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Saturday, February 06, 2010

Soldiering On To Gulfstream

In the 8th on Saturday, Soldier Field (4-1) makes his three-year old debut for Mott; and this is the kind of horse I can fall in love with instantly just upon seeing its past performance lines for the first time. Some people get turned on by horses that open up with high speed early and hang on late. But it's the ones who are coming at the end with dramatic late runs that get me excited; especially the young ones with seemingly unlimited promise rather than question marks as the distances start to stretch out.

This son of More Than Ready was four wide around the turn while rallying from 9th in his last, at Churchill in November; he ran greenly after turning for home, but changed leads and got down to business midstretch. He was on his way to victory when carried out by the unofficial winner, and finished just in front of Maximus Ruler, subsequently second in the Lecomte with an 87 Beyer. Mott has been sharp at this meet recently off similar layoffs, winning with Comic Marvel and Drosselmeyer last weekend, and a close second in the marathon turf feature the other day with Kiawah Cat. Soldier Field figures to love the extra distance of this mile race. Can't say that for sure about Overcommunication (3-1) or Wildcat Frankie (9-5), both stretching out from six furlongs.

In the 11th, the G3 Suwannee River, let's take a shot with Indigo River (12-1) in a very moderate field - the top four choices in the morning line are a combined 0 for 16 in graded stakes. This daughter of Grand Slam made her grass debut off a 2 1/2 month layoff on this track last month after an improving sequence of form on the Poly at Woodbine. Far back entering the turn, she took off and made a wide run to contention, a good six wide turning for home. She finished with good energy for third, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths by Sunshine Millions F&M Turf winner Tight Precision; and a length behind Cherokee Queen, a next-out allowance winner with a 93 Beyer. That number could very well win this race, and it wouldn't take too much for this filly to reach that level in her second off the layoff, and with a grass race under her belt. Lemonette (5-1) is the most consistent horse Beyer-wise, and retained sharp form off a freshening with a nice win at Tampa. Long Approach (7-2) hasn't won since Sept, 2007, and is 0 for 7 in graded stakes; looks vulnerable as the morning line favorite here.

11 Comments:

steve in nc said...

Playing SA today, so no critique of your pix.

Race 3 at SA looks to be one of the most evenly matched groups (good job done with the weights in this handicap) I've seen in a long time. With the switch off turf and a start right near the turn, I'm hoping for a decent price on Sudden War as an unproved commodity.

I played Gallant Son to improve second off the layoff last out but the pace crawled and he had no shot. I'll try him again in the Strub although no assurance of a decent pace there either. At least I'm assured of a price in a lackluster field.

Discreet Cat, what's the view from CA?

Anonymous said...

hey Alan I would suggest to you to give out your picks and comments on Beaulah Park. You might be better off.

Anonymous said...

Hey Steve - how is that single payer system working out? Before the last election you stated that Obama didn't want a single payer system. Have you wised up yet.

Mott is 4 for 47 at Gulfstream. Alan's horse will be trying to close into a speed bias. Good luck.

Santa Anita is closed today. Good thing the state of California made the tracks go to a plastic surface. Anything the state does fails.

DiscreetPicks said...

That's what the site is for, lol. Let's just say I wouldn't be shocked of Blind Luck gets beat today.

Anonymous, where are you seeing that Santa Anita is closed??? I was just on the Santa Anita website, and there's nothing posted about it there. In fact, I just submitted my pick for the WinVivor contest.

steve in nc said...

The SA closing is reported on DRF's website. SA didn't bother to put it on their website. Anon, is that Schwartznegger's fault?

Anon, what is your source of info stating that Obama is trying to get single payer? Most of us who don't get all our news from Fox or tea party e-mails are aware that single payer advocates had to scream and beg just to get to talk in some hearings. The admin & congress made it clear that single-payer was a no go, so many progressives are really pissed at both.

All those polls aren't wrong about public opposition to the current health bills in both houses. But what isn't often reported is that 10-15% of those saying they oppose the plans do so because they don't go far enough, not because they fear government intervention.

Discreet, sorry but win or lose, the fun in this game is doing my own handicapping. I pay enough for data that I use. I don't want to also pay for someone else's picks no matter how well they do. But since you sometimes chat here, I just wanted to chat with you. I agree that Blind Luck looks vulnerable whenever they do run that race, although Bejarano choosing him makes me hesitate about big bets against.

DiscreetPicks said...

I can respect that. Since there's no racing today after all, i can tell you that i was on the Sadler filly Crisp in the Las Virgenes. I gave her out in the Santa Ysabel based on what i considered a monstrous effort in her maiden win (go check out the replay on CalRacing). And she certainly did nothing in the Santa Ysabel to diminish my opinion of her. I think she's a star in the making, and she definitely would've offered good value today as Blind Luck got bet down to 2/5 or whatever.

PS - While you're checking out the replays, take a look at Tribalicious, who was entered in Race 2 today. Definitely more there than you can see in the PP's; i was going to be on him today as well.

steve in nc said...

Ah, and I was on Sadler's other filly, since I emphasize speed figs a lot. Thanks for the response and I will check out that replay.

I'm glad at least the Sheets will give me credit for today's SA races. Wish the DRF on-line would do the same.

Alan Mann said...

Tsk tsk Steve, of course Obama wants a single payer plan. What do you expect from a Socialist Muslim who's not even a US citizen!

Anonymous said...

Obama is Alan's type of Marxist. NOBODY wants his takeover of healthcare. Did you or Marxist Alan see the Massachusetts results?

Obama's doing a great job with the economy. Hugh debt and no jobs.

Alan can go back to watching Oberman while he is still on. Don't like the tea party Alan - too bad. They have every right to exists just like your boy Shummer. Get used to it Alan - you are a true Marxist.

steve in nc said...

Anon, until you've actually read Marx (and what Obama is actually calling for), stop with the namecalling.

Rush, Beck and O'Reilly have a reason for doing it. They get paid millions to say hot stuff, true or not, half of which they don't believe, that gets people to talk and tune in.

They know they can count on people who don't read and are scared of people who look different to believe them and respond.

You brought up Massachusetts. Are you aware that the Bay State already has government subsidized near universal health care. A plan more socialist than the ones pending in Congress? And that the polls show that most people there support it?

No? Go go read up. Thanks to the government, you can read up for free at the public library - a communist institution in the truest sense of the word. You don't believe me? Then read up so you'll know the meaning of the words you love to use.

Anonymous said...

Dwight Eisenhower and Colin Powell. What kind of health coverage did they have?

RG