August 27

It's THE BIG Day at Saratoga, Travers Day!  But as I went through the card I found that I didn't have a lot of confidence in many of the races.  And I also found myself thinking that I DID have a lot of confidence in two runners so I should not ruin the day by forcing bets where I didn't have a big advantage.  And as it turned out that was the best decision of the day.  I ended up passing on nine races of the twenty-five events offered at Monmouth and Saratoga.  And of the sixteen that I had a bet I had four more that I only had the minimum wager on.  So at the end of the day despite only three wins I only lost a small amount.  Often times I looked at the day with a positive spin if I can look at a losing day and definitively say that one race could have turned the day around.  That was clearly the case today.  I had two races that I had every chance to win but didn't and if I'd scored in EITHER of those I'd have had a winning day.  The first of those was in the second at Monmouth where The Iron Bank shipped in from Delaware to run in a maiden claiming sprint.  Went off at a big 9/2 and stalked the pace through the turn, but the winner drew off to be a clear winner.  That would have brought me $55.  I was surprised when Fusiachi Red was a well-beaten fourth at even money in a third level allowance in the third at Monmouth and even more surprised when Carina Mia was third at even money in the Grade 1 Ballerina despite giving Songbird all she could handle in the Grade 1 CCA Oaks in her previous start.  I got my first win of the day in the Grade 1 King's Bishop where I thought it was a wide open event with a full field.  But Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had sent two in here.  He'd missed the break in his debut, but since then had blistered through his first, second, and third level conditions by daylight.  I thought he'd get a nice stalking trip under Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith.  But instead he went right to the front and was never threatened.  

He was a generous 3/1 at post time and I cashed for nearly $45 on the win.  After passing on three races it was time for my BET of the Weekend in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer going a mile and a half on the turf.  Flintshire had been my BEST bet on the Belmont undercard in the Manhattan then had been my best of the day in the Bowling Green last time out.  He won that day despite being blocked from the top of the turn to the furlong pole and STILL was under a hand ride under the wire.  My only concern was a troubled trip.  As they hit the far turn Javier Castellano was on the rail and I thought he should have gone wide to get a clear run, but he stayed inside and it looked like he wouldn't get out.  But as heads turned for home a small hole opened up and in the blink of an eye Flintshire was through and long gone.  I thought he should have legitimately been 1/9 at post time so for me the 1/5 price was stealing.  And instead of just going in with a US Grant I was in with a big Ben Franklin bill!  WHOOO HOOOO!  

My last winner of the day came in the 10th at Monmouth in an entry level allowance.  Bandwidth had debuted with a professional blow-out win from a stalking trip and earned a solid 77 BSF.  In his next start he stretched to two turns at the tough Keeneland fall meet and ran into Gun Runner who went on to take the Fair Grounds Derby preps and run third in the Kentucky Derby before winning the Grade 3 Matt Winn.  He was a Monmouth 40% Club play with Nik Juarez riding for Jason Servis today and had big stats on all the appropriate categories.  He broke from the eight hole and was three wide into the turn, but as they sprinted for home he opened up and was long gone.  The triple investment and the 5/2 odds led to a payoff of more than $50!