Day 71

Disney Day #2

THREE WINS To Close The Week

Today we were off to Disney's Hollywood Studios for our second day of the Disney weekend.  The highlights of the day came at the very beginning when we went on the signature attraction, "The Tower of Terror" and posed for a family pic (which was the BEST photo of the weekend), and then at the end of the day when we went to the "Lights, Motors, Action" Car Stunt Show, followed by dinner at the "Prime Time Café" where it's like eating in the kitchen of a 1950s-1960s All-American home (much like my grandmother's or my own childhood home) and all the waitresses are in character as "your mom."  We were given the "rules of the kitchen" which included my having to remove my hat and all of us taking our elbows off the table.  For all the pictures of the great day (and two videos) go here:  Disney Day #2: Hollywood Studios

Kim and I said good-bye to the kids and got in my cool Nissan 370-Z sports car at 7:30 pm and were home by 10:45 pm.  I then went online and watched the replays from the races Sunday.  I missed with my first two selections, both minimum investments when Hardly ran 4th at 5/2 and Hobbs was second at the same price.  In the fifth I liked first-time starter Munasara in a Maiden Special for sophomores.  He stalked the leader into the stretch then took over as much the best.  Bet way down to 4/5 I cashed for less than $10, but..... a win is a win. 

In the sixth Startk Ravin' Ready was a GP 40% Club play from the Kirk Ziadie barn, but was a dismal 15th at 3/1.  Wow.  The race that made the difference in the bottom linewas next.  On the turf I doubled the be on Michael Maker's Reach For A Kitten.  He'd been listed at 30/1 in the DRF, which I knew was completely out of line.  But I also thought he would NOT be the favorite.  He was close to the pace through the turn, the took a narrow lead into the stretch.  He looked clear at the 16th pole, but the horse he'd collared late would not give up and surged late......PHOTO FINISH! 

Oh so close.  At 9/2 I would have cashed for over $50 and made money on the day.  I scored my second win of the day in the 9th.  Fashion Fund was my "BEST" of the day.  She got top rider Javier Castellano, who had flown around the world from Dubai and arrived here at Gulfstream shortly before the race.  The Beyers that Fashion Fund routinely ran were equal to/better than the lifetime best earned by her rivals.  She pressed the pace to the stretch and then set sail for the wire clear on the lead. 

She paid a more than fair $4.40, so I collected well over $40.  AND it was Castellano's 100th win of the meet - the fourth consecutive season he'd achieved that level of success!  I was a disappointing second in the 10th when 8/5 Trophee was pinned on the rail and never give a chance to run.  That race in a nutshell exemplifies the current difference between the top two riders for Todd Pletcher - John Velazquez often doesn't give his horses their best shot while you can always count on Castellano to have his horse in a position to win if good enough.  In the 11th, my final ply of the day I liked Todd Pletchers' returnee Rock Fall.  He was off slowly but blew by the field on the turn while 4-wide and held the field safe through the lane.  Even money got me back a little more than $20.  So, 9/3-3-1 for the day and a GREAT weekend at Disney.

 

Week 15's Highlights