Monmouth Park Opens

 May 11 - 14

Opening Weekend On The Jersey Shore

My favorite time of the racing year is, of course, Gulfstream's Winter Meet when most of the big names - both human and equine - show up in my world to run locally.  But I enjoy nearly as much "spending the summer" on the Jersey Shore by playing Monmouth Park on all their live racing days.  It's an especially good fit for me because unlike the winter where I'm handicapping five days a week, Monmouth only runs on the weekends so I get consistent play but I'm not constantly involved - a more laid back, yet active handicapping season.  So with this being Opening Weekend at Monmouth I was very happy.  But even bigger than that it was a HUGE week for our Florida Panthers as we knocked off the highly regarded Toronto Maple Leafs, on their home ice - IN OVERTIME - to take the second round series four games to one. Ever since the Florida Panthers moved to the arena in Sunrise in 1998 (five years after they came into the league) we've been season-seat owners and have waited for a LONG TIME for a team like this one!  On to the Eastern Conference Finals - one step away from the Stanley Cup Finals!  And, it was a very active and rewarding week on the social media scene.  As I mentioned last week, since retiring I have very little face-to-face human interaction so my contact with my social media pals is an important thing to me.  Here's how the week played out for me.....

After playing Belmont & Churchill - with very little success - on their Twilight Thursday cards - the racing began in earnest on Saturday.  It was a very big day in New York with multiple graded stakes.  Besides that there really was much to choose from.  I like playing Churchill Downs, even though I'm NOT a fan of the parent company so that was my plan.  I looked at other alternatives and saw that the Pimlico Preakenss Meet kicked off this week, so like prior to the Derby I thought it might be useful to play Pimlico to "get a feel."  Saw Gulfstream had a couple of stakes, so decided I'd look there.  I'd finished the handicapping and noted that the schedule was still relatively light, so I looked again at who was running and decided that I typically do ok at Woodbine and I like the racing there so I'd go ahead and see what I could find on their card.

Seemed only appropriate that the first race I bet on Saturday was the Monmouth opener.  Ran 2nd at 5/2 then was a no-show at Gulfstream.  Pimlico was off the turf with rain in the area so I lost the next bet.  The opener at Belmont was a starter allowance and you COULD make a case for a "value" bet, but that would mean you were HOPING something that wasn't likely would happen.  Colonel Bowman had won seven-of-eighteen, had the best figures, had won four of his last five and had Irad today.  Hello.  Near the back to the far turn then inhaled the field.

Had the prohibitive 4/5 favorite at Woodbine whom "everybody" liked, but he faded late to finish fourth.  Ran second at Churchill when Super Renee came alive too late.  Then I won two in a row.  Probably should have upped the bet at Pimlico in retrospect.  It was a maiden special field and none of the runners with experience impressed me.  Trainer Brittany Russell is deadly with firsters and Rebellious Stage was taking a lot of money.  Tracked the front runner to the stretch, blew by and drew off impressively.

Next up at Woodbine was a "beaten" claiming event for a cheap $7.5K and Hit and Run was exiting a third against OPEN rivals.  Good enough.  Tracked the leaders, made his move but was far from a decisive winner as the front two ran with him to the final fifty yards before he edged clear.

Missed at Monmouth before hitting three in a row.  The first two of them were runaway winners.  No Name Dude ran away at Gulfstream on the synthetic in a starter optional claimer for 3yo's.  Doubled the bet, and came back minutes later in a Maiden Optional sprint at Woodbine when Mendeljohn showed the classic "Early Speed, Class Drop" angle.  Ran away as easily best as the favorite.

The third in the sequence was a claiming event at Monmouth on the turf and I had what looked to be the lone speed, but he scratched.  Hmmmm - who's Paco on?  And any other rider, at nearly any other track you wouldn't think this...but....Smiling Bryan was third off the claim for a barn that is a woeful 2-for-35 this year, ouch.  And the horse - not much better.  Smiling Bryan had won two races dating all the way back to March of 2022...both photo finish wins, both at Colonial.  What appeals to Paco?  Well, it IS Paco.  Turning for home he was hopelessly out of hit and some ten wide.  But came roaring down the lane - UP IN TIME!  Cashed for nearly $20 on the minimum bet :)

Missed again at Churchill after Vanished was long gone in the lane, so much so that I actually highlighted him on the page to indicate a win - nailed on the wire.  Seriously?  But then I remembered and so I checked....yep, any time I run 2nd or 3rd at Churchill Downs I get my money (up to $10) back.  So that earlier 2nd in the second race and now this one, both became "cashed" tickets!  The action slowed as I missed at Monmouth and didn't have another bet until the 6th on the Jersey Shore where I liked Girl Trouble quite a bit.  I've seen this a couple times of late - this was a non-winners of a restricted allowance, but under those conditions you COULD run if you'd won in OPEN company.  Well, Girl Trouble had won both an open allowance and not one but TWO OPEN STAKES!  You had to figure she was a very likely winner - and with Mr. Paco on board.  Tracked the leader on the rail through the far turn and when the opening appeared she shot through like a rocket and drew off to an open length score....cashed for nearly $25.

Fourth with the prohibitive favorite in Belmont's Grade 1 Man O'War then 2nd at Woodbine.  Second at Churchill, but "cashed" on Gun Town thanks to the promotion.  John Velazquez gave up mounts on the big Belmont card to ride to Wesley Ward juveniles in the Gulfstream stakes - and both were favored AS FIRST TIME STARTERS.  Must be pretty special, right?  Nope, a dismal 7th at 4/5 in the first of these.  The seventh at Monmouth was a MSW on the turf and Chad Brown is very good with these.  When he ships in with such runners from New York to the Jersey Shore they are even more likely to win.  Big Brass Bed had the additional angle that she'd already run, and run very well, earning a field best big 73 Beyer.  I also liked that today 'Bed was making her first start for Brown after a barn change.  Tracked the leaders while saving ground through the turn.  Launched her bid in the clear turning for home and ran off at 9/5 with my triple investment netting more than $40 for the bankroll.

Fourth at even money in the Monmouth feature.  Second in the Gr 3 Peter Pan at Belmont in a terrific stretch duel and then I had the "BEST BET of the Day" at Gulfstream where Saffie Joseph's Mr. Peeks was dropping out of a pace-pressing try for six furlongs in the Grade 1 Florida Derby to this MSW race - wait, WHAT?  Looked so SO much the best.  Hovered around 3/5 until they left the gate then suddenly he was 1/5 and ran like it.  Ran a hole in the wind and I collected an easy $26.

Now it was time for Woodbine's featured Grade 3 Whimsical.  Again I SHOULD have upped the bet - and to be fair, I honestly considered it because prior to the race trainer Mark Casse was interviewed and said the Our Flash Drive had impressed him in her last - a 7f stakes win.  So much so that despite showing largely two-turn success last year, he believed she would be an even better sprinter.  And I thought so as well - but today's stakes was at six furlongs and I just wasn't convinced "enough" to make her prime time.  Tracked in third to the turn and I could tell - when you've watched as many races as I have you can see such things - that the rider had a TON of racehorse underneath him.  Cut her loose and it was all over but cashing the tickets.  Ultra impressive, as Casse had predicted.  I did have a triple investment on board and collected over $20.

Of the last five I only "cashed" once and that was in a Churchill event where I ran third in the featured stakes event.  For the day a good 10-for-28.  But I also had four "cashed" tickets at Churchill so I cashed on 50% of my races - I'll take that :)  Sunday, I briefly considered looking at one of the other tracks running - a few of them had stakes races - but I reminded myself that "my routine" is to play out of town on Saturday (occasionally under the lights during the week at Canterbury or Woodbine) and on the weekend, especially Sundays - barring something unusual, I limit the wagering to Monmouth.  And so I stuck with the Jersey Shore.  In what was to become a regular event, in the opener Paco Lopez took me right to the front, dueled through the lane and weakened late to be second.  But in the second race - a non-winners of three for $25K, Fenway was the one and ONLY front runner in the field.  I should have ignored the restricted conditions and loaded up because truly, he was the ONLY one who had EVER shown front running ability....and top rider Lopez was on board.  Burst out of the gate, quickly clear by daylight and never was threatened.  I was very appreciative of the bettors who after pounding him early, not only let him go off as NOT the favorite, but at a very generous 5/2 price and I cashed for nearly $40.

Right back in the third, and this was one of the best stories of the day.  Monmouth handicapper Brad Thomas typically is strictly a "value player" even when he will say his second or third choice is the likely winner.  So when I listen to his commentary I rarely take it into account - when he hits a nice price, they are legitimately a price horse with an angle that I wouldn't bet on.  But today, before the races started he went on and on about my pick in the third, a starter allowance limited to 3yo, saying that Running River was exiting a very strong effort against much better, even though it didn't appear that way on paper.  Then leading up to the race he was on the air again and even commented that he'd had to submit his picks 24 hours in advance and that if he were picking today he'd say that Running River was going to be very difficult to beat and clearly was the fastest horse in the field.  I had planned to only bet the minimum, but as I told Kim after the race, I've become pretty adept at reading between the lines and knowing the difference when a public analyst says or writes "he's the best horse" vs. "HE'S THE BEST HORSE."  Such was the case here so I decided to up the bet to $10 and sent it in.  Right to the front, in complete control and when challenged at the top of the lane, re-broke and drew off as tons the best.  The $5.20 payoff meant I'd now get $26 back.  Now that would have been a good enough story, but in the next race, when I "lost" in a photo finish without really losing - more on that below - I wanted to see where I stood.  I opened up my account for the day and it showed me winning THREE races.  Hang on a tic, I thought.....missed in the first / won with Fenway in the 2nd / won with Running River in the 3rd / and just lost a photo in the 4th.  How could I have three winners.  So I looked closely.  Oh wow - better to be lucky than good as they say.....apparently I'd already bet on Running River with my $5 initial investment, then after hearing Brad Thomas rant about how good he was when I thought I was sending in an "upped the ante" bet, I was ADDING to the bet and now had wagered $15 on him and so I cashed for nearly $40.  Well done :)

In the aforementioned fourth, a turf race Pugilist was the 2/1 mild favorite.  Shot up the rail midway down the backstretch and was clear by multiple lengths turning for home.  So much so that I was thinking "I really like Monmouth as the winners are usually so obvious."  Then a closer began to make up ground, and I thought he'll make it close but I'm ok.  Then I shortened stride.....head bobbing.  WOW that was close.  I watched the replay and again thought it was VERY close but CLEARLY the head bob on the actual wire went to me on the inside.  Then the numbers flashed and it went to the 9/1 horse on the outside.  They posted the photo which where the wire was drawn - because there IS NO ACTUAL wire - showed me losing by the narrowest of margins.

Well, it was at this point that I checked the betting history and realized my triple investment in the third.  I rationalized that the "racing gods" had "stolen" this one to make up for the "big score" in the third.  In the fifth my horse scratched - he would have won.  And when I initially saw the scratch - Lopez had been named on the Pletcher filly - I thought I might consider who ever Lopez lands on but he wasn't listed on them.  When the race went official it was indeed Lopez who'd been a late rider change who won.  WOW.  In the 6th I noted that even I could not back Lopez on an 11-time maiden loser as the favorite.  Won like a Breeders' Cup champion - WOW squared.  In the 7th Great Navigator looked easily best and was the speed on the rail.  Lopez sent him to the front....led into the lane, headed, came back, then was outfinished - again.  2nd.  Passed the 8th - a long shot won.  In the ninth, the featured Seren'a Song I went right to the front, led, headed, came back and was outfinished again to be 2nd.  In the finale I planned on a minimum play on Chad Brown's first time turf starter Program Trading.  I looked at the "Will Pays" for the multi-race wagers and he was the favorite in three of the four so that was inconclusive.  He was clearly the betting favorite though.  I thought I should up the bet, but wait....will this cost me the day?  So I re-opened the account history and saw that I was dead even for the day.  What's the difference between finishing down 5 or down 10?  But the reward could be doubled for a minimum risk.  Upped the bet.  The best news was as they approached the gate the odds on 'Program drifted up to 2/1 then 5/2.  Silly bettors....he tracked the leaders on the rail to the turn then began to make "that move" and as he got into third his odds flashed up at now 3/1.  WOW SILLY BETTORS.  Ran away by a pole and paid $8 allowing me to finish the day a CLEAR winner.

I had to look.....if I'd only played Monmouth for the weekend, I would have won 40% of my bets and would have profited nearly $40.  But as it was I hit on 13-of-35, 37% and profited $30, so who can complain about that :)

Social Media this week.......

Lots to share this week as I was quite the "social butterfly" in the virtual world :)  It started a week ago today, and it's worth re-sharing.  After the Florida Panthers won in overtime, on home ice I'd posted a photo of me with my coffee and reached out to gal-pal, CBS-4 evening anchor Lauren Pastrana.  She and I had had a previous conversation about being hot-coffee lovers year round.  I enjoyed that she replied to me.

This week was "Teacher Appreciation Week," and on my Facebook Memories on Monday there was a post I'd put out four years ago asking former students to reach out to me and let me know what they were doing.  That seemed like a good idea to try again, so I posted it.  The responses I got back from so many of "my kids" was very heart-warming and rewarding.

Outside my old room on a return visit to "The Bay"

Heather was such a hard worker and I remember her as bringing me a Microsoft Office disk so I wouldn't have to buy the program.  Used it for nearly 20 years on every new laptop that I bought.

Britt was such a fun girl to have in class and the WISE program.  Work with her Mom at "The Bay" and Britt was always quirky, but a "cool kid"

Shea is "one of those" FB friends I see from time to time but rarely hear from.  I remember her doing her WISE project on the legal system and now she's a prosecutor in Boston - WOW.

Pammy - as she was known to me - was a quiet kind of girl, but she pops up every so often on my feeds & posts so I'm more in contact with her that the first two.  But she's married, has a very successful career and has a cute little one.

If you MADE me pick an "all-time favorite" I could narrow it down to three girls, one of which was Jennifer.  She and I became very close as I not only was her teacher, but her WISE mentor.  The best story about Jen is that she told me she was going to the University of Colorado, and when I asked, she told me she knew no one out there.  I thought she was so brave.  Shortly after her freshman year started she became very homesick and was considering coming home.  I was flying to So Cal to visit my oldest and my flight had a layover in Denver.  So I told her I'd take an early morning flight to Denver and spend the day with her.  She was delighted and she showed me her campus and we went out to lunch as I tried to share how I too had almost returned home from college, but stuck it out living away from home and really enjoyed it.  Jen decided to stay and still lives out there :)  Every time she comes back to the area we get together.  What a great "kid" she is :)

Rose goes WAY back to when I was teaching at Western.  She was a cheerleader when I was the head football coach, but "her story" is that I was at Calder Race Course one day and they announced that the rider in the upcoming race would not have a whip - that usually means a new jockey is starting their career....It was Rose!  She went on to be the Eclipse Award winning apprentice for the year and is the third all-time leading female rider in the United States.  It was so cool every time she'd ride locally and I'd stand in the paddock as she rode past and she'd call out to me and all the other fans would look at me with that "you know her?" look.  We've remained pals all these years.

Mandy - one of the top three all-time fav's - and she, like Rose goes back to the WHS days where I had her as a cute little sophomore in World History.  We became close and thru her junior year she'd come see me and talk about taking my Econ class as a senior.  She asked advice on taking either my Honors or AP and I advised the latter and she did very well.  She, like me was always a HUGE Disney fan, and that has been a bond we've shared.  She, like Jen, is a "get-together with" pal and we chat quite frequently through texting.  So sweet - a nurse practionere and a Mom to three boys.

I have a new gal-pal friend, we'll see where this goes.  Since Karli Barnett left the area I have only had Lauren Pastrana on the local news team to be in touch with.  But a new gal (apparently she was here early in her career and is now back), Trish Christakis has caught my eye.  Not only is she excellent "eye candy" but she reminds me a lot of when I first began following Lauren as a morning reporter and has worked her way up to evening anchor.  Maybe the same is in store for Trish.  So messaged her and she replied.

During the week another of "my girls" posted she and her husband were enjoying their wedding anniversary, so I reached out to Jessica when she posted pics from Las Vegas.

It was Friday evening and we were getting ready to have dinner.  The local CBS Evening news was on and I was anxious to hear what they'd have to say about that night's Panthers' game where we looked to clinch the series in Toronto.  The co-anchor with Lauren was Jim Berry, the sports director most nights, and at the conclusion of the piece on the 'Cats he said "If the Panthers win....."  Lauren quickly piped in and said "WHEN they win...."  I snapped a photo and sent it to her via Twitter as she was on the anchor desk at 5:13.  Three minutes later - WHILE ON THE AIR she replied to me :)  I love that.  But this interaction had THE COOLEST conclusion.  When the Panthers scored the winning goal in Overtime a little before 11 pm, within two minutes my phone lit up - Lauren had messaged me saying "I called it!" and I replied to her .... very cool indeed.

Another one of "my girls," Alexandra, posted that it was "official" she'd become a registered nurse.  I reached out and she replied.

Saturday I was watching TV with Kim and her Mom when gal-pal Karli started her weekly live chat.  I jumped on for just a minute to say hi and share that I was "basking in the glow" of the Panthers win, to which she replied to everyone that I was indeed a big fan.

Finally, Sunday was Mother's Day.  I started the morning off by posting an online tribute to my Mom and to my wife.  And then I reached out to my most favorite girls who are now Moms and got replies back from them.