Day 13

Opening Day At Santa Anita

The good news is that I won for the day....the bad news is that I had all but one selection at Gulfstream washed away by the showers on Wednesday evening and this morning.  Included in those wash-outs was a BIG-TIME investment on Ken & Sarah Ramsey's Major Marvel who had looked TONS the best on the turf.  The lone selection that ran was on the main track where I liked Early Glory.  She had run exclusively at Woodbine and it's always a big question how the Canadian shippers will handle the real dirt here, but she had a big bullet work in :59.4 so it appeared she'd taken to the track.  The crowd agreed with my analysis and she left the post as the 6/5 post-time favorite.  Never really threatened and crossed the finish line a well beaten last of seven runners.  One other item worth mentioning is that on Wednesday I had the chance to hook up with one of my very favorite former students, Jen Schneider.  I'd been her WISE mentor and had stopped in Denver to see here at the University of California when he was struggling as a freshman (on my way to visit Jeff in California).  We've always had a connection.....it was great to spend the afternoon with her.  On to California! 

It was ironic that when I handicapped the card I originally had selections in the first four races.  But after picking four straight favorites I reconsidered, thinking I wanted to be more selective and besides, what were the odds that all four would win?  Knowing my luck with the short priced favorites I'd probably win two of four, a big 50% and be down money!  So I scratched the first two.  You can guess.....they both won!  And what would normally be the case the next two would have lost, but not today Webby!  In my first pick of the new Santa Anita meet, I liked Buckingham Bill on he turf.  He had a woeful turf career box of 10/1-3-2, but the competition he faced today were simply a bunch of horses that just did NOT want to win.  As heads turned for home he was in position to win, but didn't have the acceleration to pass the front runners.  I kept thinking, you know you want to let him win to those front runners, and sure enough in the final 16th it was like they saw him and said, "...sure, YOU go ahead, we don't want to win!"  WHOOO HOOO, I cashed for over $20 and I'm ahead for the day just like that! 

My next pick came in the fourth where Five Palms.  He had won as a debut runner for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, no surprise, but had broken behind the field in his first try against winners.  In addition he was carried wide into the lane and still was flying late to miss by a mere length.  He earned a big 96 number for the effort and had fired a sizzling bullet work in :59 and change for today.  But as they turned for home he had a lot of work to do.......yet, like he had in his last he showed a big late kick and went flying by to score by daylight!  TWO-for-TWO at the "Great Race Place!" 

I was now guaranteed a winning day.  And it was a good thing because my top choices in the three graded stakes later in the card all failed to produce.  Upset pick Madame Cactus (7/2 at post time) was never in it, 6th in the Grade 1 La Brea despite a perfect 2-for-2 record at the distance;  No Jet Leg was third as the 7/5 favorite in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort - puzzling as he'd beaten older company, including multiple graded stakes winner Obviously at Del Mar, but couldn't beat strictly sophomores today; and finally I liked Chad Brown's Baaken in the Grade 1 Malibu.  Brown doesn't ship runners across the country just "to see" how they'll run, so I felt certain he'd run a big race.  He was well played at 5/2, but when asked for run at the top of the lane he finished evenly, 5th.

Still, I'll take the two-for-six (33%) day and a flat bet profit!