Day 19

January 1 - Happy New Year!

Today was the day we celebrated Cameron's second birthday and Kim had worked so hard to make it a special day for him by creating a "Cars" themed party, highlighted with several full-sized box-cars.  When he got up from his nap he was so very excited....made it all worthwhile.  I kicked off the new racing year with a 40% day and a flat-bet profit.  My first selection in the second ran third at 9/5, but I made my day with my second selection in the fourth.  It was a claiming event on the turf and Rhythm Queen was sent out by trainer Jane Cibelli.  He was droping from a series of optional-allowance and higher priced claiming events into this $20K spot.  The class drop is a Gulfstream 40% Club move!  Rhythm Queen had won twice over the course last winter, and the fact that Javier Castellano was on board today was an added plus.  Castellano had her in the second flight just a few lengths off the lead as they hit the far turn.  Once heads turned for home he angled her out into the clear and she burst to the front.  Clear by daylight on the wire, WHOOOO HOOOOO! 

And check out the price - a more than generous $7.00 leading to a big cash that would carry the day!  No where to be found with Todd Pletcher's All too Many in a MSW for sophomores on the turf at 7/2.  I went the wrong way in the 7th where I had to choose between Rose Brier and Longhunter, BOTH of whom were Gulfstream 40% Club plays.  Longhunter was a multiple winner over the course for Michael Maker, owners Ken & Sarah Ramsey, and jockey Javier Castellano. He had drawn post 12. Just inside of him was Rose Brier who was being sent out by Cibelli and she had Joel Rosario on board today.  Over the last two winters those two won at a huge 60% clip!  Toss in the fact that his local record was 4/2-2-0 AND had just run second in the $125K Claiming Crown Tiara (earning a 96 BSF).  The final straw was that Longhunter had won every time over the course by gunning to the front and wiring the field.  He faced other speed and was drawn well outside....I went with Rose Brier.  For the first time in his career Longhunter rated off the pace and got the jump on my top pick and sprinted to the wire clear of the late-running Rose and my top picks finished 1-2, in the wrong order.  I closed the day out with a scintillating win by Lady Shipman in a turf sprint against entry level allowance company.  I was hoping for a better price because (a) she was exiting a maiden win facing winners for the first time, (b) faced what looked like a lot of pace pressure today, and (c) had drawn the outside post today.  But in my mind, if she set anything close to the :21.4 and :45.1 pace she had last out she would be long gone.  An 80-1 longshot from the inside bolted to the front and Lady Shipman was right on her hip through a :21.4 opening quarter, but as they passed the half-mile pole the teletimer registered :44.4 and Lady Shipman had a head in front.  No one in the field could handle those kind of pace numbers and she drew off with authority!  The 8/5 price got me a little less than $15 and I closed the day out with 2 wins from 5 picks, 40%!