Day 36

Holy Bull Stakes Day

I would have liked to have made plans to be on track for this first big day for the sophomores, but two things were working against that happening.  First, I had my second procedure on my head Tuesday for removal of basal cell tissue.  And while it all went well, I just didn't feel 100% all week.  On Wednesday night Kim & I took our friend Elaine to see the Broadway production of the "The Lion King" and when we got home I just was "off" - and I was afraid a full day at the races was just pushing it.  Secondly, the weather forecast was for rain to move through the area on Saturday then have a real chill down on Sunday under sunny skies.  So I planned to head out tomorrow.  Because we didn't have any plans for Saturday, after I completed my handicapping of the Gulfstream card I followed my fall plan and downloaded a stakes-exclusive racing form from Brisnet.  This left me with a line-up of seventeen races to bet online.  The first three races did not go well, though in the first two you could make the argument that I should not have had expectations.  In Gulfstream's first my horse was a whopping 75/1.  I had thought he'd be 5/2 after the DRF made him 10/1.  I obviously mis-judged him.  Though to be fair heading into the far turn he was close enough if good enough.  No bet in the second; in the third I had a Javier Castellano runner for trainer Michael Maker.  I mocked the DRF for making these guys 12/1....but they went to the post at 17/1 and finished 9th.  Then in the fourth, Todd Pletcher sent out Overcontrol off a powerful maiden debut here.  He was the heavy 1/1 favorite.  But after pressing the pace to the turn he tossed out the anchor and sank to the back of the field to finish a dismal 9th.  WOW, didn't see that coming!  I passed the fifth and now we came to the 6th, a Maiden Special for three-year-olds.  And like so many of these this winter Pletcher had two that both looked good.  I went against Porch Pounder who was a $500K purchase and went with Khozan, a $1 million sales grad, ridden by Javier Castellano.  Now on just that info, who in their right mind would make them both 20/1 on their line?  I doubled the bet on Khozan who broke sharply and though wide, moved comfortably within striking range on the turn and then ran away from the field!  WHOOOOO HOOOOOO! 

The $5.80 payoff netted me $29 and just like that I was nearly even again.  Now it was time for the stakes action and I was "ready to rumble!!!!"  Sigh.....nothing but disappointment - 6th in the Grade 3 Hutcheson, 7th in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant, 7th in the Grade 2 Forward Gal, and 6th in the Kitten's Joy.  Meanwhile at Tampa - after one of my three stakes runners scratched - I was equally disappointed:  3rd in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay (after leading under a strong hold into the lane) and 3rd again in the Pelican Stakes;  at Santa Anita it was "longshot day" as big prices paid off all day - unbeaten Acceptance was 4th at 1/2, Heat Trap was 5th as the 2/1 favorite in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint, and San Onofre was 2nd at 3/5 in the Cal Cup Sprint.  It made for a L-O-N-G afternoon.  But sandwiched in the middle was THE race of the day on the national scene, the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream.  This is the first real prep for 3-year-olds as they head towards the Florida Derby and onto the Kentucky Derby.  I looked over the field and thought it looked fairly obvious - Upstart had dominated state-bred MSW juveniles at the Spa this summer in his debut and then came right back to run all over his foes in the state-bred Funny Cide Stakes also at Saratoga.  Now, any two-year-old that wins impressively at Saratoga has got talent, even if those races were NY-bred races.  He'd get his acid test in the Grade 1 Champagne.  Daredevil, a Todd Pletcher colt, ran the fastest Beyer figure of the year for a two-year-old and dazzled....but Upstart was clearly the best of the rest in second.  Good enough for trainer Rick Violette to take his rising star out west to Santa Anita for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.  He had a wide draw and was bumped as he was making his move into the lane, but still was in second as Texas Red ran by them all in a scintillating performance.  Right on the wire Pletcher's other star, Carpe Diem rallied to nip Upstart for second.  So here's a colt with two wins to start his career then excellent second & third place finishes in back-to-back Grade 1 events.  AND he was working great.  What's not to like?  Duh.  But the crowd, and many handicappers liked Kiaran McLaughlin's Frosted.  He'd won in his debut then second time out was second in the Grade 2 Remsen despite a wide draw and trip.  He drew the rail and figured to have the early jump on Upstart.  I just didn't see it.  The crowd bet Frosted early, then they were both 9/5 with about five minutes to post time.  But as they left the gate Frosted took late action and was 3/2 while Upstart floated up to a generous 2/1.  As I thought, Frosted was not quick enough to make the lead so he was shuffled back.  Upstart was away smoothly and today was a close-up third.  I knew as they hit the backstretch that if he was as talented as I thought he was, this race was already over......and I was RIGHT!  As they hit the far turn Frosted was spinning his wheels in fourth while Upstart took flight for the wire!  The favorites finished 1-2, but it was a LONG way back to the runner-up as Upstart dominated!

Upstart RUNS AWAY IN GR 2 HOLY BULL

I had gone "prime time" on him and cashed for over $60!  WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!  That big win carried me through the day as I lost all those other stakes races.  I had three selections left, all at Sam Houston Park where it was their signature night.  They were hosting the Houston Ladies' Classic with several big-name fillies, but I didn't like any of them.  BUT, on the stakes undercard I had three plays.  In the Turf Sprint Heitai just looked WAY too quick for his competition; in the Allen's Landing for sophomores Al Stall's Exodus reminded me oh-so-much of his colt a few years ago, Departed, who became a multiple stakes winner; and in the lone graded event, the Grade 3 John Connally Turf Cup I thought Ken & Sarah Ramsey's Coalport, trained by Michael Maker was a standout - I made him my "best" of the evening.  Heitai broke slowly but before they'd gone a quarter of a mile he was in front.  Against stronger rivals I think they might have made him pay for the tardy beginning, but not tonight.  Still clear by a length on the wire.  Exodus was 9/2 in the program and I was hoping maybe we'd get 5/2 - no such luck as everyone who could read the Daily Racing Form saw what I did and he ran away from these as the heavy 2/5 favorite.  Finally in the Connally I thought Coalport would track the leaders, but right out of the gate he was quickly two in front and the race was for all intents and purposes over.  He took them gate-to-wire without ever taking a deep breath! 

So with these three straight wins I finished 5-for-17, a solid 29% on the day!