May 30

BEST BET WINS / 2-for-4....Another 50% DAY!

It was a Friday Twilight racing card that opened the second half of the Churchill meeting today.  My first play of the week was in the 2nd where I liked Aroney, who had Rosie Napravnik riding for Tom Amos.  But it was a short four-horse field and the winner was loose on an easy lead - third at 2/1.  In the next I liked Shannon Nicole who was a CD 40% Club play with Rosie up for Michael Maker.  Stalked the leaders, split horses into the lane with a threatening move, but could not get to the 3/5 front runner, second again to a loose on the lead runner.  Finally scored my first win of the week in the sixth with Adios West, a juvenile who was exiting a troubled debut for trainer Steve Asmussen.  He was on the rail for his debut, broke cleanly but was bumped hard and then checked coming trough the turn.  Today he was dropping from MSW company in for a $20K tag and all of that would have made him a winning pick, but more importantly, the combined record of the other trainers was a lowly two-for-thirty-four, while Asmussen was ELEVEN-for-thirty-five!  Adios West broke sharply, dueled to the stretch and then drew off to score handily!  The crowd wasn't fooled and sent him off as the 4/5 favorite, but still I'd argue that was more than generous and I cashed for nearly $20. 


It was a sloppy track today with lots of rain in the Louisville area, so we were off the turf, and with that move I lost my pick in the 7th.  My "BEST" of the day was in the ninth, the featured allowance going a one-turn mile.  My son Jeff was playing along today and he asked about the off track being ok for our filly.  The Tomlinson figures for the off track was well over 400, which is a very positive rating.  The pick was Awesome Jill, and ironically, or maybe not, she was also the top choice of track handicapper Jill Byrne!  For me, Jill - the filly - was the pick because she was second off the layoff, having run on Oaks Day.  She was second that day in an effort that in and of itself would have pointed her out today, but the winner that day came right back to score making it a KEY race.  That would have made her a solid pick.  But that win had come in the Grade 3 Winning Colors last Monday....ultra-KEY race!  Trainer Michelle Lovell was winning 31% stretching horses out like this at a BIG $4.35 ROI.  And finally, not only had the winner come back to score in that graded stakes, but the third place horse right behind Awesome Jill had ALSO come back to score!  The gates sprung open and Awesome Jill broke a step slowly, but by the time they had left the chute and bent leftward onto the main track she was dueling on the lead.  Kim and I were on our way to a gradation party downtown on the water, but through the wonder of technology I was listening and "watching" (at each traffic light) he race via twinspires.com on my phone.  I saw her move to the front and as we pulled into traffic track announcer Larry Colmus called the half-mile fraction
in a sizzling :45 and change.  Kim said, "too fast?" - "yes, way too fast" I replied.  I thought we'd get inhaled as they moved to the stretch.  As sure enough as they came out of the turn Awesome Jill was confronted by not one, but two challengers right to her throat-latch, and another moving up the rail!  I wasn't seeing this, but listening to the description I knew we were in trouble.  Instead, Jill found another gear and accelerated away from the field to clear by two lengths.  She looked to be tiring and a closer was FLYING down the middle of the track, but too late, we were home free across the wire! 

The winning payoff of $4.80 let me cash for nearly $50 (and Jeff also) and made for a winning day to start off the week!