The winter season at Gulfstream got underway with a Thanksgiving Day Opening Day card, followed by racing through Sunday. Handicapped and played all four days and after a slow Thursday the rest of the weekend went very well. I will say, that since Gulfstream has begun opening up in late November it doesn't quite seem like the Championship Meet. And with Kim and I heading off to Europe for a Christmas Markets adventure with our good friends Pam & Bob next Friday, it seems even less like the start of the winter season - but in fact it is. Here's how the week played out.
Thursday November 27: Well, Opening Day could not have started off in a less "go figure" kind of way. The first bet of the day and the meet so me backing Vuela Paloma in a nw3L synthetic sprint and she was 2nd as the prohibitive 1/5 choice. WOW. The 5th was my next bet at Gulfstream and it was originally carded for the turf where I'd made Moon Spun my choice. Because of some light rain (WOW squared) the grass races were moved to the synthetic, and while Moon Spun stayed in I opted to not bet the race. Went wire-to-wire and paid over $10.....WOW x three. Finally got on the board at the Fair Grounds when Voila Magic was the obvious choice and won by a pole to get me on the board for the first winner of the day.
Stayed for a couple hours and wanted to see the featured race which was kept on the turf when scratches & changes were announced. But when betting opened I looked up and it had been taken off the turf and my pick scratched so I headed home. I had made two bets before leaving - one on that GP feature race, so I'll "cash" that next time there - and one on Beekman Street in the fourth at the Fair Grounds. He was a 2yo in a MSW turf route coming off of a flying 3rd on debut, then last time out missing by 3/4 of a length at Delaware. Tracked the leaders....split rivals got to the front and just held on. Best part of that story, he went off at a big 5/1 price so I'll cash a nearly $35 ticket with the refund.
The final half dozen picks I made on my Xpressbet app to use my online account. Missed with the first five before Pursuitneversleeps scored at even money in Louisville.
Friday November 28: The day after Thanksgiving I not only played the Gulfstream races but there were some big stakes events at Churchill Downs so I wanted to play there as well. Much like Thursday I started slowly with five misses (two 2nd and a 3rd) before rattling off three straight wins. The first was in the 7th at Churchill Downs when Lend It Tewmey dueled to the top of the lane and drew off in a cheap, $12.5K one-turn mile claiming event as the 3/2 favorite.
The second of the three-race winning streak was the story of the day, if not the weekend. So, first, remember back yesterday when I opted NOT to play Moon Spun when the races came off the turf? In today's feature at Gulfstream Park, the Pulpit Stakes for two-year-olds, I'd picked Glorious Boy on top in this seven-and-a-half turf test. He'd never been farther than six furlongs but his distance Tomlinson ratings said he'd enjoy a route of ground. He'd won on debut in a 6f dirt sprint then was a good second in the Awad Stakes going six panels on the turf in New York. Throw in what had happened with Moon Spun and it wasn't a stretch to take him on the synthetic. I was already willing to bet he'd go a distance of ground without proof - and with his sharp tries on both dirt and turf, why wouldn't he handle a third surface? Kim and I headed off to a later afternoon Panthers game with a 4pm puck drop. During the first intermission I pulled up the replay. Sat mid-pack along the rail and it looked to me like he had some run entering the far turn. Swung way wide into the lane but with a lot of momentum. The leader drifted out to the middle of the track so my jockey made a hard left and dove to the rail. The leader went with him and for a 16th of a mile it was one head up and one head down....PHOTO finish. Watched the slow-mo and still couldn't tell. Flipped back to the results and I'd won! AND best of all, paid $19.40 for a $2 ticket which meant I'd cash for almost $100 :) YOWZA. Later after the game when I watched the replay and read the results chart I discovered that Glorious Boy had actually dead heated for the win, but the other horse was subsequently DQ'd for "herding" my horse. It was a winning day regardless of the rest of the races :)
The "BEST" of the day came in Churchill's Grade 2 Mrs. Revere where I thought Lush Lips looked formidable. OK, three-year-old fillies on the turf and even though Lush Lips won a Gr 1 last time out, turf races in general are never runaways, and you never know who's going to suddenly improve or decline. But still, Pressed the 5/1 front runner to the stretch, took a narrow lead. But then instead of lengthening stride and pulling away she was desperate to hold on. But despite the best efforts of her rivals she did indeed hold on and I cashed for over $30.
Saturday November 29: The big feature race at Gulfstream today was the $300K Florida Sire Stakes where MY filly Love Like Lucy was entered. All the pre-race workouts and information from MRH seemed to say she had a good chance. But when the field was announced our ownership group commented "we'll have a hard time getting by the likely 1/9 favorite Mythical" - and that made me less inclined to want to spend the afternoon at the races. Meanwhile, the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes were facing "that team from up north" with a noon kickoff and I always enjoy watching "The Game" as it's known nationally. So despite having picks from Gulfstream, Churchill, and later Del Mar, I opted to watch from the Sunrise Simulcast Center and follow the football game as well. We spent the morning putting up the Christmas Tree. Because of my love of Disney the tree used to be largely a Disney-themed tree. But because of our "tradition" of getting Christmas ornaments on our trips I'd bet nearly 2/3 of the tree is now travel themed.
The OSU game was a battle, and the Buckeyes did NOT start well. But in the end they were just too good and won 27-9. At the races I missed the first two - with favorites - at Gulfstream. Race 5 was the highlighted filly stakes event and Mythical did indeed look really hard to go against. I noted that she was a "bad bet" to take what figured to be a miniscule price on a lightly raced 2yo who'd never tried two turns before. But it looked like my filly was the next best option and I had a hard time believing she could make up the more than 12 lengths that separated them last time out. As they went in the gate and Mythical was at 1/9 it reminded me of a few years ago when I went out to see an unbeaten colt look to run away with the colt's version of this event, the In Reality. He'd also been 1/9 and was cruising into the stretch before being run down. Mythical went right to the front. Held a daylight lead into the lane and while she did have to work through the final 200 yards she was still clear to the wire as the "BEST Bet of the Day."
Less than ten minutes later two-year-olds were headed to the post in the first of the Churchill stakes today, the Fern Creek carded at six and a half furlongs. Bob Baffert's $1 Million, lightly raced Boyd looked to take a lot of beating today. He'd won his debut at 5 1/2 furlongs in a sizzling time with a huge 92 Beyer. Sure, he'd have to stretch out, ship across the country, and face winners. But when Bob Baffert comes to Louisville he is always serious. Bobbled slightly at the break, recovered and dueled to the far turn. Edged to the front turning for home then turned on the afterburners and ran away as easily best.
Missed the next two, both added money events. Then in the 6th under the Twin Spires we were going two turns on the turf with maiden special two-year-olds. Brad Cox's Kentucky Belle had "paired" figures when third and then 2nd in her first two starts. Sent off as the 6/5 favorite she tracked in fourth to the turn. Blew by while wide but in the clear then drew away in the final furlong. Another skid followed with a 2nd, two 3rds, a fourth and a fifth before finally getting back to the winner's circle. The tenth at Churchill was the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club going a mile and a sixteenth with Kentucky Derby points on the line for the juvenile colts. Further Ado had earned a massive 98 Beyer when running away by twenty lengths - yes, 20 - in his first try around two turns. Had to go with the "NOW" horse. Tracked wide through the turn....was floated even wider turning for home before rallying strongly down the middle of the lane to draw clear.
Had one more winner left in me. Cannoneer was a $1.75 Million sales grad and had broken poorly and rushed up as the 4/5 favorite in her June debut before weakening. Stronger and more mature I had to believe she'd be much improved today. Right to the front and was quickly clear. Kicked away to draw off through the stretch as EASILY much the best.
Sunday November 30: This morning we got up early to drive to Orlando. The main reason was not only to visit the kids but Monday morning we were closing with all the paperwork on our newly purchased condo near Disney Springs. We got to our son Brad's house by 10:30, plenty of time to make my wagers. And is almost always the case on Sundays, I had to wonder if today would lead to disappointment with "just" some normal races (no big stakes) or if I'd pick up a few wins. Well shazam, shazam, shazam as Gomer Pyle used to say on the 1960's comedy show....I rattled off four straight wins including a runaway winner in the featured Islamorada Stakes!
NOTE: the balcony looks out over the lake :)
For the next two racing weekends Kim and I will be enjoying a Viking Christmas Markets adventure with our great friends Bob & Pam Murray as we travel from Prague in the Czech Republic...sail along the Elbe River and conclude the trip in Berline before returning Monday December 15th. My plan is to continue handicapping the GP races while we are gone.
Social Media this week.....
Exchanged holiday greetings with several of my online pals. Tatiana, one of my most favorite former students and I exchanged messages with her saying she'd visit us at our new condo :)
My "Disney girl" Amanda and I also exchanged holiday greetings.....
I had a fun "conversation" with former Western High student Jen about Christmas traditions :)
Chloe - my "Florida Derby girl" and I exchanged Thanksgiving well wishes.....
Kimmy - my MOST favorite former student and I exchanged Turkey Day well wishes....
And finally, I heard from both my newscast girls Teri & Lauren about the holiday and our new condo.
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