Arlington Million Weekend
August 15-17
Friday August 15
My second big adventure of the summer began early Friday morning when I left for the Ft. Lauderdale airport around 5 am for a 7 am flight. I was a little concerned about the line to go through security after the LONG wait I'd had when flying to New Jersey for Haskell weekend, but not only were there many more parking spots available, but the line was very short. I was at the gate and ready to go about an hour before we boarded. The flight took off just as the sun was beginning to rise over the trees and we landed in Baltimore a little early.
As we landed I thought about my planned May adventure to the Preakness here in Maryland and made a note to myself to investigate perhaps staying a little longer somewhere on Maryland's Eastern Shore. I had less than an hour before take-off on the connecting flight to Chicago and soon I was on my way again. As we had made our descent into Baltimore the pilot had announced the weather in Baltimore as being 66 degrees. I was excited that maybe we'd get similar weather in Chicago, and when I looked it up on my weather app I saw that indeed we'd be in the upper 70s most of the weekend. Since Keith was driving up from the St. Louis area I didn't need to rent a car, so I'd arranged with All-Star Taxi Service to meet me at the airport and take me to the hotel. I'd also asked about transportation to the track for the afternoon. I called as soon as I walked off the plane and was told to meet them right outside baggage; no sooner had I walked out than my phone rang and the were there. Nice. The weather was about 70 degrees and crystal blue skies - nothing like the 90+ heat of South Florida with humidity making it feel close to 100. After about a 45 minute drive we arrived at the Hyatt Regency-Schaumburg, which was less than five minutes from the track. As the driver pulled in I was certain he'd taken me to the wrong place. I could tell from the outside that this was a NICE place, truly a "Regency" hotel. But no, it was the right place. When I walked in the lobby was gi-normous! I checked in quickly and went upstairs to drop off my bag before going back to the driver to take me to the races. The room was huge as well.
By 1:45 pm (Chicago time) I was in the car headed to Arlington. As I walked up to the clubhouse it was about five minutes before 2 pm and with a 3 pm late post today the doors were just getting ready to open. As I waited, I pulled up the race replays and watched the first race on my sheet, from Monmouth. PJ's Enigma had been the 4/5 favorite and sailed along the rail behind the leaders into the stretch, but had no finish - third. The doors opened and I walked in - what a beautiful facility, the first thing I saw was the clubhouse with all the international flags out.....
and then I head inside o try and catch my next race, the third at Saratoga. They were approaching the gate, but my pick has scratched. So I pulled up my replay app and watched my Monmouth race which had gone off just as the doors were opening. PJ Hooker had left the gate at 5/2, but was never in contention....fifth. I walked around the facility reminding myself of where everything was from the last time I was here, for the 2011 Million, and took a "selfie" with the track in the background. And then I found a monitor to watch the fourth from Monmouth. I had picked Outwildcattin' who was a Monmouth 40% Club play for trainer Jorge Navarro - over the last two summers when Paco Lopez rides he'd won at a 45% rate. Outwildcattin' was 7/2 in the program, but no one in the crowd was fooled and he went off as the 3/5 favorite. He pressed the leaders to midway through the turn the took off under a hand ride to score easily, my first winner of the weekend! Back inside for the fourth from Saratoga. Street Girl was the 4/5 favorite in this nine furlong allowance test. She tracked the top two into the lane, but had no kick and ran evenly to the wire to be third. The eighth from the jersey shore produced much the same as Vipera was the 7/5 favorite on the grass and simply ran evenly from a tracking fourth along the rail to the top of the stretch and then nothing.....fourth on the line. That ended the races I had bet this morning online - not knowing when I would get to the track. So now I was ready to start playing with my "real money" at the windows. First up was the sixth from Monmouth. This was another Monmouth 40% Club play, and again it was for Jorge Navarro. This time El Botas fit the angle of first off a long layoff (61-90 days) which had been a 44% win angle. I wrote in my analysis that maybe we'd get a price today because leading rider Paco Lopez was NOT on board. Sure enough after being listed at 4/1 in the program, El Botas left the gate at a HUGE 9/2. Right to the front and never looked back! It was a little close as they approached the wire but I never thought he'd lose.
The $11.40 payoff resulted in a return of $57 to start my weekend of live betting! NICE! The sixth from Saratoga was next on my sheet, but Chilton was a late scratch at the gate. So now it was time for live racing at Arlington. My first selection in the opener was Dreamofjean E. who was part of an entry. She scratched and I thought of just passing the race. But, the other half of the entry, Case Cracker was being well bet, so I thought....."OK, the trainer wants to run this one today and the crowd like her chances. I am here for the day, why not stick with the trainer's pick?" So I went ahead and put down the minimum. Right to the front, and never looked back! WHOOO HOOOO! It didn't matter that it only paid $4.00, I was happy to have picked another winner, and this one live on track with my first live bet! So I took a photo and posted it on Facebook!
Next was the eighth from Monmouth. Sweet Henrietta was 7/ in the program in what looked like a very evenly matched field. The fact that Paco Lopez was on this filly was the main angle for me. She left the gate at 2/1 and rallied from way, WAY back to win going away! My third win in a row since I started betting live! The $6.40 payoff netted me over $15. I finally lost a race, this one in the live 2nd at Arlington. It was a turf sprint and I liked Fleet Encounter who was 5-for-7 sprinting over the Chicago grass. Her entry mate set the pace and ET Baird made his move turning for home. Opened up to lead by two and I couldn't believe I was going to win again, but then here came a closer up the rail - PHOTO FINISH! It was ever so close, but I was a nose back in second. In the 8th at Saratoga I'd gone with a closer on the grass in Tabreed. The pace looked to be contentious, but instead it was moderate at best (:49.2 / 1:13) so I had little chance from the back - a wide, rallying third at 8/5. The fourth at Arlington was next and it was a mile on the turf. Royal Alluvial had won two straight main-track sprints, but today was stretching out and changing surfaces. Still she'd done this before and the trainer, Wayne Catalano had a 57% win rate with jockey ET Baird. So I picked her. The crowd was really playing her strongly, so I doubled the bet. She stalked the pace, took over at the top of the lane and was clear....then here came a late runner who collared her at the 16th pole....stretch duel.....PHOTO FINISH! I really couldn't tell, even after watching the slo-mo replays several times. Finally the number came up.....
It was mine! Paid out $4.60 and I collected nearly $25! I missed in the next three, two from out of town: In the John Morrisey from Saratoga, Saratoga Snacks was an even 4th at 3/1; at Monmouth Lucy Action went right to the front at 4/1 and led all the way into the stretch, opened up by four and I was counting the $50 in winnings as he ran to the wire, but he was nailed by the narrowest of margins, second. And finally at Arlington I was 3rd at 7/2 with a horse ridden by Rosemary Homeister, Jr. my former student. So I headed out to the paddock to video the first part of the day's action. Took a couple of pics - first from the top of the clubhouse stairs looking out at the "Against All Odds" statute into the paddock and then a close-up of the statute.......
my "break" was over and it was time to go back to bet the final three races at Arlington. In the sixth I liked Sanculpa on the turf. Leading rider James Graham was on board. The rest of the field was a combined 1-for-30 on the turf. Sanculpa had never raced for a claiming tag, much less a 2-lifetime condition like this, so I doubled the bet. Rated in fifth on the rail into the lane, switched out three-wide and collared the leader late - PHOTO FINISH, again! But this time I was pretty sure I'd gotten up in time.
And I had, scoring at 4/5 - cashed for nearly $20. I went inside to bet the last two races, with the finale being my "BEST" of the day. I had talked to Keith and his GPS indicated he'd be arriving at close to post time of that final race. But when I made my picks the teller told me that my selection in the last was scratched. So I planned I'd go get an Arlington shirt after the 7th and wait for Keith at the entrance. I ran third after leading all the way to mid-stretch with 7/5 favorite St. James Park. And as I headed to the entrance I called Keith... he was pulling into the parking lot. What great timing. He picked me up and we headed to Outback for dinner and then back to the hotel to prepare for the big day tomorrow. For the day today I was six-for-sixteen, nearly 40% and I'd won cash for the day. My losses online made me lose a little overall for the day, but I was happy to have a little extra money for tomorrow's Million Day card. Check out the video highlights of today.
Saturday August 16
Arlington Million Day
We were up with great anticipation for today's big day of racing. We were both up early and had coffee and a cinnamon roll downstairs at the hotel. We were dressed and on our way by 10 am to get gas, do a little local exploring and then head to the track. When we arrived we drove into the "Preferred" parking area, I'd pre-paid for a parking pass - clever me - and parked in the second row. We by-passed all the lines because I'd printed out our tickets, again oh-so-clever, and as we walked in there was a girl all dressed up, with fancy dress and hat who said, "Would you gentlemen like a Million souvenir glass?" I immediately thought of the Haskell glass I'd got and sits on my shelf and so I asked, "Are you saying they are free?" She replied, "Yes, everyone gets one glass free with admission!" So we took a glass and Keith offered to take them out to the car. While he did that I walked into the paddock and did a quick intro video to the day, commenting about how I had my own program, and that contained all the winners for the day, and I had the souvenir program from Arlington Park.
When Keith arrived back we first went out onto the apron and found a lady to take our photo, and then I gave him the tour of the track. He'd never been before and was duly impressed by the facility. After that we went to find our seats and see what kind of view we had, and it was a great panoramic vista of the track, just past the finish line. And we were under cover which provided shade nearly the entire day. There were scattered high clouds which shielded the sun's direct rays, but it was a bright day with patches of blue. There was a nice breeze and as we sat down briefly Keith remarked that the facility, the weather, it just was like being at the "old Gulfstream" in the winter time. Indeed. What great weather - I commented on this many times over he weekend. We decided that now that we had our bearings and it was still about an hour to the first race on the sheet, we'd be smart to grab something to eat and sit down. We could take a little time to go through changes and scratches. And I also told Keith that I wanted to plan out a betting strategy of what groups of races I wanted to bet so that I would not be wasting time in line to make wagers too close to a race. By looking through the set of selections I found six breaks where there was at least a half hour between post times, and so those provided natural breaks. We went into the food court and we decided on a "Chicago Dog" for lunch. He was in line at one place which offered several different versions and I went over to another where you could see these nice, foot-long sausage dogs. I got mine and when he saw mine he looked down at his six-inch hot dog and lamented I'd made the right choice!
By the time we'd gone through the program it was time to begin racing! I had found on Friday that there were very few live tellers to take your bets and was hoping that today would be different. We found a set of tellers, but they told us they weren't open yet. But you could see right over their shoulder other tellers on the other side were already taking bets. So we went around to make them. The lady I was betting with seemed to be feeling her way through the process and she looked up at one point and said "Today is my first day!" Great. It took several minutes, and I discovered afterwards she'd given me one ticket on a Saratoga harness race for tonight and another for a Saratoga thoroughbred race today.....wow. This was just the first of several teller issues. At one point I went through my selections with the guy and he kept having to look at his cheat sheet to get the track codes. And later as they were approaching the gate I discovered he'd given me the right race and number, but the wrong track. I tried to get the change in but the auto-teller machine would not take the ticket and when I got to a real teller it was too late.....sigh. Finally, I was in line to make a bet behind two people. I waited patiently but then the guy at the window asked, "What is a Pick-Six?" Really? People are betting the races here! He finally went away and the lady in front of me said, "I want #7, #4, #5 in the fifth race." The teller said, "Do you want them all to win, an exacta, a trifecta?" The lady looked at the teller for about five seconds and said, "Here at Arlington, in this race." The teller looked at her. So I said, do you want to bet those in an exacta or trifecta in the same race?" The lady barely looked at me and then asked the teller, "Yes, I want the 10-7-4-5. I want to box a trifecta - they can come in any order right?" The teller turned to another teller, "Can you box four horses in a trifecta?" WOW - even the teller doesn't know what she's doing. Meanwhile I just want to make a win bet. The teller finds out yes, you can box four horses, so she asks, how much? The lady again, gives her a blank stare and says "I want a trifecta box, 10-7-4-5." The teller says, how much? "In this race." SIGH.......so I step in again and say, do you want a $1 box, a $2 box? Now she gets it, "A $2 box." Wait, says the teller, the #7 is scratched. REALLY? Oh yes, this really happened! Now the lady says "I want an exacta box, 10-4-5" How much? For $2 asks the teller? OK, says the lady, and I'm thinking she doesn't know that is isn't a $2 bet, that will be $12. "And then $10 to win on the 10." FINALLY. The whole day was full of similar teller stories.....The first selection was at Monmouth where Uncle Chub was the 3/5 favorite. He was the clear speed of the race. They got in the gate and immediately a horse broke through.....delay. Then we broke behind the field.....and that my friends was the story of the day's betting - little went according to plan. It was a very, very slim day for winners, but as Keith said later, no one could have figured most of the winners out, and it wasn't like we were not playing logical horses.....we lost with favorites and second favorites while the winners from nearly all of the races we lost paid big prices:
So, instead of boring you with all the details, let's focus on the big four graded stakes at Arlington and the other two graded races I had bets on. In the $400K American St. Leger I did not like the favorite, so I went with what looked to be the LONE SPEED in Big Kick. He'd wired a Grade 2 out west and I thought could easily take them gate to wire. He went off at 5/1 and was out in front cruising by daylight into the far turn, then stopped and finished last. The next big event was the Grade 1 Secretariat for 3-year-olds going a mile and a quarter on the turf. Last night and again this morning I had debated about re-structuring my bets and making Adelaide my "BET of the DAY" in this race, but after Keith and I discussed the races he agreed with my original pick, Alterite in the Beverly D, was truly the most logical winner on the day and would probably be a fair price. So I stuck with my "prime time" investment. Adelaide stalked the leader to the far turn, drew even and as heads turned for home he began to open up. But then for every one stride forward he was drifting two strides out! He was making this so much harder than it should be! Watching the replay he was never less than half a length in front, but watching from our seats it looked oh so close, so in the video you will NOT hear me cheering because I am on pins and needles!
The $4.20 payoff netted me a nice $42 return! I had Keith take my photo standing in front of some lattice work just as I'd posed on my first visit here in 2007. Despite all of the previous losses both of us were looking at a winning day if we were right about Alterite in the Beverly D. Trainer Chad Brown had said about her heading into her last race, the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, that they were hoping to win off the layoff from November to July, but he'd picked the Diana because it set her up perfectly for the Beverly D at Arlington. He had a history of winning this race with owner Martin Schwartz with fillies like this - buy them as European group winners and bring them here to win Grade 1 races, including the Beverly D, twice. In 2011 my "Bet of the Day" had been their filly, Stacilita. We were thrilled when she went off at 3/1 odds. She stalked the pace from about four off the lead to the far turn then as asked to run - and nothing. Faded to 10th. SOOOO disappointing. But, no time to waste as the Grade 3 Jersey Shore was about to go off at Monmouth. I did not like the favorite there and went with Paco Lopez riding Eddie Plesa's Prudhoe Bay, listed at 3/1 in the program. As I walked in they were just crossing the wire, and without my glasses I couldn't see the names, but I could swear I saw a red saddle cloth - for the #1 horse, which would be Prudhoe Bay. As I got closer the camera zoomed in on the winner......indeed it was Prudhoe Bay! WHOOO HOOO!
And here's the best part was as I got closer I could now not only read the name, but see the odds - 5/1! The payoffs came up, $12.40! I am cashing for over $60! I filmed a winning clip on the clubhouse stairs and came back to the monitors just in time to see them going into the gate at Saratoga for the Grade 1 Alabama. Stopchargingmaria had won for me at Saratoga in her debut last summer. I had her on Opening Day at Gulfstream in one of the last graded stakes in New York for two-year-olds. But in mid-winter she'd run poorly at Gulfstream. But in her race two back, in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susans I had picked her at a nice price. Now that she was back at Saratoga she'd been flourishing and she'd won the Grade 1 Coaching Club of America Oaks at the Spa last time out. I had questions about her getting the 1 1/4 mile distance, but she was a "Horse-for-the-Course" and the class of the field. She stalked the leader to the top of the lane, then blew by to win with authority! HORRAY, my third stakes win of the day!
The last big graded stakes was the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the signature race of the meet and the day. I liked the defending Breeders' Cup Turf champion, European invader Magician. But he'd upset the field that day at 12/1 and had lost twice - albeit to tougher Euros - since. I thought he might be vulnerable. But hard as I tried I couldn't find anyone to beat him. Keith told me earlier in the day he had to make a bet for his brother; his girlfriend had picked Hardest Core. I told him that he was cross-entered in the St. Leger, a listed stakes and I didn't think he had a legitimate chance there. So I checked the scratches and he was indeed going in the Million. Magician tracked the pace into the stretch then hit another gear and quickly was two lengths clear on the lead. The crowd roared as he was the even-money favorite and would be a popular winner indeed. He held the lead to the furlong mark and then a runner emerged from the field with some momentum. It looked to me as I watched it that we were clear by enough to win, but in the final strides Magician was caught, second.....grrrrr. Who was that? You guessed it, it was Hardest Core and he paid $25 to win - Keith's brother had it. Why I asked? He texted him.....the reply was his girlfriend liked the name. Wow. We watched the final two races from Arlington while the crowd headed out and then I filmed my video recap (see below). Note all the close finishes, sigh. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening rehashing the day at the races and generally "solving life's problems." We went to bed early because not only were we exhausted (got back to the hotel about 9 pm), but we were leaving at 3:45 am to make the trip to the airport so I could get through security by 5 am as boarding began at 5:30 am for my 6 o'clock flight.
Arlington Million Day Photos
Arlington International Race Track
Shelf Racing Statutes
The Arlington Clubhouse
On The Clubhouse Steps
Arlington Paddock
View Of Clubhouse From Paddock
Winning Pose: 2007-2014
Grandstand View - Arrow Indicates Our Seats
Stretch Run - Arrow Indicates Our Seats
View From Our Seats
Sunday August 17
The alarm came early, but I had been up at 2:30 am. It was a cool 68 degrees as we headed down the road to Midway International. Very little traffic and Keith and I reflected on the weekend, how much we enjoyed being together on such adventures and looking forward to our next time together. The timing could not have been better. I was through and in my seat outside the gate about 40 minutes before boarding time. The flight to Tampa was in 2 1/2 hours, landing at 9:30 EST. I had less than 45 minutes before we boarded for the final leg of my trip. I touched down at 11:45 am and was home by a little after noon. Later that evening I watched the five races I'd had at Monmouth for today......sadly, it was a continuation of Saturday's racing luck: five picks, five competitive efforts, but no finishing punch.....including two seconds and a third. But, it was a great adventure and I'll remember the weekend for the good times, the weather, and the stakes wins!
I have to say I was very disappointed with the racing results over the weekend, but absolutely loved our "staycation" in Delray Beach. The weekend kicked off on Friday and I spent a good deal of the day handicapping for the weekend because I knew I'd be relaxing at our beach condo. But I had five selections at Monmouth. I had also read that the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes was this weekend at Saratoga, it usually is the Sunday feature after Travers Day. But when I was checking for scratches Friday morning I saw an article about the race being run, TODAY. I was able to download the past performances for that race for free through DRF because it was the Friday "Race of the Day." I had played Princess of Sylmar two races back when she faced Beholder and Close Hatches in a real showdown of powerful four-year-old fillies. But she was caught wide and narrowly missed to Close Hatches. On the basis of that effort I thought she laid over the field in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap next out, but she was flat through the far turn and stretch and was all out to narrowly get second over two runners she should have beat with her hoofs tied together. You could have made the argument that she was a victim to a lone speedster on the front, but watching the race live, she simply was not the same filly she's been in the past. So when I saw that Todd Pletcher was putting blinkers on to "wake her up" today, I thought that this was a very negative sign. Why experiment in a Grade 1? I was completely against. I thought perhaps I would get a fair price on Close Hatches who was the class of the field - if you dismissed Princess of Sylmar - but she was in post six with at least two other speedsters to her inside. Still, I'd seen her win from a stalking trip so I was not concerned. I considered a prime-time bet, but decided to stick to a double-investment. Later in the afternoon I watched the races and the results were mixed at best. The track was sloppy in New Jersey and we were off the turf. I had checked the pp's and both of my turf selections would have as good a chance on the main track I thought. In the first race Sweet Puddin was 17/1 and rated in fourth to the far turn - maybe......but no, faded to 8th. Startripenterprise was sent off as the 8/5 favorite in the off-the-turf 5th and appeared to be ready to strike at the top of the stretch....again no, faded to 5th. My Monmouth "Bet of the Day" was in the 7th with Featherthefalcon, again off the turf. Set the pace while under snug restraint by Paco Lopez to the far turn, then coughed it up like she'd been sprinting the entire way. Wow. Missed again when Lasso set the pace in the 8th and faded. Now it was time for the Personal Ensign. Close Hatches had been listed as the 8/5 favorite, but as they neared the gate she was fluctuating between 2/1 and 9/5. A fair price I thought. They broke from the gate and she was pressing the speed through the first turn, then it seemed like the rider of the other speed horse decided not to press the issue and coaxed his filly to back off. Well ok then, said Joel Rosario, and Close Hatches assumed command. The fractions were faster than I thought they needed to be, but as is the case with a front runner, the key is NOT how fast they are going but how are they doing it? She was relaxed and well within herself. When heads turned for home and the others began to kick into gear Rosario shook the reins and she was LONG one! 
