January 29 - February 2
FINALLY got back out to the track and it was just THE BEST day. I kept thinking all day, and throughout the rest of the weekend how very VERY much I enjoy being AT the races! The rest of the week's racing was "fine" without any big days, but no bad days. So delighted that the best day of te week was when I was physically there. Wednesday I found five races that I had an interest in, actually six but my second bet scratched. After a solid 3rd at 5/1 I won the first race of the week in R4, a restricted claimer going two turns on the all weather. At first glance there appeared three legitimate win candidates, but I nixed the first two after a closer look. Lady Emily Kathryn however was going third off the layoff for Saffie Joseph and Irad Ortiz. Dropping out of a better $25K nw2L turf event to run here with sharp works. Right to the front....took pressure to the turn, then shook free and was long gone.
Right back in R5 where I had reservations about Ekati King who sported a 15/1-3-5 record, but after just missing in both his last two for $12.5K, the drop to $8K for Saffie & Irad again looked to do the trick. Tracked the leaders into the lane, collared the front runner at the 16th pole and edged clear. Ran second in both the last two picks of the day.
Thursday was highlighted by an outing! At the Panthers game Wednesday night I'd exchanged several text messages with my "Disney girl" Amanda who we try to get together "regularly" but find it difficult to do. It had been a LONG time and we were both anxious to get together. She texted she thought she might have free time today and I told her if she was free, then I'd meet her. Got a text "I'm FREE" about 11:30 and we agreed to meet for lunch. Amanda is so sweet, and such a cutie. As I told the now nearly 40-yo mom of three boys (the oldest of which will go to high school next year), I still think of her as the sophomore who was in my Western High World History class, and I think she looks a lot the same! We were together for over two hours and talked non-stop. Could have gone on a lot longer but she had boys to pick up from school. A look back at Amanda and me over the years.....
As for racing, started out with a fourth, and back-to-back seconds before finally getting on the board with Souper Success in R7. The angle I liked was that he'd been claimed multiple times and was now back in a barn where he had had success. Pocket trip in third behind the leaders into the lane. Swung into the clear, collared the front runner at the furlong pole and edged clear.
Missed in the 8th but came back to close out the day in the finale when Walley World threaded through the field from the turn to the final 200 yards and edged to the front in the shadow of the wire.
Friday I passed the first two races before odds-on choice Air Combat drew off powerfully to score in a $25K starter event. He was dropping off a win for $35K which made scoring back to back easier, but of course the price was small.
Missed with three straight and as I was awaiting the start of the finale, I was watching on FanDuel and they were talking about how Grubauer was going to be very difficult to beat at a short price. I looked at the Santa Anita analysis and thought they were right on. Opened up by half a dozen and strolled home as easily best - didn't make much money but padded the win stats.
In the finale all the FanDuel analysts were all over Strong Quality to win on the turf. I liked Silent Heart much better and was hoping for a "fair" price. But they went off as co-favorites. Strong Quality took the lead turning for home but Silent Heart blew by to win going away.
Saturday: Holy Bull Day
You simply could not have drawn up a more perfect So Fla Saturday afternoon in January than what we got when arriving at Gulfstream around 11:30 this morning. With the big 12-race program featuring five stakes, all for the 3yo's, post time for the first was moved up to noon. Keith and I were not in a big hurry because I'd passed on the first race. I had handicapped not only the big Gulfstream card, but had also gone through the Aqueduct card which had several stakes, the Tampa Bay card which had two graded stakes, the Santa Anita card with multiple stakes, and then for the late evening entertainment, Delta Downs was hosting "Louisiana Premier Night" with TEN stakes. I missed on the first four races I bet - the second at Gulfstream, the first two Aqueduct events and the third at Tampa. Only one of them hit the board, the others all finished fourth. R4 at Gulfstream was the Sweetest Chant for 3yo fillies on the turf. My top choice was Vixen who along with her rival Correto in today's field had run in the Gr 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf. Vixen had been 30/1 that day and Correto had been 3/1 AND she finished in front of Vixen. On top of that Vixen had a race under her belt when she'd run in the Ginger Brew here last month AND leading rider Irad Ortiz was getting on. I wasn't sold because all of her numbers had been very similar and I thought MAYBE she just wasn't going to improve. I was thinking Vixen would. Then Vixen was sent off as the 4/5 favorite! Tracked the leaders into the turn, glided past and opened up through the lane as easily best.
I came right back to win with Goncora at Tampa who, despite the stakes events later, was my BEST Bet of the Day there. It was a MSW on the turf and in her debut she'd run 2nd behind her stablemate - both from Chad Brown's barn, and had only missed by half a length. The Tampa analyst had written she was probably best that day as she was in post 13-of-14, broke slowly AND had legitimate traffic problems. The best rider in the country, Flavian Prat was in town and was on board. Tracked the fast paced leaders while patiently waiting near the back. Swung five wide through the turn, inhaled the field and drew off impressively.
I was walking towards "my girl" Kimberly who I always bet with in the Silks simulcast center to cash the two tickets and make my next set of bets. In the next race at Gulfstream, R5, a MSW going two turns on the synthetic I thought it was wide open. But that Brad Cox had brought first time starter Emergence - a $475K son of Uncle Mo - here I thought was enough to bet him. I looked up at the TV's as I headed towards Kimberly's window and stopped - literally - when I saw that my horse was 9/1. And no one else liked Emergence. Am I wrong here? Then I recalled in Friday's finale all the "experts" on FanDuel TV had gone on and on about how #7 was so much the best and I had not even put that horse on my sheet.....and MY pick blew by that one to win. I made the bet and watched Emergence blow by on the turn and run off at a big 7/1 price so I cashed for over $40! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!
I was the even money favorite at Aqueduct in my next bet and ran a dismal, fading sixth. But next up on the sheet was the Grade 3 Endevour from Tampa for older fillies and mares. Saffron Moon not only looked best on paper, but again it was Prat for Brown. In a near identical race Prat sat patiently near the back while the longshots set suicidal splits, then blew by to score. How on earth the crowd let her go off at 9/5 odds was beyond me, but I was appreciative of all the money I got back on my triple investment!
The 7th at Gulfstream was the next bet and this was my "Gulfstream BET of the Day" on Todd Pletcher's very talented River Thames. In his debut last time I'd gone against him for a Brad Cox $1.1 Million firster only to see the Pletcher colt blow by and draw off in a "WOW" performance earning a 94 Beyer. The rest of the field had never even hit the 80 plateau on the Beyer scale so something would have to be really off about both River Thames and the possible upsetter for him to lose. To be fair he was stretching out to a one-turn mile today from a sprint. He broke sharply from the rail and dueled with an outsider to the turn, but he did not give up the rail. Shot through mid-way on the turn, took command and drew off in another "WOW" performance. Next time out stakes racing is in his future!
Over the next seven races I was able to only win with Stan From Malibu in a two-lifetime claiming sprint in the second at Santa Anita. four of the of the losses were at 5/2, 5/2, 1/1, and 4/5 and one of the others was Ron Nicoletti's BEST of the Day. I snapped the the skid by winning the 8th at Aqueduct, the only winning race in New York on the day.
Less than ten minutes after winning in New York it was time for the second of the graded stakes at Tampa Bay. In spite of already having won twice for Chad Brown, on the grass, Flavian Prat on Running Bee - who even without the human connections looked best on paper to me - went off at even money. AGAIN sat off the pace, again rallied, but this time up the rail through the turn, then split rivals at the 1/8th pole and surged to the front for the win. Me and Flavian.....3-for-3!
I was close without winning in the next three (2nd twice and a 3rd) before it was time for the finale from Tampa. Notinamillionyears had not won since 2023, but she was lightly raced coming into this entry level allowance on the turf. Wait....are you going to tell me that this is Chad Brown & Flavian Prat again? YES. You can't tell me that he couldn't find a flight out earlier - he stuck around to ride the finale. So I upped the bet from a double to triple investment. Somehow, despite going 3-for-3 on the turf for Brown, Prat was allowed to leave the gate at even money. The pace was hot - again - and he sat patiently near the back - AGAIN. Rallied on the turn, swinging into the clear and was up in time. WOW, what a day for that guy and for me backing him :) Wagered $65 on those four races and got back $128!
Two final races from Gulfstream before we were set to head out. In the featured Gr 3 Holy Bull I'd told Keith that Burnham Square was the "buzz horse." He'd apparently finished full of run in his last and "they" thought he'd run big today. I thought it went through Ferocious or the expensive debut winner Tappan Street going for Brad Cox. Ferocious made a big move on the turn and flattened out. Tappan Street surged to the front only to be run down by Burnham Square who paid $9! The finale was the Grade 3 Forward Gal which had Oaks points on the line. I thought the field was pretty evenly matched but I thought one of the two Brad Cox runners would win - either Eclatant or Stunner. The former was my pick. She'd run impressively on debut but then when running in the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill she ran into her stable mate Good Cheer who's one of the leading 3yo fillies. That her Beyer slid backwards was a concern but still I stuck with it. Rated mid-pack to the turn then launched a sustained, grinding rally. Collared the leaders at the furlong pole and edged clear at a generous 4/1 price!
I'd placed bets on nine of the twelve live races, but in my analysis I'd had a top choice in all twelve. As is the usual case when I go out to GP for a big day I made a chart comparing my selections to the paid "experts. I had selected the winner in SIX of the dozen races, and that - as you can see below - was clearly the best handicapping of the day!
Just before the Forward Gal was sent off, I'd bet on Rashmi to win the Grade 3 Megahertz going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita. She pressed the leaders to the top of the stretch and then drew off powerfully. And with those two stakes wins Keith and I headed out.
My BET of the Day at Santa Anita came in R7, a second level allowance sprint with Pilot Commander. The Bob Baffert trained colt had been impressive on debut and then was 2nd in the Gr 2 San Vicente in 2024. Off for nine months he was a photo finish 2nd behind a repeat winner. In his next start he ran off handidily to score. That was this past October. Ran 4th in the Gr 1 Malibu last time out and now was back in allowance company. To seal the deal, he'd blistered a best-of-107 bullet work. Pilot Commander's last three Beyers contained two recent figures that beat 54 of the 56 numbers on the page. No surprise he was sent off at a short price. Looked a big flat thru the turn, but once he collared the front runner he changed leads and flew thru the lane as a much the best winner.
Delta Downs Louisiana Premier Night
On the Louisiana Premier Night card I had bets in seven of the stakes events. Two off-the-board finishes at prices; a third and two seconds, and three wins. Secret Faith dueled from mid-turn to the wire in a head-bobbing thriller that I won (at a miniscule 1/9 price). Then Allnight Moonlight launched a big move on the far turn and drew off impressively in the Gentlemen's. But the highlight, despite the short price, came in the Louisiana Premier Championship. Touchuponastar was already a millionaire, had won seven straight state-bred events by nearly forty combined lengths, and in the twelve running lines showing he'd gone 12/8-3-1 with the four losses coming in open company. And as if he wasn't the pure class of the field, he was the LONE speed. Right to the front and took token pressure to the far turn. Jockey Tim Thornton didn't move a muscle until they hit the turn, then a flick of the wrists and 'Star took off willingly. Was nearly a dozen clear at the 16th pole when Thornton looked back, saw no one and let the horse just jog home. Impressive.
Holy Bull Highlights
Wrapped up the week on Sunday with two wins, only one at Gulfstream when Trendy drew off easily to justify the 3/5 post time odds. The other win came in Santa Anita's Grade 3 Las Virgenes - a Kentucky Oaks points race. Like so many West Coast stakes, there were only five horses in the field and two scratched leaving Tenma - from the Bob Baffert barn - a prohibitive favorite. EASY winner to boost the win stats.
Social Media this week......
First, of course was the big "date" with Amanda. She is such a sweetheart and I so, SO very much appreciate that we've remained close since her sophomore year to now her being nearly 40 and with three kids, the oldest of which is going into high school next year. As I said above, that we keep in touch is so cool, but when we meet like this week, we just pick right up and could talk endlessly.
My gal-pal Chloe who I so enjoyed spending Florida Derby Day with (and with her parents who come every year), told me this week she would not be coming to the Derby. So sad - and she promised me a drink! :)
I sent pics to both Teri & Lauren on Saturday after I arrived at Gulfstream and both "liked" it as well as Teri commenting.
Teri and I communicated several times. I sent her several well wishes on her poor ankle surgery, and we exchanged messages when I shared my Saturday success.
Lauren and I exchanged messages - not just "likes" but "conversations every day this week. The most "important" and the one where Lauren reacted most sweetly was when I found out her 7pm solo news cast was going to end in a couple weeks. I messaged her the next morning that this truly bothered me and would it help if I wrote to CBS. She was so appreciative and we talked about when would be the best time for me to write to the station. She was especially appreciative when I explained I would be doing it even if we were not friends, but since we were I most certainly would :)
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