Summer 2013

Preakness Weekend

May 17 - 19

As the weekend approached I was soooooo excited!  For the racing, I was very excited about the back-to-back big days of racing and what I anticipated to be the "Bet of the Month" but even more so it was going to be a "Disney Weekend" as we were heading to Orlando on Saturday to spend three days with "the kids" while finishing off our Disney tickets with two fun-filled days at the theme park. 

Because of the Disney trip, the only chance to spend a full day at the races was on Friday, Black-Eyed Susans Day.  So I handicapped the stakes races on Wednesday and then all of the tracks on Thursday before heading out for a full day at Calder Friday. 

I got there in time to film my video intro and some clips for Saturday's selections then it was to the rail to watch the first pick of the day Noble Prince in the Calder opener.  My pick was Noble Prince who was 2/1 in the program.  He was lightly raced and dropping in class from a $16K 2L spot to today's $10K event.  I thought he'd gun to the front and run away with it.  And indeed he did.  He was comfortably in front as they hit the turn with about a length lead and I swear I heard announcer Bobby Newman call, "....the favorite opens up...." as he drew clear in the lane and won under wraps.  From my vantage point on the rail I did not have a good view of the tote board and as I headed inside I glanced over my shoulder to see what kind of price I could expect.  I didn't have my glasses on, but I could clearly tell that the tote board did NOT show a double-digit odds figure (like 8/5 or 9/5), and although I figured it had to be 2/1, it looked like a 5/1....which of course was not possible, since he had been the program favorite and what I was sure I had heard.  But when I got inside, oh my, yes, it was five-to-one and the pay-out was a huge $13.60.....I cashed for nearly $35 to start the day!  NICE! 

And it was a good thing I did as that score at a little before 1 pm was the last ticket I would cash until nearly 4 pm.....that's a LONG haul my friend.  But through most of that eight race streak - including three seconds - I knew I wasn't taking a financial pounding because of the big score and only three added-money investments in the series.  As is so often the case I was right there with nearly every one of the horses and lost in nearly every way possible.  The first loss was ironic because in m comments on Talent and Channel in the 3rd at Pimlico I wrote, "....looks a very likely short-priced winner in spite of her tendency to quit in deep stretch....."  She was 6/5 and clear with a 16th of a mile to go, still in front with 100 yards to go, but was caught inside the final fifty yards.  In the 6th at Pimlico I broke five lengths behind the field; in the 5th at Belmont I rallied from way back to be second....sigh.... Finally in the third at Churchill I scored again.  It was a Maiden Special for two-year-olds and Rope had finished second in a photo in his debut while over five clear of the show horse.  He dueled to mid-stretch and then drew off at 3/2.  Then came the back-to-back races which basically cost me any chance at a black-type finish betting-wise.  I tripled the bet on Value Trap at Calder and on Drogue at Arlington.  It wasn't like I was seeing anything the crowd wasn't as they were sent off at 1/5 and 8/5....but both struggled home in SIXTH!  Wow.  But then I hit the best streak of the day - FIVE WINS IN A ROW!!!!! 

The opener at Hollywood was DRF Handicapper Brad Free's "best" - Night Dance was a class dropper from the Mike Mitchell barn and was expected to wire the field - easily!  I doubled the bet, but the crowd pounded him down to odds-on - still, I was happy to cash!  On the Black-Eyed Susans card I had two "BEST" bets and it came next in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint.  One of my favorite turf sprinters for the last few years has been Todd Pletcher's Bridgetown.  But after having a clear lead in last year's Derby Day undercard sprint I've been reluctant to bet him.  Today I went against him with the 15-time stakes winning Ben's Cat.  There looked to be a lot of speed to set up his stalk and pounce style.  But as the day wore on I began to second guess myself, and even considered if not changing to Bridgetown at least an exacta.  But with ten minutes to post I convinced myself I'd been right originally and stuck to my original plan.  Sure enough, just as I had envisioned it, there was a speed duel and though Ben's Cat was farther back than I had anticipated he blew by them all inside the final 100 yards to score under wraps - and I had been all over him with a PRIME TIME investment.  Only thing disappointing was that the crowd also bet him heavily into the even-money favorite.  Still, I cashed for over $40. 

Two in a row!  My third win was in another turf sprint.  This on was the 9th and final at Calder.  My pick, Cappachino Gal was stuck on the "Also Eligible" list and would need at least one scratch to get in.  There were four.  And she dominated as she drew off under a chilly hand-ride at 3/5.  Less than five minutes later the second at Hollywood I scored my FOURTH in a row when Pincelada easily went wire to wire.  I was afraid she would run like Talent and Channel earlier because she always seemed to quit late, but I was hoping at 5 1/2 furlongs that would NOT be the case.....she had her lead cut into late, but she was too far gone - WINNER! 

The five-race win streak concluded when I won the 8th at Belmont with Notmyfirstime.  Besides Ben's Cat all the other wins had been minimum investments, but I did double the bet here to collect nearly $20.  Add the two triple-investment losses back-to-back earlier with the betting decisions in the win streak and my chances of winning cash for the day were slim to none.....especially when in what I thought was the "BEST" of the day, Emollient did not win the Black-Eyed Susans Stakes.  Though I truly believe I had the right filly.  She was the most talented and was bet to 4/5 (which I thought was a fair price).  But she likes to be right up on the lead and as the gates sprung open she went straight to her knees and spotted the field at least five lengths.  For all intents and purposes the race was over...she struggled to finish sixth after making a courageous mid-race move to get into contention.  After running second at Churchill I made eleven late bets and headed home. 

Kim and I went out for deep dish pizza (in celebration of my Jenny Craig weigh-in earlier this morning.....after walking over 30 miles, yes THIRTY miles this week I lost weight again to run my total since March 1 to nearly 17 pounds!  So delighted!  When we got home watched the replays.  I was disappointed when my triple investment in the Very One Stakes at Pimlico, Sweet Cassiopiea did no fire - 6th at 9/5, but happy when my "best" at Churchill, Funny Proposition scored at 4/5 with a triple bet.  Right back in the next bet with a third winner at Hollywood with Captain Corrigan (though a minimum bet again!).  Of the last eight I had but a single winner - at Arlington Sugar Kate came from WAAAAYYY back to get her nose down on the wire just in time in the 6th.  I had doubled the bet and scored for nearly $30, but the rest of them were 5th, 6th, 4th, 10th (wow), 6th and 5th.  For the day my handicapping was excellent - ten wins from thirty-one selections - 32% WINS!  But the betting didn't match and I lost a little money.  I wasn't worried however as I was CERTAIN I was going to have a good day Saturday. 

I spent Saturday morning running my car to Goodyear as my back tire had a leak and I needed to replace both back tires - at $350+ per tire, ouch!  And I ran out to Calder to cash my tickets and bet the six stakes races from the Preakness card.  We got away for Orlando a little before one pm and met the kids at the hotel.  Brad's friend Randy got us half-off with our hotel room at the Port Orleans-French Quarter resort where Julie bunked in with us, while Brad and Lauren had their room in another building.  By five pm we were at the Magic Kingdom and having dinner at Tony's (from "Lady and the Tramp!"). 

I didn't know how the first five races went, but I was able to watch my "Best of the Month" - Orb - in the Preakness live via twinspires.com on my phone while having dinner.  And it was stunning to me that not only didn't win, but didn't even hit he board - 4th.  It was a HUGE disappointment.  But, nothing could spoil the evening with the kids at Disney!  The castle show was awesome and the fireworks were spectacularly magical!  See tomorrow's journal for pics and video.  When I got back to the hotel I watched the other five races and was disappointed to only have one win.  But at least the win was in my other "BEST" of the day when Summer Applause came grinding through the stretch to score in the Grade 3 DuPont Distaff. 

Back to the races next week or weekend.  Sunday was a glorious day at the Animal Kingdom park - just the best!  Everything we did was a "first" including getting soaked on the Kali River Rapids ride and then daring to ride the thrilling roller-coaster adventure ride, Expedition Everest!  Be sure to check out the photos from the weekend in tomorrow's journal!