Coaching Club American Oaks Weekend
Saratoga kicked off the week of racing on Wednesday and I had picks all the way through Sunday evening. This week was NOT the kind of week to brag about, but I felt better when I turned on the TVG broadcast on Sunday and both analysts remarked how they had suffered through a "tough day" on Saturday. Yeah...me too, and that was true for most of the week. But hey, you keep on firing and I KNOW that at some point the numbers will even out. The racing began on Wednesday when I was visiting the grandsons in Cape Coral. Began the day by running a distant 7th at even money then thought I had a chance on the far turn at 8/1 before fading to 8th. In the 9th, a nine furlong event I went with Forza di Oro who was trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Pressed the issue to the far turn then took over and ran away impressively, so much so that talk afterwards was we might see him next in one of the big graded stakes at the Spa.
From the posting of prices after this victory I went the next twenty-seven selections in a row without a single ticket to cash. And that included two favorites at 1/5 odds, two at 1/2 odds, one at 3/5, two at 1/2 and one at even money. NADA, couldn't get into the winner's circle until the Saturday feature at Monmouth. But about a half hour before that was one of the best races of the day, and the most disappointing result. Todd Pletcher's unbeaten filly Malathaat - who had drawn a $1 million sales bid - had won the Grade 1 Ashland and then the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Today she scared away all but three rivals in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. EVERYONE said she was the clear winner unless something very unusual happened. At 1/5, it did. Her hand was forced from the rail early by the longshot, when she edged clear of that one on the backstretch the Steve Asmussen filly came to her quickly. When she put that one away at the top of the lane, the initial challenger came to her in the lane. A sensational stretch duel, and she JUST missed. Gallant effort, but the Bet of the Weekend had gone down to defeat.
The first winner, ironically after that long string of losses, came with a minimum bet in a turf race where next to none of these had any turf form at all. And that was the reason I landed on He'spuregold, in that he HAD turf form. Always reminded in situations like this of the handicapping adage, "turf winners win turf races." As the leaders swung into the stretch the rail opened and jockey Nik Juarez shot through to gain the advantage and inch clear late. Just to get a winning ticket, of any kind, I was happy that the skid was finally over.
And as is typically the case, for the remainder of the weekend I went 12-for-25 and had a whole lot better feeling about my handicapping by the end of racing on Sunday than I did late afternoon Saturday! Minutes after scoring in the Monmouth feature I got my lone tally on the Pimlico card, and it was in THEIR premier stakes event, the Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington Invitational going a mile on the turf. I thought that he was a big time win candidate. Others COULD win but in the twelve races showing on the page, he'd won four of them, three in Gr 3 company like this. But more impressive was that in the other eight stakes he'd faced FAR better and had been competitive with rivals that would be 1-9 in here. He drew the 1-hole and was saving ground into the backstretch. That's when I saw the problem coming.....no one was going to let him get into the clear! Patiently handled, he waited for a seam and when they turned for home the narrowest of holes opened and the rider shot into it. Immediately the front runner tried to ease closer to the rail to intimidate his rival but Field Pass and the jockey were having none of it! Inside the final 16th he got his head in front and edged clear late. I'd gone prime time and stuck with it - whoooo hooooo.
Missed in three in a row before the horses were in the gate for the 9th at Saratoga. It was a first level allowance and those are always difficult to predict. BUT, Caramel Swirl from the Bill Mott barn looked really solid to me. She'd run second on debut to Malathaat - see above, the top 3yo filly. And she'd then faced a filly who came right back to win a stakes. When finally getting back to one turn at Keeneland she romped in her maiden win. Tried the Grade 2 Eight Belles on Kentucky Derby Day and had a horrible start. Now with multiple bullet works she faced allowance foes. Dueled to the top of the stretch and took off as much the best.
Right back with a MSW event at Del Mar. Sea Dreamer had been a BEST-of-the-rest 2nd while earning a whopping 89 Beyer and finishing eight plus clear of the show filly, who returned right away to win. She was a multiple Del Mar 40% Club play for trainer Simon Callaghan and EVERYONE on the TVG broadcast talked about her as a single in the Early Pick-5. Right to the front, confidently handled despite facing pressure then opened up. After widening through the first 16th of a mile of the stretch, jockey Flavian Prat eased back and let her lope home. This one is special and stakes bound my friends.
As you can see I went "PRIME TIME" on the investment I was so confident. And good for me to do so at this point of the day after all the results I'd had.....well played Mr. Mark! Less than fifteen minutes they were into the gate for the Saratoga co-feature, the Grade 3 Caress Stakes, a 5 1/2 furlong turf dash. I'd seen Caravel win last time out at Monmouth in a listed event and she could not have been any more impressive while keeping her record unblemished. Today her main rival was the speedy Robin Sparkles who was exiting back-to-back front running scores - as my top choice! But I was confident that Caravel would be able to run her down. Robin Sparkles set sail on a clear lead into the lane but jockey Irad Ortiz was never concerned and when asked, Caravel accelerated by and won handily, lengthening the margin of victory with every stride. Trainer Tom Amoss who's doing double duty by analyzing on Fox Sports' "Saratoga Live" broadcasts remarked it was THE most impressive win of the day. I second that!!
Missed the next three but then I got a HUGE WIN and nice payout in Del Mar's co-featured Grade 2 Eddie Read going nine furlongs on the turf. Veteran United was a multiple graded stakes winner and had won THIS RACE last year. He'd been a dull 4th as the 1/5 favorite, and my top choice last time out. But DRF analyst Brad Free commented he had an excuse with a foot problem. His 2nd best of 78 workers in a sizzling :58.4 told me that this guy was sitting on a big bounce-back race. I was surprised that the public, and Free loved the main rival Smooth Like Strait. True, he'd run well at this 9f trip but it seemed oh-so-obvious to me that a mile was his best distance. That one took command heading for home with United bearing down on the outside. They dueled before United inched clear late. WHOOO HOOO. As I was watching on TVG I had no idea what the odds were, probably 9/5 since he'd hovered around 2/1 and 5/2 and certainly the late money would have come in. NO WAY JOSE! He was better than 3/1 at post time and paid an unbelievable $8.60 allowing me to cash for nearly $65. WOW.
The finale at Del Mar looked to be another single with Global Campaign looking to extend his winning streak to five in a row since coming to North America. Trapped on the rail he could not get unleashed until inside the final 16th and he looked like a winner, but on the outside a closer who'd built up a full head of steam got to him and out-bobbed him on the wire. TWICE in big races, sooooo close.
Sunday I had several picks, and I was curious how the day would play out. Should the results go the way I THOUGHT they'd go, I believed I would have multiple winners. But I'd thought that last Sunday after a sub-par Saturday and struggled. As the horses headed for the gate in the Monmouth opener I considered playing a $5 Pick-3 by singling all three of my choices, who I liked a lot. Was going to pay me $40 for the investment. But before hitting the "submit" button I considered....what are the chances that all three probable short priced favorites would win? Not good enough to wage the additional five bucks. Kratos romped in the opener - even though it looked like they were getting to him late I don't think Paco Lopez ever asked him to run; Tayler's Chrome was a close 2nd choice and won by multiple lengths in the second race; then Frosted Blue overcame trouble and was JUST up in time to score in the third! WOW, would have had it. Oh well, with the way the week had gone I was just delighted to be 3-for-3 to start the day.
Missed with a 2/5 shot (part of an entry) at Saratoga. And then won AGAIN at Monmouth with my fourth pick of the day on the Jersey Shore. In retrospect I probably should have unloaded here as Nothing Better was a big price play bet. In this guys first three turf sprints he'd earned Beyer figures of 80, 79, and 81. Those win by a pole here today. Then two back the jockey lost the irons, toss that line. And last time out in a money allowance he was at the back all the way around at Delaware Park. Back home today, for the leading trainer Jose Delgado, and most importantly....in for a first time claiming tag. I saw this as a big-time bounce back effort. He was around 7/2 as they loaded into the gate but as he dueled into the far turn his odds had been hammered down to 9/5 second choice. That was when rider Tomas Mejia shook the reins and he took off like a shot, winning - as I expected - by a pole. Cashed for nearly $30 on my fourth in a row on the Shore. Missed at Saratoga at a solid 5/1, but fortunately I scaled back the bet a notch. The 7th at the Spa was a runaway win by the odds-on choice, Kaely's Sister - but hey, as we saw all weekend, being an "obvious pick" wasn't going to get you into the winner's circle unless you actually DID cross the wire first!
Less than twenty minutes later the Monmouth finale went to post. Mr. Briggs was listed as even money in the program for this mile and a sixteenth MSW try. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Paco Lopez you KNEW he'd be bet. Every race he'd improved and he looked to have a big time speed figure advantage. Paco had a strangle hold on him all the way down the back stretch pressing the leader. When let go he rocketed to the front and won by a pole. WOW - an amazing 5-for-5 at Monmouth. WHOOO HOOOO. And good for me for sticking to the plan and following my own selections there.
Got the final winner of the day at Del Mar when Bob Baffert's Del Mar 40% Club play - a 2yo FTS - won stylishly. As they loaded into the gate Murray was 7/2 and the announcers were remarking that even jockey Mike Smith who was NOT riding had commented that the colt looked awfully fast. Tracked the favorite into the turn, blew by and ran away in a WOW like performance.
Missed the last three plays of the day but finished 7-for-12 on Sunday with a nice profit. I'm ready to head back to it next week!
Racing Highlights For July 21-25
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