August 1

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yes, today was the big six-oh.....hard to believe and honestly, I certainly do not feel like that age......the old saying that you are the age you feel, I can attest to that for sure.  The weekend got off to a good start with my Mom, sister and niece all arriving on Wednesday night; my daughter arriving early Thursday morning and then this evening our son Brad arrived from Orlando.....just in time for the birthday dinner of Kraft Spaghetti Dinner (which had been my dinner of choice EVERY year that I was growing up) with meatballs; and then for my birthday cake I'd chosen to have Kim simply get some small éclairs and form them in the numerical shape......typically I have an ice cream cake, but we are going to Jaxsons this weekend (yes, again); and if I don't have an ice cream cake I always fell back on the traditional Boston Cream Pie.  But for today I didn't think we needed a big cake, so the éclairs were a perfect way to top off the evening.  Many, many gifts this morning - most touching of which was from my niece Khloe who wrote the "60 Things I Love About Uncle Mark."  Never would have guessed I'd taken her to many places as we've been together.  And finally, on my Facebook page I had over sixty people wish me a happy birthday. 

So, to the racing.....in the day's opener at Monmouth I had Miss Audreyanna.  In her last she had lost by neck when it appeared on paper she'd move prematurely to the front.  The jockey switch to top rider Paco Lopez was the clincher.  She rated on the rail through the final turn, swung three wide to collar the leader and edged clear as they approached the wire. 

She went off at a fair 8/5 price so on the $5.20 payoff I cashed for over $25.  That is a nice way to start off the birthday!  In the third we were on the turf and I wrote that surely the DRF linesmaker was off, again, by assigning Indian Chaser 8/1 program odds.  Looked like the lone speed, and had top jock Lopez on board.  Sure enough, she was sent off as the 9/5 favorite, but allowed an 8/1 runner to take the lead while she "led" the rest of the field.  But when they approached the far turn that leader had too much left and the best Idian Chaser could do was a good second.  In the fourth I took Pass Me A Bottle who appeared to be the speed-of-the-speed.  I never have as much confidence in a runner like this who wants the front, but will have company, even with a pace advantage.  As I believe, and have often read (or heard said by race analysts, especially former jockeys) it isn't the pace they are running it is how comfortable they are.  So when a front-runner looks to be faced with pressure I am just not as confident that they will lead from gate to wire.  It's the racing version of win the battle but lose the war.  Still, 'Bottle appeared to have enough of an edge for me to invest in.  Right to the font and was clear after a :21.4 quarter.  Never threatened. 

Unfortunately with her 1/2 odds and the minimum investment I cashed for less than ten dollars.  I lost the final three races of the day.....Wildcat Sierra was a Monmouth 40% Club play for Willard Thompson-Paco Lopez.  Went off at a fair 5/2 price, came flying late after travelling 8 1/2 furlongs on the turf, but couldn't catch the leader - 2nd.  In the 6th Joann's Girly was allowed to goof at a huge 9/2 in spite of the fact that she too was a MTH 40% Club play.  Making her second start off the claim for Claudio Gonzalez, those kind won at a 44% rate with a $2 bet profit of nearly $50 over the last two summers.  Turning for home she opened up, but was caught in deep stretch by the 3/5 favorite......that would have been nice!  And finally in the finale - I thought I would "get even" with Jewel In The Sky.  She was the heavy 3/5 favorite as a class dropper AND shipping in from New York.  But when the gates opened she went straight to her knees and her nose actually touched the ground.  Never recovered and Paco Lopez never asked her to run.  A solid 2-for-6, 33% on the day, but a flat-bet loss.