June 14 - On The Road To Louisville!
Paynter's Triumph Return
Today was the second day of our drive to Louisville. The first half of our BIG SUMMER ADVENTURE is a weekend reunion with family in Kentucky, featuring a night at the races for "Downs After Dark" on Stephen Foster Night, themed to "White Party!" But today we had a surprise adventure when our GPS took us off the interstates and we wound around on Tennessee State Route 231. It was a GORGEOUS day - temps in the upper 70's, clear skies and little traffic as we cruised the highways of western Tennessee and Kentucky. It was a spectacular drive! But, on to the racing.......
The back story..... on Kentucky Derby Day (when I was there!) Zayat Stables Bodemeister, trained by Bob Baffert, set wicked fractions and went gate to final fifty yards before being nipped at the wire by I'll Have Another. Two weeks later in the Preakness Bodemeister was loose on a much easier lead, only to be nailed ON the wire by I'll Have Another. Both those colts were not in the Belmont, but Baffert entered Zayat Stables Paynter, a sophomore with immense talent. He too went right to the front and led gate to final fifty yards before being nailed by my pick, Union Rags. He came back in late summer to win the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and seemed poised to run through the important fall races with a legitimate shot at 3-year-old of the year. But then he came down with a severe case of colic and even worse, laminitis. The latter is nearly always fatal in thoroughbreds. But his connections and the medical teams worked tirelessly to not only save Paynter but get him back to the races. It was a remarkable story that earned the NTRA "Moment of the Year" award. Well, today he finally made his comeback appearance. It was obvious that he had nothing to prove as he was already a Grade 1 winner and worth a fortune at the stud barn. He was being returned to races because his connections believed he was ready to launch a championship bid. He was sent off as the 2/5 favorite and as my "Bet of the Day!"
It was a MOST remarkable moment, and another winner for me! WHOOO HOOOO! Now to carry this momentum into tomorrow night's races!
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