July 27

Wednesday Night At Woodbine & Presque Isle

I tried to play more conservatively again this evening, and I didn't have that many options at Woodbine so I checked out Presque Isle.  As the evening started off I was glad I did!  The first race on my sheet was the 2nd from Erie and I liked the odds-on post time favorite, Sprawling.  He dueled into the lane, got some cushion then was all out to hold on!  WHEW!  I'll take it! 

In the 4th at PID I liked Alajwad Dancer who was stalking perfectly in third to the stretch, but ran evenly to the wire to finish third.  The opener at Woodbine went off minutes later and as they came through the final furlong my top choice #3 Regal Mark was dueling with my second choice, Salsa Bay  - head's up and head's down, PHOTO FINISH!  I thought in real time and in slo-mo I was the winner at 5/2 with a double investment, and I was!  WHOOO HOOOO!  Wait a tic, INQUIRY! 

You have to be kidding.  No they were not and while I've seen similar taken down I've seen more along this kind of "infraction" allowed to stay up.  DQ'd according to the Canadian stewards.  Booooo, eh?  But I bounced back strongly in the 2nd at Woodbine when Last Class to Go got a great ride and was clear through the stretch to win convincingly.  AND after he took a lot of early money I had upped the investment!  The solid $6.90 payoff resulted in a return of nearly $35! 

Four races and three of my picks finished first!  But that was the end of that.  In the PID finale Sam's Melody was the 1/2 favorite - dueled and faded to third late; in the Woodbine 5th Mel's Ring led to the 16th pole at 7/2 and I thought I had my score of the night.....weakened to be fourth under the wire.  And finally in the finale at Woodbine Scattered Style led to the 16th pole at a generous 3/1, and weakened late to finish 4th.