Day 52

33% on the Day!

So at the end of the day I had a good winning percentage while losing just a touch.  But in spite of the racing results, the highlight of the day was the fact that I FINALLY was able to get all the Florida Derby tickets for our group.  I already had my original ten tickets, so today I picked up an additional 18!  It will be a very exciting day on Saturday March 29!  The  racing day started when I had On Parole at 7/2 in the opener.  He was turning back from a turf route to a 7 furlongs dirt sprint.  He sat a good trip and appeared to blow the race open when he cleared off the three lengths in the stretch, but was just caught nearing the wire.  So close!  In the second I liked Todd Pletcher's Simon Bar Sinister who was debuting.  He was bet down to 2/1 and I thought that was an inflated price.  But when the gate opened he didn't seem interested in running....trailed throughout and was a dead-last finisher.  I didn't have another play until the 7th when I had settled on Cambiata, listed at 6/1 in the program for this claiming event going a mile on the turf.  She was a good third in the Juvenile Filly Turf on Sunshine Millions Preview Day in late November, so you know she had the class.  She dueled up front into the stretch, look the lead and then was outfinished to end up third.  Finally got into the winner's circle in the 8th.  It was a nw3x optional allowance event carrying a claiming tag of $100K.  The handicapping just seemed way too obvious - of the five slated to run, four of them wanted the front.  Only Happy My Way had shown a consistent running style of stalk and finish.  In his last two starts he'd earned figures of 101 and 100, which were BOTH better than any lifetime figure owned by any of the other four.  So I tripled the investment.  The gates popped open and instead of a four-way duel on the front end, it was HAPPY MY WAY who was loose on the lead!  Oh no!  I thought.  But jockey Joe Bravo knew what he was doing as he went wire-to-wire as MUCH the best! 

She only paid $3.20, but I cashed for nearly $25.  In the 9th I liked One Fast Frog who was sprinting over the turf for trainer Michael Maker and jockey Javier Castellano.  She was well bet to be 2/1, but from the get-go, much like Simon Bar Sinister earlier, she trailed throughout and was a disappointing second.  In the finale It was another claiming event on the turf going 8 1/2 furlongs.  I landed on Vanquisher who not only was getting a big jockey improvement to leading rider Javier Castellano, but he was an ELEVEN-time turf winner at the distance (including four here at Gulfstream).  Took up a good stalking position and as they swung out of the turn he took over and was driving to the wire to score! 

He paid a very nice $8.40, which enabled me to close the day by collecting over $20.