Day 7

Sunday December 14

Still glowing from the HUGE Saturday I had six selections on the Sunday card.  I thought I had one really strong selection, two "Club" selections that I should hit one of, and a big longshot to close the afternoon.  At the end of the day I only had added one winner to the spread sheet.  In the opener I did not have a bet and my top choice did not win, but my second choice DID score at 27/1.....wow, would have liked to have put that one on top.  In the second I was a dismal 9th at 3/1 but I was nearly certain I was poised to win the third where Value Voucher was the heavy 3/5 chalk.  He had dueled through a :45 half mile at Keeneland last out in MSW company and today dropped into a maiden claimer for trainer Larry Rivelli - that's a 47% winning angle according to the DRF.  But Value Voucher broke a bit slowly, rushed up to third and was poised to go by, but had no stretch punch....evenly to be third.  In the fifth I had a Gulfstream Park 40% Club move with Michael Maker teaming with Javier Castellano on March Reward.  It was a starter optional claimer going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.  Castellano was in tight early AND down the backstretch, but rallied through the turn.  Then he split horses entering the stretch and was J-U-S-T up in time! 

He was the second choice at 5/2, so I cashed for close to $20.  In the seventh my pick, Lady Anita was a big 7/1 and was in second heading into the stretch and I had high hopes....but she stopped badly to finish a well-beaten ninth.  In the 9th Whiskey Tap was a Gulfstream 40% Club for trainer Saffie Joseph - over the last four years he's won five-of-nine times when sending a dirt runner out that is stretching out in distance.  In addition he was 7-for-17 with class droppers (41%).  AND he'd already proven able to win at today's one-turn mile.  He was 2/1 at post time and was close up through the turn, but was in tight in mid-stretch and had no late punch, seventh.  In the finale I tabbed Paco Lopez on Scorched Cat listed at a big 15/1 in the program.  He looked to be the sneaky speed of the race and I recalled a big score last year with just this kind of situation.  Scorched Cat went off at 7/1 but was outrun to the turn.  Still Lopez smartly sat close up to the longshot and as they turned for home he was in prime position.  The winner got the jump on him but he was a solid second.  A little disappointing, but it was a great week with a solid Wednesday, a BIG Thursday, and a HUGE Saturday.

This week we have a special bonus day of racing on Tuesday and then Kim and I leave on a Holiday Caribbean Cruise Thursday afternoon.  But as I said in the video on Saturday, you can count on my making some racing investments from the ship!