A couple of saver exactas on the first 2 BC races made a thin ham sandwich of a profit for the day. A tri, Super or horizontal could not be reeled in.
Today will be a lot more vertical than I would normally play. 3 pick 4’s and I’m not crazy about how any of them line up. Some very tough favorites to try and beat today for sure.
My major focus of the day is race 6 The FM Sprint. I’m pretty sure Julian get’s credit for “ you don’t have to like much about a horse at 20/1 “. Curlins Approval is 20/1 ML and there is A LOT I like about her😎
Her Travers day misadventure is a total toss out race. Maggie was negative about her acting up in the paddock, she was a bad actor on the track and the gate opened with her turned sideways and flat footed. There was an article and some radio talk about a non NYRA camera really capturing the gate stuff more than the race replay shows.
That said here is a Curlin (they get better with age) who has not developed a lot coming in with a pair of 1-‘s tossing the Spa heat. The breeder, part owner, trainer is a classic old race track character who knows how to get one ready for a targeted objective. Curlin has just about twice as many female stakes winners as males, that was surprising to me. The dam who never won a race in 4 try’s is by
With Approval a pretty good sprinter. She has thrown 2 offspring one male one female that have sprinted TG 1- & 0 as post 5 yr olds.... That ain’t too shabby.
That’s enough for me to take a shot..... It ain’t Gulfstream, these aren’t Florida breds but there is plenty to like about her at a juicy price.
A win bet, back and forth verticals with Finley, Carina,By the Moon, Highway Star and Bella. Drefong would be a single in the final leg of the 5-8 pick 4 BUT
I’m clueless in the turf sprint and searching for a few to go with Lady E in the FM Turf.
I intended to toss Bella from a horizontal play. Hollendorfer had Midway cranked on all cylinders today. The more I looked at Bella her race off a 7 month layoff was just another bullet in her string of sensational works. She came back in 10 days and fired another one. I’ll double up on Bella/CA exacta !
Good luck,
Frank D.
Handicapping and racing feels alive when FrankD is posting on the board.
Exciting day at Del Mar! Shanahan found me wandering on the infield from his spot on \"The Beach\" area where he was stationed!
Loved Baffert in an Alw race at Del Mar early and FU in the Distaff and didn\'t even turn much of a profit b/c I can\'t connect these horses that win in the horizontals with the other legs. The sights and sounds as excellent as ever. Made it to West Steak and Seafood last night for one of the best meals I\'ve ever had, right there with The Pamplemousse. If ever out there, Get There!! They are excited for a West Coast party if he wins (owned by Gary and Mary West of West Steak ownership also).
A little on the chilly side today. Track favored speed it seemed while sun was out early and after clouds moved in more prominently it seemed more fair but I\'m no bias expert.
Tomorrow hoping to capitalize far better. Hammered a 6 with 5+7 trifecta key that would still be counting out my cash going against Baffert in graded stakes in the Distaff. He can def hit the board in these races as my notes said but his win % def not the same at Del mar this summer still driving me away from him in horizontals.
Gun Runner the one at second choice. Lock it in. .....And Grand jete owes me so.....a Chad Chad day with Carina and GJ as big plays for me subject to change along with GR.
Hogy of Fairmount fame I\'m cheering for tomorrow but he is up against it for the win. Definitely against Lady Aurelia; there is a reason Ward is going to Europe for these graded stakes races now and he is firing 6% in graded turf stakes here. Notice that LA ran in MSW and ungraded stakes here only. I\'m against her in win position and will use Marsha more prominently.
Best of luck!
Fairmount1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Handicapping and racing feels alive when FrankD is
> posting on the board.
Yes, amazing that handle is up at all these tracks (except Greedeland) with
Frank on hiatus!!!
Only Round I for me for, as in past years, I refuse to sacrifice a day\'s pay or
a vacation day to watch races, no matter how good those races might be. The
truth is, my employer hates to see me gone for a day, because (with apologies
to Homer Simpson) my unique work ethic forces all my co workers to work harder.
Lets get right to some opinions/longshots on a day which, win or lose, will
feature at least one Nicky Special and a couple of peeks at Bedlam in Norman.
Juvie Fillies: Maya Malibu is consistently slower than these and draws a bad
post. She is, however, bred for the stretch and adds blinkers, a positive move
for trainer Motion. She might crack the verticals, or maybe she runs a clunker
and comes back in the Demoiselle at a price at new and improved Aqueduct.
Like Frank says, the Turf Sprint is tough. I might start by throwing out the
two fillies who have been running in NHRA events across the pond. I was liking
Pure Sensation before the draw. Now I\'m looking at Richard\'s Boy, who bucked a
trend by moving forward, and eventually pairing, after a trip to the desert. RB
of course eventually paid the price, was rested, and now might be ready to
throw a performance which makes him competitive. Proven over the course but
certainly gets tested today.
Unique Bella (FM Sprint) might win, but she is a toss out for all Kool Aid
quaffers. Posted wide, likely 7/5 odds, not as Thorographically fast as many of
her older rivals. Frank\'s longshot Curlin\'s Approval, By The Moon,and
Finleysluckycharm, by my reckoning, are the only entrants to have run TG
negative and that might be where I start if making a horizontal wager. Some
have mentioned that Highway Star has a nice looking sheet and she is
ultraconsistent, but AS Arroyo and Rodrigo Ubillo would be a surprising pair to
see in the winners circle.
I\'ll keep it simple in the F&M Turf. What can Brown do for me? Grand Jete and
Lady Eli are consistent and well suited to the distance, while defending champ
Queen\'s Trust might want more ground, though its hard to put anything past Sir
Michael and Lanfranco Dettori. War Flag is getting good now and should save
ground.
In the Sprint, Drefong, in my opinion, faces much tougher sprinters than he
beat in last year\'s BC Sprint and this year\'s Forego. I\'ll hope that Imperial
Hint will occupy Drefong on the front end and set up one of the three other Cal
based runners: American Pastime, Roy H or even Ransom the Moon. Again, Drefong
is fast and favored, but others in the race are arguably as fast or faster.
Turf Mile looks packed with speed, which might benefit World Approval, who
tries to give his dam a second BC Mile winner. Zelzal will be off the pace,
likes a firm turf and will need to move way forward first time Lasix. Speaking
of Lasix, why isn\'t Ribchester getting it? Ballagh Rocks was well back of World
Approval in the Fourstardave and gets a rough post whereas World App and Zelzal
are more favorably drawn.
I\'m out of gas and will rely on others\' opinions in the Juvie, the Turf and the
Classic.
Good Luck and Good Night.
Correction: Bedlam in Stillwater, not Norman.
Nice little string of posts. I enjoy this weekend of racing just as much every year.
I think I will assume another chalky day. Had some questions regarding the rail on the dirt track early on the card yesterday but I guess the later races left me inconclusive. Will follow trends today too. I look forward to bet Alluring Star, Lady Eli with Grand Jete and Cambodia underneath, and I do look forward to see Carina Mia and if Fairmount lands the tout of the century and will be using her together with Finley\'sluckycharm, and the obvious ones underneath. Will see if it is possible to get anything out of Oscar Performance whom I believe is vastly underrated thorographically speaking, I have huge respect for the favorite though. Wonder what figure he would\'ve gotten with ground loss incorporated, and that in unideal conditions.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTnFeJWsyLU. Would\'ve been the prime example of a ground loaded figure. Expect better today. And I think I will play the classic as a straight exacta Gun Runner - Arrogate.
The most exciting plays though are to be found in the undercard. Thundering Sky looks very interesting at 12/1 in race 1. 1w1w in her last race which was ran in slow pace, and she was the winner. Has that 3 2/4 that I think is more representative of what kind of race she actually ran doing that. And I can\'t believe I just got 16/1 on Lucky Romano in race 2. That must be tried.
Yesterday\'s track was a concern for me. With word out that speed was holding the day for sure started in that direction but as the races progressed I thought it became more fair as far as speed is concerned.
However, I did think the rail was not the place to be,something to watch today.
Baffert won one,had a place,was last and 3rd from last,no Baffert factor so far..
Prat won 3 yesterday a jock for the course.
Beginning of the day shippers had no luck then Destin won and that changed my attitude.
Post position and wide trips a bit of over hype,wide post won,rails not to good.
TG sheets treated me very well yesterday CLASS A product hats of to TG team.
Well no time to pat each other on the back just yet, 2nd half today.
Big scratch in Ulysses.
Good Luck team Beach Patrol you will have some of my $$ today.
Is Bolt D Oro a single?
Lady Eli goes out a winner?
Classic may catch some price horses underneath.
Good luck to all
John
In the turf sprint (DMR5) I like Hogy at anywhere near the 12-1 morning line. The turf course has been even and you can close. I\'m going to use in an exacta with Disco Partner who looks to be circling to a new top. Good luck to all!