It was a great weekend in oh-so-many ways. First, it was wonderful to have my family from Ohio (Mom, sister and niece) come for their annual summer/birthday celebration stay. And our daughter came down for four days. AND our youngest son Brad brought his family down to stay for a week as our grandson Oliver is taking part in a Florida Panthers Youth Hockey camp this week. In addition to that, the most exciting event was when MY 4yo filly Seismic Beauty ran away with the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar, a "Win & You're In" Breeders' Cup event. She'd been pointing for that, but now she IS in and just needs to stay healthy and happy until the first weekend in November when my youngest son Brad and I will be at Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. And finally, I was so touched by the over 60 birthday messages I got, most especially from over a dozen of my closest "social media" pals. The Friday racing SHOULD have been a really good day as I won the opener at Monmouth with White Lilacs and then had Zulu Kingdom as he rolled to an easy win in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at Saratoga. But then the stewards took a L-O-N-G review of the race heading into the first turn when 'Zulu came over one path and a horse behind him went into panic mode and checked on his own, for no reason I could see, and interfered with the eventual runner-up. HE claimed foul against me, which was clearly most bogus, but the stewards ruled it WAS my fault and I was taken down. Social media went berserk with calls of it being a "criminal" decision. Was so wrong. Ended the day with a win in the Saratoga ninth.
We celebrated my actual birthday Friday evening after the Orlando gang arrived as Oliver helped me blow out the candles and I posted about what a great year it had been. I am so fortunate to have soooooo many friends like each of you. And so lucky to have had the experiences of the last 365 days.......visited the British Isles with four close friends; traveled from Switzerland to the French Riveria with more close friends; had a magical weekend at Harry Potter World with the family; saw the Christmas Markets along the Danube with my niece and made even more great friends; hosted a TV episode for Viking TV; went to the Florida Derby; saw our Florida Panthers win a second consecutive Stanley Cup; and was up close and personal with the glaciers in Alaska. Quite the year!
Saturday was a "hit and miss" day but as I said to the family as the racing started, I'll be happy with what ever the day brings IF my horse runs her race later today. Looked like it would be a good day when the Saratoga opener on Whitney Day provided my first winner - and took it as a positive sign when Ted Noffey was the part of the entry I did NOT like. But hey, they pay on either the #1 or #1a! The next FIVE races saw me miss with three runner-up finishes, a third and a fourth. But again, I thought I was destined for a big day when I followed that skid with four wins in the next five races! The first of those came in Monmouth's fourth race where I invested in Loop of Henle. I admitted in my analysis that this was NOT a "good bet" because she was already 0-for-10 and had already lost at this cheap $10K level. But with Paco Lopez sticking and her having "paired figures" I thought MAYBE she would run well today. Split rivals at the top of the lane, dueled to the final fifty yards and edged clear for the win!
This weekend is "Kentucky Downs Turf Cup Preview Weekend" at Ellis Park with stakes races on both Saturday and Sunday so I had handicapped the card for both days. In the fifth it was a 2yo MSW race going their unique 1 1/2 turn mile and I really liked Blackout Time. He was second best on debut in a sprint race with a field-best 78 Beyer. Looked long gone on paper. Pressed the leader into the far turn, took over willingly and - as expected - drew off by a pole :) The sixth at Saratoga was a 6f MSW for 2yo and I liked Ornellaia who was debuting for Chad Brown. Missed the break and was quickly last behind by daylight lengths. Sigh....but then on the turn she began picking off horses. Weaved through traffic into the lane, got clear on the outside and blew by them all at a generous $11 payout.
Missed in Monmouth's fifth before they were in the gate for the featured Tyro Stakes, a turf sprint for 2yo's. The two top selections from my analysis both scratched but Hay Nay Nay was getting pounded on the board. Checked out the past performances and the multi-race payoffs. All looked like the betting was legitimate so I doubled the bet. Right to the front, clear by daylight and opened up in the lane to draw off by a pole under wraps.
Over the next F-I-V-E hours but one race from the eleven I place wagers on. Included in that string were only two seconds. And to be fair, of the first seven of those only two were short priced favorites. But the last four were all short priced favorites. The one I wish I had back came in the Grade 1 Test when Ragtime for Bill Mott took the lead in the lane and was clear at 4/1. Had she held on instead of being nailed on the wire it would have been a $65 difference in today's bottom line. Ahhhh, racing. Live High Live Low scored in the Monmouth finale for the lone winner in that string of races.
The co-featured at Del Mar was the restricted California Dreamin' going a mile on the turf. Kings River Knight is a consistent winner of these kinds of races and boasted a 12-for-19 lifetime record. Had not lost around two turns like this since August of 2023. Probably should have bet more. Right to the front, held a daylight lead to the final 16th and held off the closers gamely to score.
But the biggest story of the Saturday racing was when my 4yo filly, Seismic Beauty was almost certain to go favored in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at Del Mar. Not only was it a Grade 1 worth $400K, but it was a "Win & You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup. Over the last several weeks she'd been working lights out and when MyRacehorse sent a video interview with trainer Bob Baffert he remarked that she'd been working great, and everything was going to plan. He added he thought she'd be really tough in this spot. My only concern once the race was drawn was that she drew the #1 hole. On occasion she's not been a sharp breaker from the gate and that could be problematic in here as I thought she'd take them gate to wire. As they were loading into the gate my Mom, sister and niece were watching with me and I remarked, "I think if she breaks sharply they are all in trouble." Broke on cue and quickly cleared the field. But a 9/1 rival pressed her through strong fractions (:22 and change, :46 and change) and I wondered if she'd have enough left. Turned for home and separated again from the field. Had to hold off a late running closer but was still clear by more than a length. Seismic Beauty earned a 110 Beyer which is THE FASTEST speed figure earned around two turns in 2025. And she's lightly raced, only going to get better! So excited for the Breeders' Cup!
Sunday turned out to be a much better day for picking winners. I played both Monmouth and the Ellis Park card - the second half of the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup Preview program. Started off by fading to second as the prohibitive 3/5 favorite at Monmouth and then was third at 4/1 at Ellis. But got into the winner's circle in Monmouth's 4th when Canuto utilized his drop from MSW to a first time tagged try into a win - narrow though it was. But then I hit a three-race skid finishing out of the money then 2nd and 3rd. But scored in four of the last six races.
The seventh at Ellis was the Ky Downs Preview Turf Cup and it had multiple runners exiting the same stakes at Churchill. One was Highway Robber who led into the lane as the 2/1 favorite before weakening going longer. Two back he was 3rd beaten a length in a Grade 1 with a near identical Beyer. Thought he had a good chance here. Was bottled up near the back into the far turn, finally got some running room, split horses inside the 16th pole and was JUST up in time! Came right back to win a second consecutive stakes at Ellis when Simply In Front parlayed a near identical, come-from behind" trip into a just-up-in-time score in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Mile. Was allowed to go off at a generous 2/1 and change so I cashed for more than $30.
Made it three winning selections in a row when lightly raced 3yo filly Destino d'Oro was a runaway winner in Ellis Park's Grade 3 Pucker Up and American Utility was up in time in the Monmouth finale.
Social Media This Week.....
Certainly the birthday celebration was complete when we all went to Jaxson's for the annual ice cream celebration! And I felt so good that I got birthday messages from more than sixty of my social media pals. At least a dozen, highlighted below, are peeps that I feel particularly close to and enjoy saying they are my good friends :)
Kimmy Westmoreland - former student and my all time CBHS favorite former
Lauren Pastrana - CBS Evening News anchor and now personal friend
Amanda Chambers - former student and all-time favorite former Western High student, my "Disney Girl"
Teri Hornstein - former CBS Weekend morning anchor, and a great social media gal-pal
Tati Sanchez - former student and she has to also be considered an all time favorite
Shelly Hewitt - former colleague at both Piper High & Cypress Bay High.
Sha Hilbon - former personal secretary to the principal at CBHS and long time gal-pal who worked closely with me every year on graduation.
Cookie, Jennifer Cook - former teaching colleague and close friend and future "track assistant!"
Madi McKenna - former top student manager at Oasis High and now gal-pal for several years.
Michelle Cika - former CBHS student, and so proud of her career as a Delta flight attendant.
Mishele Defede - former counselor and "Gator Girl" gal-pal from CBHS
Melissa Bennett-Boorom - former counselor at CBHS and great girl-friend with her husband Ben.
Sandra Pederzella - my "Jenny Girl" for many years and who became such a close gal-pal through our weekly Friday morning meets.
Mindy Marlin-Eichelberger was mom to one of our Oasis players and was a volunteer trainer. We became good friends during our Cape Coral stay.
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