Day 15

A B-I-G Saturday!

With the family in town and movie plans I knew today would be one of the rare Saturdays I would NOT be on track.  So I handicapped the Gulfstream and Santa Anita cards.  I ended up with twelve selections that ran, so I made my early bets and then we headed off to see the Disney movie "Frozen." 

It was excellent, and a good family adventure.  Once we got home I went online and began watching the races.........the second race at Gulfstream came off the turf, so I lost my pick; my original second choice (after the top one scratched) stayed in the race and walked with it.  In the third I had Go To Work.  I wrote how interesting it would be to watch because my top pick was going out for trainer Kirk Ziadie.  He'd been winning all summer at over 40%, but 99.9% of those were owned by Frank Calabrese and Go To Work was not.  He went off as the 1/2 favorite.  He led into the stretch, but offered little resistance as the 4/1 second choice ran right by him.....second.  I doubled the bet on Sea of Faces, another Todd Pletcher runner coming off a short layoff - a 45% winning angle according to the Gulfstream Handicapper.  He was dropping from Maiden Specials into a Maiden Claimer, and Pletcher's class droppers win at a big 47%.  He sat just off the pace until the spun out of the turn and then ran away with it!  My first winner on the day. 

 

 

I came back with Ken & Sarah Ramsey's Reach For A Kitten over the turf, but unlike most of their runners, this one was trained by Todd Pletcher.  He stalked the pace at a nice 5/2 into the far turn and took over willingly, looking like a decisive winner.  But then a 9/1 longshot under Joe Bravo ran him down and I had my second runner-up of the day.  The 7th had presented a dilemma when I made my bets.  My pick was Special Jak who had multiple Gulfstream Handicapper 40% Club angles for trainer Peter Walder.  I had picked him in spite of him being on the turf today.  Most of his races were over the main track, but he appeared to be well spotted for the grass.  The weather forced it off the grass, so I debated about sticking with him or not.  In the end his dirt form and the fact I'd written, "....all the Walder angles would apply on either surface......."  He was mid-pack to the far turn, then began gobbling up ground.  He caught the leaders and then drew off with authority scoring by five widening lengths under a hand ride!  And better yet, he left the gate at 3/1.  The $8.20 payoff netted me over $40 and assured a winning day in Hallandale! 

Minutes later they were off in the second at Santa Anita.  I know that bets like the one I made on San Onofre are not good "bets" because he was nearly certain to be odds-on.  But anything close to his blow-out 98 Beyer figure in his maiden win would make him an easy winner; on top of that the rivals looked really average at best.  Right to the front, never looked back, and easily best.  The triple investment led to a profit of nearly ten dollars - that's easy money my friend! 

The El Prado Stakes at Gulfstream was next.  When I handicapped the race I saw any one of five as likely winners.  Two of those scratched and it appeared a jockey's race to me, so I went with Todd Pletcher's Salto, ridden by top rider Javie Castellano.  A 5/1 outsider went to the front and Castellano sat chilly on the 8/5 favorite. The fractions were not fast and I was a bit worried that the front runner would have too much left in the stretch.  Castellano said go and he was getting to him with every stride, but fell a desperate head short on the wire, second again!  I was third in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector when favorite Star Harbor set the pace, but gave it up without a fight to be third.  And finally I ended the day with a fifth on the turf with a Christophe Clement filly at 4/1.  For the day at Gulfstream I was 2-for-7, but profited. 

Next up was the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita.  This one-mile turf event for two-year olds and I settled on Enterprising.  He had improved vastly in his latest which drew my attention.  And the fact he was tabbed as DRF's Brad Free as his "best" of the day led me to TRIPLE the bet.  He was rated perfectly by Gary Stevens and accelerated through the lane to win!  He scored $5.60 and I cashed for over $40, guaranteeing a winning day out west! 

But I wasn't done yet!  After third at 7/5 (when I looked like an easy winner) and 6th with a 5/1 longshot I had what looked like another easy winner, on paper.  Seeking the Sherif had dominated his maiden win while setting a very fast pace.  Three issues to consider:  first, today was his first time against winners; second, that win had come over a sloppy track - did that aid his win and the big figure?  And third, it was last March!  But, much like San Onofre in the first bet, if he ran anything close to that race he was EASILY the winner.  And that is just what happened, right to the front, quickly clear and L-O-N-G gone!  WHOOO HOOOO! 

For the day I finished an excellent 5-for-12, over 40% and a profit of $30!  Excellent!