Goldikova Stakes Saturday

 October 29 - 30

This weekend was an "interesting" weekend for me because, first of all, the Florida Panthers were at home on Saturday.  Now that's not unusual, and when that happens it always is an "issue" for me as to how I will play/watch the races (and in the fall college football).  But what made today's hockey game most unusual is that it was a "Sunset Saturday" 4 pm puck drop.  And so when I looked at the races I would be playing I knew I'd watch a portion before the game and then watch most of them via replay.  Secondly, this was the last Saturday of racing before the Breeders' Cup World Championships.....the last Saturday of the Keeneland Fall Meet.....and the last Saturday before Kim and I head out on our epic, once in a lifetime adventure to Antarctica.  These are some of the sights we expect to see......

CLICK HERE to follow our adventure to the "Lost Continent"

So here's how the race day unfolded for me.  Unlike last weekend I got off to a "normal start" hitting my third selection, the third at Belmont at the Big A when Winit demonstrated how much he likes the one-turn mile configuration and he opened up to score at a generous $7.20 price for me.  After missing at Keeneland it was time for the first stakes of the day, the Awad Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on the NY grass for juvenile colts.  As I looked at the runners, all lightly raced with little to separate them my initial thought was to pass the race.  But then I noted that Irad Ortiz signed on to ride John Terranova's colt, Freedom Trail.  And this runner had the best "late pace" figure.  That would serve him well if the rest of them ran their usual "go as fast as you can as far as you can" style.  Midway on the far turn Freedom Trail was still at the back but Irad looked to be riding him confidently.  Waited, then swung wide off the turn, at least eight wide and had to angle even wider out when one of the leaders started drifting out.  But at the furlong pole you could tell, he had the field measured and he won by a confident 

Missed on two more and that brought us to 3 pm and it was time for Kim and I to head to the hockey game.  We played well, dominated the game but as is often the case it was close until the late stages before we buried an empty-netter to guarantee a 5-3 win.  Got home a little after 7pm and watched the replays from the races I missed.  The opener at Santa Anita was the Lure Stakes going a mile on the turf.  Air Force Red looked to be the LONE SPEED of the race, and that my friends is one of the best bets in racing.  The "problem" was that in his last two he'd gone so fast early he had nothing left for the stretch run.  I thought the turn back today was perfect and it was.  Right to the front, never threatened and when the rest of the riders asked for a kick on the far turn, 'Red opened up and ran away.  Cashed for over $30 on the first replay.

The next replay was the Pumpkin Pie Stakes from Belmont at the Big A where I liked Boston Post Road.  Her last two speed figures were "paired" (95-96) and beat 123 of the career 125 numbers earned by the rest of the field and one of those didn't even have the number showing on the 12 pp lines.  Pressed the leader while saving ground to the top of the stretch....split horses and took over to score by a comfortable length and change.

The next win was another So Cal stakes, and it was THE BET of the DAY - the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on the turf going a mile.  I thought MAYBE I'd get a "fair price" on Going Global who is clearly the best middle distance turf runner on the west coast because last time out Avenue de France had swept by him unexpectedly on the turn and he just missed catching him.  But almost all the players were thinking the same as me, that's not going to happen twice in a row.  Going Global was under a tight hold while saving ground to the far turn.  Edged off the rail into the clear, blew by the leaders and scored "stylishly" as Frank Mirahmadi called it.  Too bad he was a short price, but it's as much about being right as the money for me.

Scored again in the first of the two juvenile stakes, the Golden State Juvenile Fillies when Cast Member pressed the pace to the furlong pole and then accelerated past the leaders.  And I closed out the day by with my "Upset Special" in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes going down the hill at Santa Anita.  I LOVE these races down the hillside course - so unique.  It looked on paper like Connie Swingle was the obvious winner.  She was a perfect 3-for-3 down the hill - a very important angle - and had the right running style.  BUT I had her last time and I was counting my money as she was open lengths in front at the furlong pole then held on in a life-or-death photo finish.  Maybe that was a sign of her form beginning to go the wrong way?  And then there was Amy C - she was conditioned by the same trainer as the favorite, oh that's always a good angle:  with an uncoupled entry, play the longer price.  And then her one time down the hill was a WIN with a speed figure as good as those of the favorite.  I was watching live by the time they were approaching the gate and I considered switching to 'Connie because all the on air handicappers said she was obvious and she was taking a lot of money.  But then I told myself, "this is the time to get a nice score."  Sat fifth well off the pace as they came down the hill.  As they crossed the main track she split horses and began to wind up.  Connie Swingle was in front but Amy C had all the momentum and blew by in the final 100 yards.  WHOOOO HOOOOO - cashed for almost $50 to close the day out.

Sunday was Opening Day of the November meeting at Churchill Downs - a day of all 2yo races.  With nothing else to do and knowing I'd not be playing much the rest of these upcoming two weeks I decided to handicap the card and play.  Got a nice 4/1 winner in the second when Parody drew off through the final furlong.  Scored a good win in a MSW event on Joking Way in the seventh.  In the eighth a rider was tossed heading into the first turn....as they moved up the backstretch my double wager pick, at 2/1, glided to the front and I KNEW I was about to cash for over $30 when track announcer Travis Stone announced that because the rider was still down the race was being called and all the horses pulled up.  WOW - that's a first.  But I closed out the day with my "best" bet, Pretty Mischievous winning for fun.

Goldikova Saturday Racing Highlights

Social Media......

It was a fairly active week for "hooking up" with my social media pals.  When Lauren Pastrana said on the evening news about how they handled running out of candy for Halloween I messaged her and got a quick reaction.

Mishele was a counselor at Cypress Bay HS when I was there and she's a big time Gator fan.  So we "see" each other and will message from time to time on Facebook.  She updated her profile pic and as you can see, she's quite attractive.

Kimmy and I "chatted" via text for quite a while on Friday and in one of my messages I showed her that I'd framed our most recent photo together.  Nice reaction.  We just have a great connection :)  Later I sent her daughter Livvy a penguin ..... not really from Antarctica, but we can pretend, right.  Kimmy was most appreciative :)

Karli Barnett had her usual Saturday evening chat on Facebook and I chirped in.  Got four comments and replies, all of which where Karli mentioned me by name :)  Check out the video highlight from this week for Karli's comments.

Sunday was party day for several of my social media pals and two of the girls had on "hot" outfits that showed off their curves nicely.  Shelly, who was Kim's asst. volleyball coach for a couple years and worked with us at Cypress Bay was a rocker and Mishele was a pirate :)

Shasha was the office manage at Cypress Bay and we worked together closely every year on graduation.  She was "out on the town" with her husband and some friends and posted a great photo of herself.

And finally, "little" Jillian has been absent from Facebook for quite a while.  But they went out to the beach with some friends and she was sporting a pretty skimpy bikini which she wore nicely as you can see. :O

Maryland Million Day

 October 22

Home for the weekend!  The day did NOT start out as I anticipated.  First post for my first selection was a little after noon.  From that point until about 3:15 I had eleven selections and won with a single bet.  OUCH.  That lone win came in Keeneland's opener when California Twirl went wire to wire in a two turn maiden claiming event for two-year-olds.

My second victory came in Belmont's sixth, a seven furlong maiden special for juveniles.  The full field of ten included five first time starters.  None of those with experience impressed me.  Of the firsters, I probably would have leaned to Todd Pletcher's Rudder's Men anyway, because....well, it's Todd Pletcher.  But this colt had fired a blistering best-of-108 bullet work for today - yes, one-hundred-and-eight.  YOWZA.  When he took a lot of money at the windows I upped the wager and he ran away while under wraps.

Came right back less than ten minutes later with my first stakes win on the big Maryland Million Day card in the Maryland Million Lassie.  The earlier 4th at Laurel had been the Md Million Nursery for 2yo colts and I remarked for that one that these were all lightly raced runners which could have a form reversal in either direction.  My choice had run fifth at 3/1.  Here in R8 for the fillies, I again reiterated that anything COULD happen, but for me it was hard to go past Chickiness who was the program favorite.  The ran a best-of-the-rest 2nd on debut then waltzed home in her second start.  Since then she'd run second in back-to-back stakes races behind a filly who's now a perfect 4-for-4.  There wasn't anyone in the race that would match up to that one.  But on the far turn she was about three off the lead and the rider seemed to be asking her, hard, to run to keep up.  Give him all the credit because he kept pushing and pushing the filly.  Finally at the eighth pole she found another gear and mowed down the top two to win going away.  Note I made her a PRIME TIME bet!

I finished off a three-race winning streak with the co-feature at Keeneland where I made Steve Asmussen's Gunite my "Keeneland BEST Bet" of the day.  As I noted, it was a horse race and these were three-year-olds so anything could happen.  But much like Chickiness in Maryland, you'd be hard pressed to convince me you had a strong opinion on anyone but the top choice.  His last three Beyer figures were 101, 102, and 101.....the ONLY triple digit Beyers on the page.  Those three numbers topped the combined fifty-six figures earned by the rest of the field.  AND with the outside draw he looked to get the most ideal trip.  Exactly as I'd seen it.  Pressed three wide to the turn, ran by readily and drew off as tons the best.  Two-for-two with PRIME TIME plays!

Ran 8th with my "upset special" at Belmont on the turf before it was time for the BET of the Day - this came in the 10th at Laurel, the Maryland Million Sprint.  Again, much like the previous two "big bets," you could say "I'm not taking a short price."  And like with Chickiness you could add, "I'm not taking a short price on a horse who's never raced over the Laurel track."  But, I was betting - literally - that to take anyone else was an exercise in futility that would end up in you throwing away your losing ticket as you sought to "get some value."  In Fortheluvofbourbon's last five starts he'd earned Beyers of 92, 98, 92, 91, and 94.  The other fifteen runners on the page had been out a combined total of one-hundred and fifty six times had ONE, count them, ONE Beyer in the 90's.  Uh oh.  This guy was 11 for 22 lifetime and had won five in a row, including three stakes.  Doesn't get much better than this.  How the fans let him float up to 1/2 odds at post time is just beyond me.  Tracked in the clear from post eleven through the far turn while in hand under Paco Lopez.  Accelerated to the lead and held everyone safe while never being asked for his best.  WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!

The final win on the day saw me sweep the featured events at Keeneland.  The Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland looked on paper to be wide open generally.  But for my own opinion, I thought that Steve Asmussen's Wicked Halo was either a run away, dominant winner.....or would finish off the board, which would validate the fact that she was NOT the program favorite, nor the choice in the Daily Racing Form.  But for my purposes, it was hard to look past that she'd won three in a row, was exiting a win in Saratoga's Grade 2 Prioress, and that she'd never run a bad race while building a 5-for-9 resume.  So I put her on top but on as a minimum bet.  But in watching the pre-race day analysis on the Keeneland feed, hottie handicapper Gabby Gaudet had a strong opinion about the filly.....

I have also respected Gabby's opinions and in this instance, her strong belief in my choice led me to double my original bet.  Just as I had thought, and as Gabby had said on air, Wicked Halo got the dream trip.  She sat three wide off of two dueling pace setters.  Swept up in hand on the turn then ran off as much, MUCH the best.  And the even better part was that as she hovered between 8/5 and 2/1 leading up to the race, when they left the gate the crowd let her float all the way up to 5/2.  The payoff of more than $7 led to me cashing my final ticket for over $35!  WHOOO HOOO.  It was a good day my friends!

And as a footnote, what was very cool about the way the day ended......with the nice payoff for the Wicked Halo selection I was close to breaking even.  But then it occurred to me - I'd played today on Xpressbet and I'd opted in on one of their "Bet Back" promos.....

In addition to the two stakes wins I'd run 8th, 5th, 5th AND in the Maryland Distaff, Malibu Beauty had run 2nd with my $10 wager on board.  So figuring in that rebate, I know finished in the black for the day!  WHOOOOO HOOOOOO squared!

Maryland Million Day Highlights

Social Media.....

While we were in Hawaii the National Hockey League season had begun, and fortunately for Kim and I our Florida Panthers opened the season with three straight road games.  This past Wednesday was the home opener and we were there in our regular season to cheer our Cats on to a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.  Then on Friday we played our arch-rivals Tampa Bay and we were joined by our pals Joanie and Michael-Anne (her daughter) for a bite to eat before the game and then they sat right behind us.  Lost in overtime, but the four of us were back at the arena for a Sunday 5pm matinee puck drop where we beat the New York Islanders to get five points of a possible six on the home stand.

On Friday, while I was at the game my high school senior class was having it's 50th reunion in Ohio.  I had originally planned to go, but when the plans changed to open the class reunion to ALL West Jefferson alumni I became less interested.  I might have still gone, but having just returned from Hawaii, heading off to Antarctica in less than two weeks AND having three hockey games this week all led me to staying in South Florida.  When photos appeared the next day on Facebook I was stunned to say the least.  I immediately put together the collage below and sent it to several friends and asked, "Do I look like I'm the same age as my high school classmates?"  Because to me I look at least ten years younger.  Fortunately EVERYONE agreed with me, boosting my confidence.  Most important of those opinions was from my gal-pal Kimmy who validated my "youngster" status :)

I was very happy when we returned from Hawaii to find that my social media gal-pal, CBS Weekend Anchor Karli Barnett was indeed following our trip.  She'd been an enthusiastic follower of the Alaska pictures and before we left for Hawaii she had wished me to have an amazing trip.  So upon our return I messaged her some of the best photos and the two videos.  She responded and later in the Saturday evening chat talked about those pics and videos.

Wednesday night prior to the hockey game the CBS-4 evening news, hosted by my gal-pal, social media friend Lauren Pastrana did a spot on the home opener.  I messaged her that we were on our way to the game and she wrote back.....WHILE ON THE AIR :)

My hottie gal-pal Kimmy's "partner in crime" Christy posted a photo in the fall leaves and I commented how pretty this was, and the leaves too.  She liked the comment.

Saturday evening Karli Barnett hosted her weekly chat and I opened by saying I was watching from my home in Sunrise.  Without any prompting her reply was that I'd been on an "fantastic vacation" to Hawaii and that both my photos and videos were amazing.

I replied back to her that we did indeed have a great time in Hawaii and were now looking forward to our November 1st departure for Antarctica.  Karli again wished us well, was happy for us and told us to have an amazing trip!  She also mentioned taking more great pics, so I will again be reaching out to her with the best of the photos so she can appreciate them!

And lastly, we have two great friends who live in Naples - Ben & Melissa.  I worked with Melissa and as you can see, she is quite attractive.  A couple years ago they moved to the west coast of Florida and so we don't see them as often.  I noted during the hockey game Sunday that she'd "liked" our photo at the game and commented.  So I reached out to her and told her we missed them.  That started an online conversation during which she told me how jealous she was not to be going to Antarctica with us and I offered to let her come along, stowing away in my suitcase.  And she agreed to come :)  LOL

When we got home from the game, I watched the recap of the game and then on the CBS Weekend news they did a recap of the game as well.  Because I know Karli puts together the show I reached out to her and thanked her and the sports anchor guy Mike Cugno for highlighting our big win.  Karli wrote back :)  And I know I've mentioned this before, but when I contact her via Twitter my "handle" is mallan56racing, but she ALWAYS replies to me using my first name :)

Karli FB Chat Highlights - October 22

Racing From Hawaii!

 October 5 - 16

From one extreme to another.....last weekend I was AT the races instead of playing from the "Sunrise Simulcast Center" and for this week I was in Hawaii for an eleven day adventure with my wife Kim and our great friends Sue & Dan.  To check out our Hawaiian adventure.....

Hawaii 2022 - CLICK HERE

Before we left for Hawaii I knew that Saturday was Fall Stars weekend at Keeneland and that there were big Breeders' Cup preview races all around the country, so I figured I would get a small selection of key plays in somehow while on the islands.  My original plan was to simply play the Keeneland card with all the big stakes action, and so on the first day in Hawaii I had enough free time to handicap the entire card.  Then I decided to see who was running around the country.  After I'd gone through all the races I ended up with six selections from Lexington and five from around the country with picks from Belmont at Aqueduct, Woodbine, and Santa Anita.  And on Sunday I picked up one more selection from Keeneland.  First post on Saturday was at 1 pm which with the time change meant I'd have to have my money in by 7 am.  Well, first....we really never adjusted to the time difference and if we were lucky enough to sleep until 5 am we considered ourselves fortunate, and second....I didn't have a pick until the fourth at Keeneland so it was all good.  I thought I'd make my bets, go on our day-long excursion along Oahu's North Shore and watch the replays when we returned.  But at the last minute I took my wireless headphones and actually got to watch all the races while on the bus in between stops!  The first bet was a MSW for 2yo and Tap In Formation was the prohibitive 3/5 favorite, but could only manage fourth.  The next bet was an hour later in the sixth from Keeneland, the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes going five and a half furlongs on the turf.  Wesley Ward has said publicly many times that Golden Pal is the best horse he has ever trained.  And even though last time out he was life and death to win the Grade 3 Troy at Saratoga I thought today he'd run huge so I made him my co-best of the day.  Why?  First, because in the Troy he didn't make the lead and/or they decided to track the pace - his game is to run them off their feet and I expected them to insist on the front and that would mean the end of it for all of today's rivals.  And secondly Golden Pal had earned figures of 100, 110 and 107 in his last three starts - the rest of the field had a combined 59 starts and three horses had a single triple digit Beyer.  Toss the last out 100 in the Troy and the two previous triple digits from Golden Pal win for fun, and those were the kinds of races I expected today.  Right to the front, immediately clear and long, LONG gone!  WHOOO HOOO!

With Kentucky now paying to the penny, Golden Pal paid $2.74 so I collected nearly $30.  In the Grade 2 TCA Stakes Palm Cottage went off at 7/2 and ran a disappointing eighth.  Then it was time for my first non-Keeneland bet in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in New York where they were going a mile and a half on the turf.  For the non-Keeneland races largely I went with horses I knew very well and War Like Goddess is a superior marathon turf runner.  She had lost her last at Saratoga, her first loss there, when she was in a small field and two things worked against her.  First, there was a lone front runner who went a glacial pace on the front end and secondly, the rider had opted to try and save ground through the far turn which led to War Like Goddess not getting out until too late to make her big run.  I thought she'd have won despite the pace flow with a better ride.  Today I thought she'd bounce back strongly.  It wasn't until after I'd made the bet and was getting ready to watch the race that it dawned on me that the Joe Hirsch is NOT a race for fillies & mares, War Like Goddess was taking on the boys!  Still, I was confident.  Tracked the pace along the inside in third, closer than typical to the far turn.  Made her move on the outside and collared the leaders in the lane.  On even terms to the final sixteenth then she lengthened stride and drew off impressively.  Cashed for nearly forty beans as she was my second "best bet" of the day!

Ran second in three straight following my second win.  In Woodbine's Grade 2 Nearctic going six furlongs on the turf, Bound for Nowhere was second at 4/5.  At Keeneland Chad Brown's Regal Glory was second to her stablemate as the even money favorite, and finally Loggins dueled the length of the stretch and was a photo finish second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity for 2yo going a mile and a sixteenth.  Got my next win with a great price at Woodbine in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor going ten furlongs over the massive outer turf course in Toronto.  When I looked at the field I thought there was probably a Euro in the field but I knew Chad Brown's Rougir and she had a lot of talent.  I wasn't really surprised she was NOT the favorite, but still.....she was well back into the far turn and as they turned for home she was a distant sixth.  With an eighth of a mile to go, still sixth.  But the Woodbine stretch is THE longest in North America and she hit her best stride with a sixteenth to go and came FLYING to be up in the shadow of the wire over the rail-skimming Euro even money favorite.  The best part - she paid a whopping $12.60 so I collected over $60 to guarantee a winning day - whoop whoop!

It was a half hour later when my focus shifted out west where MY HORSE, Going To Vegas was primed for a big effort in defending her title in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive.  Even though she'd lost three straight in 2022 I thought today WAS the day.  First, I liked that she was getting top turf rider Umberto Rispoli back today but more importantly, when I watched the video sent out to fellow owners it appealed to me that it seemed our intention was to be aggressive and go right to the front.  It has seemed to me that this is her best running style.  Sure enough, Rispoli got her to the front easily and maintained an open length lead into the lane.  When the others began to ask their horses to pick it up it was too late, we were LONG GONE!  WHOOO HOOOO!  Not only cashed for over $35 on the wager but I'd be collecting my share of the winner's purse as a part owner!

Was fifth with a big priced 7/1 Todd Pletcher runner in the Keeneland finale, a MSW sprint before winning my final bet on the afternoon.  It was the Grade 1 American Pharoah for 2yo pointing for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.  This Santa Anita event featured three Bob Baffert runners but it was Cave Rock who'd been the most impressive to date.  Immediately assumed command and held a two length lead turning for home.  He'd never been two turns before and now we'd find out.....the field closed the gap as they inched towards the furlong pole, but then Cave Rock shifted gears and drew away, widening the margin with every stride to close out a 5-for-11 afternoon for me.  What a great day....touring Hawaii and winning at the races!

Sunday I looked at the field for the Grade 1 Spinster and Todd Pletcher's multiple Grade 1 winner Malathaat looked like a standout over this collection of older fillies and mares.  Sure enough, as they approached the far turn she began to move from fourth and easily glided up passing horses to take a narrow lead into the lane.  If you had one of the others for brief, oh so brief moment you MIGHT have thought you'd have a chance, but from the eighth pole home Malathaat was merely galloping while increasing the advantage.

For the weekend a big 6-for-12 with a profit of more than $60! It was a great weekend of racing while on vacation :)

Racing From Hawaii Highlights

Social Media....

Early in the week I reached out to social media gal-pal, Lauren Pastrana and reiterated how much we appreciated her hard work and for being accessible via social media.  She replied back and asked about our upcoming Hawaii trip.  Such a sweetheart.

While in Hawaii I reached out to both Lauren and fellow gal-pal, weekend anchor Karli Barnett about our stop at a Kona Coffee farm since I'd chatted with both about coffee previously.  Karli answered back :)

We left for Hawaii on Wednesday and I'd pretty much given up home of seeing my most MOST favorite former, sweetie Kimmy Westmoreland who had told me about a month ago she'd be visiting So Fla.  At that time I'd asked was she coming prior to October 5 because that's when we'd be leaving for Hawaii.  She assured me yes.  But with her wedding in Scotland and the hurricane I had not hear from her.  Then Tuesday morning as I drove to Best Buy I got a text from her asking if I could come to meet her.  I was only too happy to drive down to the ocean front and steal her away from her conference for over three hours.  We have such a connection and we both enjoyed sharing what's been going on with our lives since we last saw each other.  Loved the photo we got together - as I'd told her I needed a new one for my framed picture of the two of us.  And when I sent it to her, she responded with her affection for it as well.

Finally, once our trip in Hawaii was over and before we left I sent Kimmy a couple of photos and she replied back :)  

And finally, before we left hottie Chloe Nelson posted about a trip she'd taken.  We exchanged comments.