Bloodbath. Pletcher at Gulfsteam and Brad "Baby Face" Cox

[Silver Charm]

Fairmont its only fitting he won that FG Maiden race you referenced with a horse named Gunmetal. There was zero chance in my mind from the top of the stretch he would lose. 1:09:4 is about the norm and the Win Percentage at FG is now 29% after a cold start. Its 57% with Flourent. I didn\'t bet the race.

Prist it happens. He just simply didnt fire. I value opinions even if they dont work out the price was not good so I starting trying Exactas with some speed horses. The 3 was not one of them.

Mystik Dan is up here but the price seems really short. Kenny sent me a photo of him a couple of months ago. Proud of the way he was looking as he began his comeback. But these connections are Arkansas people and I know they would love to be bagging Big Races there this meet. I think this is a Prep only.

Why did the guys across the Street think Johannes was vulnerable? Good Lord.

[Silver Charm]

Would like to say thank you to whomever hammered Imagination from 9-1 to 4-1 in the last blink or two. Raging Torrent went from 9-5 to 5/2 as they broke. I thought he was dead turning for home. This FLIPPED my entire day. Otherwise I might have needed the gas chamber.....

[Gary Irish]

It is probably the mushrooms, but I thought I saw Dan \"short stepping\" in the post parade. That is where the rear hooves don\'t reach to where the front hooves vacated.

Yeah, I watched those Joe Takach videos back in the day on my VCR, lol.

I\'m sure this was just a prep, but something to look for next time.

[TGJB]

You’re assuming there’s a next time.

[P-Dub]

What a fun day out at Santa Anita today. I know everyone here gets a hard on for Saratoga, but Santa Anita is still a gem and on big days as good as it gets

A brisk low 60\'s December afternoon, clear skies, the San Gabriel mountains as always in the background

For a day at least no bitching about field size. 40+ thousand in attendance, large handle.

Hit the early P5 for 883, I thought that was quite a bit considering 3 favs and 2 others in the 5/1 range.

R3 played Preem at 8/1 a no threat 3rd even tho Slick looked like the winner on paper

Race 4 Barbera was my best bet and paid a nice 11.20

Didn\'t think the 3 big stakes favs were losing, but did play Lord Bullington at 12/1 a no threat 4th.

Kopion killed my horizontals. I played Sugar Fish, who missed the break and somehow still ran 3rd.

Played Stronghold, tiny profit with the saver exacta with Raging Torrent

Gave some back after the early P5.

Enjoyed talking with the folks in the adjacent box, younger guys with their girlfriends having a great time.

I\'m sure many days will have short fields and small crowds, but that\'s for another day.

JB thx for the annual gift.

[Silver Charm]

Glad it was a good time and glad you also won a little to remember it. It was a feel good day for me watching and playing from home. So much history there let\'s hope somebody comes up with some kind of legislation or solutions to get things turned around.

I have to say that when I was at DelMar Labor Day Weekend the whole experience was outstanding. 110% certain I\'m going back next year and instead of site seeing the City on Sunday it will be spent right back at the Track. I went on Monday afternoon, late but it wasn\'t the same Card. There was an impressive list of runners who ran that weekend.

Most impressive was all of the quality people I met. A young Lady who works or worked at Santa Anita came down and joined me and she had licensed access to everywhere and knew everybody. So many friendly nice people I don\'t know where to begin.

Look there are many talented Trainers out there starting wirh Baffert, ONeil, DAmato, Glatt, Eurton, Gaines, Yakteen and who ever else I left out. The Jockeys are improving and if Johnny V stays Pratt does Winter it\'s a solid bunch.

For one day as the Stars came out all the problems went away. I\'m a glass half full kinda person. The glory days can return.

[Fairmount1]

Proof exists I haven\'t followed the early part of the Gulfstream so-called \"Championship Meet.\"  Brad Cox with 4 starters so far and some of them working at Payson Park despite my assertions in a prior post that Gunmetal must have been sent from a Fla barn to Brad at FG.  Wrong.  

In race 5 tomorrow (Saturday), #7 Tappan Street starts for Cox, WinStar, China Horse Club and Siena Farms.  This one was a cool million dollar purchase.  Several works match up with Gunmetal although some of the works are slower and at different distances dating back to Wsr works.  Nonetheless the horse appears to have a bit of talent.  Todd sends out the 4 horse Abundance who is owned by the same folks.  This one is a homebred.

________________

At Oaklawn Park, Mystik Dan appears to have been workmates with Lat Long in the finale in a recent FG 59 4/5 bullet.  While Dan was last and was one of the greatest bet against horses in some time finishing last yesterday, he did bring out a certain percentage of the crowd at Santa Anita as the Kentucky Derby winner.  White Abbario is a BC Classic winner entered at Gulfstream tomorrow and continues to race which isn\'t seen often and deserves a tip of the cap. It is important for garnering fans and future gamblers that the stars not get shipped off to stud after 3 to 6 races only to be shipped to Turkey or South America or even worse Oklahoma (haha) to be stallions just a few years later.    

Back to Lat Long, he has a wide post but I\'ll give him a long look along with Cox\'s new acquisition Bedard for use in the win spot.    

Good Luck.

[Silver Charm]

I saw this movie last night starring John Travolta and it is an entertaining 1 hour and 40 minutes. As one regular citizen said \"he never did nothin wrong to nobody except his own kinda people\". So with that thinking if you\'re a Rival Trainer or a Horse Playing you\'re fair game.

Fairmont you always know what you are talking about so I figured it was a Cox horse training at say Palm Beach downs when he is stabled at Palm Meadows. Or Gulfstream. Or Payson. He ran two last week 1st off the barn change in the Janus at 5F. His other two starters were 2nds one to Pletcher in a Maiden that was ok. Number came back a 9. The guy is 28% at FG and 64% in the money. Put that in your Trifecta.

At Gulfstream today we have in the 1st Tutta La Vita listed at 5/2 and was placed in Grade 2 company in Australia. Now I dont know who does TG \"Live ground\" over there, perhaps a retired Crockadile Dundee but if those figs are right she looks so strong here I would not be shocked if we see a crazy 6/5. Picks up Irad. This is a find or a fraud.

In the 5th Capture the Flag has an inside post and is as fast, as several others are, as Unit Economics who drew wide. Unit Economics doesnt have to win just because its Chad Brown.

The 7th race is Maiden race at a route and oddly there are only 7 horses entered. Pletcher is the ML favorite with a $700,000 son of Constitution that has nothing in its dam side pedigree that would suggest he is fast. But 3 out of the last 4 works were from the gate. He will be leaving with a purpose. If the Blinkers work, a low percentage change for good guy Ian Wilkes, he runs them down and wins. He too has a nice gate work.

In the 8th Twirling Queen looks very strong at 5 for 5 on Turf or Synthetic. But its been a long year albeit only 6 starts shipping around all over the Country. This is the last chance against 3 year olds and running for a modest $115K. Bob Edwards of e Five has the 1 with Saffie Joseph. If Bob got side swiped off the rode and rolled over in a ditch he would crawl out and find a duffell bag there with $5,000,000 in it. Dude is good but also lucky. A solid family man who really loves racing. He would not shock here.

The 9th is a Handicap on synthetic and Fly the W has run a 4 fourteen times in his career. Exact Estimate never once. Did run a 3 once on turf. There might be 8 horse within a length at the wire here. Jerry the Nipper has never been on synthetic but today they find out. Mike Maker sneaks in here with horse 3rd of the long layoff and is fastest. His win percentage on synthetic (22%) is better than it is on turf. He teamed up with Zayas 2 Saturdays ago for a good priced winner and can do it again here. In a race that is wide open and the value is beating Brown.

Good Luck everyone