Day 47

A Quick Start To Sunday - A VERY Good Week Ends

After the big winning day Friday, followed up by FIVE more wins at Gulfstream on Donn Day I seemed to be on a real roll heading into today.  Sure enough, in the opener my top selection won - though I didn't bet; then I won the second when Desert Valley just WALKED with the race, justifying her 3/5 odds-on status. 

I passed the third (my second choice won) and then in the fourth it was an entry level allowance for three-year-olds.  Todd Pletcher not only makes his living off of maiden three-year-olds here at Gulfstream, but he consistently takes all of these with runners that were good as two-year-olds and are making their sophomore debut.  The problem here - and as I've mentioned before, this seems to be happening a lot this year - there were TWO Pletcher colts in here.  Blame Jim was a Michael Repole home-bred who had wired his debut field at Saratoga.  The runner-up that day, Bold Conquest came back to score and then was second in a Grade 3 then third in a Grade 1.  The "other" Pletcher colt was Stanford who had been a $550K Barretts graduate that also scored in his debut.  The runner-up from that race had come back to score and won an allowance before being entered in a listed stakes yesterday on the Donn undercard.  The show runner was also an impressive recent winner after being moved into the Pletcher barn.  Stanford exited his maiden win to run in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, but bobbled at the start and just jogged around the track.  The problem was that if you went off their comparable maiden wins, the speed figure Stanford had earned was really subpar.  On numbers you'd have to back Blame Jim, but the fact that top rider Javier Castellano was on Stanford was telling to me, and the deciding factor.  As they spun out of the turn Blame Jim - who was the even money favorite - had moved to a clear lead, but Castellano had Stanford moving with dead aim on his stablemate.  They hooked up as they straightened for home ...... but instead of a duel, Stanford ran right by!  WHOOOO HOOOOO!  T

wo wins from two selections to start the day and I cashed for nearly $30 on Stanford.  But the rest of the Sunday card was disappointing.  Xtra Spice was sent off as the 3/5 favorite in the 5th, a MSW event and she was coming off a troubled start.  Second best;  C. Zee rated off the pace at 7/5 in the 7th, second best when five wide turning for home.  Pletcher's first-time starter, $725K Keeneland grad Don'tforgetaboutme ran evenly to be fourth.  Moonlight Bandit tracked, no late bid, third at 9/2.  Sixth at 15/1 and in the finale Castellano was second best at 9/5.  Two of my horses got beat by "go figure" runners at $30 and $50 today.....so it goes.  Still the numbers for the week were excellent:

Week 10 Highlights