August 26 - 29
On Monday August 22 Kim and I returned from our nearly two week adventure to Alaska with our friend Patti. We LOVE Alaska and this trip was every bit as good (or better!) as the first five times we went there. Watch the fifteen minute highlight video here:
Alaska 6.0 Highlights
It was a long trip home and we were turning right around on Friday to drive to Orlando for our little man's birthday as Oliver turned six. But it was time to get back into the racing game as the summer winds down and we head into the Fall Championship Season where I play a lot less frequently, gearing up for the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park. The typical routine has been to play some races on Wednesday or Thursday and then kick off the weekend with the twilight card at Monmouth on Friday. But this week between the recovery from the trip, the massive amounts of laundry that needed to be done (especially with us leaving in just a few days), and most especially all the "wrap up from the Alaska trip, I didn't play any races until Friday. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that under the lights in West Virginia it was Charles Town Classic Night on Friday so I played both the Monmouth card and the Charles Town card, which didn't kick off until after 5 pm, after we'd arrived in Orlando.
Got right into the winner's circle in the opener on the Jersey Shore when Arcadia Calls pressed the leader to the top of the lane, collared the front runner and dueled to deep stretch before edging clear in the shadow of the wire. Followed that up with a second win in the third when Free To Fly sat off the pace into the far turn, swung at least five or six wide turning for home and was up inside the final fifty yards for the win. Closed out the Monmouth card - going 3-for-5 - in the sixth when Mystery Mo pressed the pace setter between horses to the top of the stretch, was in and among horses as five of them were across the track with a furlong to go, and held on gamely.
The Charles Town card started just as Monmouth was ending. I ran 3rd and 4th with the first two picks from the West Virginia track, both as the short-priced 4/5 favorite. The seventh was the Sadie Hawkins Stakes going seven furlongs, which at CT is a two-turn event. The Sky Is Falling took aim on the odds on front runner turning for home and surged by to give me my first stakes win of the night. The eighth was the Pink Ribbon Stakes and Bill Mott's Frank's Rockette was the top choice. On paper by most standards she was a very deserving favorite, maybe not the 2/5 listed in the program but her resume certainly showed she'd been facing MUCH tougher. However, the hurdles were these.....she'd never been two turns, and she'd not won since July of 2021, AND had lost as the short-priced favorite in two of her last four starts. That being said, in her last six starts she'd faced graded company and had compiled a 6/0-4-1 record. So IF you were willing to buy into the softer competition tonight would allow her to strut her stuff AND that the two turns wouldn't be an issue, then she would be the bet. I did believe both those things. She pressed the pace to the far turn, collared the leader turning for home. They were on even terms for maybe 100 yards before Frank's Rockette easily kicked away to be much the best with my "prime time" wager on her.
Missed in the next three stakes (running 2nd twice) before it was time for the "big one," the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. Last summer Bill Mott's Art Collector had won the listed Alysheba going 9f at Saratoga and then came here to wire this signature race. He'd repeated the pattern with an easy win in this year's Alysheba to prep for a defense of his title. You COULD have considered Art Collector may be more vulnerable this year as being a year older, maybe facing some pace pressure, and earning a slower Beyer in winning the Alysheba. But for me, this year Art Collector was coming off a long layoff for the Alysheba and really had never been asked. As to the pace pressure, (a) he was drawn well inside of his lone pace foe, (b) going three turns on the small Charles Town Track he'd have immediate ground saving positional advantage, and (c) he was CLEARLY the class of the race. Right to the front and I'll admit I was a little "concerned" that the longshot front runner did not let him have it easily. All the way to the far turn and I thought, "well, we'll find out now how much the pressure softened him." Not at all as he drew off in hand as my BEST BET of the Weekend!
Saturday was an even more successful day. Because I'd not had a lot of time to handicap and because we were visiting family I only played Monmouth and Saratoga. I won with a Brad Cox first timer in the Saratoga opener, then lost at Monmouth. But in the first of the multiple graded events at the Spa Chad Brown's Technical Analysis held a lone front runner pace advantage and wired the Grade 2 Ballston Spa.
In what will be considered one of the biggest upsets in the 163 year history of Saratoga, sprint champion Jackie's Warrior was run down in deep stretch to finish 2nd at 1/9 odds, spoiling his perfect six-for-six record at Saratoga. Have to wonder what the connections will do with the Breeders' Cup Sprint looming as his career finale next. Rebounded with two straight wins at Monmouth before I scored in Saratoga's Grade 1 H.Allen Jerkens at seven furlongs for 3yo. Chad Brown's Jack Christopher had been unbeaten when he tried two turns in the Grade 1 Haskell last time out. I thought he'd have no problem with the added ground, but he'd weakened late and was third. Today he was back go sprinting and if the turn back didn't dull his speed he'd be awfully tough.....and he was. Had to fight late, but he was the winner.
The ninth at Monmouth was their feature, the Sapling Stakes going a two-turn mile for two-year-old colts. None of the juveniles had ever gone a route of ground but I thought Todd Pletcher's Lost Ark looked every bit the part. And the fact that he'd won from off the pace AND was being sent here from New York were all positive indicators. Sat mid-pack into the far turn, then made a sweeping move to the front some five or more wide and drew off impressively.
The big "upset" of the day - and big time congrats to me for picking her - came in Saratoga's Grade 1 Personal Ensign with Pletcher's champion Malathaat. Today she was renewing her rivalry with Clairiere who'd bested her in both of their 4yo meetings. The consensus among the "experts" was that Malathaat had been the better 3yo but as older fillies, her rival had become the better race horse. I did not agree, at all. Turning for home Malathaat had left her rival in the dust and had dead aim on the two upset minded front runners. Wore them down in the final strides and despite being a multiple Gr 1 winner, including a big win here last summer she paid a very generous $8.40 allowing me to cash for over forty dollars :)
There were a lot of questions about 3yo Epicenter heading into the Travers. In the Derby preps he'd established himself as the leader of the division. He'd taken the lead turning for home in the Kentucky Derby but was caught late by 50/1 upsetter Rich Strike. Then in the Preakness Chad Brown's Early Voting upset him. Today he met both rivals again and he had appeared to be on the improve with a decisive score in the prep for this, the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. I thought he would prove best today but wasn't sure if he was as good as I thought he was. Turning for home he had dead aim on the leaders and was well in hand. Blew by in an ultra impressive romp in the "Mid-Summer's Derby" to reestablish himself as the clear leader of the sophomore class.
Sunday and Monday I went winless with a limited number of Monmouth picks to close out the weekend. But clearly the highlight had been the remarkable 8-for-11 Saturday of racing!
August 26-27 Racing Highlights
Social Media Highlights......
Despite being out of the continental US I was able to connect with some of my social media gal-pals. On the day I was flying high over the mountains and glaciers of Denali National park I exchanged messages with CBS-4 Weekend anchor Karli Barnett.
While winding up the cruise I saw Channel 10 Morning Anchor Jacey Birch post another of her "fashion" pics. The simple white dress certainly looked good on her and she was appreciative of my compliment.
Saturday we were cruising through the Inner Passage of Alaska - which is normally very scenic, but on this day we were surrounded by fog. With the time change it was late afternoon when Karli Barnett held her weekly Saturday evening FB Live chat. I greeted her and noted where I was. I was very happy that she responded by wishing us well, and by noting that she'd been looking at my photos and videos. I was so taken by her interest that I used this video clip at the end of my Alaskan highlight video to underscore the more than 1,700 social media hits we'd had while on our journey.
Several weeks ago my gal-pal Kimmy had reached out TO ME and I'd been surprised at her comments that she had been surprised she had not heard from me lately. So, she wants me to stay in touch more often I thought. As a result I've tried to be more diligent about contacting her. So on Thursday before we headed to Orlando I reached out to her to share that it was our son Brad's little boy's birthday (she knew Brad in high school). She responded "how cute," so I HAD to ask....was she indicating that Oliver was so cute, or was it me the compliment was intended for? He he he, I'm such a funny fellow. Being the sweet girl she is, Kimmy replied that both of us were cute. She is tooooooo sweet.
When we'd disembarked from the ship we spent the day in Vancouver and so I'd sent the pic to Karli Barnett. I used the opportunity to offer to share insights on Alaska as in her FB chat reaction she'd mentioned she'd "always wanted to cruise to Alaska." I was pleasantly surprised that she didn't just "LIKE" the comment and photo but "LOVED" it :)
A shout out to my sister-in-law Karrie who before we left had asked for my help to build a blog so she could post pictures - and be like me! - of their trip to Kosovo and Greece. I got her started and was proud of her for how quickly she picked up on it. When I posted about our leaving for Alaska she replied in a text that "I couldn't leave her because she needed me" :) As her trip has continued she's done a great job, especially for a first time blogger, of posting pics of their trip.
Finally, one very first social media gal-pal was Lauren Pastrana who I began following as a morning reporter, then as a morning anchor and now the evening co-anchor. We've had many exchanges for several years, so once we'd returned home I reached out to her saying I was happy to see her smile as she caught us up on what was going on since our return from Alaska. Two things of note here.....first, more than just a "LIKE" she welcomed us home; and more importantly (if you follow me you know I really appreciate this), you'll note in the pic below that my message to Lauren was sent at 5:16 pm just after she had started the evening news broadcast. Note her reply time......WHILE on the air at 5:26 she saw my message & pic and took the time to "LIKE" and then type a reply to me :))))
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