Saturday February 10
We've got tickets for Tampa Bay Derby Day on March 10th, so it was with great interest that I handicapped the Tampa card for Saturday, their preview day with prep races for that signature day. I was also excited for the day to get to meet up with one of my favorite former students, Jennifer, who was in town from Colorado. I arrived at Gulfstream a little before 11 am and shot an intro to today's video highlights chronicling the racing results from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday then walked over to the Yard House where Jennifer met me. After lunch we made our way to our seats in the grandstands and I explained a little about racing as we watched the second race. We walked down to the paddock so she could see the horses for the third race and while we were standing along the rail in the paddock I was able to watch the first two plays of the day. In the second at Tampa - which I watched on my smart phone through the xpressbet app - I had made an investment on Rafting. This was a mile & forty yard allowance and my pick was stretching out off a decisive win at seven furlongs, fresh off the layoff. I thought that today's race had been the intended target and the previous had only been a prep. He was the 7/5 favorite at post time and in mid-pack as they hit the far turn. He began improving but still had work to do at the top of the stretch. But in the final sixteenth he surged to be up in time. The triple investment started me off with a $36 payoff! Moments later we looked up at the jumbo screen over the paddock which was playing the Aqueduct races and odds-on My Girl Annie romped under a handride. She had been defeated six times in MSW company for trainer Chad Brown but today was dropping into a first time maiden claimer (a 43% win angle). Right to the front under Paco Lopez and she rolled easily. Another winner!
We headed inside and Jen made the first bet of her life on a horse race. We liked the favorite, Fast Track Kathern. The gates opened, the filly stumbled and the rider was unseated! What are the odds! It was so remarkable that I asked Jennifer to explain it on camera, you can see it in the highlights :) We watched one more race, my pick scratched, and then she had to go. But just before we left I heard a voice call out, "Hey Mark! Where's the $1000 WIN BET window?" I looked down and there was my good buddy Steve Leland! He was there with his wife and their friends from Alaska. So I walked Jen out and then met up with them.
We talked about racing and he bragged to his friends about what a gifted writer I was - blushing - and I told him I wanted HIS gig, he travels the world, for free, in exchange for writing for Portal Cruise magazine. He told me that if I wrote up our next trip he'd send it to his boss and put in a good word! Wouldn't THAT be a cool development! As we were talking the horses were heading to the gate for the fifth at Gulfstream. At this point Steve was saying how successful I'd been so far at Gulfstream and I told him I'd made A LOT of money on Todd Pletcher three-year-olds and that one was about to run. He told me he'd seen my picks and he too had bet on All Systems Go here. This colt was a $400K Keeneland sales grad and had top rider Luis Saez on board for his debut with sharp works indicating he was ready to roll. He pressed the pricey leader into the turn and then the favorite came rolling up to him as they hit the top of the lane. But Saez would have none of that and opened up on his mount. All Systems Go was all that and more, long gone to win by daylight. And best of all, the price.....
....that's right, paid over $9 and I was cashing for almost $70 on my triple investment. WOW - who still hasn't gotten the memo on Pletcher three-year-olds! The fourth at Aqueduct was not so much about making money but it looked like a pretty easy win pick. Skyler's Scramjet looked to sit a perfect trip in this six furlong allowance sprint and then blow on by to win. He was a perfect 2-for-2 at this distance, had won off the bench previously and had won 3-of-4 starts for his trainer. He had to work as there was a loose-on-the-lead front runner that had a daylight advantage into the final furlong, but he wore him down in the shadow of the wire to score.
It was interesting, to me at least, the way the next two races played out. At Tampa I had the 6/5 favorite who had shown early speed and been caught last time out going seven furlongs. Today he turned back to six furlongs off that courageous second place finish to a well-meant Pletcher colt (who's I'd made a prime time play). Wire to final jump, second in a photo. Climbed the steps to my seat in time for Gulfstream's sixth race, a claiming event going 5 1/2 furlongs and I'd been against the favorite at first glance. But his speed figures made him CLEARLY the fastest in here and he was 2-for-2 at this abbreviated distance. Didn't hurt that his rivals had ALL been beaten multiple times at this cheap $6.25K price tag. Be A Hero went right to the front, was clear turning for home and then the late runners came.....PHOTO FINISH! But this time I hung on by the narrowest of noses! Missed one photo, won the other :)
Didn't cash a ticket until an hour later (four race selections), but when I next did cash it was with a "prime time" play. Todd Pletcher trained 3yo maiden; John Velazquez riding for owner Michael Repole. Does that sound familiar? Oh yeah baby.....the eighth at Tampa - wait, did you say Tampa? Right, with the big stakes races today in Oldsmar Johnny V was here to ride some of them and Pletcher had some runners so he'd brought along 3yo maiden Cilantro. In her debut at Gulfstream she'd been 2/1 but had veered out at the start and had all kinds of traffic trouble but still finished second, over four lengths clear of the show filly. Looked much, MUCH the best to me. She tracked a longshot leader, came to her into the stretch and they battled for a sixteenth of a mile before Cilantro found another gear and drew off impressively. Win number six!
I ran third in the first of the two Gulfstream stakes, the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. I KNEW I'd lose....why? Because Heart to Heart was running and EVERY time I do NOT bet him at Gulfstream he goes wire to wire. When I do bet him, in all but one instance he doesn't fire. He did it again today while my pick was a sharp third at 8/1 odds. I had read online that one of the leading contenders for the Grade 3 Endevour Stakes at Tampa Bay was La Coronel. I knew she was a talented filly and I thought she'd be my likely pick. But when I handicapped the race I discovered I did NOT like her in here. True, she'd won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth in her last and today it was a Grade 3 race, BUT that had been in the fall and she was still running against strictly three-year-olds. Today, off a layoff against older for the first time she just might be vulnerable. And the pace scenario looked to be soft so she would not have a good opportunity to close from off the pace. Conversely, Dona Bruja looked to get a dream trip just off the speed and she'd won the Grade 3 Mint Julep against older last year, then the Grade 3 Modesty at Arlington and had just missed in the Grade 1 Beverly D on Arlington Million Day. With Eclipse Award winning jockey Jose Ortiz - also in town from Gulfstream for the big races - slated to ride, she was my pick. The gates opened and literally five of them found themselves in front looking at each other wondering who was going to the lead. I could swear I saw Ortiz look over at the others and then he shook the reins and Dona Bruja spurted clear. Well this was unexpected I thought, but the pace was E-A-S-Y and I thought, this is one clever ride by the best jockey of 2017! When the field closed the gap through the turn, including a rallying La Coronel, Ortiz had plenty left. He gave the mare the "GO" sign and she accelerated to a daylight lead to win under wraps. Not only another win, but another "PRIME TIME" investment winner!
Cashed for nearly $50 on my seventh of the day! WHOOOO HOOOO! Less than ten minutes later the field was walking into the gate at Santa Anita for their fourth, the first of their graded stakes, the Grade 2 Santa Maria going a mile and a sixteenth for older fillies and mares. Last time out champion three-year-old filly and champion sprinter for 2017 Unique Bella had won the Grade 1 La Brea going seven furlongs. But since then I'd read several times that her connections had nothing but route races in mind with the Breeders' Cup Distaff (or maybe the Classic) in mind for this year's campaign. And I knew she could do it because she'd won two route races prepping for the Kentucky Oaks last spring before getting injured. She'd worked sensationally since the La Brea win with not one but TWO sizzling bullet works in a blistering :59 flat. Someone would have to be on a suicide mission to outgun her to the front. No one did. But to be honest when the opening quarter was a quick :23 and change and the half mile in :46 and change I thought she might have gone too fast too soon. But Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was sitting motionless as them flew around the far turn. The gap narrowed, but when they hit the stretch Smith still didn't move while the other riders were riding for all they were worth....but Unique Bella drew off extending the margin with every stride. Won by a pole while never being asked. And the bet......$50 to WIN!
WHOOOO HOOOOO! Another big bet winner! It was another hour and four races later before I'd cash again, but it was a big one, the biggest of the day. I ran 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the races, three graded stakes and an allowance event before the field walked up to the gate for Tampa's featured Grade 3 Tampa Bay Turf Stakes featuring the 2017 Eclipse Award winner for top turf male, World Approval. He was working on back-to-back-to-back Grade 1 wins while the rest of the field had appeared in nine graded events without a single win. Of the 132 races run by his rivals one figure and only one would compete with the WORST figure earned by World Approval dating back to last May. He was a two-time winner here at Tampa and it was hard to imagine him losing here, even knowing that (a) he was coming off the layoff from the Breeders' Cup Mile win and (b) he was prepping for the Group 1 $6 Million Dubai Turf in March. The race unfolded in a curious manner as not one but two runners were intent on the lead and they whistled through early insane fractions to clear off by more than half a dozen. As they hit the turn the field was inhaling them, led by World Approval, but he was anything but clear. He opened up a daylight lead into the stretch, but then another closer began to make up serious ground and you got just the slightest bit of uneasiness as Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez had to get after World Approval to finish strongly, there would be no coasting to the wire today. Considering the layoff and what they wanted to get out of the race it was probably best he WAS asked for some run. But a win it was and I will be cashing for $120 on my BET of the Day investment when I next return to Gulfstream!
I missed on the last two live races and headed for home. Kim was on the west coast of Florida visiting her parents so I wasn't in any hurry to be home, but tonight was Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs and I had several bets on their races which would keep me up until nearly midnight!
I had a second, a third, and two fourth place finishes to go along with two scratches sandwiched the lone winner on the card. In the featured event, the Premier Championship Mobile Bay looked to build on his current three race winning streak. He'd won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic last out in a life-or-death photo finish as my top choice and I had made him my top bet. As I watched the pre-race analysis and the betting I decided that he'd move forward today and just laid over the field so I upped the bet. He was away slowly so he couldn't get to the front like I'd expected. But approaching the far turn he glided to a daylight lead. But then the second choice came flying up the rail. Mobile Bay drifted out to the middle of the track as they ran for home while the other horse was closing. Tough to see from the angle but I think I've lost the lead at the 16th pole......Mobile Bay surges, PHOTO FINISH and the announcer initially called the other horse the winner, but then remarked it would take a photo to determine the winner.....
WHEW! That was too close for comfort, but still Mobile Bay won and that makes TEN for the day from 27 selections for a 38% win rate to close out this long day of racing.....but a great day for sure!
We headed inside and Jen made the first bet of her life on a horse race. We liked the favorite, Fast Track Kathern. The gates opened, the filly stumbled and the rider was unseated! What are the odds! It was so remarkable that I asked Jennifer to explain it on camera, you can see it in the highlights :) We watched one more race, my pick scratched, and then she had to go. But just before we left I heard a voice call out, "Hey Mark! Where's the $1000 WIN BET window?" I looked down and there was my good buddy Steve Leland! He was there with his wife and their friends from Alaska. So I walked Jen out and then met up with them.
We talked about racing and he bragged to his friends about what a gifted writer I was - blushing - and I told him I wanted HIS gig, he travels the world, for free, in exchange for writing for Portal Cruise magazine. He told me that if I wrote up our next trip he'd send it to his boss and put in a good word! Wouldn't THAT be a cool development! As we were talking the horses were heading to the gate for the fifth at Gulfstream. At this point Steve was saying how successful I'd been so far at Gulfstream and I told him I'd made A LOT of money on Todd Pletcher three-year-olds and that one was about to run. He told me he'd seen my picks and he too had bet on All Systems Go here. This colt was a $400K Keeneland sales grad and had top rider Luis Saez on board for his debut with sharp works indicating he was ready to roll. He pressed the pricey leader into the turn and then the favorite came rolling up to him as they hit the top of the lane. But Saez would have none of that and opened up on his mount. All Systems Go was all that and more, long gone to win by daylight. And best of all, the price.....
....that's right, paid over $9 and I was cashing for almost $70 on my triple investment. WOW - who still hasn't gotten the memo on Pletcher three-year-olds! The fourth at Aqueduct was not so much about making money but it looked like a pretty easy win pick. Skyler's Scramjet looked to sit a perfect trip in this six furlong allowance sprint and then blow on by to win. He was a perfect 2-for-2 at this distance, had won off the bench previously and had won 3-of-4 starts for his trainer. He had to work as there was a loose-on-the-lead front runner that had a daylight advantage into the final furlong, but he wore him down in the shadow of the wire to score.
It was interesting, to me at least, the way the next two races played out. At Tampa I had the 6/5 favorite who had shown early speed and been caught last time out going seven furlongs. Today he turned back to six furlongs off that courageous second place finish to a well-meant Pletcher colt (who's I'd made a prime time play). Wire to final jump, second in a photo. Climbed the steps to my seat in time for Gulfstream's sixth race, a claiming event going 5 1/2 furlongs and I'd been against the favorite at first glance. But his speed figures made him CLEARLY the fastest in here and he was 2-for-2 at this abbreviated distance. Didn't hurt that his rivals had ALL been beaten multiple times at this cheap $6.25K price tag. Be A Hero went right to the front, was clear turning for home and then the late runners came.....PHOTO FINISH! But this time I hung on by the narrowest of noses! Missed one photo, won the other :)
February 10th-Tampa Preview Day
Highlights - Part 1
Didn't cash a ticket until an hour later (four race selections), but when I next did cash it was with a "prime time" play. Todd Pletcher trained 3yo maiden; John Velazquez riding for owner Michael Repole. Does that sound familiar? Oh yeah baby.....the eighth at Tampa - wait, did you say Tampa? Right, with the big stakes races today in Oldsmar Johnny V was here to ride some of them and Pletcher had some runners so he'd brought along 3yo maiden Cilantro. In her debut at Gulfstream she'd been 2/1 but had veered out at the start and had all kinds of traffic trouble but still finished second, over four lengths clear of the show filly. Looked much, MUCH the best to me. She tracked a longshot leader, came to her into the stretch and they battled for a sixteenth of a mile before Cilantro found another gear and drew off impressively. Win number six!
I ran third in the first of the two Gulfstream stakes, the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. I KNEW I'd lose....why? Because Heart to Heart was running and EVERY time I do NOT bet him at Gulfstream he goes wire to wire. When I do bet him, in all but one instance he doesn't fire. He did it again today while my pick was a sharp third at 8/1 odds. I had read online that one of the leading contenders for the Grade 3 Endevour Stakes at Tampa Bay was La Coronel. I knew she was a talented filly and I thought she'd be my likely pick. But when I handicapped the race I discovered I did NOT like her in here. True, she'd won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth in her last and today it was a Grade 3 race, BUT that had been in the fall and she was still running against strictly three-year-olds. Today, off a layoff against older for the first time she just might be vulnerable. And the pace scenario looked to be soft so she would not have a good opportunity to close from off the pace. Conversely, Dona Bruja looked to get a dream trip just off the speed and she'd won the Grade 3 Mint Julep against older last year, then the Grade 3 Modesty at Arlington and had just missed in the Grade 1 Beverly D on Arlington Million Day. With Eclipse Award winning jockey Jose Ortiz - also in town from Gulfstream for the big races - slated to ride, she was my pick. The gates opened and literally five of them found themselves in front looking at each other wondering who was going to the lead. I could swear I saw Ortiz look over at the others and then he shook the reins and Dona Bruja spurted clear. Well this was unexpected I thought, but the pace was E-A-S-Y and I thought, this is one clever ride by the best jockey of 2017! When the field closed the gap through the turn, including a rallying La Coronel, Ortiz had plenty left. He gave the mare the "GO" sign and she accelerated to a daylight lead to win under wraps. Not only another win, but another "PRIME TIME" investment winner!
Cashed for nearly $50 on my seventh of the day! WHOOOO HOOOO! Less than ten minutes later the field was walking into the gate at Santa Anita for their fourth, the first of their graded stakes, the Grade 2 Santa Maria going a mile and a sixteenth for older fillies and mares. Last time out champion three-year-old filly and champion sprinter for 2017 Unique Bella had won the Grade 1 La Brea going seven furlongs. But since then I'd read several times that her connections had nothing but route races in mind with the Breeders' Cup Distaff (or maybe the Classic) in mind for this year's campaign. And I knew she could do it because she'd won two route races prepping for the Kentucky Oaks last spring before getting injured. She'd worked sensationally since the La Brea win with not one but TWO sizzling bullet works in a blistering :59 flat. Someone would have to be on a suicide mission to outgun her to the front. No one did. But to be honest when the opening quarter was a quick :23 and change and the half mile in :46 and change I thought she might have gone too fast too soon. But Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith was sitting motionless as them flew around the far turn. The gap narrowed, but when they hit the stretch Smith still didn't move while the other riders were riding for all they were worth....but Unique Bella drew off extending the margin with every stride. Won by a pole while never being asked. And the bet......$50 to WIN!
WHOOOO HOOOOO! Another big bet winner! It was another hour and four races later before I'd cash again, but it was a big one, the biggest of the day. I ran 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the races, three graded stakes and an allowance event before the field walked up to the gate for Tampa's featured Grade 3 Tampa Bay Turf Stakes featuring the 2017 Eclipse Award winner for top turf male, World Approval. He was working on back-to-back-to-back Grade 1 wins while the rest of the field had appeared in nine graded events without a single win. Of the 132 races run by his rivals one figure and only one would compete with the WORST figure earned by World Approval dating back to last May. He was a two-time winner here at Tampa and it was hard to imagine him losing here, even knowing that (a) he was coming off the layoff from the Breeders' Cup Mile win and (b) he was prepping for the Group 1 $6 Million Dubai Turf in March. The race unfolded in a curious manner as not one but two runners were intent on the lead and they whistled through early insane fractions to clear off by more than half a dozen. As they hit the turn the field was inhaling them, led by World Approval, but he was anything but clear. He opened up a daylight lead into the stretch, but then another closer began to make up serious ground and you got just the slightest bit of uneasiness as Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez had to get after World Approval to finish strongly, there would be no coasting to the wire today. Considering the layoff and what they wanted to get out of the race it was probably best he WAS asked for some run. But a win it was and I will be cashing for $120 on my BET of the Day investment when I next return to Gulfstream!
I missed on the last two live races and headed for home. Kim was on the west coast of Florida visiting her parents so I wasn't in any hurry to be home, but tonight was Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs and I had several bets on their races which would keep me up until nearly midnight!
I had a second, a third, and two fourth place finishes to go along with two scratches sandwiched the lone winner on the card. In the featured event, the Premier Championship Mobile Bay looked to build on his current three race winning streak. He'd won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic last out in a life-or-death photo finish as my top choice and I had made him my top bet. As I watched the pre-race analysis and the betting I decided that he'd move forward today and just laid over the field so I upped the bet. He was away slowly so he couldn't get to the front like I'd expected. But approaching the far turn he glided to a daylight lead. But then the second choice came flying up the rail. Mobile Bay drifted out to the middle of the track as they ran for home while the other horse was closing. Tough to see from the angle but I think I've lost the lead at the 16th pole......Mobile Bay surges, PHOTO FINISH and the announcer initially called the other horse the winner, but then remarked it would take a photo to determine the winner.....
February 10th-Tampa Preview Day
Highlights - Part 2
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