June 22 - June 26
The long week of racing kicked off with a GREAT night of racing from Canterbury Downs where it was Northern Stars Racing Festival Night on Wednesday.
There were five stakes races on the evening and I had bets in all of them as well as three other races. I kicked off the night by winning both the first two races, non-stakes - AND upped the bet on the second race. Missed when 2nd in the Curtis Sampson Oaks in R3 and 4th in the Dark Star Turf Sprint. Then in the MTA Stallion Auction Stakes - the only stakes NOT on the turf - the very fast filly Royal's Lil Diva ran them off their feet going wire to wire.
Ran sixth at 8/5 in the Lady Canterbury before scoring in the last two stakes events. In the Mystic Mile Mr. Dumas split horses at the top of the stretch and blew by to win. Then in the Mystic Lake Derby Florent Geroux let Stitched sit just off the pace - he'd previously been a confirmed front runner - before taking off turning for home to win by daylight!
Northern Stars Racing Festival Highlights
Finished the night 5-for-8 on the evening. Because Kim was still out of town until late Thursday I decided to play both the Belmont and Churchill Downs Twilight cards. I took particular satisfaction winning at Belmont in their 5th, a second level allowance. Marvelous Maude looked EASILY the best in this turf route but on America's Day At The Races, Acacia Courtney's sidekick pronounced that she was not a good bet at a short price and he would never bet her in here. Well Anthony, everyone at the track is entitled to their opinion, but for ME I bet who's got the best chance to win and in this case more people sided with me than you and we were the ones that cashed the ticket....big smile as I'm right and he's wrong.
Won two at Churchill before it was time for what turned out to be the BET of the Weekend in Belmont's 7th. Chad Brown's Goodnight Olive looked like an almost certain winner of this second level allowance. She'd debuted at Gulfstream during the winter and was second best behind a horse who's come back with some success. She won her next, a MSW at Keeneland with a huge 93 Beyer. Then she beat winners here at Belmont in an entry level allowance with an 87 Beyer at this 7f trip. The par for this level of racing is an 87, so she'd hit par in her last two....of the combined 94 starts by today's rivals they had ONE Beyer that met par and it came from a horse who earned it in a claiming race from which she was claimed and she'd not run back to even be IN the 80'x in four subsequent starts. Right to the front and coasted to the top of the lane before running away under a hand ride in an OH MY race visually.
Cashed big time and I'm on a roll :) Missed on the next three selections and then it was time to head to the airport as the 7th at Churchill was approaching. In this third level allowance Masqueparade looked almost as good as Goodnight Olive, but not quite. So she was the "BEST Bet" at Churchill and I hooked her up in a straight $5 late daily double with my selection in the finale. Right to the front and led into the stretch, as I watched in the parking garage at the airport on my phone. Then, instead of spurting away she was challenged! stretch duel for a 16th of a mile and then the other horse had a full head in front, but Masqueparade would not quit....PHOTO FINISH!
The results of the photo were announced - I WIN! WAIT....."Ladies and gentlemen, hold all tickets there has been an objection lodged by the jockey of the unofficial 2nd place horse against the unofficial winner claiming foul during the stretch run." Seriously? Watched the head on, OH pish-posh, that's not a big deal as I walked into the airport. Got all the way to the gate and STILL watched for another five minutes....what ARE they considering? Typically the longer they review an objection/inquiry the worse it is for the winner. Then....."NO CHANGE." WHOOOO HOOOOO.
While it wasn't a big payoff, it was a WIN and I'm alive in the double. In the finale Insignia was near the back to the far turn, then swept by on the turn and drew off.
Cashed back-to-back winning tickets AND the Daily Double where I'd taken two 2/5 favorite and had them pay off at 6/5 odds - sometimes I am just really good.
Friday we left mid-day to drive to Orlando for the weekend and spend it with the grandsons (and their parents) On Saturday, Ohio Derby Day I had selections from Monmouth, Gulfstream, Belmont, Churchill Downs, and of course Thistledowns where the Ohio Derby card had multiple stakes events. What was interesting to me is this story....for years my youngest son Brad has been convinced that he's a jinx when he plays the races with me. And oddly enough it is more often than not the case that when he plays I do not do well, and when he does not I DO do well. I didn't think he was playing with me, but about mid way through my selections I'd won one of the first seven and then rattled off three in a row. THAT is when Brad showed me he was playing along. Ran 2nd and then won another four in a row. And a while later I found out that was when Brad stopped - good for him as he made a profit of $100 and got out. For me, I won four races at Thistledowns, only one stakes race (and a close second in two others). Went winless at Gulfstream, as I expected with sooooo many races on the all-weather. But I did have the Belmont feature when Eminent Victor was much the best in the Wild Applause Stakes as the second choice, and then cashed a nice ticket in the Grade 3 Chicago - the Churchill Downs feature - when Lady Rocket wired the field beating three multiple graded stakes winners who took all the money. Collected nearly $50 for that upset win. At the end of the day I was sitting on nine wins and had one bet-back promotion in the bank. The final race on the sheet was the Ohio Derby. A win, and I'd profit on the day....a loss and I'd have a small loss on the day. Took the lead at the top of the stretch but was outfinished, second.
Still, for the week at good 38% wins with twenty winning tickets cashed and so very much enjoyed the Wednesday Canterbury big night of racing. Next week is Closing Weekend at Churchill Downs.
Social Media.....
While I was watching the races on Wednesday they were being carried by "America's Day At The Races" and Acacia Courtney thanked me for watching when I reached out to her.
The first contact came when it was former WISE student Christina's birthday early in the week.
Then a photo of my friend Mishelle who is having such a good life now that she's out of what apparently was not a good marriage.
Later in the week it was our friend Michelle's birthday....
Reached out to my gal-pal Lauren on the anchor desk on Tuesday....
No comments:
Post a Comment