Day 44

February 5 - One Winner

After the big day of handicapping on Wednesday today was a disappointment.  The best thing about today's racing was my decision to NOT go for the races.  I had originally had six selections and had thought about heading out around 2 pm to watch them all run.  But then I heard the weather forecast was for a rainy day.  It poured early in the morning and we were off the turf.  So I lost one top pick for that reason and then my top selection in the 6th scratched.  I would have been doing a lot of just sitting had I gone.  I passed the first three, had the scratch in the fourth, and passed the fifth.  In the fifth Purpose was bet down to 3/5 and was never a threat, fourth.  The sixth was my scratch out of the race and I passed the seventh.  Looked like I might get things going in the 8th when I scored with Mach My Day.  She was the 5/2 second choice in this maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies.  I thought she stood a good chance as a debut runner because she was facing six foes who had been beaten a combined 90 lengths in their last - yes, ninety.  And the other starter was a first-timer who appeared to have little chance.  Mach My Day broke sharply, dueled and put that rival away heading into the lane.  When a late runner came to her jockey Paco Lopez pushed her and she dug in to hold on all the way to the wire. 

I had two "solid" picks that figured to be short-priced favorites in the 9th and 10th, but both misfired.  My Cousin Fay got top rider Javier Castellano.  Two back she'd dropped in company and stretched out to this one-turn mile distance and had sparkled wire-to-wire.  After trying to sprint six furlongs against better today she dropped below that previous winning level and back to the one-turn mile.  LONG gone I thought.  Quickly I knew I was in trouble when she didn't make the lead and then after trying to stalk the pace she dropped out of the TV picture by the time they hit the turn.  In the 10th it was my "BET of the Day."  Wind Racer had looked every bit of a future stakes star in her debut win where she earned a 94 figure.  She was a daughter of champion Curlin for Stonestreet Stable and also had Castellano.  I didn't expect her to be on the lead, but did expect her to stalk the lead.....and she did.  The pace was set by a 30/1 outsider, but when they hit the turn that filly was under a hand ride and Wind Racer was being hard ridden.  I'm in big trouble.  She outgamed the second choice in the wagering for second money, but decisively beaten by the longshot who romped as much the best.  Not the way I'd seen today going.