January 13 - We're At The Fair Grounds!
What a sensational day of racing! Both Jim and I had very profitable days; both of us had multiple wins on track; and overall we just thoroughly enjoyed out day at the Fair Grounds. As a matter of fact, the entire extended weekend was outstanding!
New Orleans Extended Weekend Highlights
Click HERE to see the photos and read the journal on the weekend in New Orleans
But we're here talking about Saturday and the racing! Let's take a look at how it all played out! We were up and had breakfast courtesy of the Marriott Residence Inn, then took a Lyft to the Fair Grounds a little after 11 am. The first thing we did was check out the facility and went out front where we found two girls that worked for the Fair Grounds. They were more than happy to take our picture in the winner's circle! We then went in search of the gift shop - after much searching we discovered that the "gift shop" was a rack behind the admissions counter. They had ONE kind of hat - which was good enough for Jim; they had ONE long-sleeve t-shirt (neither of us interested); and they had ONE kind of polo shirt...in one color, and it had a Louisiana Derby logo. Fortunately, I was very content with the color (black) and I had specifically thought if I could find one, I'd want a Louisiana Derby logo shirt as both shirts I have from previous visits have the simply Fair Grounds logo. Jim got his hat, I held off for later to purchase of my polo. And we settled into a spot with our own table in front of simulcast televisions on the third level of the clubhouse for the day.
I had handicapped Gulfstream and the Fair Grounds and I probably had more selections at the Fair Grounds than I normally would have had, but after all we were THERE, so I was ok with that. I tried to be a bit more selective with the Gulfstream picks and ended up with only six plays from their twelve race program. Right away we got word that all the turf races here in New Orleans were taken off the turf. We were unhappy, but the guys to our left were very vocal in their displeasure. Especially considering the recent weather and the sunny, breezy weather we were having (and it was very cold, only in the 40s). Jim suggested that maybe the big stakes would stay on the grass but I checked and according to xpressbet.com - both in the listing of the races and in the "Changes" they were off the turf. I'd never had this happen before, but when the first turf stakes rolled around in Race 6 it WAS on the grass! Go figure. But I did lose two selections due to the changes. My first bet came in the third at Gulfstream which was at noon Central Time. Second at 3/1 after dueling from the start and being out head-bobbed at the wire in a photo. The fourth at Gulfstream was a claiming event on the turf and I liked Laythatpistoldown. He'd had a two-race win streak snapped in his last, the $100K Claiming Crown Emerald when he'd been 113-1! Today he was reserved near the back until they approached the far turn, then accelerated past horses. Entered the stretch five-wide and blew by to draw off impressively.
He was a generous 3/1 and I collected over $20 to start the winning for the day! In the FG opener we were standing at the rail and As Time Flies By burst out of the gate and was clear immediately....led to the final 16th before being outfinished, second at even money. In the seventh at Gulfstream it was a Maiden Special for three-year-olds going six furlongs. Was there a Todd Pletcher? Oh yeah baby. Magnum Moon had been working strongly since mid-November here in So Fla and the $380K sales grad looked sharp to me. When I read the DRF's Mike Welsch's comments that he'd been working strongly with two other highly regarded Pletcher colts (one of which, Navistar I'd had and I'd read was point for a stakes for the next start), it sealed the deal and I made him my BET of the DAY!. Broke sharply under Luis Saez - John Velazquez, the go-to rider was here in New Orleans - and pressed the pace of #6 Dirty. I mention this because EVERY one of the public handicappers had made THAT colt their top pick because he'd set the pace and faded to fourth behind the highly regarded Mask (who came back out of that race to win the Mucho Macho Man and is now on the Derby trail for trainer Chad Brown). But the fact he'd faded late was worrisome to me, even if there wasn't a Pletcher colt. As they hit the mid-point on the turn Saez let out a notch and Magnum Moon glided easily to the lead. The betting favorite made up ground to move into second as heads turned for home but Saez let out a notch and it was all over. OH YEAH. But here's the best part.....for some reason the crown let Magnum Moon go off at an astronomical 7/2 price!
The $9.20 payout with my $30 WIN bet meant I'd cash for nearly $140! WOW! What a great win so early in the day! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO! I came right back with the first win locally when I tabbed Facilitator in the third. It was a MSW for 3yo going six furlongs and in his first two starts this colt had rallied strongly but came up a neck short, second in both. I just thought today was his day. At the top of the stretch he was still near the back and I almost didn't turn on the camera. But he came rolling with a furious rush and was up in the nick of time! ANOTHER WIN!
Dream Dancer was the 8/5 favorite in Gulfstream's Gr 3 Marshua's River and rallied on the turn, but the winner had made an early move and she was only second best. The fifth at the Fair Grounds was the first of the six stakes on the card, and it was my BEST of the Day here. In the D.F. Kenner Stakes, a six furlong sprint for older runners, I thought "Horse-for-the-Course" Yockey's Warrior was a standout. The facts were these......Yockey's Warrior was a six furlong specialist with five wins in six tries at the distance; the HFC label came from the fact he'd run four times here and was a 3x winner (two in stakes like this); BOTH his career top 103 figures had been earned here and since jockey Miguel Mena took over the riding assignment he'd won five of six starts with the only loss being in a Grade 3 at Keeneland. In addition the five rivals included two he'd beaten in the last - the Thanksgiving Day Handicap here at the FG - and neither of those seemed likely to reverse the outcome. And the other three "new shooters" really didn't seem to be a real danger. He tracked the lead into the stretch, drew even without being asked and blew by as tons the best, racing by with a daylight lead as I stood inside the 16th pole along the rail! ANOTHER WIN!
Collected over $40 on my BEST BET investment. It was an hour and a half later, and some four races down the selection sheet before I cashed my next ticket. It came in Gulfstream's finale, an entry level allowance on the turf for three-year-olds. Todd Pletcher had sent Maraud out to a debut win at Saratoga around two turns on the turf. Only the top two-year-olds win at Saratoga, and to win on the turf going long at first asking is impressive. He'd come back in the Grade 3 Pilgrim and was a just-miss third despite having trouble at the start AND trying to rally into a glacial pace. In his next start he was in a listed event here on the second weekend of the month. But it poured down rain all morning and through the second race that afternoon so by the time he was running the turf was a bog. Add in the leader went wire to wire all by himself on an oh-so-slow pace and you could see that on the firm going, with any kind of pace Maraud looked solid. I tripled the bet! He made a big push to reach contention on the turn and then opened up as easily best!
The $5.00 payout let me cash for nearly $40 more dollars! The final two wins could not have been sweeter - they were in the final two stakes HERE at the Fair Grounds; both paid nice prices; AND the first was the featured Grade 3 Lecomte. This 1 mile - 70 yard route on the main track is the first leg of the series of races for sophomores on the Derby Trail through Louisiana. There was a local colt making his stakes debut that I had had in his first start, but I thought the fact that Northern California trainer Jerry Hollendorfer had shipped Instilled Regard across the country to run here when he could have easily run in the Grade 3 Sham last weekend at Santa Anita said a lot. On top of that, his last start had been in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity. He'd finished third in a three-horse photo, but the winner had been DQ'd - not for interfering with the runner-up but for troubling Instilled Regard....that cost him two spots, but you can't move down the runner-up for having a clean trip. AND that colt who was second, he had WON the Gr 3 Sham as MUCH the best last weekend. Finally, before shipping Instilled Regard had post a five furlong work in a sensational :59.4. The only "issue" was the wide draw, post ten. He broke sharply, right in front of me as I stood on the apron and he secured a good stalking spot three wide under Javier Castellano. And let's give Castellano props for an excellent ride - I've been one of his biggest critics since he changed jockey agents and seems "lost" last December. As they turned for home Castellano let the big colt roll and he drew off much the best under a hand ride!
The winning ticket was worth another thirty dollars and change! I am having a VERY big day! The tenth at the FG and the last race we were betting was the Louisiana Stakes for older horses. This begins their series of stakes with the Gr 3 Mineshaft next on Risen Star Day and then the Gr 2 Fair Grounds Handicap on Louisiana Derby Day March 31. While the favorite, The Player, exited three straight graded stakes, including a win in Keeneland's Grade 2 Fayette, I just didn't like him here. I made Cedar Town, listed at a big 10/1, as my UPSET SPECIAL for today. Jim pulled his program over to me and showed me how to him, my pick just looked best as well - I know, I said. My only disappointment was that instead of 10/1 he was taking some betting action, but not enough to make him the favorite. We went outside and stood in the mid-30 degree weather as the sun set over the far turn and watched as Cedar Two opened up through the stretch and won going away!
He paid a generous $8 to win (not as good as $20, but hey he wasn't the favorite!) and I was cashing for another $40! We walked down the stretch a bit and Jim filmed my recap of the races. For the day I'd won eight races and made over $100 in profits! Jim hit over 50% of his WIN-PLACE-SHOW investments and cleared over $20. What a great day!
Collected over $40 on my BEST BET investment. It was an hour and a half later, and some four races down the selection sheet before I cashed my next ticket. It came in Gulfstream's finale, an entry level allowance on the turf for three-year-olds. Todd Pletcher had sent Maraud out to a debut win at Saratoga around two turns on the turf. Only the top two-year-olds win at Saratoga, and to win on the turf going long at first asking is impressive. He'd come back in the Grade 3 Pilgrim and was a just-miss third despite having trouble at the start AND trying to rally into a glacial pace. In his next start he was in a listed event here on the second weekend of the month. But it poured down rain all morning and through the second race that afternoon so by the time he was running the turf was a bog. Add in the leader went wire to wire all by himself on an oh-so-slow pace and you could see that on the firm going, with any kind of pace Maraud looked solid. I tripled the bet! He made a big push to reach contention on the turn and then opened up as easily best!
The $5.00 payout let me cash for nearly $40 more dollars! The final two wins could not have been sweeter - they were in the final two stakes HERE at the Fair Grounds; both paid nice prices; AND the first was the featured Grade 3 Lecomte. This 1 mile - 70 yard route on the main track is the first leg of the series of races for sophomores on the Derby Trail through Louisiana. There was a local colt making his stakes debut that I had had in his first start, but I thought the fact that Northern California trainer Jerry Hollendorfer had shipped Instilled Regard across the country to run here when he could have easily run in the Grade 3 Sham last weekend at Santa Anita said a lot. On top of that, his last start had been in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity. He'd finished third in a three-horse photo, but the winner had been DQ'd - not for interfering with the runner-up but for troubling Instilled Regard....that cost him two spots, but you can't move down the runner-up for having a clean trip. AND that colt who was second, he had WON the Gr 3 Sham as MUCH the best last weekend. Finally, before shipping Instilled Regard had post a five furlong work in a sensational :59.4. The only "issue" was the wide draw, post ten. He broke sharply, right in front of me as I stood on the apron and he secured a good stalking spot three wide under Javier Castellano. And let's give Castellano props for an excellent ride - I've been one of his biggest critics since he changed jockey agents and seems "lost" last December. As they turned for home Castellano let the big colt roll and he drew off much the best under a hand ride!
The winning ticket was worth another thirty dollars and change! I am having a VERY big day! The tenth at the FG and the last race we were betting was the Louisiana Stakes for older horses. This begins their series of stakes with the Gr 3 Mineshaft next on Risen Star Day and then the Gr 2 Fair Grounds Handicap on Louisiana Derby Day March 31. While the favorite, The Player, exited three straight graded stakes, including a win in Keeneland's Grade 2 Fayette, I just didn't like him here. I made Cedar Town, listed at a big 10/1, as my UPSET SPECIAL for today. Jim pulled his program over to me and showed me how to him, my pick just looked best as well - I know, I said. My only disappointment was that instead of 10/1 he was taking some betting action, but not enough to make him the favorite. We went outside and stood in the mid-30 degree weather as the sun set over the far turn and watched as Cedar Two opened up through the stretch and won going away!
Road to the Derby Kickoff Day
January 13th - Fair Grounds Racecourse
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