Wow. Well, the best way to describe the day is that if there is ANY kind of trouble or bad luck a thoroughbred can get into while racing, they ALL happened to me today. Have to admit that it was a disappointing day from a handicapping standpoint. But I will add that I enjoyed the racing adventure. As you can see we were all decked out for the day, and that was one thing I really enjoyed - not only were we dressed up but I saw many others in the clubhouse who were also sporting their racing fashion finest! We arrived early at the Fair Grounds thinking there would be traffic of some kind and at least a big crowd. And while I knew the track was near our bed & breakfast I didn't know how near. Turns out it was less than a mile and a half and we could have walked it! In fact our hosts at the bed & breakfast told us that they have some regular guests that come in early summer for the "Jazz Fest" held at the track and they walk every day! After walking around an seeing the facility we settled into our seats and Ed began pouring over the analysis I'd written. Again poor Peggy didn't feel well enough to join us :( I will say up front that I don't have anything to say about the races here locally - didn't score in a single one of them. Typical of the day was in the fourth, my "BEST" of the day Delauney held a Fair Grounds record of 7/6-1-0 and was a ten-time winner at the distance. Of the Beyers listed in the 70 races of his rivals there were two triple digits; meanwhile Delauney had eight of his twelve races with a 100 or better. The only way I could see him losing was if he dueled on the front end and then Too Dim could run him down with a rally. But as post time approached the crowd was betting the other speed horse. I even said to Kim and Ed as the horses approached the gate that I didn't understand the crowd because there was NO WAY that horse could go wire to wire. Delauney was 2/5 at post time. But sure enough that front runner went right to the lead and never looked back. Wow. So, let's focus on the Gulfstream races which have more stories, and what stories to tell......
I thought it was going to be a great day because in the opener at Gulfstream I liked Empire Knight. He'd won a two-lifetime event and was claimed by Michael Maker. He confidently moved him up to an open $50K spot and he'd won again. Today he moved him up to an entry-level allowance and with top jockey Javier Castellano on board I thought he would be odds-on. Instead he left the gate at 2/1. He split horses at the top of the stretch and drew off. The winning payoff was a remarkable $6.60 and I was starting the day with a $33 winning ticket. NICE!
In the fourth race, the first of the eight stakes races, Wedding Toast was the 4/5 favorite in the Grade 3 Rampart. While she'd only been out once since the fall, it was a sharp listed stakes win here and her only career loss had been to multiple Grade 1 winner Princess of Sylmar in New York. The second choice for me was House Rules who loves this track and is a Todd Pletcher runner. But, four of the last five figures earned by Wedding Toast would take a career best by House Rules to compete. AND Wedding Toast looked like the clear speed. That's the way the race went until mid stretch when she weakened and House Rules ranged up. But she cut off a longshot who was squeezed between the two favorites, and I thought this also impeded my pick. Seemed like a logical DQ, especially when they showed the head-on. But the stewards let House Rules victory stand. I told Kim afterwards that it seemed like since it was a Todd Pletcher horse they'd looked the other way. Wouldn't have done me any good since Wedding Toast was bobbed out of second on the wire. In the Grade 3 Very One Riposte was the LONE speed and set ridiculous pace figures of :26.4 and :53.3, followed by a pedestrian 1:20 clocking for six furlongs while loose on the lead. As they turned for home and began the wild sprint I was certain I'd win. But my second choice ran right by to win. Wow. In the 6th, the Grade 3 Gulfstream Sprint I realized that Mean Season was a gamble - he'd been sensational in three NY sprints, but was often on the shelf. If able to run to his numbers he'd be long gone. He led them into the turn in hand and stopped badly. Then the REALLY bad luck began. The 7th was the Gulfstream Ladies Turf Sprint and Good Deed just laid over the field. She was ultra-quick but didn't have to lead, she could sit just off the pace. She had sizzled in back-to-back Fair Ground Turf sprints leading into this spot. NONE of the 155 races run by her rivals matched her back-to-back 97 Beyers in her last two and she was 5/4-1-0 in turf sprints. The trouble started when as they came out of the gate she was squeezed back from both sides and was quickly 10th! She began moving up rapidly as they approached the far turn, only to be shut off, again. As the field turned for home she was still in mid-pack but then was unleashed! She was F-L-Y-I-N-G up the rail and the longshot leader was drifting out towards the outer rail with each stride. It looked like she would easily catch her but the leader fought on.....PHOTO FINISH! UGH. If I had any luck other than bad luck I'd have been the winner. 
The next big stakes was the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida. I told Kim that with all the bad karma of the day I was about to find out was it just a day to shrug it all off as an impossible to win day. My pick in the Mac Diarmida was Main Sequence. All he'd done since arriving in North America last summer was win not one, not two, not three, but four Grade 1 events including the Breeders' Cup Turf. His most logical rival today was Twilight Eclipse who loves the Gulfstream turf and had Javier Castellano. BUT.....in ALL FOUR of those Grade 1 wins, Twilight Eclipse had been beaten by Main Sequence. AND this was the kicker.....the trainer for that Twilight Eclipse is 0-for-50 heading into today. If he beats my horse, the Eclipse Award winner, well I don't have any hope of winning today! Sure enough as they turned for home Main Sequence was still in mid-pack with, as track announcer Larry Colmus called, "....work to do!" But approaching the 16th pole, with Twilight Eclipse in front (sigh!) jockey Rajiv Maragh simply shook the reigns and oh my.....the acceleration was immediate and devastating. In an eye blink he was in front and cruising under a hand ride to the wire. The last time I saw anything like that was Goldikova's third win in the Breeders' Cup Mile. Breathtaking.
I had $50 to win - and I must say I was proud of myself to stick with my bet and not let my confidence be shaken. Cashed for $85 and I thought, "here we go!" But no. In the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Jack Milton went to his knees out of the gate. Wow-squared. Followed at the Fair Grounds by my pick running away from the field in the stretch but unable to catch the 13/1 loose-on-the-lead front runner. Then it was time for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Honestly I thought this was a good spot to go against the Holy Bull winner Upstart. Even hsi trainer said he wouldn't be surprised if he regressed a little today after running that 106 Beyer last out. But even a step backwards of multiple lengths would STILL put him in the winner's circle. And the horse I liked second best, Todd Pletcher's unbeaten Itsaknockout, was only a two-time winner making his first start in stakes company. As they turned for home Upstart was gathering momentum and Itsaknockout was following him. A longshot on the rail came out and bumped Upstart who was knocked briefly into Itsaknockout. But he regathered himself and easily drew off to win by daylight. My prime time investment was going to pay off close to $40.
But, wait a tic........INQUIRY / OBJECTION. I watched the replay and at best it was an iffy call. It seemed clear (you'll have to watch the video on my weekly highlight in tomorrow's journal) that when Upstart "bothered" Itsaknockout he was already clear of that one. That seems obvious from these still photos I think.
But no, the stewards took him down. And again I told Kim that I'd hate to think that Upstart, as a New York based horse for a New York based trainer was given the shaft in favor of 11-time training champion Todd Pletcher and locally based Itsaknockout. Bad call I thought. But wait, it gets worse. How is that possible you might ask. Well, in the finale, one of my top plays at Gulfstream, Dreaming of Gold was running in a Maiden Special for 3yo on the turf. Castellano was riding for Michael Maker, a GP 40% Club angle. 'Gold was cruising along in third on the rail easily the best horse in the field at 6/5, when suddenly he was checked hard losing about eight lengths. But Castellano wasn't about to take that sitting down and he moved 'Gold wide into the lane and had him flying. There was a stretch duel through the final 16th and he just missed. Sigh.......but again, wait a tic - INQUIRY / OBJECTION! When I saw the replay (again, watch in the video tomorrow) I said out loud, "Oh wow!" Very obvious interference as not once but TWICE the winner not brushed, not bumped, but SLAMMED into Dreaming of Gold. See the stills:
Compared to the "trouble" that Upstart was found guilty of this was racing karma for me to get my money back. A CLEAR DQ. You have to know how the story turns out. No change in the order. Seriously? Unbelievable. And so the day ended with only two tickets cashed. But again, I truly did enjoy the day from a "Racing Adventure" point of view, and Ed came out $0.90 ahead :) Here are some pics from the day....
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