August 18 - 22
It was a week of highs and lows. I'm nearly certain that when I reflect back on this week of racing the things that will stand out to me will be the three-day getaway to Minnesota, highlighted by the evening at Canterbury Park for Minnesota Derby Night, and the three "BEST Bets" that I hit on Saturday. But for today in the immediate aftermath of the five days of racing, I must admit I'm more disappointed that excited with the racing results. But, to conclude the "pity party" - there's no rest for the horse player as there are stakes races at Parx on Monday and Tuesday....then we're right back at it with racing on Wednesday. Charles Town Classic Night is Friday and Saturday is the big Travers Day at Saratoga. AND all the while we will be traveling to Orlando for the grandson's birthday. It's going to be a busy week for sure.
Tuesday-Thursday: Canterbury Park Getaway
Kim and I flew out of Fort Lauderdale International on Tuesday morning and landed in Minneapolis a little before 6 pm. We returned home late Thursday and arrived about 10:30 pm. For all the details on the getaway, CLICK HERE. But for the details on the racing, here's how it played out...... First post for Canterbury was at 5 pm, so before we left I had two races at Saratoga, with a third later in the day scratched. After running third at 5/2 I picked up the first win of the day in the fourth. It was NOT a Progressive Handicapping angle play but rather my own analysis of Todd Pletcher's Blewitt and the way the race shaped up. This horse, who is owned by Repole Stables - and they point for wins at Saratoga - was named for analyst Jason Blewitt who recently gave up his analyst position at Gulfstream to work for West Point Thoroughbreds. The horse had faced much stiffer while losing until he finally broke through at the Championship Meet when dropped into an Allowance-Optional Claiming that carried a price tag of $25K. He had come off the shelf last time out and showed speed for six furlongs in a second level allowance before backing up. Now today he was back for the same $25K price tag. The classic "Early Speed, Class Drop" angle! Right to the front, fended off the challengers throughout and opened up late. SCORE! And it was really cool to watch Blewitt, the man, leading the horse into the winner's circle and posing for the photo.
I noted in my analysis for the races at Canterbury that I was playing some events that typically I would NOT be playing because, after all we were AT the track on a vacation. And as I told Kim, I always try to have the frame of mind when I'm on a "Track Trip" that it's about enjoying playing the races at the venue more than it's about having sharp handicapping results like when I play at home. Still, it had looked to me as I went through the card that the favorites were standouts in most of the races tonight. A good example came in the opener, a starter-optional claiming going six furlongs. Drena Star was 8/5 in the program and she'd won a stakes race here. She had the rail in a short five horse field and easily could wire them if the rider chose. Then my second choice scratched out and she opened at 1/9 odds. Looked LONG gone, but they don't run the races on paper. I noted in my analysis that the #5 was the only "real threat" on numbers but her best races were on turf. 'Star left the gate at 2/5 and was on an easy lead to the top of the lane, then the 5-horse blew by and won by nearly half a dozen. WOW. I normally would have passed the second, but played....9/5 second choice in race going a mile on the turf. Tracked the leaders in third to the turn, asked...evenly in third while my third choice won at 5/2. Interesting side story - when I went to bet the guy in front of me said "I'd like $160 to WIN on #5." Oh my....that horse wasn't even the favorite! He was the winner. OH MY - squared :) The third was a Maiden Special going five furlongs on the turf. There seemed to be a lot, A LOT to like about Le Tub who was moving from the strong So Cal circuit to Minnesota. How would he adjust? Well he had several sharp works including a bullet work and a near bullet work. Broke wide from the 3-hole, raced wide to the far turn, advanced three-wide and was floated 4-wide into the lane. But in the final strides he wore down the leader to get the win as the 3/5 favorite. Cashed for nearly $20 and I was happy as our dinner arrived while we looked out over the track.
The fourth and fifth were so wide open that I didn't even bet the fourth and in the fifth I bet the minimum on a 9/1 outsider.....sixth. We'd finished our meal and the big races were about to start so Kim and I headed downstairs to the second level and sat outside as the sun began to set. There was a steady breeze and while the Minnesota natives were overheard to be whining about the heat and humidity, to us Floridians it was GLORIOUS! The Minnesota Derby was next up going a mile-70 with the starting gate right in front of us. It was great to be AT the races and hear the roar of the sizeable crowd as they left the gate and then as they came thundering down the stretch. I liked the favorite, Thealligatorhunter who seemed a standout. Five of his last six Beyers topped 17-of-the-18 numbers on the page for the other 3yo's in the field. And the only number that could top one of those six was earned in a debut MSW win in a sprint - and that turned out to be the second choice in the wagering. The 'Gator was wide around the turn and very wide down the backstretch - what's the rider doing? Then on the turn he began to move up and took command into the lane while at least five wide. For every two strides forward he was drifting one stride further out and the second choice was closing ground. At about the furlong marker, Thealligatorhunter suddenly dove down towards the rail and crossed in front of the second choice. Then in the final fifty yards be began to drift back out again and as they crossed the wire it appeared he and the runner-up actually clipped heels. Immediately the INQUIRY sign went up. As the replays were being shown on the big screen and I'd looked at them a couple of times I said to Kim, "I've seen much less get taken down and much worse stay up, but in MY opinion.....when he ducked in he was clear of the other horse who didn't even break stride. When he came back out and it looks like they clipped heels, he SHOULD be taken down for that EXCEPT, that happened just PAST the finish line. And while it is an infraction, the rule is supposed to be a horse is DQ'd only if you cost the other a higher finish position. And since the race was over, as wrong as that was, that is not cause for a disqualification." They continued to watch and then the announcement - "There will be no change!" And when the announcer walked the crowd through the decision it was explained exactly as I'd explained it :)
Next up was the Minnesota Oaks and nearly everyone agreed Star of the North was a "free bingo square" at miniscule odds. Star of the North had finished third in her debut but since then she'd rattled off SEVEN wins in a row at increasingly longer distances. She was exceptionally fast and had gone wire to wire in all wins, extending her margin of victory through the stretch each time. Of the combined 44 Beyers on the page for her rivals tonight none of them, ZERO of them could beat her LAST FOUR SPEED FIGURES. AND she was the lone speed. Cruised to the front, turned for home after a leisurely :48 opening half mile and 1:12 for three quarters. But then the #1 horse - who's connections were the owner, trainer, and rider of Thealligatorhunter - blew by like Star of the North was standing still. The most incredible part - the winner had won her debut in July 2020 going five furlongs. Since then she'd lost eight in a row. And in fact she'd not even hit the board until the last two which were both on the turf! The barn had a 3-for-32 for horses going turf-to-dirt, but tonight, it was their night at 9/1 odds. WOW. Normally would not have played the 8th, but took what looked like the lone speed at 2/1. Led to the far turn then stopped like he was shot. In the finale it was another "how does he lose" type. But we'd already seen Drena's Star go down, Thealligatorhunter ALMOST go down, and Star of the North go down. What would happen with Ready To Runaway? And another concern I had was that all of the losing favorites had gone to the front and had been run down - 'Runaway was a front runner. But the more I looked at it - and especially with the "most likely alternative" scratched - the more convinced I was he was going to be a decisive winner. I UPPED the bet! Right to the front, and as they hit the far turn third choice began closing resolutely. Uh oh was my immediate thought, but then I noticed.....the closer's jockey was working hard to get his horse to pick up the pace while my rider was sitting motionless. Once heads turned for home Ready To Runaway let out a notch and took off as much, MUCH the best! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!
Finished the night 3-for-8, I'll take that and I'd won the "BIG" race, the Derby. I also found it oh-so-ironic that when I first came to Canterbury it was to visit my great pal Jim Anderson who was my "track buddy" as well as very close friend. He passed away suddenly in March of 2019 and I miss him all the time. On Sunday morning my Facebook Memory popped up - it had been exactly four years, to the day that I'd been here with him. Sigh.......
Canterbury Park Getaway Highlights
Friday August 20
Today I had selections from Saratoga, Monmouth, and a couple from Del Mar. Missed with the first play at the Spa on the turf but in the 7th Todd Pletcher's ONE Saratoga 40% Club angle is when a horse goes turf to dirt. Such was the case with Gimme Some Mo. Only one-for-ten lifetime, running for a $25K nw2L tag, but he kept Irad Ortiz today. Pressed the leaders to the far turn, caught the leader, exchanged bumps and edged away. Brief objection and inquiry but no way Jose! Scored at $5.10 and I cashed for over $25.
Right back in the Monmouth opener on their Friday Twilight card as Rob The Treasure split horses at the top of the stretch and drew clear late as the 4/5 favorte. Missed in the 2nd and passed the 3rd before I doubled the play on Nick the Cardshark in a claiming sprint. He had been claimed by the leading barn out of his last and top rider Paco Lopez took the call - a 35% jockey-trainer combination. He was away quickly but was steadied on the rail. Moved off the rail then was shut off and steadied again heading into the turn, oh my. Moved five wide into the lane and ran them all down for the victory as the 6/5 choice. Ran 2nd as the 4/5 favorite on the turf in the fifth when chasing a loose-on-the-lead front runner. In the Jersey Shore finale Absolute Anna went off as the 6/5 favorite and rolled home as tons the best giving me a 3-for-5 afternoon at Monmouth Park!
In Del Mar's 2nd, which went off minutes after the Monmouth finale, I liked Zero Tolerance for trainer Peter Miller. Debuted in a 5f turf sprint and had all, ALL kinds of trouble STILL only beaten a nose when second. Moves to the main track and stretches out a furlong as the DRF Best of the day. Broke on top, took heat all the way but held the lead determinedly all the way to the wire for another winner, giving me FIVE on the day.
Saturday August 21: Alabama Stakes Day
Today was the day that epitomized the week. Because of the long trip back home from Minnesota I'd had to do some handicapping for Friday on Friday morning. And I was finishing up work on the web page and video. So by the time I started working on the race selections for Saturday it was mid-day and when I'd finished Monmouth, the big Alabama Stakes Day card at Saratoga, and the Pacific Classic Day card - with multiple graded stakes - at Del Mar, it was early evening. I'll have to settle for playing just three tracks today. But Saturday morning I went through all the selections online for Gulfstream and added a few more plays. Won the first two at Gulfstream and then ran 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th with the last four. I was "ok" with the playing of the local races as it gave me more races to watch and I won with a third of them. I also won three at Monmouth with the highlight being the Monmouth BEST Bet in the featured Grade 3 Iselin. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey brought back multiple graded stakes winner Code of Honor off a long break in this one and if even "mostly" right he'd win for fun. But, he was going to be a short price and now a year older???? Swooped by on the turn and was TONS the best - the even money price was absolutely stealing considering who he ran against.
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