Day 17

UPSET WINNER Makes The Day!

Close Week 4 With Nice Profit

Today, Sunday, we spent the morning in Orlando and then we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale as our daughter Julie was heading over for her holiday visit; and tomorrow our grandson Cameron and his parents (our oldest son Jeff & his wife Antoinette) arrive.  I had six plays on the Sunday card......in the 3rd I went against the odds-on favorite, Lassofthemohicans who had been second in all three starts.  She was tons the best at 1/5 while my pick ran 6th at 7/1.  In the 4th I was 8/1 and pressing the leaders to the top of the stretch before weakening to 7th.  Then came the fifth race, a Maiden Claiming event on the turf.  As I scanned through the field I came to #8 Flight To Quality and it was just a "duh" - Todd Pletcher with Javier Castellano on a MSW class dropper!  I knew he wouldn't be the favorite because turf routes are not where Pletcher excels, but it is also where you can often get a nice price.  The DRF linemaker, nearly always WAY off in his numbers listed him at 10/1.  As I wrote, he wouldn't be that high, but he wouldn't be the favorite either.  Right out of the gate I knew I was in good shape.  He was away sharply and pressing a longshot leader who had no chance, while daylight clear of the field.  As they spun out of the turn he opened up and ran clear to the wire.  Talbot County came late to maybe give you an anxious moment, but it was never in doubt.....and note this one was my second choice in my analysis (20/1 according to the DRF). 

The payoff was an amazing $13.00 and I was cashing for $65!  I am guaranteed to profit on the day regardless of how the rest of the day goes!  In the sixth I liked Indian Brut who was listed at 10/1 by the DRF.  She was third to a future stakes winner in her 2013 debut, then came back just three weeks ago with  smashing win.  A blazing bullet work in :59 said she would be sharp for Castellano today.  Nothing like the 10/1 price she was the chalky 4/5 favorite, but chased the winner all the way around the track to be a best-of-the-rest second.  In the eighth I liked Dark Cove who was last seen winning back-to-back-to-back graded stakes in the summer of 2013.  He'd worked well and I thought his class would carry him in this allowance spot.  He was in a good stalking spot as they hit the turn, but as he began to accelerate he checked not once, but twice.  Finished strongly but too late to be fourth.  In the finale I had picked Purely Boy who had won four straight since moving into the Jason Servis barn.  He seemed an obvious winner, especially with a turf career resume of 6/4-1-0.  As they turned for home he was stuck behind horses, but found  seam with a furlong to go and dueled with Kitten In May (with Castellano).  In the final fifty yards he edged to the front for Paco Lopez and I had my second winner of the day. 

The crowd had let him go off at a very sweet 3/1 and I cashed for more than $20!  So for the day I was 2-for-6 and profited over $25!

Week 4 In Review: