July 14 - 24: Great Lakes Cruise Racing

 Our Great Lakes Cruise / Racing at Saratoga, Monmouth & Del Mar

Obviously, over the last two weeks my racing took a secondary spot to our first trip outside the continental US since November of 2019 as we flew to Milwaukee and boarded the Viking Expeditions Ship Octantis and sailed for eight days with our great friends Tom & Mary Pat over the Great Lakes and into Canada (eh?).  Right before our trip began, the Saratoga meet opened and while we were gone Monmouth's signature day, Haskell Invitational day came and went.  And at the very end of the trip Del Mar opened.  Here's how the nearly two weeks played out for me.  Opening Day at Saratoga I had three selections and ran third twice and fifth.  On Friday, the day before our trip I had picks from both Monmouth and Saratoga.  Only two selections at the Spa and again went winless running third and fifth.  But on the Jersey Shore I had a good day!  I had six bets and won with FOUR of them.  In the opener at Monmouth it was a 2yo MSW going five furlongs on the turf.  The Wesley Ward first timer Insanity It Seems went wire-to-wire under Paco Lopez.  And then in the second, Paco rode Princess Betty to a convincing win.

Missed in the fourth but came back in the fifth with Luna Antonia, which was a good illustration of some "guidelines" for handicapping.  As a general rule, once a horse has run six time without breaking it's maiden, it's pretty clear that they don't want to win and I won't bet them.  BUT, the "rule" in handicapping is "THERE ARE NO RULES!"  So, despite the fact that this filly had already been out eight times, she was a triple investment for me.  And here's why......two starts had come over the new Gulfstream synthetic surface which still isn't clear if that's transferable to turf or dirt, so toss those.  Another came in a stakes race - yes as a maiden - easy toss.  That left four turf tries and she ran third in three of them AND those were all in MSW races, while today was a $40K maiden claimer.  Add in that the ONLY two Beyers that met par for this level BOTH belonged to her and it was easy to like her.  Pressed the pace to the far turn, opened up in hand and was geared down the final sixteenth.  Closed out the day with SEVEN time maiden Comedic Timing.  Again, easy to like dropping out of NYRA MSW tries to a cheap $10K maiden claimer on the Jersey Shore.  FIVE of his most recent NYRA tries had Beyers that met or bested par while the rest of the field had 60 numbers with only a combined THREE equal to or better than par.  Paco dueled between horses into the far turn then took off while finishing very wide through the lane.  A good day overall.

On Saturday we left for the airport early in the morning and arrived in Milwaukee to board the ship in mid-afternoon where our stateroom had been upgraded - YAY!  And because I'd known we'd be traveling and/or occupied during the day I had handicapped early and made my bets prior to boarding the plane.  When I checked the results for the day I had a hard time watching most of the replays with the WiFi on the ship while we were sailing on Lake Michigan.  But I was able to check the results of all the races - a mediocre day with only four wins from sixteen selections.  I did run second five times and third three times, so I wasn't "way off."  Scored in two stakes races and got my first winner at Saratoga for the summer.

I didn't play my typical Sunday races at Monmouth, nor did I play any races during the week.  We were flying home on Saturday the 23rd which was Haskell Day so I did download those past performances and had five picks on the day.  I honestly thought I would win at least three of the five if not four, but as it turned out I only got two winners - both in graded events.  I'll typically take 40% wins, but I really thought I had at least one if not two others that should have won, especially in the featured Haskell where I ran third behind a 7/1 upset winner.

Sunday morning when I got up, we'd arrived home around 10 pm after traveling all day Saturday, I knew that it would be a day with very little activity so I spent the morning handicapping some races and played them throughout the day.  I went an "ok" 3-for-11 with three runner-up finishes, one of which was in Saratoga's featured Grade 2 Shuvee where Todd Pletcher's Malathaat faced Chad Brown's Clariere for the sixth time.  She'd won four of the previous five and I thought she looked easily best today, but did not give an "A" game performance while that one ran big.  Two of the three wins were at Monmouth, and both with added money investments.  And I topped the day off with my first winner at Del Mar for the summer.

Check out our Great Lakes web page by clicking here:

And check out the video highlights of the trip:

Great Lakes Explorer - July 2022

Social Media......

I was surprised - and I must admit very pleased - with the social media interaction I had while on the trip.  On the day prior to our sailing I sent a personal Facebook message to gal-pal, CBS weekend anchor Karli Barnett.  When I had posted about our upcoming trips she had commented that these looked like amazing adventures, so I wrote to her that because she seemed interested in our trips she might want to follow along with our journals and photos.  Not sure if she did or not, but she wrote back to me.

I added to that message that I wasn't sure if I could, but her usual Saturday night FaceBook live video would come while we were sailing out of Milwaukee and that if I could get on I would say HI to her from on board.  I was able to make a connection so I did.  It was difficult to get a live video feed so I wasn't sure if she reacted to my comment or not.  But the next day when we were on Mackinac Island, in Michigan I had a much stronger connection so I pulled up the video and she DID not only see the comment, but seemed genuinely excited for us and wished us a good time.  I so enjoyed her personal reaction that I downloaded the clip and used it as an intro on the highlight video :)

On our next to last day on board I sent a photo to both Karli & Lauren and I thought it was very sweet that Karli sent me a message back.

Lauren had posted a photo of a new addition to the CBS news team which I reacted to and she liked my comment.  While she didn't message me during the trip there were three times she liked my message and/or photo I sent to her.

While at sea one day I tweeted to Karli a photo of me relaxing on board.  She'd said on the chat the first night that she hoped to one day take a cruise.  So I noted that I thought she could handle it - her cute reply noted that I was living a "rough life" :)

The day we left for home was also on a Saturday and I again sent a personal message to Karli.  I told her that I hoped she had enjoyed the pics, if she looked at them and said I would miss not chatting this evening on Facebook as we'd be in the air returning home.  Again, Karli messaged me back and wished us safe travels :)

And finally once we were home, Karli posted a picture of herself and a box of peaches that a viewer had sent her (why didn't I think of that?).  I commented that it was "adorable, and the peaches too" and commented she should have some peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.  And like usual, she replied back to me.

Delaware Handicap Week

 July 7 - 10

What a great week of racing!  And it's funny because in looking ahead to the week there really wasn't anything big on the calendar except for the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on Saturday where none of the really big stars were slated to run.  I started the week by looking at Canterbury's races for Thursday evening and had four picks from eight races.  But the last two were on the turf and it was a sloppy track and we were off the track.  So I ran 2nd and then won a photo finish with a triple investment to start the week.  On Friday I played just Monmouth and won two races from four picks.  So heading into the weekend I'd gone 3-for-6 and had made a whopping $2.50.  But as I told Kim, better to have had fun and been ahead than to have had fun and had no money to show for it.  Saturday there were a few big stakes events at Belmont where it was closing weekend.  And it was Indiana Derby weekend at Horseshoe Indianapolis (formerly Indiana Grande).  I didn't see any big names there, but I wanted to play if for no other reason than to hear John G. Dooley call the races.  He typically calls them in the winter at the Fair Grounds then in the summer at Arlington.  But with Arlington sold off for real estate value by Churchill Downs, Inc. he was out of a job until they hired him.  I've met him twice and he recommended one of our favorite TV series last winter that we just finished watching the tenth and final season.

I started off with a win in the opener at Indiana then was 2nd in the first stakes event on the Delaware card when I thought the winner should have at least been objected to.  But what ever.  I was a run away winner at Monmouth with Rough Sea who entered the back stretch towards the back of a compact field but was much the best through the lane.  The weather had been stormy in Delaware so all but one race was off the turf.  This suited me because in their fourth race Bad To The Bones was a big time play on the off going to win his maiden.  He ran away as the favorite and I had my third winner.  Second at Belmont after getting squeezed to last at the start, sigh.  Then the first stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis was the Indiana General Assembly Distaff going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.  I thought Mark Casse's Hendy Woods would be a legitimate favorite.  Her pp's showed seven graded tries, two in Gr 1 company.  The other five resulted in a 5/3-1-0 resume.  She had "paired" Beyers and it looked like it would take a lifetime best figure to beat her from her rivals.  She swung wide into the lane and had to catch two that had had dream trips saving ground.  Came to the wire....PHOTO finish.  At first I thought I won; then I was pretty sure I lost.  The third look, eehhhhhh - maybe?  DEAD HEAT!  I'll take it.

Missed four in a row before Odramark wired a turf sprint field on the Jersey Shore for my fifth win of the day.  A no-show effort in a stakes at Indiana before it was time for the feature race of the weekend, the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap going the classic mile and a quarter distance.  Two rivals faced off for the third time and what I thought was interesting about Miss Leslie and Battle Bling was that in both their previous races, one had been the favorite and had lost to the other.  Today though, Miss Leslie just looked way, WAY better to me.  She pressed the pace in the clear three wide into the turn.  Sling-shotted to the front into the lane and ran away as much the best with my triple investment on board.  WHOOOO HOOOOO.

After a 4th in one of the Belmont stakes it was time for the Monmouth feature, the Jersey Girl.  I'd listed Bramble Bay as my choice but had some questions.  In the pre-race show she was described as the "obvious short-priced favorite" and on the board now she was being pounded.  So I doubled the bet.  She was a runaway winner.  Smart of me to up the ante!

Ran 2nd in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont, but got my money back thanks to the Twin Spires "Bet Back" promotion.

The last three races on my sheet were from Horseshoe Indianapolis and were the three "big races" on their card.  The first two of which were my BEST Bets of the Day.  In the JB Schuster Stakes on the turf, I thought you were simply foolish or "playing for value" if you bet on anyone but Ivar.  OK, he'd not been seen since early November, but when he last ran he was third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile against the best mile turf runners in the world.  He'd run six triple digit numbers in his last seven starts and the only non-triple digit beat all 221 combined numbers posted by ten of his eleven rivals.  Oh.  The horse on the rail was the lone danger, but his last three wins - since July 2020 - had all come against restricted rivals.  Ivar had run, won and/or been competitive in graded stakes, four in Gr 1 races.  Just found it hard to imagine him losing.  The pace was hot and there were five of them up close heading into the far turn and another half dozen way back.  That left Ivar in the perfect "garden spot" about a half dozen off the dueling pace-setters.  On the turn jockey Joe Talamo gave him the cue and he began gathering momentum effortlessly.  At the top of the lane he was asked to run and within a furlong he'd blown by the field, then was geared down to win going away.  Powerful and with my PRIME TIME bet on board.

I got a text from my youngest son Brad then that he was up for the day with the BEST of the Day coming up and he congratulated my handicapping :)  The BET of the WEEKEND was next in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks where Brad Cox was sending out Interstatedaydream.  Her resume was dazzling, and LIGHT years better than her rivals as she exited a win in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan.  She dueled on the front, appeared to be headed through the first 16th of a mile heading for home, then was asked to finish off the job and spurted away as a daylight winner.  My phone immediately "dinged" as my son said, "Easy money!"  :)  Horray for us!

Ran 2nd in the Indiana Derby but finished the day a sharp 9-for-20 on the day with a clear profit.  As I've commented several times in my journals, I often wonder about handicapping / playing the races on Sunday.  I often have a big day on Saturday and then end the week with a so-so, or worse a losing day.  But then there are days like today where I won four of six and topped the day off with a prime time, BEST BET of the Day win in the featured Irish War Cry Stakes at Monmouth!

For the week I had amazing numbers!

Next week Saratoga opens and I'll be playing each day with my "Blue Chip Trainer Angles" as well as the "40% Club" plays.  AND next Saturday Kim and I head off to the Great Lakes for a week long sailing adventure on Viking Expeditions!

Delaware Handicap Week Highlights

Social Media......

For the most part this week my "contact" with "my friends" was largely me reaching out and then they would "like" the contact.  But I did have two really cool interactions this week.  Early in the week gal-pal and weekend anchor Karli Barnett posted a story about how busy travel had been over the 4th of July.  I replied to her (and CBS) that we were going to begin traveling again and sent a collage of our trips.  She replied back about how cool those trips looked.  I so enjoy that she takes time to interact with me as a social media friend :)

Former WHS student Jen Greb was on vacation with her family and liked my comment of how cute she and her daughters looked.

One of the best stories from my WISE program days at Cypress Bay was Erica Rakow who told me she wanted to get into TV journalism.  Became a Broward Teen News anchor as part of and because of my program.  Then went to the University of Florida and majored in Journalism.  Became a reporter and an anchor on both the NBC and ABC local stations before "retiring" to be a full time Mom.  She was always one of the cutest girls in class and as you can see, she is still so adorable - as are her children.

Former teaching pal/counselor Mishele posted about her day biking and we exchanged comments.

Reached out to my "original" gal-pal / anchor Lauren Pastrana who liked my comment.

The second very cool interaction came with former student and my "Disney Girl" Amanda.  We text back and forth often, and when we do it's for an extended period of time.  I reached out to her and said I was thinking of her and she replied the same before we "chatted" for about an hour.

Managed to get into Karli's chat on Facebook on Saturday for a moment.  And when I watched the replay of the video, and you can say it's just my imagination, but if you watch it...when she says "Hi" to everyone, she smiles.  But when it's "Mark" there's a noticeable big smile and different kind of reaction.  Even if it IS in my imagination, it's real to me :)

Finally, on Sunday evening I tuned into the local news and there was my girl.  I thought she had a cute "Irish green" dress on so I snapped a pic and sent it.  Again, might not mean much to you, but her reply.  She could have simply not replied, or simply "liked" the comment/pic.  Or sent a generic "thanks for tuning in."  But instead she opened her text box, got a heart to send....THEN had to change the color of the heart so that it matched the shamrocks she sent.  More than just a "like" and it's appreciated by her "good friend" here :)

Stephen Foster / July 4 Extended Weekend

 June 29 - July 4

It was a long weekend of racing that began on Wednesday, and the primary reason for that was so I could get my Twin Spires bonus!  When we were in Louisville two weeks ago I noticed that my on track wagers did not count towards my Twin Spires wagering amounts.  So I figured that this month I would not reach the wagering level to earn a bonus.  But last Sunday when I looked at the month's totals I was only $80 away from the plateau.  I looked at entries and with it being Closing Week at Churchill Downs I decided to play there & at Delaware on Wednesday and then Churchill & Belmont on Thursday - the last two days of June.  I was nearly certain I'd hit the wagering requirement by playing those two days.  I had handicapped the Wednesday races while sitting in the jury room at the Broward County Courthouse on Tuesday and had eight selections on the day.  Missed on the first four before closing out the day with three wins in four races.  The first came in the Stanton Stakes at Delaware where Witty was tons, and I mean tons the best.  It was only a three horse field and he sat behind the front two - which was a bit of a concern to me, but he blew by as easily as you please.  AND he set a track record while geared down through the final 100 yards!

Hit the last two picks at Churchill when Honey Run was JUST up on the wire and then stakes placed Travel Column ran away from her foes in a third level allowance.

On Thursday the day unfolded much as Wednesday had.  Ran 3rd in back-to-back races to start the day and both as the prohibitive 2/5 favorites.  Ouch, not how I saw that going.  My third selection scratched and then my fourth pick scratched approaching the gate.  I was now over two hours into watching the races on Fox Sports with the "America's Day At The Races" with good "gal-pal" Acacia hosting  when I finally got a winner.  I tripled the bet on Colonelsdarktemper in the third at Churchill, a claiming event how had an overall record of 3-for-28 at other tracks but owned a 14/5-1-2 local resume.  Right to the front and never looked back.  Second at 2/5, again then 2nd at 6/5 before we got to the fifth at Churchill which was a 2yo MSW sprint.  Steve Asmussen's Roman Giant was making his fourth start already and that's usually a big "TOSS" with 2yo at this early part of the season.  But it's all about the match-up.  I noted in my analysis the field he was facing was made up of:  "...  …..#1:  First timer on the rail from a 1-for-32 barn; #2: Most likely rival, another firster from a barn with 11 wins from 110 starters this year; #3:  the “other” Asmussen beaten nearly 20 lengths last time out; #4: A barn that has won with 2-of-42 juveniles; #5:  Firster from barn that’s 2-for-43 with debut runners; #7:  A firster from a barn that’s 1-for-31 at the meet; #8:  First timer from a barn that’s 1-for-29 with debur runners and 3-for-33 on the year ..."  OK, so Roman doesn't have to be much.  He'd tried the turf in his first two then when put on the dirt improved his Beyer by 40 pts and had leading rider Tyler Gaffalione on.  Easily wire-to-wire.

Came right back in the eighth at Belmont when Miss Sugar Hill was away slowly but blew by in the lane.  And topped the day off with a win in the final pick of the day, the 7th at Churchill Downs when Elite Power was easily best, drawing off impressively.  AND I easily got my bonus after playing those two days worth of races.

On Friday I only played Monmouth and had one win from four picks.

Saturday was THE BIG DAY - not only from a racing point of view, but from a winning point of view.  By the end of the day I'd hit on 13-of-30 and made close to $100.  After two misses to start the day, and ironically I'd gone back and forth to even bet them both.  What ever.  In the third at Monmouth my pick was a generous 3/1 and I was suddenly ahead for the day when Mojac Cat won.  Then in the 2nd at Churchill Downs Hollis was a "Horse For The Distance" with a resume of 5-for-8 record at the abbreviated 5 1/2 furlong trip.  And again, ironically my top choice scratched.  But I'd been fearful of Hollis anyway.  Went off at a generous 2/1 and when the 4/5 favorite got into trouble I was home free and cashed for over $30.

Off the board in two straight and then won two stakes races.  The only stakes win at Delaware from four on their card came when Whereshetoldmetogo blew by at the top of the lane and then in the Monmouth feature, the Regret Stakes I again went against the favorite and Paco Lopez outdeuled that one with my top choice, Edie Meeny Miny Mo.

Again, off the board in two races and then it was the BET of the Weekend!  Todd Pletcher's superstar Life Is Good had faded to fourth in the Group 1 $12 Million Dubai World Cup going 10 furlongs.  He made his come back in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud going 7f.  Really the only real foe was Speaker's Corner, but he'd given it up to Flightline just three weeks ago and I think Life Is Good is every bit as good as that one.  Much like the Met Mile the two dueled and then Life Is Good ran away impressively.  Right afterwards I messaged with hottie handicapper Acacia Courtney-Clement and she wrote me back that she too would like to see Flightline and Life Is Good meet!  And for good measure I played a $5 Daily Double with two horses in the fifth at Belmont.  My WIN bet ran 4th but the other horse on the ticket scored and I cashed for over $25 on the $5 bet.

Churchill Downs had six turf stakes carded for the weekend and had announced that for closing weekend they were re-opening the turf course.  But late last week then closed it down again.  This took the Tepin Stakes, now at a one-turn dirt mile down to four horses.  Wicked Halo looked tough and she was a daylight winner.  I missed in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill but had played three Pick-3 tickets and cashed on the one where I had the most coverage to get most of my money back.  In Belmont's 8th it was the Grade 3 Dwyer and Todd Pletcher  Off just a maiden win, he'd gone in the Florida Derby in his third start and ran 2nd while running very greenly.  He appears to have immense talent and so the bet was more about how good he COULD be than how good Charge It actually had shown.  Pressed the pace to the stretch and then WOW opened up in a dazzling performance.  Moments later it was time for the Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine.  I'd been chasing Roger Attfield's Grade 1 winning 2yo Lady Shakespeare all winter and she'd disappointed.  But today she was back home and more importantly was going a one-turn mile on the expansive Woodbine outer turf course.  Right to the front and looked clear until at the top of the lane she was caught and fell back to 3rd.  That's usually the end of the story for a front runner but she re-rallied, got to the front and then PHOTO FINISH.  The first slo-mo I thought I won, the next one, I was pretty sure I lost.  When the announcement came that it was a DEAD HEAT I was satisfied to cash the ticket.  

Followed those two wins with a nice score at Monmouth in their finale when Pond Walker netted me nearly $40 on his $7.40 payoff.  In the featured Grade 2 Princess Rooney, "Win And You're In" Breeders' Cup qualifier at Gulfstream, defending champion Ce Ce - who'd won the Grade 1 BC Filly & Mare Sprint - shipped in from So Cal with regular rider Victor Espinoza on board.  MUCH the best as my GP Best Bet.  And then it was time for the signature race of the day, the Grade 2 Stephen Foster from Churchill which was also a "Win & You're In" race.  There was a lot of pre-race talk about multiple Gr 1 winner Mandaloun, but both his Gr 1 wins had come via DQ.  I liked Bill Mott's rising star Olympiad who was on a five race (four stakes) win streak.  He proved that was no fluke as he powered home in a dominant effort as my Churchill Downs BEST Bet.

At this point I was sitting on a 12-for-30 day, a big 40% and had a profit for the day.  The last bet on the sheet was the Grade 2 Highlander from Woodbine, a six furlong turf dash.  I thought Bound For Nowhere was a clear cut favorite.  But she was sitting on the board at a chilly 9/2.  I thought I would just pass the race, take the big WIN % and profit and "go home."  Then I thought, "NO, I like this horse."  Was in traffic to mid-stretch, started for a seam, got shut off, another, nope it closed, then got daylight at the 1/8th pole - thank goodness for the long Woodbine stretch! - and burst through to win going away.  Best part - floated up to better than 5/1 and paid $13 so I closed the day with a $65 dollar winner.  WOW, what a day.

Sunday was kind of a "back to reality" day and I felt bad that Brad was playing along again as we gave most of our winnings back from Saturday with only three wins from sixteen plays.  But July 4th proved to be the saving grace.....

Special holiday racing saw me playing three tracks.  I had fourteen selections but two of them were scratched.  Missed as the even money favorite in the Monmouth opener and then scored back-to-back wins with a nice payoff in the first when I tripled the bet in the Churchill opener on Candy Tycoon and cashed for over $40.  In the Belmont opener 2yo Ranting showed great courage splitting horses through a tight spot to get to the front and draw off.  Missed at Belmont, sandwiched between the two scratches and then 2nd with a "prime time" play at Churchill" when Doubly Blessed was only 2nd at 3/2.  But the "WOW" moment came in the 2yo stakes, the Bashford Manor when I liked second time starter Gulfport who'd been a runaway winner in his debut.  I was only going in for $15 but he took a lot of money and I upped the bet two notches to a $25, BEST-of-the-Day Bet.  Right to the front and drew off by the WIDEST MARGIN in the 121 year history of the race while earning a final time that was the second fastest in the history of the race.  He's really good.

Ran 2nd in a Monmouth race before scoring with a 5/2 winner at Belmont.  Then it was time for the Hanshin Stakes at Churchill.  This was another of the "stolen" races from Arlington Park and I liked the lightly raced Cody's Wish.  He surged to the front in the stretch, was headed, but came back gamely to give me my fifth winner.  Missed in the 8th at Belmont when 2nd at 2/1 and then for the final play of the day I liked Todd Pletcher's Annapolis in the 3yo feature, the Manila Stakes going a mile on the turf.  The lightly raced unbeaten colt had had his win streak snapped in the Gr 2 Penn Mile and I thought he'd bounce back.  But earlier in the day jockey Irad Ortiz was interviewed and then the Fox Sports analysts discussed how the Penn course that night was a virtual bog.  Ortiz remarked he thought he run big over the firm ground, as did the analysts.  I upped the bet to a "prime time" play.  He was behind horses into the lane, then Irad found a seam and he was long gone, impressive.

It was a great week of racing from the Sunrise Simulcast Center!

Foster/July 4 Weekend Highlights

Social Media ......

All last week gal-pal, CBS-4 Weekend Anchor Karli Barnet was on vacation.  When she returned I reached out to her and she messaged me back :)

My former student and now Delta Airline attendant Michelle had a birthday and I reached out to her....

Another former, Kristian went with her husband to Machu Pichu in Peru, a place we've often said we would like to visit.  I told her so and she encouraged me to go.

I had two "conversations" with my gal-pal Kimmy's long-time partner in crime, Christy Shade who appeared online with a new profile.  I commented how pretty she was and then we exchanged messages about getting together to catch up.

Without question, THE social highlight of the week came when the aforementioned Kimmy reached out TO ME in a text.  I'd sent her a message at the end of May and she'd not answered, then out of the blue she reached out to me.  We chatted for over an hour and then continued the conversation the next day.  I miss having her around to meet up with and talk with.

Towards the end of our conversation she sent me a pic of her daughter Livvy and remarked she didn't look at all like her Mom, to which I disagreed.

Michelle - the airline attendant posted a pic and I commented how stunning the pics were of her in the Southwest.

Karli Barnett was on the news on the weekend of the fourth and I noted I was tuning in.  Note, again, that I messaged her WHILE SHE WAS ON THE AIR, and three minutes later she MESSAGED ME BACK WHILE ON THE AIR.

Later that evening on her Facebook Live chat I reached out and you can believe me or not, but I later listened to the entire 30 minute conversation and many people welcomed her back from her trip and/or wished her a Happy 4th.  To NO ONE did she reply with such detail (and I'd argue with true feeling) than when she responded to me.  Was cool, to me :)  Good friends :)

On Monday, an evening where usually my "other gal pal," Lauren Pastrana anchors the news, Karli was in on the holiday even broadcast and posted a pre-broadcast pic.  I commented, she replied to me.

On the 4th one of my horse racing pics was Kymmie Chardonay.  I reached out to my gal pal when the horse scratched and she replied right away.

Finally, Karli posted the same pic on Twitter she'd earlier posted on Facebook and I got a reply again :)