August 24 - 26

Slow Start To The Week - Big Friday At The Spa

I have begun playing Presque Isle Downs on a regular basis on Wednesday along with Woodbine in anticipation of our trip in mid-September for their graded stakes weekend.  So the first race on the sheet for Wednesday was the 2nd from Erie, a second level allowance route and I thought that Lighthouse Sound to run down the logical pace-setting favorite Brother Pat.  I doubled the bet and the race played out much as I'd anticipated.  Brother Pat was sent off as the short 3/5 favorite and led into the lane while Lighthouse Sound sat mid-pack to the turn.  Jockey Antonio Gallardo rallied him into the lane and blew by the competition to draw off.  

The best part was that he was sent off at nearly 3/1 and I cashed for almost $40 to start the week!  WHOOO HOOO!  But the rest of the evening was a disappointment.  Ran off the board in all but one with the exception of the last race on the evening where the 8/5 favorite, Skylander Boy dueled to the 16th pole at Woodbine before being outfinished.  My big chance to get even with my "upset special" in the Woodbine finale scratched out and I finished 1-for-7 to start the last full week in August.

Thursday August 25

A long-awaited event took place on the dark day of racing for the week.....our youngest son Brad and his wife Lauren brought their first child into this world as Oliver Scott was born around 9:30 pm.  We got the first call at 3:30 am, then they were sent home.  But around 11 am they went back and we got the notice that this was the real deal.  We drove up in the afternoon and got there around 6 pm to see the kids before things got going.  Around 9:15 Brad texted us that she was ready to push and less than fifteen minutes later Oliver was born on three quick pushes.  So happy for the kids and so glad we were there to see it all take place!

Friday August 26

Today I had my usual selections for Monmouth, but I also had picks on the Saratoga card where it was New York Showcase Day with six state-bred stakes on the card.  A quick note about more racing news about another racing adventure on the horizon.  Before we took off for Orlando I made the decision after nearly two weeks of going back and forth to commit to another racing adventure.  When Songbird ran away with the Grade 1 Alabama she was shipped back to her home base in So Cal.  Then a couple of days later word came from her connections that their next schedule start would be in Philadelphia in the Grade 1 $1 Million Cotillion Stakes on Pennsylvania Derby Day.  I had had this date on my early list of potential trips for the fall, but the schedule became too full.  Now however I was anxious to see this super filly run.  But every time I looked at options it just seemed too expensive for a weekend trip, especially when the previous weekend I'd be on a racing adventure in Erie and the following weekend I'd be gone again on a visit to Ohio coupled with a racing day at Churchill Downs with Keith.  But then on Wednesday I looked on Expedia for a quick trip up and back.  I found an early morning direct flight, but couldn't get back home on the same day.  Then I decided to try the "bundle" option where they put together a flight, hotel, and car package at a discount.  I was able to build a trip where I left here at 6:30 am on Saturday morning and fly non-stop to Philadelphia.  My arrival will be about 9 am and it's a 45 minute drive to the track where doors open at 10, first race at noon.  I called Parx and reserved a table in the clubhouse for the day.  The hotel is less than a mile from the track and the return trip leaves at 10:30 am and is also non-stop, putting me home around noon.  The price, including a car, just $330!  So I thought about it over night and then Thursday before we left I decided to book the trip.  But, the price had changed......it was only $262!  WOW what a deal.  I contacted my buddy Jim Anderson and asked if he'd like to come along and he booked the flight!  Pretty cool - and then I found out another sharp three-year-old, Gun Runner was targeting the Pa Derby!  The Friday racing started with the opener at Monmouth where I was a little leery of Apache Queen coming right back to win after he'd won for me at a big price a month ago.  But he looked like the lone speed with Paco Lopez.  Pressed a 6/1 to the stretch, forged to the lead and then the second choice rallied by and drew off by nearly a pole....second.  The opener at Saratoga was the Funny Cide for two-year-olds.  Todd Pletcher's Syndergaard was the morning line favorite at a short 6/5.  He ran to his $450K OBS sales price when he whistled his debut MSW rivals at 4/5.  A best of 32 bullet work said he would be tough to beat.  Right to the front and when the second choice made his move jockey John Velazquez opened him up and he drew off with authority, winning by double digit lengths.  A nice way to start off the day's stakes-laden card!  

My pick in the second at Monmouth scratched leaving my second choice as the lone speed and he wired the field at 1/9 odds, I didn't bet.  The 2nd at the Spa was a MSW for 2yo on the turf and Chad Brown's Super Mama went off at 2/1, but was a dull 7th for me.  Back to Jersey where Wolfie looked much the best in a claiming turf sprint.  The crowd though so and sent him off as a prohibitive 3/5 favorite - only 2nd best.  The fifth at Saratoga was The Albany going nine furlongs.  I was unsure if the favorite Hit It Once More could wire the field and get this distance for the first time.  But if he ran to his form - he'd been MUCH the best in all three starts against NY-breds - he'd be a decisive winner.  Enough confidence to bet, not enough to go added money.  Right to the front as the 4/5 favorite and never looked back giving me my second stakes winner of the day!  

In the 6th at Monmouth I was again faced with what looked like a solid play but he'd won last time out for me.  Typically it's difficult for claiming level runners to run that consistently.  But it appeared that Exclusive Strike would be a sharp winner over all of today's rivals with one exception, Aripeka.  That one just 18 months ago had been 2nd in a Grade 1 event, but was now in for a mere $12K after a single win over that time period.  It came down to the two of them in mid-stretch and Aripeka just edged my choice in deep stretch, 2nd again on the Jersey Shore.  Next up, about an hour later was the 7th at Saratoga, the Seeking the Ante Stakes for 2yo fillies.  Iron Mizz had started in three straight turf sprints with her most recent coming in a stakes race at Monmouth behind a Wesley Ward filly who'd exited a Group stakes at Royal Ascot (and was my pick that day).  If she could run on the dirt she had a big chance I thought.  She sat just off the dueling duo to the stretch, moved three wide and wore them down to win!  My THIRD STAKES winner at Saratoga, and the best part was the price!  

She paid a generous $8.60 so my minimum play was good for well over $20!  Minutes later I finally got a winner at Monmouth when It's A Given was sent off as the 4/5 favorite in a claiming event on the turf going a mile.  He had run three races at Belmont that would win here.  I liked the fact that he had a sharp workout that apparently came with his blinkers off.  He pressed the leaders to the turn, straightened for the sprint for home and drew off to justify his short odds for my fourth winner on the day!  

I had two last plays at Saratoga, but I only had a play in the 8th, the Yaddo Stakes if Fourstar Creek could get into the field off the "Also-Eligible" list.  If she drew in the only thing standing between her and a victory, I thought, was the wide draw.  Javier Castellano for Chad Brown on a filly that not once but TWICE had beaten OPEN company and earned back-to-back 90+ figures in her last two starts.  I thought there was a good chance she'd get in because Brown had another in the main body, but as that turned out that one stayed in the race but three others scratched out letting my pick in.  Castellano allowed her to settle mid-pack and quickly got an inside trip to the far turn.  She was swung out five wide into the clear as heads turned for home and hit her best stride.  Five fillies were across the track at the 1/8th pole before Fourstar Crook forged to the front then dug in to hold on for the win - my FOURTH stakes winner at Saratoga today - wow, what a day.  And like Iron Mizz, this one was also a very nice price!  

I had doubled the bet and was rewarded with over $30 being deposited into my account!  I was hoping for a big win to end the day in the West Point but Offering Point was a close third at 2/1.  So for the day I finished a really good five for nine with a solid profit on the day!  Tomorrow is a big day with Brad & Lauren bringing baby Oliver home and it's Travers Day at Saratoga!