The Weekend of July 8
This week was the final week of racing prior to Kim and I heading off on our next adventure to Europe. We leave on Monday evening, July 10 and will fly non-stop from Miami to Paris. We'll board the Avalon Waterways Tapestry II and sail on a week long adventure to the Beaches of Normandy with our good friends Bob & Pam Murray. At the end of the cruise we will take the train from Paris under the English Channel to London and spend three nights there before flying home on July 21st. You can follow our adventures on our "Paris & Normandy" web page, here:
Click the pic to go to our "Paris To Normandy" web page
The week's racing kicked off on Thursday and I was excited to watch the races from Horseshoe Indianpolis because MY horse, Classic Cut was the 7/5 favorite in a first level allowance event on the turf. So I handicapped the card as well as the twilight Woodbine card. My colt just didn't run all that well, especially when turning for home he was just flat. I won a race earlier on the card when another MyRacehorse runner, Vow, was much the best. What COULD have been a very profitable day of racing was lost when Nikolaou was 2nd by a neck in the 4th at Woodbine and in the eighth Hot Omelet was also second by a neck there preventing me from cashing out for a combined nearly $75. You gotta love the thrill of racing, right?
Friday I had five selections on the Jersey Shore. After my first pick scratched out of the first it was in Race 4 that I bet on Artie's Angel. Before moving into Kelly Breen's barn he'd earned three Beyers of 56-60-59. Once in the long-time Jersey Shore conditioner's care he rattled off four Beyers of 80-70-79-79 while winning twice against more expensive runners than he faced today. To be fair he'd not raced since October but showed six works topped off by a bullet work and got Paco Lopez today. Dueled from the very start of the one-mile turf event, got a little daylight turning for home and was all out to hold off the second choice who rallied from the back of the pack. The generous $6.60 payout allowed me to start the day by collecting over $30. In the next race it was all about did you go with the "obvious" choice at a short price or shop for value. I could see why people would look for a price as Todd Pletcher's Crupi had been out five times with three thirds and two seconds. Maybe he just doesn't want to win? But for me, the last time he came off the bench - like today - he earned a massive 87 Beyer when just missing, which was good enough to start in the Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 2 Wood Memorial - AS A MAIDEN - in his next two starts. I took the short price. Tracked the second choice into the lane and wore him down late before beginning to edge clear as they approached the wire.
WHOOO HOOOO - two-for-two! Two seconds sandwiched around my third winner of the day in the 7th race. Kingmax had made his first North American start a decisive and impressive one off an eleven month break. Typically you want to look elsewhere in the allowance ranks than to bet a horse off a win in nw1x allowance moving into nw2x company. But I thought he might run even better today. Rallied from the back and blew by in hand to make Friday a very profitable day for me :)
Saturday July 8
Del 'Cap Day 2019 - I was AT Delaware Park!
Saturday I had picks from Monmouth and the three tracks which were hosting big stakes events: Belmont, Horseshoe Indiana, and Delaware. Coming off of a big day Friday I hoped to keep the momentum going. And I could not have been more pleased with the start of the day, especially considering that all the big races and big bets would come later in the day. The opener at Delaware was a maiden claiming event for 2yo and no one has been hotter on the Mid-Atlantic circuit than trainer Brittany Russell. She was sending out first time starter Insoucient who faced a pretty ordinary group of runners I thought. I was amazed when he sat at 4/1 as they left the paddock. The smarter bettors knocked him down to 2/1 and he drew off by a pole, paying $6.60 and letting me start the day by collecting more than $30. The first at Monmouth was a maiden claimer on the turf and I liked Payout Ratio from the Chad Brown barn. Right to the front of this mile and a sixteenth test and when the fractions went up as :22 and change and :45 and change I knew that he'd never last. But as he hit the far turn he opened up and drew off like a stakes winner. WOW. Minutes later we were in the gate for the second at Horseshoe Indiana where Roman Goddess looked to be odds on in a MSW test. The question was could she run to her turf figures in the last two starts on the dirt today. Looked like a winner from the start, tracking the pace to the turn, taking over willingly and opening up. But the wire came JUST in time to save the day and our third consecutive win. Closed out the sequence in the 2nd at Monmouth. Reckless Place looked best on paper in the "beaten" sprint, but that 15/1-6-4 resume was scary bad. Tracked a longshot leader to the turn, took over, opened up and won for fun. FOUR-for-FOUR to start the day - WHOOOO HOOOO!
Came back to reality when I ran off the board in four straight before going on another "run." Funny how today is playing out like last Saturday: win a bunch, lose a bunch, win a bunch...... The fourth race at Delaware I'd listed as a "maybe" bet. It was a maiden claiming event on the turf. I didn't see anyone that I particularly liked but Bring The Magic, who had been out EIGHT times already, was listed as the top choice of two of the three public handicappers and the second choice of the other. As the betting went on the 3yo filly was taking some money so I put the minimum on her. Then when she was hammered late I doubled the minimum bet to a double investment. Tracked the leader while in hand to the turn, took over and drew off like a graded stakes winner. Smart move to not only bet but double the wager. Then in the next race it was the first of the stakes races, the Dashing Beauty Stakes - a six furlong sprint. Alva Star was lightly raced and on the improve. First stakes try but looked good enough so I went in for the minimum. Right to the front and widened impressively through the lane.
The Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont wasn't the deepest field of this historic stakes event going the classic mile and a quarter distance, but it presented an interesting quandary - Todd Pletcher's enigmatic Charge It was likely to be a short priced favorite today and you had to decide WHICH Charge It would show up. After his maiden win in his second start last spring he'd run second in the Gr 1 Florida Derby then ran a massive 111 in the Grade 3 Dwyer here. He'd come back off the layoff to start his 4yo season this past winter with a 102 Beyer winning a Gulfstream allowance but had not fired since. Would he return to form over the track he'd run his best and reunited with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez? Right to the front and he looked like he could win by a pole from the time they were half way down the back stretch. Impressive today.
Another maiden special event at Delaware on the turf was my next bet. This race was an excellent example of how in handicapping "the rule" is there are no rules! Sun Bee had already been out seven times - a typical immediate toss for me - and worse, five of the seven had seen her finish second. OUCH. But three of her last four starts earned Beyers that would win nearly every MSW turf event here in New Castle, and in two of those the winner had come right back to beat winners. AND she was the BEST Bet of two of the handicappers on this stakes highlighted card. I was "uncomfortable" with her sitting in a tracking spot about 3-or-4 off a glacial pace of :25 and :50. Moved to the leaders when fanned wide into the lane and eventually wore them down to be up in time late. Whew! The three-out-of-four winning sequence came to a close as I ran in four of the next six and third in the other two. Fortunately two of those races were "bet back" promotion events.
The highlight of the Delaware card was up next, the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap. Brad Cox's talented filly Idiomatic had been my choice a month ago to post the mild upset in the Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs and she'd been impressive, earning a big 102 Beyer. So today she stepped up into graded company and the question was, would she run back to that figure or not? In the Shawnee Idiomatic had gone wire to wire, and while I didn't think she was a "need to lead" kind of runner, I expected her to be on or pressing the pace. The gates opened and immediately she was last. Read later that she'd stumbled out of the gate, yikes....that's not good. Got into a good tracking spot by the time they'd reached the far turn, but had she used up too much energy making up ground. Got to the leader turning for home, stretch duel.....JUST up on the wire! AND because she'd taken so much money I had upped the bet to a "prime time" play! Minutes later got the winner in the Monmouth finale when Road To Stardom proved best. as well.
Ran third in an Indiana stakes, but got my money back, and then cashed the first of two "big" payout tickets - this one in an allowance event from Belmont. It was an entry allowance going seven furlongs on the grass and I noted in my analysis that you win a lot more races like this if you prefer lightly raced runners who've run a race or two against winners, and run well. Chad Brown's Appraise was just such a runner. After winning a turf sprint as a 2yo she tried a sprint stakes at Saratoga and then was a best-of-the-rest 2nd in Woodbine's Grade 1 Summer Stakes. Not seen since that October effort she came here and Brown is excellent with long layoff types. Pressed the leader for the opening quarter and then put that one away and ran off as MUCH the best. Paid a sharp $6 and change allowing my triple investment to get a return of over $45! Missed in an Indiana stakes before the second big score of the day in the NY feature, the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. I'd seen Far Bridge run at Gulfstream this winter and remarked he would be a stakes winner. Second in two straight graded stakes I thought just maybe he didn't get the best of rides. Trainer Todd Pletcher put Jose Ortiz back up - and he'd been the winning rider at Gulfstream. Sat near the back to the turn, moved up the rail to the top of the lane. Angled out and sprinted to the wire. The best payoff of the day, $8.70 netted me over $65 :)
I ran 2nd in the Indiana Oaks, so I got my money back. And finished off the day when Verifying was a gutsy winner of the Grade 3 Indiana Derby for my thirteenth win of the day with a prime time ticket on him.
Sunday saw me win just one race at Monmouth, but it was the featured Irish War Cry Stakes when He'spuregold came roaring down the middle of the turf course to score.
Over the next ten days or so I'll have few selections as I'll be floating through France and wandering around London. I DO know that on Thursday I'll have at least one bet as my 2yo filly Lady Blitz is slated to run on Opening Day at Saratoga in a maiden event.
Social Media this week.....
I had a lot of "contact" with my online pals, and as I've mentioned before, that's rewarding for me to have the social contact since I typically don't see anyone in real life on a normal basis. BUT the upcoming trip is where I DO get to interact with real people - looking forward to that. The first interaction came with former CBS-Miami weather girl Jennifer who's since moved north to Palm Beach but I keep in touch with her. We chatted about the current oppressive heat & humidity.
On July 4th WPLG Channel 10 morning anchor Jayce Birch showed off her patriotic outfit which I complimented and got a reaction from her.
Hottie handicapper Acacia Courtney posted a pic of her and her anchor pal Paul Ladouca and both reacted to my happy 4th wishes.
On Sunday Kim and I were watching the weekend Today Show and they went to the weather. There was "our girl" Angie Lassman who used to do the week-day weather on our NBC-6 station. Not a fan of the girls who've replaced her, but maybe that's just because I've always been a fan of Angie's. I thought it was so cool that "our girl" had "made it big" to the Today show so I shot her a message and minutes later, while still on the national broadcast she messaged me back. VERY cool.
Our "adopted daughter" Jillian posted about her latest in-school book read and we exchanged remarks about how great it is to interact with kids in the classroom.
Saturday at the races Maggie Wolfendale was on the desk for the first part of the "America's Day at the Races." You look at her and you'd never guess she was 30-something and a mom. She always looks really attractive, but today in a powder blue halter top dress she was quite the eye candy. I reached out to her and minutes later she reacted :)
I had an exchange with CBS-Miami reporter Trish who I've become a big fan of....thinking she'll one day be an anchor girl :)
And I chatted briefly with former CBS-Miami Weekend Anchor Karli who said she wished she was going on our trip with us :)
The two most rewarding interactions / conversations of the week came when I exchanged messages with two of my most favorite girls who were once students of mine and have gone on to be successful career women and moms. The first was Erica who did her WISE project on being a news anchor and eventually WAS a news reporter and anchor for several TV stations. When a photo of her and I meeting for lunch - after she'd done a live report on TV - was on my FB Memory for the day I reached out to her and was touched that she wanted to get together. I do so hope we can work that out.
And then my most, MOST favorite gal-pal, Kimmy and I exchanged a series of text messages about my upcoming trip. The two things that meant the most to me were when she told me I was NOT old :) and even more importantly when I said I'd look forward to drinks/dinner with her and she replied that SHE was looking forward to that. So sweet.
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