Day 7

Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Day

Disappointment Overall - SOOO Many Seconds

I was really looking forward to today's races.  Not only because it was the first graded stakes of the winter racing season, but because I was going to be joined on track by two former students who seemed genuinely excited to go to the races with me, and my father-in-law Ed who always seems to enjoy a day of racing with me. 

Amit - Tori - Ed - Yours Truly

 

Shortly after the day's action began we had our first selection, the opener in New York where it was snowing to beat the band!  Amit had a thousand questions about how racing works, how handicapping works and I enjoyed explaining the basics of this great game to him.  Dance I Can was our horse and he was the 3/5 favorite.  He stalked the leader, and forged to the front as they turned for home.  But then inside the final 16th a closer ran us down and we were second.  We watched the opener at Gulfstream, but I had passed the race.  The DRF's Mike Welsch had made the favorite in the race his "best" of the day and Ed had played him to win!  My top pick in the second at Gulfstream scratched, but I had a horse in the second at Calder.  Amit and I went inside and watched as Back In A Minute loaded into the gate as the 3/5 favorite.  It was THEN that I noted the race was off the turf!  Go figure, but hey, it's Calder.....80+ and sunny and we are on the turf at Gulfstream, but not at Calder.  I told Amit I might have reconsidered had I noted the change in surface.  But it didn't matter, Back In Time was MUCH the best!  Very exciting for Amit to have bet his first winner! 

We went outside to watch the second at Gulfstream and Ed had bet on my second choice (since my top pick was out) and despite the outside post Lochte won!  I was fourth at Aqueduct and third at Calder (t even money).  In my first bet at Gulfstream I picked Take My Time who went off at a very generous 9/2 to win.  My second choice was the favorite and we dueled to the quarterpole before I gave way....but held well for second.  Good bet, no money.  I missed in the fourth at Gulfstream when Real Estate Rich was never in it for Todd Pletcher.  Missed in the fifth at Gulfstream when Value Trap went off at a big 11/1, and went right to the front like I expected.  But he'd broken a step slowly, so he had to rush to make the lead and any hope of wiring the field by controlling the pace was lost - last of nine.  At the Fair Grounds All Woman looked much the best I the Louisiana Champions Lassie Stakes.  She tracked the leader, but was outfinished - second, AGAIN.  I was a little disappointed that Amit and Tori left at this point, but I was glad they had wanted to come out.

I was back in the winner's circle in the 6th at Calder.  I tripled the bet on Lookout Light.  Being sent out by trainer Kirk Ziadie who sported a phenomenal 41% win rate FOR THE YEAR, and an even better 51% mark at Calder!  Top rider Edgar Zayas was inning 53% for the ownership Team Calabrese.  Right to the front, had to endure some pressure, but had no real problems holding on to the wire! 

I nearly had a nice upset at Hawthorne, in the Illinois snow when first off the claim Copus was just a head back of the favorite after a furious stretch rally, to be SECOND again!  But I got my first (and as it turned out, my ONLY) win on Louisiana Champions Day in the Turf at the Fair Grounds when Hud's Rebellion blew by the field in the stretch to score as a double investment play :) 

The 7th at Gulfstream was an opportunity to make a fine score.  Palace Gate had hit the gate and thus broken slowly in his turf debut for Todd Pletcher.  But he came flying late to be fourth only missing by two lengths.  Today he was moved to the main track, a near 40% win move, and he was moving FROM maiden claimers to maiden special.  Normally that's a negative, but it is a 47% win angle for Pletcher.  I tripled the bet.  Sure enough, he was flying late.....but he'd broken behind the field and had WAY too much ground to make up, 3rd at a big 9/2.  That win would have been worth over $70, sigh......I was off the board in both the Queen County Stakes at Aqueduct an the Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap at Calder.  And I topped off the trifecta of missed stakes selections when odds-on favorite Sittin At The Bar was a dismal 5th as the heavy favorite at the Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Champions Ladies' Sprint.  The 8th at Gulfstream we were on the turf.  I liked Rope A Dope, and so that's who Ed went with.  Note my betting advice......"PASS."  Not only did he win, but he paid $19.80.  Sigh..... To add to my "misery" I had doubled the bet on the first of three graded stakes at Hollywood Park.  Temeraine was the 7/5 second choice and she forged to the lead at the top of the lane, but was caught nearing the wire to be SECOND.
 And then the race that at the end of the day summarized the day for me personally - the feature at Gulfstream Park, the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl.  There were six fillies and mares slated to start and four of them all did their best running in front.  It looked like an easy handicapping decision, who was the best finisher?  But the closer I looked at it, I thought that R Free Roll was the quickest of the quick, especially in breaking from the gate and through the opening quarter.  What if she broke right on top and cleared the field?  Suddenly a contested pace picture would become a "Lone Speed" pace picture.  And so that's how I bet the race.  Sure enough, when the gates sprung open R Free Roll cleared the field, and EASILY, in the first three jumps.  She was loose on the lead as they moved into the turn.  At this critical point where she needed to save energy for the stretch drive she was challenged by a longshot and she had to start to run with earnest.  She dismissed this rival and led into the final 16th..

I saw the closer coming, but she was inside the final 100 yards and I really thought that while it would be close, she had the finish line......oh so close, 2ND AGAIN. So typical of the day - can't win on the lead, coming from off the pace, with the chalk, with the price play.  Disappointing.  I was well beaten with the 7/5 favorite at the Fair Grounds and with the 6/5 favorite at Hollywood before FINALLY getting my lone win of the day on track. 

The 10th at Gulfstream was a claiming event on the turf.  I liked Target Sighted.  The conditions for the race read for runners who had run for a $16K tag without having won three races, OR not having won a race since June 13.  Well, Target Sighted only showed ONE race for a tag and that was a WIN for $25K; in fact she had finished in the money twice in stakes races!  AND she had four wins!  But, here's the key, her last win had come in May, so she met the restrictions.  She sat mid pack, saving ground on the rail through the turn and looked to have plenty of energy if she could get through.  Sure enough, a seam opened on the rail and she EXPLODED through to win by double digits under a hand ride.  The best part was she paid $6.00.  For the day, Ed cashed on four tickets, and had a winning day.  Me, I'd cashed on one ticket at Gulfstream.  As we walked out through the second floor simulcast area I saw the first of my "late races" flash by the wire, I had WON had Hawthorne in their feature, the Illinois Futurity.  I later watched the replay and Ramblin Richie had no problem dominating his rivals.  Paid a mere $5.00, but I cashed for $25, and I was happy just to have my pick finish in front! 

In the 9th at the Fair Grounds, the Louisiana Champions Juvenile Conteau Ridge was the even money favorite.  I liked the fact he would be tracking the pace because front runners never hold on in New Orleans.  He pressed the second choice who was on the lead and as they turned for home the rider asked, but the front runner just kept going, second, again.  I was off the board at 7/2 in the La Champions Classic before winning my first race at Hollywood Park.  Street Status had the best last race Beyer despite coming off a nine month layoff. Today he dropped from maiden specials into maiden claimers.  As expected he romped home as the 4/5 favorite. 

I was off the board in two of my last three, all of which were stakes.  And in the Grade 3 Native Diver I had finisher Hear the Ghost.  The leader was under pressure throughout setting it up for me, but when I came to him at the furlong marker he would not stop......second yet again.  For the day I'd cashed on six winners from 27 selections, a low 22% :(  Not what I was hoping for today.