Gulfstream 2012-13 Comes To A Close
Thursday/Friday April 4-5
A Fitting Winner In Last Bet Of The Meet
Gulfstream closed for the season - although controversy reigns as to when they will open again, with a scheduled head-to-head battle with Calder looming in July. It wasn't the best of handicapping streaks, but I did close the meet with multiple wins under stormy skies on Friday. After the big day on Wednesday I had but a single winner on Thursday. That came when Midnite Silver scored in the final race on my selection sheet.
Disappointing after such a "highlight reel" day on Wednesday, but I figured that Friday I'd bounce back with a solid day. The weather called for storms, but it was simply overcast when I arrived for the first post on Closing Day. I thought it was curious that the turf races were scheduled to go as planned for the first half of the day, but had been taken off for the latter stages. How prophetic the racing secretary's office was because around 3:30 pm the skies opened up and it poured! In what has proved to be a pretty consistent theme, in the opener my top selection was second best as the favorite while my second choice won at a price. Some things never change :) I got on the board for the first time in the opener at Keeneland - today was their Opening Day. Awesome Flower was being sent out first off the claim for Michael Maker, for Ken & Sarah Ramsey with Joel Rosario on board - how familiar is this tune! But when they hit the far turn she was nowhere to be found. Never fear though, the Keeneland stretch is at least 62 miles long and it is the graveyard for front-runners typically. Flying through the lane she was clear with 100 yards to go and drew off easily.
But what was a bit disturbing came after the race...... I had doubled the bet and she had gone off at 3/5, so I was curious if I was going to get $3.20 or $3.40. But when the prices were posted for a $2 payoff here's what I saw...... OH MY!
That has to be wrong, how can you lose money on a $2 bet! When I asked "my girl" at the windows she was surprised and then mentioned maybe they were posting $1 prices. I thought it had to be a mistake but after the second race they were still being posted as $1 payoffs. I kept thinking this has to be causing great consternation with bettors who are creatures of habit, I mean since racing began posting prices in the early 1900s it has ALWAYS been based on a $2 bet! Finally starting in the 3rd things returned to normal. RIght after the Keeneland score I hit my first winner of the day on track. Ron Nicoletti had tabbed the favorite as his "BEST" of the day, but I liked Tiz Beter Run who had top rider Javier Castellano and was going out for top claiming trainer Peter Walder. Though the horse figured, those two as his human connections towered above all the others. Romped home on the sloppy going - WHOOO HOOOO!
Disappointed in three straight, two of which were added-money investments. Todd Pletcher's Doherty was the odds-on choice in the third and again started slowly, spotting the field about five lengths which cost him when he lost by about one length. Led into the stretch at Keeneland before the closers ran right by me, third. Then I tripled the bet on Iroquois Girl in Gulfstream's 4th. She had started twice and run second to two next-out winners earning big speed figures which laid over the field. When the betting opened my third choice was being hammered to 8/5 while Iroquois Girl was 4/1. I was stunned. Re-examined the Form and thought, no - I'm right. At post time I was the 7/5 favorite and led turning for home. Who ran right by me at 4/1 - that's right, my third choice who had taken all the early money. Wow. But I bounced back with back-to-back scores. In Keeneland's 4th it was the first 2-year-old race of the year. Just as Todd Pletcher 3-year-olds dominate at Gulfstream, and his juveniles run lights out at Saratoga....in the early spring no matter where they surface, but particularly at Keeneland, Wesley Ward 2-year-olds ALWAYS win. So it was no surprise to see Sweet Emma Rose score at odds-on - and I'd doubled the bet! :)
I came right back to score over the yielding Gulfstream turf in a marathon event. Scampering looked to be either the controlling speed, or would sit just off a soft pace scenario and had Castellano riding. Through the first of three turns she was dueling on the lead, and then Castellano let the longshot go, who opened up by half a dozen. But down the backside he easily reeled her in, drew clear in the lane, and comfortably held off the late run of the co-favorite.
I missed on the last couple that I'd bet online to close the meet quietly. But for the month I'd cashed on over 30% of my selections, and when I totaled my meet totals I'd cashed on over 30%. So I have to consider Gulfstream a handicapping success. Check out my highlight videos on the Gulfstream home page to see just how great it was to be here this winter!
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