July 22 - 23
At the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour in London on our final day
On July 10 Kim and I flew out of Miami International on a direct flight to Paris where we boarded the Avalon Waterways Tapestry II river ship. We met our great friends Pam & Bob Murray there and spent nearly two weeks with them exploring the French countryside and then taking the Eurostar high speed train to London for three nights before returning home.
We left London early in the morning on Friday the 21st of July and arrived (with the time change) around 2pm in Miami where our driver picked us up and brought us home. I had handicapped the Monmouth card on the flight and decided Saturday morning to add the races from Saratoga and Gulfstream to the list. Kim left early Saturday afternoon to go get our grandson Oliver to spend the week (of my birthday) so I had the Sunrise Simulcast Center to myself. As has been the case over the last three weekends of racing for me my results came in bunches. I lost the first three when I ran 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd before winning the opener at Saratoga. The first from the Spa was a 2yo MSW race going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. Most of the runners in the field had not raced or had not been on the grass, but Todd Pletcher's Noted - who was owned by long time client Michael Repole - had closed resolutely in his debut going five furlongs on the turf. I made him the bet and as he was getting pounded at the windows I upped the bet shortly before post time. Pressed the leader into the lane and edged clear late.
It was 40 minutes before my next race but it was the first of the stakes events at the Jersey Shore on their signature day, the fourth being the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes going nine furlongs on the turf. Chad Brown's Consumer Spending had won the prep for this, the Grade 3 Eatontown and now was 3rd off the shelf with paired Beyer figures. Tracking confidently while saving ground through the turn in fifth he made his move entering the lane where he got into the clear three-wide and was up in the final fifty yards to score! Two in a row!
But then had a four race losing skid, which included a fourth place run with a 4/5 favorite, 6th at 3/2 and 3rd at 8/5. I then entered the highlight portion of the day a little after 3pm. The sixth at Gulfstream was a 2yo MSW going six furlongs. Big Effect had been 4/5 on debut and set the pace to deep stretch before just failing to last. Today after a sharp break the rider took hold of him and he sat just off the leader to the far turn. When let loose he easily took the lead and drew off by nearly a pole. Less than ten minutes later at Saratoga there was an entry level allowance going seven furlongs on the dirt and it looked clear to me that Chad Brown's Undervalued Asset was the obvious choice. Debuted with a win then was 2nd best in the Grade 3 Forward Gal first time winners. Didn't handle the stretch out to a mile in the Grade 2 Davona Dale, but off a short break just missed in a Churchill allowance going six and a half furlongs. Tracked the leaders in third to the top of the lane and wore down the front runner in deep stretch to score with my triple investment on board.
I went for my third straight with a prime time play in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup going nine furlongs on the main track. Proxy was a standout on paper, but as the on-air analysts discussed, the concern for the Grade 1 winner in this spot was that he typically came from off the pace and the Jersey Shore strip played strongly to front runners and pace pressers. The gates opened and jockey Joel Rosario immediately put the best horse on the lead. Pressed all the way to the top of the lane he found himself in a three-way pace duel in between runners turning for home. Rosario asked the classy runner for his best and he surged to the front then opened up, all class to draw off with authority.
One of the reasons I'd elected to play Gulfstream was the presence of "Horse for the Course" Fly the W in today's seventh race. This synthetic specialist is a NINE time winner over the Gulfstream all-weather and has won five of his last eight, including the last two. He seems to be able to adapt to any pace scenario and finish the job. Today he found himself a little farther back than usual. Made a strong middle move to the front turning for home and then J-U-S-T lasted on the wire, whew....make it four wins in a row!
The first of two graded events at Saratoga was the five and a half furlong Caress where fillies & mares would sprint on the lawn. Since Roses For Debra had been switched to trainer Christophe Clement he put her on the grass and she responded with back-to-back wins. The two Beyers were new lifetime tops and I thought she was a star on the rise. Pressed the pace setter through a wicked :20.3 opening quarter then opened up and drew off in an impressive style. FIVE straight!
I missed in the Wolf Hill at Monmouth then scored with odds on winnder Second ID who looks to have stakes races in his future off his impressive win at Gulfstream in allowance company to run his record to 2-0. It would be an hour and a half before I won again but in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher where "EVERYONE" thought Search Results would defend her title, she came up short at 4/5 but thanks to a $25 "Bet Back" promotion from Twin Spires I "cashed" the ticket.
After finishing off the board in three straight following that race I hit the feature at Saratoga. The Grade 1 Coaching Club of America Oaks for 3yo fillies looked like an evenly matched group. I thought that MAYBE we could toss the disappointing try in the Gr 1 Kentucky Oaks where I'd had a lot of confidence in Brad Cox's Wet Paint, and then her 2nd place run in the Monomoy Girl when trying to rally into a glacial pace by a loose-on-the-lead front runner. She sat mid-pack under Flavian Prat, made a strong bid on the turn, but when floated wide into the lane looked to have too much left to do. Inside the 16th pole though she found another gear and surged to the front to WIN!
Despite only having two races under his belt and the "most recent" being in January, Arabian Knight was the favorite in the Grade 1 Haskell for Bob Baffert. I thought he'd steal the race. But a longshot insisted on the front and he sat just off that one. Took the lead on the far turn but weakened to be third in a good effort. But again, thanks to the "Bet Back" promotion I got all of my "prime time" bet back when I "cashed" the ticket. I came right back with ANOTHER prime time play in Saratoga's 10th, a six furlong first level allowance. Chad Brown's Accretive had shown talent from the start. Won for fun on debut and in his second start was 2nd beaten a neck by multiple graded stakes winner Gunite in the Grade 2 Amsterdam. Didn't fare well in the Grade 1 Jerkens - too deep, too far. Went on a break and now returned - the Brown barn 30% with fresh runners. Tracked the leaders to the top of the lane, was between horses and challenged turning for home, then accelerated into the clear and drew off impressively.
Another skid of five races - only one of which was the favorite (any one of those hits and it's a "BIG" day for me!). Closed out the day by winning two races late at Del Mar. In the 8th, a MSW for 2yo Bob Baffert's Dua was a $400K daughter of champion Arrogate and looked to be working sharply. Off slowly, quickly got up close while three wide. Surged to the front turning for home, was immediately challenged but would not give in and edged clear late with a tremendous show of courage and potential.
Then in the finale out west I liked Anisette to win the 3yo Grade 2 San Clemente going a mile on the turf. The Euro import had won her US debut against older and ran faster in each successive quarter - that's a very good sign! The only question was could she get the trip through the tight turns and short stretch at Del Mar. Weaved through and burst to the front drawing off "stylishly" as it was called by track announcer Trevor Denman! Ended the Saturday racing day with 12 wins and a near-40% win rate.
Won two races on Sunday - the second at Monmouth, a two-lifetime claiming route and the highlight of the day came when Todd Pletcher's Nest returned to the races for the first time since the Breeders' Cup on the first weekend in November to beat Steve Asmussen's Clairiere who'd been 2nd in a photo in the Grade 2 Azeri in February, then had won back-to-back Grade 1 events. But when Nest turned for home there was no catching her - very impressive!
Social Media.......I had multiple exchanges with social media pals while on the adventure and once we returned home.....
Ever since Karli Barnett left as the weekend evening anchor and Brooke Shafer left as the weekend morning anchor I've had far FAR less interest in the program. But recently reporter Terri Hornstein was promoted to the weekend morning anchor. She's a breath of fresh air and I can see her rising up through the ranks like Lauren Pastrana did.
CBS-Miami anchor Lauren Pastrana have reached the point - it would seem - that our messages are often NOT just about what she's chatting about on the news or online. So the first evening back I took a quick pic of her on air and sent her a tweet that I was glad to be home and seeing her on the telecast. I also replied to a Facebook post where she noted HER return from a recent vacation. Both got a reaction and while on the air she messaged me back "Welcome Home!"
New gal-pal CBS-Miami reporter Trish posted a new profile pic, to which I replied and sent her a photo from France noting our trip, which drew a reaction.
My former student and adult gal-pal Kimmy had asked me to send her some pics, and was especially interested in the photos from the Harry Potter experience. I sent them and a video of me "flying" on the Nimbus-2000 broom. She messaged me back how much she'd enjoyed that.
Karli responded to two sets of photos I sent to her from Paris & London. The morning cup of coffee over looking the Seine River got a "heart" from her and when I sent her multiple photos, including one of me eating an éclair she asked about it and noted it looked "yummy." Saturday evening on her live chat I had several exchanges with her. The one comment which I found MOST interesting came when the conversation turned to places to travel. I asked about her interest in Egypt but it was her reply that caught my attention.....a few weeks ago we'd exchanged messages about travel and I suggested we should travel the world together and do a travel show. She "liked" that idea. But then Saturday in response to my Egypt inquiry she said she'd like to go there, and so many places, then said, "....if I had the opportunity to travel the world all day, every day and have a travel show, I'd love it....." Could that be a coincidence? As Kevin McAllister would say, "I don't think so!"
Sunday I reached out to NYRA analyst Maggie Wolfendale to ask her opinion about the virtual match race between champions Nest & Clairiere in the Grade 2 Shuvee. I noted that I'd just returned from a river cruise in France. In her reply which came within ten minutes, she noted the nice photo of me :) and said she had the utmost respect for Nest but thought Clairiere was her pick. It was a great race and I replied to her right afterwards, which she reacted to almost immediately :)
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