Day 1

Saturday November 30

Opening Day

Thanksgiving Week was a whirlwind........I left home about 8:30 am on Tuesday and drove to Orlando where I went out to lunch with Brad & Lauren.  Then I went to Julie's and we went out to dinner.  From there I headed to Orlando International Airport where I left at 9 pm for Ohio.  When I landed in Columbus it was 11 pm and everything was covered in snow.  I spent Wednesday and Thursday enjoying the cold and snow, and then a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house. 



 

 

I was up and at the Columbus airport for a 7:30 am flight back to Orlando where I spent the morning and early afternoon with Brad & Lauren before we headed to Brighthouse Stadium and tailgating with Lauren's family before the big game with UCF's arch rival, USF.  It was a thrilling game with the winning touchdown being a long pass completed right in front of us with less than five minutes to go!  It was very cold/chilly the entire night, but I loved the capacity crowd and the excitement of the evening, and spending it with a delighted Brad and Lauren! 

Saturday I was up early and on the road by 7:15 am, arriving back in Ft. Lauderdale by 10:30 am.  That gave me about an hour to change and get ready for the trip to Gulfstream and Opening Day.........When I got to the races the first thing that I discovered was that today was "Calendar Giveaway Day!"  I was very excited to get a calendar and then it was time for the races.  I handicapped the races on Monday, so the program odds were not available, making me use the DRF's "Graded Entries."  I've had issues with their line for years now, and right away in the opener it was again silly.  I thought it was obvious that the favorite was Dreaming of Andy A, who was trained by 40% winning trainer Kirk Ziadie.  The barn was a whopping 45% with first time starters like this and he looked much the best of a weak maiden claiming group.  Andy A dueled on the lead, but inside the final furlong he edged clear and I was a perfect 1-for-1 for the meet and the season! 

I joked with my favorite teller that this same thing happened two years ago and I said then I would quite with the perfect mark and come back in April.....she said, that will never happen; and she was right as I bet the 2nd at Aqueduct and watched as Dame Dorthy dueled, then stuck her head in front just before the wire and I was 2-for-2!  When I went outside to watch the second race at Gulfstream the clouds had really moved in and you could feel the rain coming.  I was fourth at 1/2 odds and then ran 6th at Aqueduct with Dave Liftin's "Best" of the day.....I had contemplated upping the investment, simply because it was his "Best," but I wasn't that fond of the horse and I kept it to a minimum.  As the runners were heading to the gate for Gulfstream's third I headed outside and it was POURING down rain.  Didn't matter in this race as it was a maiden claiming sprint, where I had tabbed You Lie as the likely winner.  In his last, You Lie had dueled on the lead through a :45 and change half mile....and this was against Maiden Special company.  Today he was dropping in for a tag, so the very consistent handicapping angle of "early speed-class drop" was in play.  You Lie broke fast from the gate and was quickly in front.  He held them all at bay through the far turn and then really poured it on through the lane to win by eight widening lengths.  I had doubled the investment and I was now two-for-two at Gulfstream!  WHOOO HOOOO! 

I wondered about the turf races because for the next twenty minutes the monitor did NOT show any scratches and the turf was listed as "good."  But I felt pretty certain that they would not run on the inner course as it was soaked, and STILL raining.  In anticipation of this I made my last main track bet at Gulfstream, and all my simulcast wagers for the day.  Then the announcement came that we were off the turf.  So I headed to the car so I could watch some of the college football rivalry games before heading to the Panthers hockey game.  By the time I got home a few of my late races had run and I watched them on the recorded HRTV broadcast.  I ran a disappointing 8th at the Fair Grounds on the turf at 3/1 and then in what was my "best" at Gulfstream, Vinceremos, was only second best for trainer Todd Pletcher.  Again, just for the record.....the DRF made him 20/1 but he went off as the 4/5 heavy favorite.  No words can explain how those odds are made. 

Up next was the first graded stakes of the winter, the Grade 2 Demoiselle for two-year-old fillies going nine furlongs at Aqueduct.  My eye was immediately drawn to Stopchargingmaria, who I'd won with in her on Opening Day at Saratoga.  But since then she'd gone on to win a graded stakes and twice place in graded company.  Her four rivals were all last-out maiden winners, so even though I thought the distance was a bit of a question, she was heads and shoulders the pick on class.  In was close through the final furlong, but she prevailed and I had my first stakes winner as well as my third win on the day. 

 I missed on the Fair Grounds turf when Bell By The Ridge was second best at 3/1.  Next on my sheet was the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.  I thought it was a very evenly matched field and I was hoping, though I truly didn't believe it, that Groupie Doll would win.  She'd been sold at auction and her new connections sent her back to trainer Buff Bradley for one last run.  She was a juicy 6/1 and seemed to be poised to make a run as they left the turn, but ran evenly to the wire - 4th.  I won my final race of the day and my second graded stakes when Honor Code scored in the Grade 2 Remsen.  This nine furlong test for juveniles is frequently seen as a sneak peak to potential Derby contenders.  I thought there was enough speed to set up Honor Codes' big late run - he'd won his debut when over TWENTY lengths behind at the top of the lane and drew off by four!  But when the half mile split was :50 and change, Javier Castellano moved him to press the leader. As they turned for home he took a narrow lead, but then the second choice (at 9/5) came to him, dueled, and took the lead!  But in the final 100 yards Honor Code battled back gamely, and ON THE RAIL, which young horses nearly never do.  It was a thrilling finish and I cashed for nearly $20 again. 

The final two races saw me finish 5th and 4th.  The Grade 3 Miesque for two-year-olds on the turf featured multiple stakes winner Clenor vs. several last-out maidens.  She looked tons the best to me but had all kinds of traffic problems.  Congrats to HRTV analyst Kurt Hoover who tabbed the 11-1 winner.  Then in the finale at the Fair Grounds Gentleman's Kitten was allowed to go off at 6/1.  He was right there to mid-stretch, but couldn't finish.  The Form will read 4th, but he was not far at all off the leader and could have won.

So for the day I was a stellar 5-for-13, a big 38%.  The profit line was in the red, but I was happy to start off the long winter season with a high win percentage.  Tomorrow is a full card at Gulfstream and I have a few choices, and then we are off until next weekend when the highlight will be the Claiming Crown series on Saturday.