August 31 - September 5: Closing Week
This was the last week of handicapping multiple days as we will move into what I call the "Fall Championship Season" now. It's from September to the first weekend in December that I try to step back from racing and recharge to get ready for the five day handicapping weeks of the Gulfstream Championship Meet that runs from December through the end of March. My plan is to only play on select Saturdays - though I often end up playing more Saturdays that anticipated - as I enjoy the fall which will include college football, hockey season starting in early October, and multiple trips. With that in mind, and because it was the end of the Saratoga Meet, I played Wednesday through Labor Day Monday there, as well as Monmouth and Del Mar on Saturday where it was Pacific Classic Day.
Wednesday August 31
I picked up two wins on the Wednesday card from upstate New York. The fourth race was a second level allowance and Scotish Star was making his first start for Todd Pletcher. He'd raced exclusively on the main track in So Cal before transferring to the top NA trainer's barn. He'd immediately put the colt through SIX turf works. DRF analyst Mike Beer didn't even put the short priced runner from the program in his top three choices...even with hot riding Flavian Prat on board. Who to believe Mr. Todd or Mr. Beer. Duh. Sat in second well behind the runaway front runner to the top of the stretch, took dead aim and surged by in the final sixteenth.
The second winner came in a maiden claiming event on the turf where Sal's Dream Girl was making her first start for a tag. In her most recent she was off a layoff, had early trouble and was wide into the lane before being a best-of-the-rest 2nd. Settled in the back half of the field through the far turn, swung into the clear and blew by the field.
Thursday September 1
Today I was off to Ohio for a week-long visit with my family. I made my bets before Kim drove me to the airport and I was able to watch the first two winners of the day get their picture taken. The fourth was a third level allowance on the grass and nearly the entire field had Beyers recently within a couple points of each other. But I thought Bye Bye Melvin had a chance to run big as a loose-on-the-lead front runner or a pace presser as the speed of the speed. Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez sent him right to the front, cleared early and was long gone.
Right as we were getting ready to board the were in the gate for Race 6. Juveniles sprinting on the turf can be tricky, but Inflation Nation had been a best of the rest runner-up in her debut for Christophe Clement and I thought she looked best. Jockey Dylan Davis cleverly saved ground through the turn in fourth, angled three wide into the lane and opened up to take command. Challenged on the inside she dug in and held that one safe to give me my second winner on the day.
The BEST of the Day was the featured PG Johnson Stakes going two turns on the turf. Looking at the running lines of the field, all of which were maiden winners only, at first glance there didn't seem to be a lot to separate them on. But then I noted how Be Your Best had drawn off to win decisively from near the back of the pack, and the fractions had not been fast. Watched the replay and she looked to have some real talent, enough so that I thought anything close to that maiden win would make her the easiest of winners and maybe propel her into the Gr 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Had to wait until we touched down in Columbus to pull up the replay and watch......Breaking from post six of seven she was up closer than in her maiden debut while wide through the first turn. Got inside to save ground through the far turn. Was asked to accelerate up the rail turning for home and bravely did so, exploding just like in her maiden win to run away as much, MUCH the best with my prime time investment on her back. WHOOOO HOOOO!
Friday September 2
The slowest day of the week as I ran third three times, was off the board four times, and scored with but a single selection. That came in Saratoga's 6th race when Security Code won a 2yo maiden claiming event. She'd earned a Beyer better than anyone else in her runner-up last effort behind a filly who returned to win a stakes race. After reluctantly loading she chased wide through the far turn, surged to the front and was clear to the wire as the 3/2 chalk
Saturday September 3: Pacific Classic Day
After the lack of winners on Friday I thought maybe, just maybe I'd have a good day on Saturday as I watched the races and the first big Saturday of college football action. But for the first two hours of racing I had ONE win from five selections. This is NOT how I saw the day playing out, sigh...... To make matters "worse," the one winner (in the 2nd at Saratoga) had come with Powerful in a MSW for 2yo who left the gate as a deserving 3/5 favorite AND I only had the minimum on board. But a win is a win.
The first stakes race came in Saratoga's 4th, the Saranac Stakes for 3yo and Todd Pletcher's Annapolis was easily, EASILY the class of the field. One of the five scratched out and he was left as the one and only front runner. I had already planned to go "prime time" on the investment, and I probably should have upped the ante, but I kept it the same. Right to the front, never in doubt.
And that turned the tide for the day! Starting with the Annapolis win which went to the post at about 1:45, over the next nearly three hours I had seven selections and WON SIX of them! Now that's what I was hoping for!
I lost three three in a row, but fortunately for me, two of those were "Bet Back" races where I got all or some of the money wagered back! The most disappointing of the three came in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl at Saratoga where War Like Goddess put her 8-for-10 career mark on the line, including a perfect 3-for-3 at Saratoga. As she hovered at 1/9 odds the on-air analysts all agreed that even with champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior going down last week at 1/9 odds, if somehow War Like Goddess were to lose, she'd be the the biggest upset of the summer. I thought that jockey Joel Rosario deserved some of the blame as the front running Chad Brown filly set absurdly glacial fractions and still Rosario sat well off the pace. Probably would have won in spite of that but he never got outside, so he had to wait for room well into the lane. Once clear War Like Goddess was flying and lost by less than half a length but it was too little, too late. Got back on the beam with four wins in the next five selections.
Finishing the long day of racing at Del Mar I closed out with only one win from the last four picks, but it was THE big one of the day. Flightline had debuted in a MSW sprint in April of 2021 when he ran a hole in the wind earning a sensational 105 Beyer. How good is this guy everyone wondered. Normally conservative trainer John Sadler was quoted as saying that IF he was as good as they thought, they were looking at an exceptionally talented horse that would win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Oh my. Was away until September when he blitzed entry level allowance rivals with a whopping 114 Beyer while never, ever being asked. OK, time for stakes action. He went to the Grade 1 Malibu going seven furlongs, the furthest he'd been asked to ever go and responded with the easiest kind of victory, drawing off by nearly a dozen lengths with a new career top of 118. Came off a six month layoff, shipping to New York, and an ultra-troubled trip to run away with the Grade 1 Met Mile with a dazzling 112 Beyer. Now today he'd be asked to go two turns, a quarter of a mile farther going the classic 10f distance of the Grade 1 $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic. He pressed a wicked pace that popped a :46 second half mile and I thought as they approached the far turn, "....stretching out he's gone too fast, they'll inhale him in the stretch...." but as they hit the turn be began to widen without being asked by jockey Flavian Prat. My heart began racing because I KNEW I was seeing something I'd not seen in a long time, if ever. He continued to widen and in mid-stretch when some TWENTY lengths clear Prat looked back and eased up letting the colt jog home. STILL, jogging the last furlong he was 0.17 off the track record and earned a stratospheric Beyer of 126. YOWZA!
Was a great way to end the day.
Sunday September 4
I was all around the winners today with nine races. Only three posed for pictures, but I ran second twice and third three times to go along with the single off-the-board finish.
Monday - Labor Day - September 5
Kicked off the day with back-to-back winners on the Jersey Shore and I had visions of a giant day dancing in my head until reality set in. Finished the day with four wins, but that was a sharp 4-for-11 to close down the week.
Social Media For The Week
Early in the week it was "Panthers-Girl" Katie Gaus' birthday. Was sorry to see Katie move out to Colorado to join the Avalanche broadcasting team, but it was a great opportunity for her. I still follow her and we remain social media friends.
When I first became active on social media with my "friends" that are broadcast personalities, it was CBS-4 evening anchor Lauren Pastrana who I first connected with frequently. So any time I hear back from her is greatly appreciated. On Thursday I flew to Columbus to spend the weekend with my family and when I went to bed a little after 11 pm I turned on the CBS late news on my phone and Lauren, as usual was anchoring. But tonite she had a new "do" for her hair which I've not seen often. Messaged her and within minutes she messaged me back :)
Prior to leaving for Ohio I exchanged text messages with my gal-pal Kimmy who lives in North Carolina. I "alerted" her that I'd be passing by and to look for my wave :)
Ever since we returned from Alaska I've heard and seen very little from frequent gal-pal Karli Barnett. I knew with the start of the college football season she'd be watching her beloved Georgia Bulldogs as they set out to defend their national championship. She must be on some kind of vacation because she did NOT do the weekend news and has not been seen on air since mid-week. But when I sent her a message about the 'Dawgs she liked it and responded with a Bulldog gif :)
And finally, as a "tribute" to Karli's vacation (I assume) I am re-posting her response to my offer to be her Alaska go-to guy with what I have to assume is a good representation of how she's spending the week enjoying her time away from work.
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