Days 35

Friday January 23:  Really?

WOW.....not once, not twice, but THREE times a longshot was on the lead and my choice was tracking them as the only logical runner who would catch them.  Not once not twice, but three times my rider seemed to have plenty of horse and as they turned for home I cruised up to engage the leader.  Then not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES my horse could not get by!  At even money with a triple investment and then TWICE with a double investment on a runner at 7/2 - ANY of the three win and it's a nice day!  Luckily I was able to salvage the day with a late play at the Fair Grounds.  I had turned on HRTV at noon with the intention of watching "The Player" with Aaron Vercruysee and Jeff Siegle.  I'd met both these guys at the Breeders' Cup in 2013 and I always enjoy their analysis.  Typically they do a rundown of the big races for the weekend and I thought that might be today.  Not so, but in the initial stages of the program they were highlighting what was going on around the country and Siegle mentioned that there was a lot of rain in New Orleans which would take the featured turf sprint off the grass.  He pointed out that this made Bourbon Cowboy and even tougher favorite because in his last he had been a very close second behind multiple stakes winning Cinco Charlie in the Sugarbowl Stakes.  So to run on dirt today, especially against a short field of runners who preferred turf would give him a big edge.  Siegle went so far as to say, ".....I don't see how he loses unless the sloppy going completely alters his form....."  Good enough for me.  I went PRIME TIME - PLUS with a $25 WIN bet.  It was only a five horse field but right away he was behind horses and jockey Miguel Mena took him to the rail.....really?  Asking for trouble.  Sure enough through the turn he had no where to go.  As heads turned for home there was a narrow seam on the rail and Mena headed for it.  But it slammed shut!  He put on the brakes (now we are at the 1/8th pole - lucky the Fair Grounds has a long stretch!) and he makes a right hand turn, splits horses and with clear sailing blows by in the final 16th!  WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!