Day 55

February 23 - An AMAZING End To The Day!

Even as I was handicapping for today I had nagging misgivings that I was over-betting. But I looked back at each pick and thought I was on solid ground. Even when I printed off the Gulfstream online handicapping selections I was even more confident that I was on solid ground. But with each passing race my worst fears were coming to pass. Off the board 6th with my first bet when I doubled the investment on Red Brunette.  The next selection was in the first running of The Ten Palms Stakes, a $100K event going a mile on the turf.  My pick, Byrama showed SIX starts in rade 1 races in her last eight starts, including a WIN.  Today was her first start off a long layoff for new trainer Bill Mott.  She pressed the pace, had no where to run into the stretch, then snuck through on the rail; had a clear lead with the in deep stretch only to be caught on the wire (inside in yellow silks) - 2nd.

Off slowly and dead last in the 5th race; Tripled the bet on a Pletcher horse - Super Sky.  She was coming off a two month break last out and stalked an honest pace.  Second starters at the meet for Pletcher win at a 49% clip.  Not today, late running at a big 3/1, but not good enough - second again! In the seventh it was Gulfstream handicapper Ron Nicoletti's "Best" of the day, and my top pick - Easton Arch.  I thought it was a two horse race, easily.  I wrote it would go to who ever had the best trip and last out Easton had broken from a wide post and was wide itno the lane in his US debut. Rallied belatedly at 7/2 to be 3rd, behind the "other horse" I said was obvious at 7/2.  Sigh..... First of two co-best bets was next in th 8th.  Love y Empire was first off the claim for Michael Maker, for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, with Javier Castellano riding.  Duh!  She sat second at even money.....right on the hip of the longshot leader into the lane, asked to run....stopped and faded to 6th. Six losses in a row and a nice chunk of change down the drain.

As we headed into the finale I had my last co-BEST of the day in Get In Line, a Maker-Ramsey runner. He'd been claimed last spring for $50K and then set the pace in back-to-back graded stakes. Here he raced for a $30K tag off the bench before fading. Second off the shelf today he was dropping into a nw3-lifetime claimer. He was perched on the far outside in post 11. Meanwhile the Rainbow 6 has been building and today was worth over $2 million. The only way to win the whole pot is to be the ONLY ticket-holder of the six winners. As they went to the gate for the finale there were four such tickets, one on #3 Mr. Baker. Speed had been carrying all day and Castellano quickly established himself as the pace setter into the first turn, down the backstretch and gained some separation into the lane - see the top left photo. Then Mr. Baker came flying from out of the back.....collared Get In Line and put his head in front (2nd & 3rd photos above).....the guy with the Rainbow Six ticket had to be beside himself, but then Get In Line re-rallied and surged to the front on the wire!

The best part, he'd gone off as a very tepid 7/2 favorite and paid a juicy $9.80. My $20 "prime-time" investment netted me $98. So for the day, I'd won only one-of-seven.....but had bet a total of $80, and won $98! Over six hours of losing cured in one fifty yards of turf when Get In Line surged to the wire! WHOOOO HOOOOO!  Check out the exciting race on this video: