Day 71

A  G-R-E-A-T  Start To The Week!

What a wonderful way to start off the next-to-last week of the Championship meeting.  For the Wednesday card I had selected seven runners from the ten race card.  As a side note, it's interesting to me that every winter when I handicap Gulfstream I always seem to have multiple picks on a daily basis while the rest of the year I don't have nearly as many on any card at any other track.....not sure if it's because I WANT to play Gulfstream or if I truly have runners with an edge.  All I know is that I enjoy the racing at Gulfstream very much!  So the day started off with a Maiden Claimer in the third.  My pick was Sneaky Blowout.  He was a solid second in his debut at the tough Saratoga meeting for a $50K price tag.  He was claimed away by Michael Maker who had run him in Maiden Specials since.  His last was a failed turf experiment, so today's surface switch and a turn back to seven furlongs seemed to be the right move.  Add in that Maker has been a Gulfstream 40% Club member with an amazing 50% win rate with class droppers over the last two winters.  He was the 1/2 favorite and he dueled through the lane to JUST get up. 

Unfortunately I only had the minimum investment so my payout was a meager $7.50.  Right back in the fourth with a turf claiming event I made Kanagaro my top choice.  Three years ago in an allowance race that wrapped up the Florida Derby card I had put him on top.  He was narrowly beaten that day by a promising colt named Za Approval who has gone on to be a multiple stakes winner.  Last summer Kanagaro had won back-to-back events at this one mile distance, but over the synthetic track at Presque Isles.  So I knew he liked the distance and I felt he was a turf runner - based on my previous handicapping.  He had back to back bullet works so I thought he was ready to fire.  He was listed at a generous 3/1 in the program and the crowd let him go off at that same price.  He made his move on the far turn and then blew the race wide open by romping home by daylight!  WHOOO HOOO! 

The $8.40 payoff netted me over $20 in spite of the minimum investment.  I was going for the "trifecta" by putting Ooohs and Aaahs on top in the fifth.  This was a 2-lifetime sprint going seven furlongs on the main track and I thought this was one of "those races" where my pick was either MUCH the best or had gone so far off form he'd finish off the board.  He had scored in just his second career start and was a solid third against allowance company in his next.  But then he was vanned off in a failed stakes try.  He was sent off at 5/1 in allowance company but was well beaten over a sloppy surface.  So the question for me was the drop into a $20K 2L event a fire sale or a reasonable drop to get a confidence boosting win?  I went with the latter and doubled the event.  He was listed at 5/1 in the program and the crowd must have had many of the same concerns as I did as he left the gate at 3/1.  He stalked the pace to he turn, moved up the rail and then drew off under wraps by six or more widening lengths!  AWESOME!   My THIRD WIN IN A ROW! 

He too paid a generous $8.40 which meant I cashed for over $40!  Guaranteed to profit for the day now!  In the 7th I led from the moment the gates sprung open in a mile and a half maiden special event.  But she was run down late to be third.  In the eighth Molly Morgan was my "surprise package" of the day.  She was 12/1 in the program, but left the gate at 6/1.  I thought the race was ripe for an upsetter and she stalked the pace like I thought then made her move entering the stretch.....not good enough to get to the front, third.  But in the ninth I was in the winner's circle again.  Drunken Love had won three of his last five turf starts and was a NINE time winner at the distance.  He had enough speed to get to the front from post nine but I thought he could also stalk.  I knew he'd be the favorite, but I also was aware that he had no room for error.  No worries!  Broke sharply out of the gate, right to the front and took the field to the top of the lane in :21.4 - :43.3 with a couple of close-up pressers.  But then he spurted clear to win comfortably! 

The $5.20 payoff led to nearly $30 to me.  The final race of the card, and on my selection sheet was an optional claiming event going a flat mile on the turf.  Angel's South was the most likely winner of the day I thought.  She was dropping out of back-to-back stakes tries including a hear-breaking third in a three-way photo to behind multiple stakes winning Byrama in the Ten Palms last out.  She dueled to mid-stretch on the lead, then cleared from the field, an apparent winner......only to be caught on the wire.  Soooo close.  But for the day I'd hit with four of seven and made over $35 for the day!  WHOOOO HOOOO.