December 1 - 3
Finally we're back to live racing at the Championship Meet. Opening Day was Friday and I drove down to Gulfstream for the first five races on the card. As I walked in they were setting out the traditional opening day give-away, a racing themed calendar. I typically try to get two - one for me and one to give to our oldest son Jeff for Christmas - but this year instead of handing them out, they were simply laid out on the table so I grabbed two of them :)
The opener was a maiden claimer for two-year-olds, BUT we were on the grass for the first time since the spring. I found it ironic after our big Nile River Cruise in September that my pick in the opener was Saffie Joseph's Cleopatra's Wish! Looked best on paper and was sent off as the favorite. Pressed the pace and looked ready to run by when asked but floated wide into the lane and appeared to be spinning his wheels through the lane until in the final 100 yards he surged....UP IN TIME!
One bet, one WIN! And when I went to cash my ticket with one of my most favorite tellers, Kimberly - of the twins Kimberly & Karen who work the windows in the Silks Simulcast area - I mentioned how ironic it was because of our trip. I passed the second, but by top pick was the winner. Then in the third I liked Hay Hay Paula in an entry level allowance on the all weather surface. Though she was stepping up from claiming races she was far and away the most proficient on the synthetic as she owned six of the combined fifteen wins from the eight runners over the surface. Looked like I'd lost my money as she was dead last through the far turn. Moved up the rail, slid outside into the clear and came flying down the outside.....UP IN TIME! Two wins from two bets! Missed on the final four picks of the day and I actually left early after the four selection to beat the traffic, and because I knew I'd be out here for many hours on Saturday.
As I headed out to Gulfstream for the big day Saturday I had 35 races on my selection sheet. I was excited to spend the day at the track and thought I had several winners on my sheet. Got things off on the right foot when in the Aqueduct opener favored Big Prankster burst out of the gate and never looked back to give me my first win on the afternoon.
And in a near-mirror to yesterday's local opener, we were on the turf and I liked Saffie Joseph's Be My Sunshine to score in this entry level allowance. Pressed the leader into the far turn then took over handily and ran off as much the best. Whoooo hoooo! I'm off to a good start and winning the LIVE races!
As it turned out Be My Sunshine proved to be the lone winner on the card of the live races. Fortunately I had several more bets out of town. In Tampa's second we were going two turns on the dirt in a MSW for two-year-old fillies. America's Vow looked best by a pole on her most recent figures but was 8/1 in the early betting and I wondered if I could be that wrong in my analysis. Bet down to 4/5 favoritism she tracked the leaders through the far turn and then swooped up three wide into the lane and drew off as much the best.
Missed on the next four and I was scheduled to be playing the Claiming Crown Express from the Fair Grounds when I saw posted on the TV monitor that due to heavy rain the first two races in New Orleans had been cancelled and post time for the third was moved back by almost an hour. This would mean most of those races would be run after I probably left the track. Knowing this AND that now my selection sheet was not chronemically correct, I decided to play all the FG races on my Xpressbet online account and made the bets. The co-featured 2yo stakes at Gulfstream saw unbeaten Bentornato hover at 1/9 until close to post time when he floated to 1/5. Was "everybody's" pick and looked ready to roll turning for home. Ran evenly to be third as yet another longshot scored locally. WOW. Next up live race was the co-feature from Aqueduct, the Grade 2 Demoiselle for two-year-old fillies going nine furlongs and carrying points towards this springs big Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Todd Pletcher's Life Talk looked to be a rising star in the making to me. I doubled the bet. Right to the front, handled confidently into the stretch and when challenged she kicked clear to draw off by daylight! My first stakes winner of the winter!
It was almost an hour later before I cashed my next ticket and it came in the Del Mar opener. Kerry Gold was the most accomplished and likely winner in this first level allowance going a mile on the turf. But much like the Tampa race she was taking no money early on. Again, am I that off? Stuck with the bet and not only did she take late money, but in the lane she came rolling late under Flavian Prat to draw off as easily best.
The first Claiming Crown win came in the Glass Tiara which was moved off the inner grass course. I'd looked up the weather forecast and in my analysis I made Anatolian my pick regardless of the surface. Several lengths back turning for home, but that's never a big concern of mine in New Orleans because they have a L-O-N-G stretch and the track typically favors late runners. Split rivals a furlong out and edged clear for the win.
The Grade 2 Remsen for 2yo colts going 9f at Aqueduct was wide open I thought. I went with price play Sierra Leone at 5/1. Into the far turn not only last but off the TV screen. Then here he came gobbling up ground. Swung wide into the lane, collared the favorite at the furlong pole and began to edge clear as I was filming the big screen. I remarked out loud how impressive that move was to "win" when the favorite re-rallied and edged to the front in the shadow of the wire. Sigh...... You gotta love the highs and lows of racing! Mickey Shillelagh was my pick in a 2yo MSW at Tampa on the turf. On the Tampa card there were two first timers I liked on the grass coming from barns that spend most of the winter here at Gulfstream. This one from the Shug McGaughey barn I only bet the minimum because that outfit rarely has them ready to roll at first asking. Of course you know how this story goes - he won with the minimum bet and later on the card with a "prime time" play on the Chad Brown firster I was NOT the winner. Again, you gotta love racing.
One of the last races I watched live on track was the Claiming Crown Iron Horse at the Fair Grounds. I thought Time For Trouble was a prime candidate to defend his title here. AND he'd run well over sloppy going previously. Rallied wide down the stretch and was J-U-S-T up in time to win!
The final win I saw live came in Tampa's co-feature, the six furlong Inaugural for juvenile colts. Patriot Spirit looked to be clearly the fastest of these and I thought that today jockey Sammy Camacho would let him roll from the outside after he'd been under a "tight hold" in a Keeneland stakes and failed to deliver. I thought the colt would take them wire to wire, but he relaxed nicely in the clear into the turn then drew off as much the best with my triple investment on board - my ninth win on the day. I'm enjoying myself quite a bit I must say!
Mixed results on the final nine races I watched once I arrived home (after logging nearly 10,000 steps and over four miles of walking!)....... Only won with three of them but one of them was the BEST of the Day in the national feature race of the day! Ghost of Midnight drew off as much the best in the fourth at Del Mar, an entry level allowance. I would have gone in deeper than the minimum bet with his sharp Beyer figures, but his maiden win came in a cheap $25K event and I just wasn't confident how good he really was.
Picked up my third Claiming Crown Stakes win when Money Supply split runners to draw off in the Jewel. Again, only the minimum bet because when I handicapped the race thinking it MIGHT come off the grass, this guy's non-turf form had come over synthetic surfaces.
The Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar provided my best bet. First, worth mentioning that this used to be run, obviously, at Hollywood Park. Was one of my favorite tracks and spent two good days there several years ago before it was sold off for real estate value. STILL not happy about that. Be that as it may, Program Trading from the Chad Brown barn got my solid vote. He was Brad Free's BEST of the day and that guy is the one public handicapper left who's opinion carries a lot of weight in my thinking. This 3yo was already a stakes winner, having taken the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby and he'd seen far better rivals than what looked to be in the line-up today. Rallied three-wide into the stretch, took over a furlong out and held the late running second choice off on the wire to provide win #12 on the day - a solid 34%. winners.
Sunday
Went winless on the Sunday card (only four bets) as the Gulfstream results mirrored last year's results with over 50% of the winners from the three days paying double digits - and most of those you'd have been hard pressed to make a case for them.
Social Media this week.....I know I've mentioned this before, but I am truly appreciative that I have several online friends to interact with as I usually do not see many people "LIVE," in the off season. That is one of the "perks" of going to the track, I have some "friends" there that I can talk to in person. Several gal-pals and I interacted this week..........
Gal-pal & CBS-Miami anchor Lauren Pastrana and I exchanged comments as she returned to the desk after a short break, and she reacted to two posts later in the week.
All-time favorite former student Kimmy had a bad week with an infected tooth and broke her foot, oh my. She commiserated with her "typical" sailor language reacting to my news about being sliced up not once but twice and new eye condition. She used to live minutes from Gulfstream and I told her I'd have "cooked" her dinner were she still living there - pizza or Taco Bell - which drew a chuckle from my girl.
Amanda is my "Disney Girl" and has been a favorite for the LONGEST time of any of my formers. She was a student of mine as a sophomore at Western High many, many years ago. The mom of three and I frequently "chat" via text and try to get together regularly. When a FB memory showed our last get together was TWO YEARS ago we quickly set a date for a reunion in a couple weeks.
My Slovakian gal-pal from the Viking Osiris and I actually chatted for quite a while this week and I got an updated photo of her as she tried on new galabeyas for "Egyptian Night" on board
My pal Jeff Nelson's daughter Chloe and I are regular FB pals and I'm so proud of her blossoming career as a country music DJ at an Orlando station.
Our "adopted daughter" Jillian announced the upcoming publication of her FOURTH children's book. So proud of our sweet "daughter."
Michelle earns one of the best "former student stories" as many years ago she took off for Hawaii and airline attendant training leaving everything behind. So admire her for what she's become. She's working towards her first marathon run - oh my.
Jessica will also be one of my most favorite memories from the Fall we spent in Cape Coral and worked as an assistant on our son's football team. Several nights when Kim was back here in Ft. Lauderdale I'd visit Ford's Garage for dinner and Jessica and I would spend the evening together chatting about our kids and our life. So glad we've remained connected. She's got the cutest two kids.
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