September 19

Presque Isle Masters Night

The first highlight of the day came when Kim and I drove over to the BB & T arena, home of our Florida Panthers and purchased our new jerseys for the upcoming 2016-17 NHL hockey season.  We are very excited about the new season after making the playoffs last year and with a LOT of young talent coming back this year.  The franchise changed their logo for the first time since they entered the league in 1993 and while we weren't wild about it at first, it's grown on us.  Here we are sporting our new sweaters!  

After heading to a Cypress Bay High volleyball game we came home for dinner and I watched the races from Presque Isle.  As it turns out it was just as well that we were NOT in Pennsylvania for this live racing night.  My best days of racing came on Saturday and Sunday where I would not have been at the races.  It would have been exciting - as you can see:  

THREE runner-up finishes, two of them in photo finishes that I honestly thought I won, but wasn't certain.  In the 4th Artesian stalked the leaders, glided to the front and was clear to the furlong pole before caught in deep stretch (#4 in top left photo).  In the featured Grade 2 Masters I went with two-time defending champion Living The Life who left the gate at a solid 7/2.  In my analysis I finished my comments with this...."If 10-Sarah's Sis (10/1) wins at anything close to her program price you'll have to kick yourself for letting a multiple graded stakes winner, who's last win was the Grade 3 Chicago on a synthetic surface, score at a big price....especially since top national rider Florent Geroux is in to ride!  It's wide open, but I'm going with the "Horse-for-the-Course" angle in Living The Life at a fair price."  I also didn't like the fact that Sarah's Sis was a front runner and after watching races at PID for weeks, it is rare that front runners hold on.  As you can see, when Living the Life came with her big late kick it was ALMOST enough, but not quite as Sarah's Sis held on and paid $22.20.  Yes, I am kicking myself.  In the sixth Miss Gossip was 4/5 and was a weakening third.  In the seventh I got my first win of the night when Irish Cat sat off the pace and blew by the leaders at the top of the stretch to win going away.  The $8.00 payoff allowed me to collect $20 on my lone minimum bet of the night....and my lone win.  Sigh.....

In the finale I thought Kadie'shorseplay was the obvious choice.  Bet down from 4/1 in the program to 4/5 at post time she was FLYING up the rail and I truly, TRULY thought I'd won the head bob, but the $26 outside horse was the official winner (bottom left photo).  Exciting races and I guess from an unbiased perspective you have to believe after going 6-for-10 Saturday and 4-for-5 on Sunday I would not have a big winning night.  Still, sooooo close.