On Thursday June 10 I left Fort Lauderdale for a near-week long adventure and I was so very happy to be on the go again. I posted a "Virtual Scrapbook" of the trip online, CLICK HERE. As for the racing specifics......I flew into Louisville arriving about noon and Keith picked me up at the airport. After checking into our "just ok" (at best) hotel we headed out for the Twilight Thursday card at Churchill Downs.
The first race of the day was a maiden claiming event around two turns for $20K fillies and mares. Prinecess Doir hard run several speed figures that would take a career best to top her and she was the bet. She was taking more money than I thought she should so I upped the bet. Dueled all the way to the far turn and I was a tad bit concerned she might give way turning for home, but instead she opened up and drew off as easily best! In the second I had the favorite and as Keith and I both agreed, it wasn't that he was good, all the others simply were NOT good. Rallied from too far back to be second. My pick scratched in the third, and just didn't like any of the others. In the fourth it was my "best" of the day with Cabertoss in a claiming event going a one-turn mile. Trainer Chris Hartman was winning at a huge 44% rate and he'd claimed this one for $12.5K at Oaklawn. RAISED him in class to $20K last time around two turns to no avail. But I'm sure that was the plan because today he DOUBLE-dropped him and turned him back to this one-turn event. HANDILY wired the field! My top pick scratched in the next and I passed the seventh. In the finale I liked Mischiefful in an allowance event going the short 5 1/2 furlongs - on either the turf or the dirt. The speed figures weren't special BUT she had a best of 32 bullet for today and that's a favorite angle of mine. Wire to wire to give me THREE wins from five selections for a nice profit. WHOOOO HOOOO!!!
Friday we spent the day running around Louisville; took an "excursion" to the Louisville Mega Caverns - WHO KNEW there was this gigantic cavern underneath the city? Since the 1930's! WOW. And then we floated down the Ohio River as the sun set. Had a late night dinner over looking the river to top a great day of sightseeing.
Worthy of note.....while on the boat the Friday night, six-race twilight card at Monmouth ran. Second in the opener; second as the heavy favorite in the 2nd. Sigh....then a dismal fifth. WOW. But in the final two races I'd tripled the bet and won them both! From a "bad day" to "WHAT A GREAT DAY" of racing as I finished with 40% wins and a clear profit :)
Saturday - Marathon Day At The Track
We talked about several options for today but in the end decided that after a late breakfast we'd go out to the races to watch the simulcast events from noon until 6 pm when the live racing began. Little did we know that NOTHING would be open inside Churchill Downs - except the betting windows - until five pm....no drinks, no food. WOW. I won several races leading up to the featured program, but the two highlights were this......it was Opening Day at Woodbine (delayed by the "global pandemic") and even though nearly ALL horses entered had not run since November I had six picks......WON WITH FIVE of them! Oh my, I love Woodbine and enjoy playing the races there :)
Didn't fare as well at Monmouth, but in the finale I was making a video, cashing a ticket, and trying to bet while looking at my phone - without my glasses. Got it all in and then a few minutes later Keith asked me was the pick the #3 or the #4. I opened my phone to my sheet and saw it was #4 Coworth Park and told him. The horses were heading to the gate at Churchill as we watched the video from the Jersey Shore and as the three-horse broke on top I just had this "feeling," so I pulled out my ticket and what did I see?
My ticket showed that I'd bet the WRONG HORSE (the pick in the previous race HAD been the #3, apparently I looked at the wrong thing in my haste and without glasses). Showed Keith and he was like, "oh that's nice" and I insisted I didn't even know who the #3 was. As they turned for home the #3, Puglist was on the lead and here came my "REAL" pick, the #4 to run him down....but he couldn't get by - the 3-horse held on and was a 5/1 winner. Paid $12.40 and I cashed for over $60. WHOOO HOOOOO - better to be lucky than good...LOL
Now the REAL action started - Downs After Dark. Missed with the first two picks when I ran fifth and then fourth - neither really were a threat at any point in time. But in the third I liked Running Ray in a claiming event going a one-turn mile. As I noted in my analysis, the big question was which "Ray" would show up today? The "good" one would run away with it, the "bad" one would be an also ran. He went right to the front and as they turned for home it was clear he was duplicating one of the four speed figures on the page that would indicate he'd win by a pole....because he DID!
Right back in the fourth where we were on the turf in a rich $75K maiden claiming event going a mile on the turf. It looked to me like Flauto was the lone speed of the race and would coast around the track on an easy lead. But immediately out of the gate a price horse shot to the front from the outside. The rider smartly "took the lead" on the rest of the field, and I felt comfortable that when they hit the top of the stretch I'd glide on by. Half right....at the top of the lane Flauto easily moved to the long time leader, but uh oh....he had plenty left. You have to watch the replays (Part 2) to see the stretch duel. Not only was it a great race to watch but the ROAR of the crowd was awesome. I guess it was awesome to ME because I got the last nose down on the wire :)
Well beaten fifth of five in the next race before we got to the 6th which was a turf sprint for non conditioned allowance runners. Three horses were exiting the same race, two of them running fourth and fifth. But I wanted the beaten favorite from that race who was up the turf. She'd had early trouble and the Brad Cox filly was getting an extra sixteenth of a mile tonight. She tracked the pace in third to the far turn, surged to the front and took over. She was driving to hold off the late runners, but was well clear under the wire and suddenly I had three wins on the card!
That proved to be it for me. I really thought the odds-on favorite would win the featured Grade 3 Mint Julep on the turf. But Juliet Foxtrot opened up a clear lead and I was filming as she got nailed on the wire. That hurt. But ironically, even with the loss of that big bet I finished with a clear profit with a dozen wins on the day.
Sunday I was up around 4:30 so Keith could take me to the airport for a 7 am take-off to Ohio. Appreciated my buddy being willing to drive all weekend for sure, especially on this chauffeur service to the airport. I had picks at Monmouth for the day and I checked them once I arrived at my sister's. I won early in the card with my 2nd best of the day. Then in the featured TVG Pegasus Stakes, the Kentucky Derby runner-up (who will likely be moved up to be the "official" winner sometime soon) was the heavy favorite to win. Mandaloun - who'd been my "upset special" in the Derby, and ran second at huge 26/1 odds leading to several of my "followers" making some good money on the first Saturday in May - broke a step slowly and then was squeezed to the back of the field heading into the first turn. As I watched I was thinking, "he better be a MUCH the best favorite if he's to win here." Began to pick off horses into the far turn, then swung wide as he got close to the leaders. It's at that point that nearly every horse who has a bad start makes a move and flattens out, so it was time to see what he was made of. Like the quality horse he is he swooped to the lead. But the lightly raced Todd Pletcher horse came again and the stretch duel was on. Through the final 16th Mandaloun began to inch away and I had my close-out winner for the week. YAY me!
I was unsure how the week had gone and is my "superstitious" way I didn't add up the numbers until the end of the racing. Delighted with the outcome!
Check out the video highlights.....truly, the crowd roar is awesome, even though the pics and videos don't truly capture how electric the two days were, it's still pretty amazing.
Downs After Dark Racing Highlights - Part 1
Downs After Dark Racing Highlights - Part 2
Downs After Dark Photos
First, the crowd was HUGE and it was truly really hard to get around. Great people-watching all evening long, and I was amazed that the vast majority of the guests were what looked to be high school seniors or college age young people celebrating.....some it was clear were celebrating their high school graduation; one group it was the girl's 21st birthday; another was a bachelorette party. I have looked and looked online for pics of the crowd and these are the best of what I could find. I would guess that photographers naturally focused on the girls anyway, but I will say that nearly all the guys were not dressed up or in anything other than what you'd expect but nearly ALL the girls were dressed up in "night out" / "club attire" / "party dresses" outfits. So here is what I found......
On the social media front, two of my "gal pals," Shasha and Michelle followed my adventure and commented or messaged me........
And then it was Jilian's birthday - I added three pics of Jillian to support my claim of her attractiveness :)
And finally, one of my girl reporter pals responded to a message I sent. And, like the Jillian pic, I posted two pics of Karli as evidence of why I follow Karli Barnett....she is very attractive to say the least.
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