August 10

You Just NEVER Know.......

After yesterday's big day I thought I would continue to score and bring myself back up to "normal" after a sub-par Thursday had started the week off slowly. But today was NOT what I had anticipated. I had eight picks on the day and I was confident about all of them, including three triple investments. But I was third with my first pick when I led into the stretch after going sprint-like fast in a route, then 3rd at 1/2 in my second bet when the rider would not let the horse run until too late. In the 4th of the day Paco Lopez was my pick and I'd tripled the bet on his 2/1 mount on the turf. He pressed, then drove to the lead at the top of the lane. It was a three way battle through the final furlong and I kept thinking, ".....he'll win, he won't be outfinished....." - no, outbobbed on the wire. Ouch - that would have helped big time. Missed again in the 5th with my lone minimum bet. In the Colleen Stakes I was sitting right where I should but the front-runner would not stop. Wow - off to an 0-for-5 start to the day. In the 9th it was a nw2-state bred races and my pick More Than Ready was the speed on the rail AND a Paco Lopez-Eddie Broome (Monmouth 40% Club) play. No one was fooled, he was 1-5 and ran like it - right to the front by daylight and Lopez was looking around for company midway through the turn. Impressive, but a miniscule price. In watching the replays I was up to the 10th as they were going to the gate for the finale. In the 10th, the Fort Monmouth I had Ju Ju Eyeballs who was a perfect 3-for-3 over the Monmouth course and 4-for-4 in turf sprints. She was positioned perfectly outside two longshots and made her move coming out of the turn. But as they hit the top of the stretch I could tell, she had nothing left.....faded to 7th and last. I went to click on the 11th race but it wasn't loaded yet. I worked on finishing the laundry, resigned to the fact that my pick in the finale, even if he won, as the favorite I'd simply minimize my losses for the day, I mean really.....how good can a day turn out when you're one for seven and that one winner was 1/5, paying $2.40? When I got back on I opened the replay and the odds board was showing just before the race started.....I thought, "wait a minute...." I paused the video and looked down at my sheet. I had #3 Soniko who was a Jorge Navarro first-off-the-claim runner - a Monmouth Park 40% Club, and his top winning percentage play. Soniko pressed the pace to the top of the turn then dropped back two lengths off the 3/2 favorite, and then not one, not two, but three closers surrounded him as he seemed to be falling back even farther. I thought, really? Then he seemed to re-break and made his move on the leader, he collared the favorite turning for home and at the furlong pole he began to edge clear...........

The unexpected big payoff brought be back to less than $15 behind for the day, and after the position I was in heading into the gate to start the race I was delighted.....who would have thought a $10K claiming sprint with a trainer move that scored at better than 50% would pay off so handsomely and save the day! This upcoming week is Arlington Million Week! Very excited for my trip to Chicago on Friday!