busy week in Iceland, constantly on the go, our fight landing in Miami well after midnight, and not getting home until 2 am that I'd play simply at home. Was so tired I even passed on going to the home Panthers hockey game.....which we won 4-3. I was an "OK" 6-for-19 on the day, and eight losses where I ran 2nd or 3rd. The most impressive winner of the day was Todd Pletcher's first time starter Kingsbarns who immediately got some coverage in the press about maybe he'd be a spring classic contender.
Social Media....
Lots of interaction with the news gals over the last two weeks. Right after the New Year I exchanged welcome back messages with Lauren Pastrana.
On New Year's Eve during the Saturday chat Karli Barnett seemed to indicate that she had had a rough 2022, so I reached out to her and she was very kind in her reply.
On the evening news Lauren Pastrana did a story about the big lottery jackpot and I reached out to her that I'd split the prize. She replied back that I'd already "hit the jackpot" with all my trips. I replied as to how fortunate we are.
Sent the photo of us "floating" on an iceberg to the news girls and got a reaction from both Lauren and Karli....
Channel 10's morning anchor Jayce Birch often shares photo of her outfits and in particular her heels, but on this day she added a pic of her in the gym and one of her in her leisure ware, which I replied that was my favorite and she gave me a nice reaction :)
While on the trip Karli's Georgia Bulldogs (she's an alumni) played and won the national title. When I wished her team luck she replied back about our trip to Iceland.
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS morning weather-girl shared some sunrise pics, so I sent one from Iceland to she and the two news-gals. Karli sent a reply.....
Finally, once we returned from Iceland we were "welcomed home" with 37 degree Saturday morning temperatures. So in that evening's chat I sent my apologies to Karli about bringing back the "Icelandic cold air" and she replied on air that yes, indeed I'd packed some cold air and brought it to So Fla.
Karli
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