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 :)
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