Summer/Fall Racing: Belmont Festival of Racing Weekend

June 9 - 12

It was an extended weekend of racing made all the more "interesting" by my wife having to have a heart procedure done. But all good in the end! On Thursday the highlight was the Grade 2 Wonder Again for 3yo fillies. Chad Brown's Consumer Spending had been within two lengths of winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf which was won by Pizza Bianca who won for me on Black Eyed Susan Day as much the best. And Haughty had exited that race to win the Penn Oaks. She tracked the leaders in the clear to the top of the lane and then blew by as easily best, winning as my BEST of the Day.

I was able to win one of the two 2yo stakes, the Astoria when Devious Dame ran away as TONS the best, very impressive for this time of the year.

I also won two races at Churchill and an allowance at Belmont on the turf which for some reason was reduced to a field of TWO! I had the 4/5 "longshot" winner :) As I began watching the telecast on Friday on Fox Sports, "America's Day At The Races" my "friend" Acacia Courtney was on the air, so I reached out to her and she liked my photo of her.

For the day Friday I only won two races from ten (after going 5-for-11 on Thursday) but both the wins were "BIG" bets. Oxana was a runaway winner at Monmouth - and bet as such and in the featured Grade 2 True North, champion Jackie's Warrior put on a display. WOW he was good, running up the score by a pole while under wraps.

The big day Saturday started at 11:20 am and ran until after 8 pm. As so as the telecast came on Maggie Wolfendale was on the air with her thoughts and I reached out to her. I was happy she replied right back, while on the air, and commented about the set up I had at the "Sunrise Simulcast Center."

I had handicapped the Delaware card, not that I thought I'd make much money but there were a few races I felt really good about winning and I did win their opener with an odds-on favorite. But the first big play came in the third at Belmont, the Grade 1 Acorn where I had 2yo champion Echo Zulu. She was 2/5 as they approached the gate, but something just wasn't right and Joel Rosario had the vet scratch her. So I moved my bet over to rising star Matayera and she ran away from the field as much the best.

I was surprised in the Grade 1 Just A Game that Chad Brown's Speak of the Devil was the favorite - in the program and the betting. An excellent turf filly, she'd won me my 10,000th career race on Derby weekend, but she was no match to Brown's other filly Regal Glory (interestingly that in the field of five, FOUR were trained by Brown). Chad Brown himself had said that Regal Glory was the best turf female runner in the country but she went off as the second choice and with my PRIME TIME bet on her. BLEW BY as tons the best, whoooo hooooo.

Won two races at Churchill Downs before it was time for the Grade 1 Woody Stephens going seven furlongs for 3yo. Many felt that Jack Christopher, who'd missed the Derby was the best 3yo in the country. The way he won the Gr 2 Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard certainly made you think. Well today he put on an astounding show as he ran away by a pole, under wraps with my big time bet on his back.

Won at Churchill and Delaware before it was time for the BET of the Weekend in the Grade 1 Met Mile. Nearly everyone was excited to see the race which featured one of THE most exciting horses in trainer, Flightline. He'd only been out three times but all three had been breathtakingly devastating wins. The last in the Grade 1 Malibu was truly astonishing. I wrote ahead of time I've not seen anyone this good since Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. That the connections, after just three starts were talking about the Breeders' Cup Classic was telling. Today we'd find out something....first time shipping out of So Cal; first time going a mile; and first time facing some good rivals. Still, I thought it was all about how good he really was. The gates opened and he stumbled out of the gate. That's NEVER good for a horse who likes to be on or near the lead. Recovered and came up the rail, then had to check, got back into stride and had to check and steady again. This is ALL not good. Jockey Flavian Prat took him outside into the clear and he pressed the leader to the turn then took off and drew away by six widening lengths, GEARED DOWN! I was shaking I was so excited when I rewound the race and had Kim watch. OH MY.

I also thoroughly enjoyed my son Jeff's comments to his friends about betting Flightline....

I won Churchill's feature, the Mighty Beau scheduled to be run at five furlongs on the turf. But the grass course has become problematic so no more turf racing until the fall. Still, Just Might was a stakes winner on both turf and dirt and he wired the field determinedly.

Closed out the day by taking the finale at Belmont to finish an even FIFTY PERCENT on the day, 12-for-24! WOW what a day. As with most Sundays and always after a big stakes day, would today put a damper on the weekend or an exclamation point? Won two of five at Monmouth and then I upped the bet at Churchill Downs in their featured Grade 3 Matt Winn for 3yo colts from $10 to $25 on Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife. Cruised to the leader at the top of the stretch and looked ready to run away, but that one would have none of it. They dueled the length of the stretch and I swear that Cyberknife NEVER had his nose in front. They hit the wire together and in four of the five slo-mo replays I really thought I'd come up short, but the official photo showed....