Saturday January 19
SUNSHINE MILLIONS DAY
Disappointing on track - Well done in simulcast world
As the headline suggests, it was a very disappointing day on track, offset somewhat by a good day of racing selections around the country.....the numbers for the day:
Simulcast Selections: 19/6-3-2
Gulfstream Selections: 10/1-3-2
So it wasn't like I was WAY off on my selections, just wasn't able to score with them. Let's get the "bad news" out of the way first and finish on the positive spin......I missed in the opener when a Todd Pletcher returnee, Palace Malice was second best to a sharp returning runner; another Pletcher runner, Unitarian was third in a MSW event, usually a staple of his winning runners; in the first of the Sunshine Millions stakes, Emma's Encore (a Grade 1 winner) looked to have a pace advantage as the lone finisher in a field full of speed. Maybe it was the off-track, or the wide trip, but she ran down everyone, except the winner who pressed the pace and drew off through the stretch.....second again. In the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Romacaca was sent off as the favorite and controlled the pace from the gate into the lane before being caught late - 3rd. My upset pick in the Distaff ran to her 12/1 odds, finishing last. Little Drama surged late in the Sunshine Millions Sprint, third. My best of the day was the Sunshine Millions Turf with Doubles Partner. Todd Pletcher was asked on camera about the less-than-firm turf and he commented he wasn't worried about the surface, but was worried about the lack of pace. How prophetic as my second choice, Teaks North went right to the front, loose on an easy lead and was easily best as Doubles Partner was well clear of everyone, but the winner ---> 2nd again. The ultimate letdown came in the Classic. I never, ever bet a Kathy Ritvo trained horse, her numbers are terrible. And I look forward to betting against her runners. BUT, top thoroughbred Mucho Macho Man overcomes her conditioning when he runs here. And with Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith flying across the country to ride the runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Classic I thought he was much the best. They hit the far turn with the 2/5 favorite pressing the pace and he stopped. Literally, stopped. He walked across the finish line "eased" officially. Later Ritvo's comment was "he is fine, but must have not cared for the off track." Interesting as she was asked this before the race and said on camera that he "loved the mud" and had "worked very well" in the mud. Typical, she is just clueless. The Gulfstream day finished when another Pletcher maiden faded to 12th. The only positive Gulfstream event was an interesting story. In the 2nd, the race was scheduled for 1 7/16 on the turf, and for some reason they changed it to a mile and a half - what does cutting the race back a 16th of a mile do? What ever. I looked at the board and the entry was odds-on. My horse appeared to be scratched, the 3, but I had seen his name scroll across the bottom. Oh....he's part of the entry! And the other half of the entry was my second choice! And the scratched horse was my third choice! So, I doubled the bet, since my 2nd choice was coupled with Amira's Prince; and then tripled the bet as the only other horse I liked was scratched. The "Prince" ran away with it, and I congratulated myself for being so smart to triple the bet! It was early in the day and I still had high hopes for a big day :)
In the simulcast world..... I scored twice at Tampa in back-to-back races. In the fifth I liked Fleur de Lily on the turf. She moved wide through the final turn and surged late to be up in time......then in the very next race Learn the Lingo was MUCH the best, giving me my second score at the Oldsmar oval, both with double investments.
Out west at Santa Anita my BEST of the day was in the opener, in a maiden claimer. Yet again proving that they pay on the winner no matter if it's a Grade 1 feature or a maiden claimer. Prettypriceygirl not only looked best on paper, but her connections scored at a 57% rate when moving turf to dirt and top jockey Garret Gomez was a high percentage jockey for the barn. Still, as they turned for home she had a lot, A LOT of work to do. In the final 16th she found another gear and was J-U-S-T up in time! WHEW!!!!
And I scored again when Jubliant Girl confirmed her affinity for the downhill turf sprint course - I LOVE to handicap those races - when she scored at a generous 2/1.
Immediately following the Jubliant Girl win I scored in back-to-back Fair Grounds selections. Much like at Gulfstream where it was Sunshine Millions Day, in New Orleans it was the Kickoff to the Derby Day - ironically the day I was on track last January. The highlight that day was getting to spend time with my favorite announcer John G. Dooley and with hottie Katie Mikolay, racing analyst......
My "BEST" of the day was in the 11th, an allowance-optional claiming spot. Triumph and Song had broken dead last in his previous race, his first off a layoff. He rallied to come within 2 1/2 lengths of the winner and figured to improve second off the shelf, but what appealed to me most was this....the winner was the highly talented Bind, and the runner-up was Ynaguska Storm who came right back to air with a 101 speed figure. Triumph and Song was easily best.....whooo hoooo!
And in race twelve I doubled the bet on EZ Jazz - who exited the same Bind race, and three of his last races would beat this field like a drum.......wire-to-wire to end the day with three straight wins and salvage some semblence of handicapping ability.
The big day concluded when Kim and I went to the arena for the season opener of our Florida Panthers. They raised the banner for their Southeast Division championship and then cruised to a 5-1 victory!
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