California Crown Day

 Saturday September 28

In the short two weeks that we were home between trips, this was the final day of the Fall Racing Season during the quick break.  And it was a big day as Santa Anita hosted their inaugural California Crown Day, intended to be a west coast version of Gulfstream's Pegasus World Cup Day.  It was a great idea, but for me personally I thought it was kind of "half-baked" so to speak.  The Pegasus did take the place of the old Donn Handicap, but what makes the Pegasus special is that they have three unique Pegasus races and several others on the same day.  I guess it's sort of the same, but all they did with Santa Anita was re-name three races as the "California Crown...." races and held it on the same Breeders' Cup Preview Day as they've always done.  Still - good races.  I lost several bets at Laurel when the weather forced all the races - including several stakes events - to the main track.  After running a non-threatening 5th at a big 9/1 at Belmont to start the day, my first bet at Laurel came in an entry level allowance where Play Like A Raven fit the profile of a lightly raced runner who'd shown potential.  Was an added plus that he went for trainer Brittany Russell.  Sat well off the pace to the far turn, then advanced into contention....split horses and into the clear turning for home and ran by them all.  And the best part - went off at a huge 7/1 price so I cashed for $40, which carried me through the first half of the day!

Missed on the next four including two big stakes at Belmont.  In the Grade 2 Woodward, Skippylongstocking was the lone speed, and alone on the lead turning for home, but caught in the shadow of the wire.  Then in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, two-time champion War Like Goddess was flying late to close down the front runner, but was too late.  Really....can't hold on and can't catch the leader.  Sigh..... Got back to the winner's circle at Laurel with Dazzling Move in a second level allowance going a one-turn mile.  Dropping out of two stakes she appeared to be the class of the field.  Tracked on the inside into the turn then was ready to run but was blocked throughout the turn.  Squeezed through a narrow opening and shot to the front before widening late.

Bob Baffert's expensive filly, Kalea Bay had disappointed in both her first two starts, but to me she looked ready to roll today as much the best.  She was pushed hard to get to the front early, but once she got clear the race was over.  When they turned for home she had a completely different gear and widened with every stride.  Came right back to win the next race at Santa Anita where Spy Catcher was trying to break his maiden in start number nine.  That's almost always a "no bet" kind of maiden for me.  But he'd run in graded stakes - yes. as a maiden - and had 2nd in a Gr 2 by half a length and 2nd in a Gr 1 beaten 3/4 of a length.  Pressed three-wide through the first turn and final turn then was let loose and he ran away as easily best.

I got my lone win of the day in New York in the two-year-old Breeders' Cup "WIN and You're In" race, the Grade 2 Pilgrim on the soft going of the inner turf course.  They were all lightly raced juveniles but Zulu Kingdom.  He was unbeaten after winning on debut in his native France, then came state-side and won Saratoga's With Anticipation going the "wrong way" AND around two turns for the first time for trainer Chad Brown.  Looked for improvement here.  Tracked the leaders in fourth while saving ground to the top of the lane.  Split rivals to get into the open and then hit another gear to win going away.

The first of the multiple stakes at Santa Anita was the Unzip Me Stakes going six and a half furlongs down the hill - my favorite kind of race to bet!  These unique races are nearly always strictly limited, by me, to runners with experience down the hillside course.  But Toupie was making his first start on the course.  My logic was that trainer Graham Motion would never have shipped all the way out west AND convinced top rider Flavian Prat to ride, if Toupie wasn't a live runner.  Right to the front, clear by daylight into the stretch and held on handily.  The "Downs After Dark" program kicked off at 6pm and my first bet there was in their 2nd where Tell Me When wired the field, providing me with my seventh winner of the day.

The Grade 2 Eddie Read, now named the "California Crown Eddie Read," was another down-the-hill turf sprint.  But unlike the Toupie bet, First Peace had the best record on the course.  He'd been down the unique trip five times, scoring twice and finishing second three times.  Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith held him in reserve through the right handed turn half way down the hill, then was hugging the rail over the dirt track.  When the narrowest of openings appeared he asked First Peace to take off and he squeezed through the burst to an open length lead to win as much the best.  Cashed for over $40 with my triple investment.

The BEST BET of the Day came in the Grade 2 "California Crown City of Hope Mile" where Johannes looked to extend his perfect 5-for-5 record over the Arcadia grass - including 3-for-3 at a mile.  In what turned out to be the most common trip for my picks today. he tracked the leaders while saving ground to the top of the lane.  Split runners into the clear and set sail for the wire without really being asked to run hard.  Another sizeable payoff!

Closed out the winning in the 9th at Churchill Downs, a two-turn main track allowance for two-year-olds.  Good Cheer had won going a route of ground for trainer Brad Cox at Indiana Grande with a stalk and pounce trip and looked well suited to this event.  Last of five into the far turn, she glided up to challenge on the turn and when asked to take off she extended the winning margin to more than a dozen lengths in hand.  Very impressive.  We'll look for her in stakes this winter!

For the day I scored ten times at a 40% clip.  And I would have made a profit anyway, but TwinSpires offered a promotion to give you a 15% bonus payout on every winning bet at Santa Anita.  I scored FIVE times there so my bonus was nearly $20!  WHOOOO HOOOO :)

Off to Europe for a two-week French River Cruise with AMA Waterways.  You can follow our adventure by clicking the link below.  But with the Breeders' Cup a month away and Opening Weekend at Keeneland next weekend I'll probably have some selections!

CLICK HERE to follow our trip

Social Media this week.....

My contact with my online friends was almost exclusively limited to my "CBS girls" this week.  I did text back and forth a couple times with my most favorite former, Kimmy, as they were hammered by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.  And I also messaged with former WHS student Jen (below) after her daughter won a championship.

Most weeks I do exchange multiple messages with Lauren (and Teri) from CBS, but this week both girls provided a lot more personal experiences as I interacted with them.  Monday Lauren posted she was not going to be on the air on Tuesday and Wednesday, much to my alarm.  But when I messaged her she "comforted" me and appreciated it when I noted that Jim Berry bringing me the news at 7pm was NOT the same.  The 2nd and 3rd photos/collages below document Lauren's amazing performance on the Drew Barrymore Show.  She was a special guest to introduce Drew and the audience to the "Best of Miami."  Lauren's personality shone through like a real star and she seemed so at ease and comfortable.  So when I shared with her how I felt about her performance, she was very appreciative.  I also told her that I was very appreciative that she shared so much on social media, that - in my opinion - it made her a more trustworthy news broadcaster because she demonstrated she's a "real person."  Finally at the end of the week we exchanged messages about my leaving on the trip and the Miami University wild finish on Friday night.

Teri was NOT on the air on Saturday or Sunday but I found her on the morning news early in the week.  And I showed her I was enjoying her broadcast with a frozen cappuccino.  She posted a cute photo Saturday morning asking what everyone was up to and I, of course, noted I would be enjoying her on air with my coffee before setting out on our trip.  That got a "Woooo Hoooo" reply.  But the best exchange came Saturday while she was on air.  First she was appreciative of my watching, but then SHE initiated more conversation - remember she was live on air - asking how the Viking TV thing had gone.  This led to multiple exchanges at the end of which I said I would like to meet her for coffee and she could give me some tips about live, remote being on camera.  And she was "Okkk" to that and "liked" when I said when we return from this trip we could set up a get together.  Cool, eh?

PID Masters / PA Derby

 September 20 - 21:  Pennsylvania Stakes Weekend

Kim and I set out for Orlando Friday morning for a weekend with our grandson and his parents, and I had two big days of racing.  Sunday was no racing but BOTH the boys had hockey games!

Friday, Presque Isle Downs Masters Night turned out to be a superb night of handicapping!  To be honest, while it IS the one day I typically will play the Erie track, I did not realize it was this Friday until I got a message from my brother-in-law in Erie, Jason asking if I'd take a look at the races as he would be going.  Over the ten race card I found eight races where I felt confident enough to play.  After passing the opener the card did NOT start well as I ran third as the 3/5 favorite.  Lost again in the first of the stakes, the Presque Isle Debutante, when I was a distant 6th at 3/1.  But of the final six races I played I won FIVE of them.  Oh yes my friends it was a very good evening.  The fourth race was a starter-optional claiming event going the classic mile and a quarter distance.  No one in the field had ever traveled this far but it looked to me like Runaway Harry was the one and only LONE SPEED.  I thought he'd get loose, slow the pace down and never look back.  But the 3/2 favorite had other ideas and HE took the lead.  'Harry pressed to the far turn, took the lead and gamely held on for the win.

The BET of the NIGHT for me came in the Presque Isle Mile, the seventh race on the program.  The first thing I found "interesting" was that the PID Mile was carded to go a mile and a sixteenth.  What's up with that?  Especially when they DO run races at the flat mile trip?  What ever.  To me, Forever Souper looked as good a "mortal lock" on the program as there could be.  He owned an excellent 8-for-17 lifetime record including four of six in this 2024 racing season.  His two losses came when third with troubled trips.  AND all six starts this year had come in stakes company.  His rivals this evening had, on occasion run a figure in the low 90's but he'd posted six straight 90+ Beyers.  AND finally, he had won the prep for this race a month ago decisively to run his local record to a perfect 2-for-2.  He pressed the 5/2 second choice through the far turn, collared him heading for home and the two of them laid it down in a stretch duel.  But in the final 100 yards Forever Souper edged clear at what I thought was a generous 4/5 price.

The 8th was a second level sprint and Going Up was the clear class of the field.  He'd won on debut HERE and in the nine subsequent starts had run in seven stakes.  Of the three non-stakes starts in his career.....HE'D WON THEM ALL!  Tracked the leaders while saving ground through the far turn.  When the rail opened up he shot through and edged clear through the final 16th of the stretch.

The big feature of the night, and THE big race of the meet was the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters going  six and a half furlongs.  Roses For Debra is almost certainly the premier female TURF sprinter.  But (a) most of those races are carded at 5f and 5 1/2 furlongs.  How would she run going SIX and a half and on the synthetic.  Over THIS track she could boast a 4/3-1-0 resume so the surface was not an issue for me.  With Irad Ortiz on board I thought there was an excellent chance she'd score.  Got an ideal trip in third along the inside through the far turn, but when it was time to run she was blocked with no where to go.  Looked for a seam briefly between rivals, but that slammed shut so Irad quickly ducked to the inside, collared the leader and edged clear late for my FOURTH win on the night.

I thought it was interesting, and telling, that the late night finale - an entry level allowance sprint - had apparently lured Irad Ortiz to stick around for a mount.  Would he actually ride instead of get out of town for his big day at Parx tomorrow?  If so then Spy Novel would be a good selection.  He stayed and he won!  Finished the night 8/5-0-2 with a profit big enough to carry the weekend!

Saturday - Pennsylvania Derby Day saw me with three tracks on the menu:  Parx, Churchill Downs, and Gulfstream.  I thought I had multiple very solid plays on the day and I was looking forward to continuing the success I'd enjoyed Friday night.  Well, that quickly dissipated as through the first three and half hours and eight races of selections I went winless.  Oh this game can be humbling.  And what made it worse - in my eyes - was that half those losses came as odds-on favorites at 3-5, 1-2, 2-5, and 1-5.  Certainly I'd win soon.  And in the Grade 3 Greenwood I had the prohibitive 1-9 favorite Next.  I thought to myself that if Next loses here - where he absolutely towered over his rivals then I KNEW I'd be in for a long, LONG day.  But instead the multiple marathon stakes winner was every bit as good as advertised and justified my "BET of the Weekend" status I'd labeled him.  Tracked the longshot leader to the turn, effortlessly went by and won by a pole, going away, without being asked to take a deep breath.  Just an amazing race horse!

After running 2nd and 3rd with my next two picks, Batten Down won the Bourbon Flight at Churchill Downs as my top choice.  Ran 2nd and 3rd again before Gulfstream-based Bentornato gamely won the Grade 3 Gallant Bob - a sprint for 3yo's at Parx.

I ran fourth in a Churchill stakes before rattling off three stakes wins in a row.  Crazy Frazy won the Adventura Stakes going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream when he rallied very wide down the middle of the track to score going away.  And in the highlight race of the day, Thorpedo Anna bounced back from her heart-breaking photo finish loss in the Grade 1 Travers against the colts to win the $1 Million Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx.  She looked to be stymied coming out of the turn with no where to go, but jockey Brian Hernandez encouraged the filly to squeeze between rivals and as soon as she got open track she accelerated to nail the leader in the final fifty yards for the win.  Closed out the trio of winners with Miss Justify in Churchill's Seneca Overnight.  I particularly enjoyed this win as all the commentators on FanDuel TV talked about she was not a "good bet" as the favorite.  As I said to my son Brad, I just don't really buy into that logic....if she's the best horse and the most likely winner, then that's the bet.  Right again :)

Missed on the next three before closing out the day with the best price and biggest collection of the day.  Flavian Prat stuck around to ride in the $100K Parx Sprint in the fading daylight for Brad Cox.  Top Gunner broke alertly from the outside and sprinted with the leaders some five-wide thru the opening quarter.  Took back off the pace then split rivals turning for home and shot through to win going away at a big $10.80 allowing me to cash for over $50.

The big win with Top Gunner certainly was a big help, but my totals for the day were pushed into the black because of how clever and smart I was.....if I do say so myself.  I'd looked and told Kim that because of the different promotions being offered I'd be playing today on both of my online platforms.  Usually during the non-winter season I play exclusively on TwinSpires and they typically have the more frequent and better promotions.  But today they were only offering a "Bet Back" on two Churchill Downs races.  On Xpressbet they were offering a "Bet Back" on just the Grade 3 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream AND offered a special deal at Parx.  On the Pennsylvania Derby Day card, if you wagered $150 or more on the Parx card they'd give you a $25 bonus.  So today I got money back on the one race at Churchill, on the Princess Rooney, and with my ten bets at Parx I was well over the requirement, so in total I was able to add on $40 in "winnings" to make weekend a winning one!

Social Media this week......

For ME, it was a very active week with my online friends - all girls as per usual.  On our British Isles cruise we'd connected with our waitress Manuka and she and I agreed to become FB friends.  We'd exchanged one message prior but this week she initiated the "conversation" by asking about our journey home.  Gal-pal Chloe and I exchanged heart-felt messages on Saturday.  I was watching Oliver play his video games and he was picking which WWE wrestler to be.  The singer Post Malone came up and I asked if he was actually a wrestler, but Oliver said no....then said, that he wished the singer Jelly Roll was.  I told him that I had a very good friend who knew Jelly Roll and he was amazed.  Chloe and her two cohorts from K92.3 radio had posed for a pic with him recently and when I showed it to Oliver he said, "she's cool!"  So I relayed all this to Chloe and she immediately messaged me back that this was so sweet and I'd made her day :)

This past week was gal-pal, former CBS-Miami weekend anchor Karli Barnett's birthday so I reached out and she replied.

One of the FB memories that popped up this week was a photo of me with my very VERY favorite former student and now adult gal-pal Kimmy.  Of all the photos of Kimmy and I - we used to meet at least a couple times a year - this one is my most favorite and I can remember so many details from that evening together :)  I also sent her the previews for our upcoming trip and she was very appreciative, saying she loved "traveling with" us vicariously.

Both of my CBS girls, Lauren & Teri - enjoy coming along on our trips and of late both have indicated they like getting the previews.  So from Thursday through Sunday I sent them each a Burgundy Preview daily with a short message explaining what we expected over each of those periods of time.  Both "liked" them daily.

I've learned that Lauren seems more "limited" in how much she can react and especially message back.  And if I were guessing, it has to do with the fact that she's so busy......she's married, she's got two kids, and has a lot of responsibilities at the TV station.  And I can't imagine that her messaging with me is something that takes place in the middle of any of that (though it's NOT uncommon that she connects with me during a news cast).  And so I've become accustomed to appreciating just a "seen" when I send her something, even more so a "like" - especially if she likes multiple things in the message.  And most especially I very much appreciate the times she takes the time to actually "say something" to me.  Well this week in addition to a lot of "likes" I got several messages :)  Early in the week when I tuned into the 7-7:30 segment of the local news Lauren was doing it solo.  When I complimented her on how she handled it solo she messaged me back that this would become a permanent assignment beginning this week.  The second night she "flew solo" I again complimented her and told her how much I thought it was "special" when just she was on the anchor desk, and got a "Thank You" back.  She posted a reel about a future investigative piece and I messaged her that I was interested and she replied back that she was going national with this piece.  I also sent her pics from the two nights solo broadcast where her red dress looked very similar but noted that I could tell the difference - which also got a "like."  The third night Lauren handled the 7-7:30 duties alone I messaged her it was my "new favorite time of the day" and noted that I'd been a fan as she's gone from morning reporter to morning anchor, to weekend anchor, and now evening news anchor.  She replied back thanking me for supporting her over the years.  Very sweet.

Unlike Lauren, I've found Teri "talks" with me more times that not.  Again, my guess would be (a) she's not the evening news anchor daily and (b) while she's engaged, she is not married and has no kids, so probably has more time alone to do social media.  Early in the week I told her that despite just getting back we were headed out on another trip in just two weeks and she messaged back how lucky I was.  I included a pic/conversation from last week that I'd left out - when in Edinburgh, Scotland while she was doing a weekend anchor bit I caught part of the show and sent her a photo of me in Edinburgh watching her, which she immediately replied to me that this was "so cool."  Teri was on the morning anchor desk for a few days early in the week and did a story about how many alarms you set in the morning.  I wrote to her that I kept thinking about her saying she gets up at 2:30am for a morning anchor show and told her I didn't think I could get up that early and look as good as she does, and to take a nap.  She replied back with a thanks and "wishing" she COULD take a nap....must be like me, not a napper :)  Saturday I couldn't watch her on air but she posted a photo of her in a "bright sunshine" yellow dress with pockets.  I complimented her as the sunshine of the day and she wrote back with heartfelt appreciation for the compliment :)  And finally the highlight of the week FOR ME came on Sunday when she posted a photo of her in a polka dot dress.  I commented "Nothing like a polka dot Sunday."  Not only did she reply quickly but it was so personal as she said, "...best kind of Sunday.  With a cup of Wawa coffee of course.  Only way it's better if you're on a trip."  Not only replied, but the reference to the coffee because it's become "our thing" that I post a photo of me with my coffee watching her on the weekends, and of late another "thing" of ours is the travel.  Ultra sweet!