Summer 2013

April 10

Oaklawn Festival of Racing

Today I began my "selective summer betting" program.  Much as I've done in the fall racing season, I am determined to back away from the day-to-day handicapping that has characterized the winter as I handicapped every card at Gulfstream from December 1 to April 5.  I was tempted to get the card for Oaklawn today, and/or the card for Keeneland for tomorrow, but then stuck to my guns.  I like Rose To Gold in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes today, the feature at Oaklawn kicking off their Festival of Racing.  This is one of the final preps for the Kentucky Oaks.  I not only liked her chances because she had been impressive in winning the Honey Bee, the local prep for this, but I also was drawn to her because she had begun her career locally at Calder.  And now here she was on the verge of being a national star!  I watched the DRF video analysis yesterday with Mike Beer and Dan Illman, and both were pretty emphatic that Rose to Gold was CLEARLY the horse to beat and that unless she had an off day or one of the others made HUGE improvement she was a most likely winner.  That confirmed what I thought.  When I tuned in on HRTV I was mildly concerned with the off-going, but she was being bet heavily.  She went right to the front and had mild pressure to the backside, but then she was loose on the lead.  When they hit the far turn the others were running their hearts out and the jockeys were riding their fillies hard.  Meanwhile Calvin Borel sat motionless on Rose To Gold.  When heads turned for home she was L-O-N-G gone.  WHOOO HOOOO!  No picks tomorrow, but I am looking forward to Grace Hall in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland.