On Thursday I flew to Ohio for a week visiting friends and family. I had handicapped the Saturday card, where it was Closing Day at Keeneland and there were some stakes races in New York prior to leaving. The kicked off with the opener in New York featuring 2yo's in a maiden special sprint. I noted that it was a case of what we DID know about likely favorite Rookie Card vs. what we did not know about first time starter Graffiti Writer. When the latter took no money at all, I was "all in" on the 2x runner-up at odds-on and he proved easily best today.
I ran second in the next race at BAQ before in in the Keeneland opener, All Class was much the best at a very short price in rich, "beaten" claiming sprint. Struggled through six straight losses with only one second and two thirds before we got to the Keeneland feature, the Grade 2 Fayette. Brad Cox's Hit Show was almost certain to win IF he ran his race. After a mediocre 6/1-1-1 resume for 2023, he'd posted three wins from four starts this year, including back-to-back graded stakes. But you did have to consider his three-back "no show" drubbing as the favorite. I was willing to look past that. Wasn't all that keen to see him near the back into the far turn, but when he got rolling he mowed them all down to give me my third win on the day.
The highlight of the day came in the Grade 2 Mother Goose in New York for 3yo fillies. Certainly Gun Song is talented, and I'd had her in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan. But I've seen her run several times and she's just a cut below the better 3yo's. So the question for me was, where does Tarifa fall on that scale. On the upside she swept the final two legs of the 3yo filly series at the Fair Grounds last winter and looked to be a Kentucky Oaks threat for trainer Brad Cox. But she was well beaten. Off the bench she was nailed late in an Ellis Park 7f stakes - maybe a touch short, then improved to be third behind division leader Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx. Improving with each start I thought she'd take another step forward today. I did note that Gun Song was a just-miss 2nd in the Cotillion and if the two ran the same race I'd be second best. But I felt I had a better shot at improvement than betting on Gun Song being consistently good again. They dueled the length of the stretch with Tarifa just getting her nose down in front of Gun Song. But the best part, she paid $6.10 and I'd tripled the bet, so I cashed for over $45 to bring me back to nearly even on the day!
Saturday: For the races on Empire Showcase Day / Opening Day at Churchill Downs, I'd completed the handicapping for New York before leaving for Ohio, and then finished the Louisville card at my Mom's on Friday morning before setting out for Cincinnati. As Sunday's racing began I was hopeful that I'd have an improved result from today's races after just failing to break even on Saturday. Oh I was SOOOOOO pleased with the day's results! Started off with the Churchill opener where Flash Wear proved best in a MSW sprint. That she drew off impressively was noteworthy for me. In R2 at Churchill, it was a starter allowance where all the juveniles only had a maiden win. But Book'em had defeated Flash Wear, despite that one coming into that race with a best-of-133 bullet work. She SHOULD have been really primed for that effort, and my logic was if Flash Wear ran back to that kind of effort, that would solidify the effort Book'em had run. So I took Book'em off the "maybe bet" list and invested in her. Tracked the leaders into the lane, took control and in spite of drifting to the rail and not running a straight line thru the final furlong she was a daylight winner.
After finishing 2nd in the first of the Empire Showcase Stakes in NY in the Sleepy Hollow, I scored with the very talented With the Angels in the 2yo filly stakes, the Maid of the Mist. She'd won both starts impressively in wire-to-wire fashion but today she would be going a one-turn mile. Could she handle the distance and perhaps pace pressure? I upped the bet when she was hammered at the windows. Broke sharply quickly clearing the field and it was all over but the shouting as she wired the field in a very impressive performance.
Won my second in a row when Flying Mohawk was a decisive winner on the grass in a maiden event under the Twin Spires. Then, in a thrilling stretch duel, Venti Valentine outdueled the odds-on favorite to win the Empire Distaff in New York. Not only was it a great stretch duel, but the last four jumps the lead changed hands. One jump back and one jump ahead of exactly where the wire was and I'd have lost the bet. But as it was 'Valentine paid a very generous $9.90 and I cashed for almost $25.
At this point I was smiling with five wins from seven bets. But then I hit a slow stretch where I missed on four straight. When it was time for the Ticonderoga Stakes in New York I knew it was time to find out exactly what kind of day I'd have. That was because in this race and the next in NY, as well as the next bet at Churchill, I was "all in" with two "prime time" bets and a triple investment. I liked Moonage Daydream in the Ticonderoga because with the rail draw I thought she'd go right to the front and steal it. But when jockey Joel Rosario was intent on taking the lead with the second choice from post six, my rider - Flavian Prat - settled behind her and saved all the ground to the top of the lane. Tipped into the clear when splitting rivals and accelerated past the dueling leaders to edge clear in the final strides. And lucky for me, she went off at better than 5/2 odds so I cashed for almost $75!
Unlike the Ticonderoga, Spirit of St. Louis in the Mohawk was 1/9 in the early betting. OK, you did have to wonder about his two back miss at odds-on against a few of today's rivals. But his overall record here (4-for-4 locally, 8-of-12 overall) and the fact he was dropping out of a good effort in a Grade 1 at Keeneland SHOULD see him return to form today. At the top of the stretch he switched into the clear and began gaining with every stride in a well-timed ride to get to the front in the fifty yards. And I was delighted when his price floated up to better than 3/5 odds.
Two-for-two on big bets, now just needed to finish off the "trifecta of stakes" with Good Cheer in the Rags To Riches at Churchill - an early Kentucky Oaks prep for 2yo's. She was a dazzling maiden winner for Brad Cox, and last time out against winners at today's two-turn distance she drew off by an astounding 17 lengths. Both she looked good again today when she blitzed from fourth to first on the turn and opened up to a daylight win. She'll be one to watch in New Orleans this winter.
Missed with the last bet in NY before Render Judgement surged to the front in mid-stretch in the Louisville night-cap to give me my NINTH winner on the day.
Twin Spires was running a 15% bonus promotion on all winners at Churchill and since I'd cashed five times there, I collected an additional $12 and change to pad my profits. But I'd won a whopping 56% of my bets today for nearly $100 in profits. Putting the two days together I accumulated over 45% winners for the weekend and a profit of more than $85. What a great way to head into next weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships!
Social Media this week......
I arrived in Columbus about 5pm on Thursday and Friday morning I was up with coffee enjoying crisp temperatures and fall leaves. Drove to Cincinnati to visit our friends Mary Pat & Tom whom we'd met on our Viking Portugal cruise some five years ago. We went to a winery, passing all kinds of fall leaves and then back to their house for dinner on their deck with an amazing sunset.
I shared our Direct TV story with my gal-pal Kimmy who messaged me back - it's always good to keep in touch with her......
.....and another former student, Michelle, posted about her latest marathon run. Good for her - and she liked that I taken note of her accomplishment.
On Tuesday night Kim and I went to the Panthers game against Minnesota, which is where former Oasis gal-pal Coach Kelly and I worked together is from. So I texted her and she wrote back within minutes. She's such a sweet girl - we all had such a good time working together there.
My gal-pal Chloe and I exchanged messages via text about her morning radio show and then out of the blue she became a "follower" on Instagram :)
CBS-Miami weekend anchor and gal-pal Teri and I exchanged messages after I shared our "usual" coffee in the morning photo from my Mom's house on both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday Teri reached out to me and initiated a "long" conversation about this year's election. And then on Monday I reached out to her after seeing her on the week day anchor desk and we "chatted" again about travel, coffee and the weather.
My most favorite social media girl......friend Lauren Pastrana and I exchanged messages every day of the week. First about her going to the Taylor Swift concert, then about her doing the solo 7pm anchor each night. When she did a story on the TV show "Yellowstone" she agreed that the prequel "1883" is a most amazing show. Once I was in Ohio she wished me well and enjoyed the photos of the winery and the sunset.
