Sunday June 16
Verrazano Returns With A Big WIN!
I had seen online that Verrazano, my Derby pick was returning to the races I the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park today and his only real competition was supposed to come from Itsmyluckyday. If you followed my pre-Derby (and other Triple Crown) posts, I have never been a fan of his - he's a good Calder horse, but no superstar. The crowd bet Itsmyluckyday down to 6/5, but pounded Verrazano to 2/5. After an opening quarter in :24.4 on an uncontested lead the race was over. All drama, if there still was any, ended when Itsmyluckyday pulled up down the backstretch.
I added the Desert Stormer Stakes even though I really didn't "handicap" the race at all. I read that he was both Brad Free's and Mike Superstein's "best" of the day. If he'd been just their top pick I would not have put money on him because of the presence of Include Me Out in he field; but both indicated he was MUCH the best and went on to add he was the best sprinter on the west coast. As they came into the turn he was bottled up on the rail and apparently everybody, except the jockey, knew she wanted to be off the rail and outside as announcer Vic Stauffer called out how she did NOT like being on the rail. The rider tried to force his way through but had to check SHARPLY and lost all chance. The fact she re-rallied and nearly got second was a miracle. Sigh......
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