June 14 - 19
It's a "terrible curse" to bear, but I often have this "problem" but rarely to this extent. What problem would that be you wonder? That I had SO MANY winners this week that to write the entire week up in detail would be to write a novel of epic proportions :) So I'm just going to give the highlights, of the highlights of a most, MOST amazing week.
The first thing to mention is that for the majority of the week I was actually IN Louisville. To see the photos and read the highlights of the trip (not the racing) visit my travel page:
And I must say before we get into the racing, that the Ghost Tour on Friday may have been THE highlight of the weekend. You might react with a "oh wow," but no.....you don't understand. Until you read through how amazing the racing week was, THEN you can appreciate that "OH WOW" indeed, the ghost tour must have been really something. Check out the page above for highlights of that tour as well as the trip itself. Ok, on to the racing. The week started off early with Tuesday racing. Yes, that's because this was "Royal Ascot" week. The prestigious five day week in jolly old England kicked off on Tuesday morning and I liked three runners on the opening day card.
The first race of the meet was the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes which featured the unbeaten Baaeed. Everything I read said he would be the most likely winner of the week and I couldn't find anyone who thought he'd lose. Made him the BEST of the Ascot meeting. And he was a decisive winner. In the second I had reservations about US-based Golden Pal beating the top Euro sprinters, but backed him anyway because trainer Wesley Ward said he was the best horse he's EVER trained. Missed the break losing all chance as he is a front runner. Was "interesting" that top NA rider Irad Ortiz said it was his fault they missed the break. Then in the last bet of the day I liked Coroebus in the Group 1 St. James Palace. It was close, but he won. A good start to the week.
I handicapped the Thursday card in anticipation of Keith and I going to the Twilight Thursday event but the heat in Louisville was so bad that live racing was cancelled for both Wednesday and Thursday. As a result, once I'd arrived we decided that we'd go to "The Downs" Friday afternoon in between our two excursions (to the Mega Caverns underneath Louisville & the Ghost Walking Tour in the evening). I was good by that even though I had no analysis for Churchill. I was appreciative of my ability to stick to the plan as I played only the Monmouth card which began at 2 pm. I did play one last race from Royal Ascot where Changingoftheguard was, by everything I read, the one and ONLY front runner in the field of the Group 1 King Edward VII Stakes. He won, but by the SLIMMEST of margins, but hey, a win is a win! I won with the first race, missed with the second. Then finished the day with three straight winners to finish off a glorious 4-for-5 day.
And that brings us to the big, BIG day. We met my cousin for breakfast right across the street from Churchill Downs at Wagner's, which is a local diner known for being a hangout for track people. That was fun to go there and to catch up with my (if the truth be known FAVORITE) cousin and her "beau." We arrived at the track midway through the big Monmouth card where it was Haskell Preview Day featuring four big stakes. The first live race from Monmouth for me was the 6th and Todd Pletcher's highly regarded 2yo Major Dude ran away for the win. Interesting side story, a year ago when Keith and I had done this same thing we discovered next to none of the food places opened until the racing began at Churchill Downs. So our plan to have lunch and watch the races was going to need for us to find a place to eat. I had a question about my Twin Spires account so I went into the VIP Room for Twin Spires members to ask and then asked about places to eat. We were invited to eat here, since I'm a member. And when the bill came, we got 40% off because I AM a VIP :) As we sat there after the Monmouth win I looked up at the Belmont telecast and saw it was a stakes race. I remembered now that I'd seen this earlier in the week and the likely winner was a Chad Brown horse I knew. So I made a bet - and won when Masen drew off late to score in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes. Posed for a pic in the paddock in my "fancy duds" (so I'd fit in with all the hotties and "people of stature" who would surely be here under the lights!). In between two stakes at Monmouth where I ran a dismal 8th in both (ouch) I looked up at the monitors and there was a very short priced horse at Gulfstream. Who's that? Did a little research and saw it was a Saffie Joseph 3yo Of a Revolution who was dropping out of a 3rd place finish in the Grade 3 Swale to run in an allowance event. Using my TwinSpires app I saw that he was everyone's top bet, was the top class - speed - pace - and BEST Bet horse. So, Gulfstream's giving away money, eh? COUNT ME IN! Walked to the window and put a double investment down. Won for fun. Sometimes I'm so very smart :) Finished off the "early wagering" with another Chad Brown turf stakes star, Sacred Life who blew by the field to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes on the Jersey Shore. As the night time racing began I was off to a big 6-for-10 day.
I did, I'll admit it, have the thought cross my mind of "What if I've won the majority of my races for the day already?" And I answered myself - that's not good - that I was here to enjoy the atmosphere of being at Churchill Downs for the night time racing and I'd enjoy the experience regardless of the outcome of my handicapping of the local races. And I had the thought again when in the opener I had the 4/5 favorite who was all, ALL by himself on the front end, clear by daylight turning for home and was caught in the shadow of the wire to be second. But not to worry, I came back in the second with Western River as a triple investment. He'd been entered to run a week ago Thursday and was my top choice going nine furlongs. He scratched to run here instead going a mile and a half. I believed that the trainer must have thought this a better spot. He was right as he ran home by open lengths without ever being threatened. Came right back with my BEST BET of the Night in the third on Master of Arms. It's an excellent example of how to play the game, and I often say "it doesn't have to be a Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Million Dollar race to cash a best of the day," and here we had a maiden claiming event where my choice had already been out five times. But, he'd earned "paired figures" of 78 & 79 - often a sign of a move forward. That alone would have made him the bet. But the "best" figures earned by the rest of the field were 56, 70, 69, 49, and 69. He should win by a pole. So not only did I make him the BEST of the night, but I had linked him with Western River in a straight $5 Daily Double ticket. Just as predicted, Master of Arms was a pole clear under the wire and I cashed the WIN ticket and a nice bonus double ticket.
Didn't like anyone in the fourth and I was happy that I stuck to my guns, again, and didn't play the race as it was won by an upset runner. The fifth was the "featured" Monomoy Girl Stakes. Steve Asmussen's Society was unbeaten in two starts and had the best speed figures in the field. BUT she'd never been two turns and this was a mile and a sixteenth route event. Still, she looked more than capable as a daughter of Breeders' Cup Classic & Pegasus World Cup winner Gunrunner. Right to the front and coasted all alone to the top of the lane. Confronted by the second choice there the two fillies put on quite a show in a stretch long duel until Society edged clear late. WOW what a night, three for four with a daily double as a cherry on top!
In the sixth and seventh I missed which led to "my teller girl" Amy telling me it was time for me to get back in the winner's circle! It was a perfect time for a photo op so I had Keith take one as we stood in the front row of the second level overlooking the finish line. The eighth was a Maiden Special and while you might not care for Warrior Johnny when isolating on just his past performances, it's all about the match-up. The par for this level going a one-turn mile was an 82 Beyer and in his last three starts 'Johnny had run 88-84-85, clearly he SHOULD have won by now. But tonight he faced a field where those numbers beat all 30 lifetime figures of the rest of the field. The crowd was not fooled by the early DRF morning line which remarkably made him the third choice - who makes those lines? Sent off as the prohibitive 1/5 choice he was under a hand ride by Tyler G from the get-go and won by a pole in basically a public workout. For me, it was all about the next race however. Why is that you ask? Because I knew I wouldn't make much on Warrior Johnny, and in the 10th it was pretty much between two fillies. So I linked the two races with three horses in the 9th in a Pick 3. And because I wanted to be rewarded if I was right on the money I got a second Pick 3 ticket with just my top choice in the 9th and the top two in the tenth. As the field turned for home in the 9th my top choice, Lord Dragon was dueling with a horse who was NOT one of my top three, and fortunately he dug in and got the win. I felt awfully good about my chances of hitting the Pick 3 now. The 10th was a second level allowance for 3yo fillies. Tarabi was the one to beat IF she ran back to her 2yo races when she was 2nd best, twice to 2yo champion Echo Zulu. But you never know if they will come back the same at 3. Was a good sign that Javier Castellano flew in from NY. But the main rival was Ontheonesandtwos who had more recent form and had run well over the track. That one went right to the front and turning for home I was running 1-2, but there was no catching Ontheonesandtwos. While I didn't have the win ticket I did have TWO Pick 3 tickets with her (which paid more than if I'd had the favorite) which enabled me to cash the Pick 3 four times. My teller Amy was pleased for me :)
One final race on the card. Ans as I noted, AFTER the race it would be very obvious that backing Repealing was a very good or very bad idea. She'd debuted at Saratoga and finished third behind Echo Zulu and another next out winner. But that was it. L-O-N-G layoff, but got first time Lasix and Tyler G who was having a massive night. I noted in my analysis to see how much the crowd likes her. They made her the 8/5 favorite and that was good enough for me. Was a handy winner by almost a pole as my SEVENTH win on the night - wow, what an evening!
Was up at 4:45 am for the trip to the airport home. Only to have my flight delayed, then re-scheduled. The airline wanted to send me to Orlando, then Baltimore, and home arriving at the airport at 9pm. I said no thank you, I'll stick with the first leg to Orlando. The flight after being delayed to 10:25 was rescheduled for 7:35 and I arrived in Orlando at 9:30 am. As I flew out of Louisville we flew right over Churchill Downs. The first photo is what I actually saw, the second, zoomed in :)
Actually got to the desk in time to board my original flight home, putting me at the airport at 11 am, but because I'd been rebooked and then cancelled those rebooked flights they couldn't get me on. So I rented a car and made the 3 hour drive home. Walked in the door at 1:30 pm, much better than after 9 pm. While in the car I'd watched the first two races I had from Monmouth (which I bet at the airport). Won the first one in a narrow decision with Paco Lopez on Kitten With A Whip. Then lost the second. I was home in time to watch the rest of the card. I won the 8th with Forty Stripes who went last-to-first and drew off at 6/5. Then Paco was on an upset winner on the turf, Unleveraged and he paid $9.20. Missed in the feature but scored in the finale with a Todd Pletcher first timer with Paco up again. So for the day Sunday I was 4-for-6.
Now if you have been following the daily totals you know I had a very, VERY good week. Just a reminder that I typically score around 35% to maybe 40% and that's really high for handicapping. But for the week......
How about that my friends? It was indeed a VERY good week!!
Downs After Dark Week Highlights (other than Churchill)
Social Media.......
The first incident came when CBS-4 anchor Lauren Pastrana posted a pic on Facebook and talked about how much she liked coffee, regardless of if it's hot outside. I originally became "involved" with Lauren when she used to post hypothetical questions and "did you know" posts like this. She doesn't do it nearly as much so I enjoyed seeing this and of course replied.
The second social contact came on Friday when I turned on the CBS evening news on my phone WHILE I was at Churchill Downs and saw "my two girls." Reached out to them and of course they both liked it AND Karli replied - all the while they were on air doing the news.
Followed this up when they posted a photo of themselves and the weather girl, all in red. Commented and got a follow up from Karli - while on the air.
And then later when we were finishing up the ghost tour I sent a photo to Karli (first time I've done that) to explain that now I was on a Ghost Tour and she wrote back to me :)
Kelly Colwell - our trainer at Oasis and a real cutie - posted she was back home in Minnesota, don't you know - and I commented, which she "liked."
Finally Sunday, while traveling - on Father's Day - my "adopted daughter" Jillian posted on my timeline wishing me a Happy Father's Day!
On the fifth
On the sixth
No comments:
Post a Comment