Disappointing Weekend
Friday March 22 / Saturday March 23 / Sunday March 24
After two BIG days of winning 42% of my selections the pendulum of winners dramatically swung back the other way. Friday was just THE WORST.....not that my selections were "off" so much, but finding the winner's circle turned out to be impossible.......and what was the most frustrating was that six of the seven were Gulfstream Handicapper 40% Club selections, even more discouraging FIVE of the six were Todd Pletcher-trained. What are the odds that a near 40% trainer would miss on five runners on the same day? Really, REALLY frustrating. I tried to accept the outcome of the day by consoling myself that I was not the only one or even in the minority in picking the horses (two lost at 4/5, four lost at 3/1, and the other at 4/1), and by the fact that I'd won 12-of-28 over the past two days.....so over the three day span I was still 12-for-35, which is over 33%.
Saturday, with our daughter Julie visiting she and Kim went to the beach for several hours, so I went to the races for a few races. Because the meet is winding down I cashed in my points for my Gulfstream Advantage Card and got enough money to buy myself a new Gulfstream polo shirt.
I was going to see three races live before making bets for the rest of the day, and one of the races was my "best" of the day. My first pick was in the second race where I really thought the #4 horse was the most likely winner, but there was a Todd Pletcher runner who'd be a price and the trainer of the #4, who was certain to be the favorite was 0-for-20 on the meet. I was delighted that Pletcher's horse was 8/1 at post time. I considered an exacta saver but knew that nearly never works for me. Of course.....the 0-for trainer came through at 4/5 and Pletcher's horse, my pick was second --> the exacta paid a huge $45. I was thinking of how just a $5 exacta would have netted over $100, but no, not for me. Sigh..... in the next race I was a late running second, again. And then came my "BEST" of the day. Carried Interest had been the heavy favorite in her last when coming off a layoff and broken behind the field. That day she dueled on the lead and was caught late. Today the connections switched to the meet's leading rider Javier Castellano and she had a sharp workout. Dueled with a longshot to the top of the stretch, but instead of drawing clear it was a stretch duel and she gave way in the final strides at 1-9 odds. Wow, how bad is it when I can't win with a 1-9 favorite? Still, I was encouraged about my selections for the remainder of the day. I had two picks at Santa Anita and one at Aqueduct. The New York horse was one of my old favorites, Writingonthewall, and he delivered at 4/5. Both California horses lost......In my first Gulfstream pick after I'd left Street Secret rallied from the back of the pack in an exciting turf race to score at better than 5/2 with a triple bet ..... got back nearly $60 and I thought I was on my way. But the best I could do out of four race was two thirds, both at short odds.
Finally on Sunday I still thought I had good selections and my "BEST" of the day was the return of Lady of Shamrock on the Santa Anita turf in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes. Most of my picks at Gulfstream I had top rider Javier Castellano, so I was certain I would have multiple winners on the day! In the first two races I had the 9/5 and 3/5 favorites - no, second in both. Sigh...... The third race I had a price play at 10/1 in the program. Joanie's Image went off at a much lower price at 7/2 and WON! HORRAY! I got back nearly $15 and I thought, again, here we go! The next was my best of the day at Gulfstream. Brandys Secret was the lone speed on the turf and had Javier Castellano to ration her speed. Right to the front and the opening quarter for the 8 1/2 furlongs was a bit quick at :22.4. I knew Castellano would slow her down, she wasn't really pressured....but the half was in a sizzling :45 and change. Now she HAD to be given a break - nope, he continued to let her run and she stopped the teletimer in an absurd 1:08 and change - even Grade 1 stakes horses who were front runners would cave under those fractions. Sure enough, weakened in the final 16th and was third. Really? Castellano had failed to time the late runs in both the opening races and now couldn't win on the front end. I am NOT having a good day. In the next race I was second with a Todd Pletcher horse at 2/1. Then in the 9th it was a maiden race for sophomore fillies and I had a $775K Bill Mott horse. Profitezia was sent off at a nice 4/1 and was loose on the lead going 8 1/2 furlongs. The pressers came to her on the turf but opened up and was four clear heading for home and the alternate finish line through the short stretch run. But a sixteenth out you could see that she simply stopped running. Inhaled by a closer and I was second again. WOW. I won the finale when Wicked Tune was simply the fastest front runner in a turf sprint and ran away from the field. Like the last race she started getting tired, but - thankfully - had enough to hold on. Got back nearly $15. And in the biggest disappointment of the weekend Lady of Shamrock closed belatedly to be SECOND, again. She didn't have that devastating turn of foot today like I'd come to expect. For the day I ended up a 2-for-8. And after such a great start to the week I finished with 16 wins from 53 selections - still 30% right on the nose, but such a disappointing way to end the week :(
BUT....it is now finally Florida Derby Week! And we are on our way to see our grandson Cameron in Houston on Monday!
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