It's History

- Saratoga is history now, so there’s no point in me going into the woeful details of my final day there on Sunday. Except to say that it was the 19th day that I had been to at least a portion of a race day there, and I came out with a small but solid profit (with help from the harness track and Arlington Park). The biggest win was just the fact that I was so fortunate to be able to spend so much time there this year, by far the most I’ve ever managed. Not only that, but the fact that I could be there so many days and not have a single rain event is just amazing.

Some notes on the last two days:

- On Sunday, Linda Rice saw her 4-5 Motor City Mouth finish out of the money in the 2nd, but then took revenge with Heresheis ($20.40) and Second In Command ($18.00). Rice ended the meet the same way she started it – with winners. She finished with 7 wins in 35 starters.

- Emboldened after betting successfully against Pletcher’s odds on favorites Ashado and Forest Danger, I bet against Indian Vale (A.P. Indy) in Sunday’s 5th. Now 3 for 3, she's yet another impressive 3 yo filly to emerge on the scene. She faced only four others and wired the outmatched field by more than ten, at 9 furlongs. She didn’t come home too fast, but was not asked to, and the track was pretty slow all day. I’d posted about her second start, when the bettors were skeptical on her first try at a distance and let her go at 4-1, but this time she was 3-10 .

- John Ward sent out the ultra-impressive 2 yo Dr. Pleasure to win his debut last Friday at even money. On Sunday, he sent out a filly named Lovely Dream in a state-bred maiden race, another first timer for owner John Oxley. While Dr. Pleasure was an Oxley home-bred, Lovely Dream was a 2 yo in training purchase earlier this year. Ward is considered one of the best at scoping out horses at sales, and he went to $220,000 for this NY-bred daughter of Freud. She must be really nice looking, because there’s not much pedigree on her dam side. Lovely Dream was bet down to 5-2 second choice, had a shaky start, was 5 wide on the turn, actually had the lead midstretch but couldn’t hold off the persistent favorite Curtana.

- G3 Saranac winner Jambalaya was a $2500 yearling purchase. Owner-trainer Catherine Day-Phillips pledged to donate 10% of the purse to the hurricane relief effort. What a monster on the turf this one has been. He’s by Langfuhr (Danzig), a grandson of Northern Dancer out of a mare by Vice Regent, a son of the same; and he has a third cross of ND thrown in (3x3x5) for good measure.

- Scott Lake saddled Maybry’s Boy to his second win of the meet on Monday (his first was for George Weaver, who virtually disappeared after the first week). It was Lake’s third win of the week, but just his 6th of the meeting in 37 starts.

- Honey Ryder took the G3 Glens Falls, her 4th stakes win (3 graded) of the year, holding off even money favorite Film Maker in an exciting finish, thanks to yet another great ground-saving trip by John Velasquez, who finished second (40) to Edgar Prado (44). Pletcher said that “in a three-turn race, saving ground is obviously crucial. She's a filly that likes to be covered up." [Bloodhorse] Betting from home, I had 6-1 Banyu Dewi, who ran a fine race for third beaten less than a length; but she couldn’t get past the favorites; seemed like a familiar scenario for me of late.

- I cashed on the final race of the meeting. When Mikeymon flipped in the starting gate and was scratched, I was awarded the consolation double of $5.50. I had Run Thruthe Sun in the 9th; Bruce Levine has an excellent record when moving horses up in claiming price by 50%. The conso double covered most of my losses, as once again, I watched as my 7-1 Buxton Hill chased home favorite Retribution. I guess it means I’m doing the right thing; I’m picking live horses pretty consistently. Well, sometimes. If a horse is the favorite off his form, then he/she is going to win if the race goes the way it figures to on paper. So when you bet against such a favorite, unless you've determined it's just a bad one, you’re hoping that something goes wrong – a bad trip, a bad start, a bad headache, just a bad day. In this case I was counting on the favorite’s bad post, and I got the bad start, and lost anyway! But at least I had some consolation.

- I had also bet on Sunday’s first from Del Mar, and was surprised when I learned just today that the event was declared a non-event due to a spill that eliminated all but three of the horses from the seven horse field. Thank heaven for wagering account cards. Here’s the rule, #1554: "In the event of mechanical failure or interference during the running of a race which affects the majority of horses in a race, the stewards may declare the race as no contest." [SignOnSanDiego.com] The track refunded more than $900,000 in bets, less than half of that to me. That rule obviously does not apply to steeplechase races in New York.

- When we got home on Sunday, I was thrilled to learn that I had given out the winner and the triple in the second race from Evangeline. The $180 payoff for the tri was nice too. Thanks to Jessica, Patrick, and Ruben Bailey for participating in the get out the bets effort.