Beach Getaway Weekend
Friday August 22
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! 
WHOOO HOOOO! The price was a more than fair $5.90 and I cashed for nearly $30! Minutes later it was time for the finale at Monmouth. Even my recent run of disappointing selections could not stop Why Oh Why as not only he dropped in class, but cut back from six furlongs to five panels. He burst from the gate and was quickly six in front in a sizzling :21 and change opening quarter. I knew the race was over. Perhaps better, more seasoned horses would be able to run him down, but not these cheap maiden claimers. He'd been 6/5 they loaded into the gate, but by the time he was in front the odds had plummeted to 3/5. Still, I'll take the win and be happy with the 33% results on the day.
Saturday August 23
Today was Travers Stakes Day - a year ago I'd been at Saratoga with my brother-in-law Jason for this big day. On the Friday before I'd won five races on track, but on the big day itself I had one win and one win only. But.....I'd enjoyed the day's adventure. So too was the way that today went. I enjoyed day on Delray Beach, but the races from Saratoga, and Monmouth provided one win - a 4/5 front-runner that I'd bet the minimum on. The only thing I will say about the racing was that most all of the races were won by longshots, so I wasn't the only one losing. 
Sunday August 24
Our weekend in Delray was great. When I called Saturday morning around 9 am to see if we could get in early (check-in was supposed to be 4 pm) they said they were ready for us. So Kim and I quickly finished packing and headed out. Forty minutes later we were at the South Shore Club on the Atlantic Ocean in Delray. When we checked in at the office the ladies told us that because I had "sounded young" on the phone they figured we could "handle steps" so they had upgraded us from a villa to a two-story townhome! WHOOO HOOO! And it was closer to the beach! The only thing I did not love about the entire facility was that we did not have a balcony and/or view of the ocean from our place. We got settled in and went to downtown Delray Beach, was like a Los Olas main street - lots of shops and restaurants in an "old Florida" flavor. We had a delicious pizza for lunch. Then we were in the ocean for a while - Kim stayed out and got sun, I watched several races. Then we went out to dinner on the water. That evening we watched more episodes of "The Killing" - our latest binge tv series. 
Then we went for a walk, and then out to lunch on the waterfront again. Kim went back to the beach, but I sat out in front of our condo and ready and listened to the ocean in the distance. Because Kim has the whole "work thing" we headed out to dinner at a local Longhorn Steakhouse and then back home. But the good news is that the condo is ours for the entire week! So my plan is to head back Tuesday morning when Kim goes to work. I'll come home early afternoon, then Wednesday Kim will come home early and we'll head back to Delray Beach and spend the night. She will get up early for work, and I'll stay until about lunch time. Then after school on Friday we are planning to go down, meet Sue & Dan, then have a few others over for steamed crab legs. We'll spend the night and head for home early Saturday, where I should be in my chair in time for ESPN College GameDay and the start of the college football season! But, let's get to the racing on Sunday which was disappointing, but had a little more positive news. Today was Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar - sidenote, I am considering going to next year's edition to kick off my 2015-2016 travel plans! I had originally intended to play the Del Mar card, but after the way last weekend and Travers Day went I decided I would be more selective. I had three stakes selections and a 2-year-old maiden sprint. I also had seven selections at Monmouth and I really thought I'd bounce back today. In four of the first F-I-V-E races on the Jersey shore saw my runner go off as the short-priced favorite, but I failed to win any of them! I was second best in two of them, but close doesn't count when you are making win bets! Finally in the tenth race I won at Monmouth. Scatter Joy was a Paco Lopez horse - he's been struggling lately which explains a lot of my missing since I give his mounts extra points - and he stalked the pace like he was much the best into the stretch. But when he said go there was no burst of acceleration and he was all out to hold off the closers. Still, at 4/5 I'll take the narrow win and the near $20 payoff. I was second, again in the Del Mar maiden race and then it was time for my 'Best" at Monmouth. Big Blue Kitten was a multiple Grade 1 winner in a Grade 3. While he might have had problems as a closer, there were several front running types that would set him nicely. And the one stalker who probably had the best chance to beat him to the wire was on a ten-race losing streak. Do I have to tell you more? Right, I closed like a freight train but couldn't catch the 0-for-10 runner, second again. Next was my "BET of the WEEKEND" with Obviously in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile. Obviously was a multiple Grade 1 winner going a mile on the turf; he was 3-for-3 at Del Mar (8-for-11 at a mile); he had the rail and was the LONE speed. Duh. But he broke poorly, rushed up and had control of the race heading down the backstretch. I thought he looked comfortable on the lead and he was clearly the class of the field. But when they turned for home and jockey Joe Talamo asked him for a burst to open up on the field he had nothing. They inhaled him by the furlong marker and he didn't even hit the board at 2/5. Double wow, squared! The finale at Monmouth was next and I had Surprise Strike. He sat mid-pack, about five off the leaders into the turn, made his move entering the stretch and then forged to the lead at the 16th pole. There were all kinds of bumping and weaving going on, so much so that the announcer called it a "rodeo of a stretch run." Would I come down? Nope! Posted at 7/5 I had my second winner at Monmouth and of the day. Later in the evening it was time for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. There were a lot of ways to go in here, but here's what I thought.......Game On Dude had been burying all the west coast handicap horses for the last three years so I dismissed everyone but him. But, he has been up and down on his form so I thought he might be vulnerable. I liked the unbeaten three-year-old, Shared Belief, who had been the Eclipse winner of two-year-old of the year last season. He'd missed the Derby trail with an injury but he'd won two in a row prior to today. I noted in my analysis that all five of his prior starts had posed questions he had to answer for the first time, so the fact he faced older and was going 1 1/4 miles for the first time didn't faze me. Check out the dramatic outcome......
I must say when Game On Dude opened up heading into the far turn I was a big worried! But how good is this sensational colt? I expect to see him one more time before he heads to the Breeders' Cup Classic. He has a real shot at 3-year-old of the year and Horse of the Year if he can win two more. I had tripled the bet so I got back over $30. So, three wins on the day, better than yesterday.
One week left of the Monmouth Handicapping Project and the Summer Racing Season. I would sure like to finish off the summer with a big day or better yet a big weekend!
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