June 1 - 8
Alaska Cruise / Belmont Festival
On Thursday May 30 Kim and I left Orlando to fly to Anchorage, to begin our "Alaska 5.0" adventure. It marked our fifth trip the the "Last Frontier" and this time we were meeting our great friends Claudia & Gary Wanlin there for the trip. You can check out the trip by visiting our Alaska website, click HERE
I had decided prior to the trip that I would take the nearly two weeks off from handicapping and playing the races, but while we were in Denali National Park for the first weekend I saw online that two of my favorite runners were racing on Saturday. So from our hotel at the park I was able to bet the races through my xpressbet app. The first was the re-scheduled Greenwood Stakes from Woodbine where Horse-for-the-Course Pink Lloyd looked to be formidable at a very short price. He stalked the pace in fourth to the far turn of the sprint stakes, then swung up on the outside and powered home a winner!
The second race I liked was the Grade 2 Santa Maria from Santa Anita where Paradise Woods looked to be as formidable. She moved too early to the front, I thought, and was caught on the wire, second.
The second week of our trip was Belmont Festival Week with big stakes races on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And while I DID decide I wouldn't "play the races," I also had figured - because I knew I had time on the ship - that I'd look over the big stakes races and maybe make a few spot plays. I thought by Tuesday the past performances for the stakes events on Thursday would be up, but when I went to check I discovered that all of my racing sites (drf.com, brisnet.com, and xpressbet.com) were blocked by the Holland America Cruise line server. Why? Go figure? But for some reason the link to the Bloodhorse magazine website was not blocked. I wasn't able to access the past performances, not could I get the entries for all the races on the card but I could see who was running in the stakes races. At this point I figured I'd make my spot play selections, and post them on my website (a couple of people who follow my racing selections had inquired about that). But I figured I wouldn't be able to bet them. On Thursday June 6 there was only one race that I liked, the Grade 3 Wonder Again where Newspaperofrecord looked to be the easiest of winners at a minuscule price. She'd disappointed in her seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Edgewood on Kentucky Oaks Day, but afterwards the comments by the trainer and jockey led me to believe that they knew she wasn't 100% but that her next start we'd see the "real" Newspaperofrecord. We got off the ship for our excursion that afternoon and because we were in Alaska, a US state, I could turn the WiFi off and use the basic phone signal at no cost. I tried my xpressbet app and sure enough, it worked! ALRIGHT, I can bet the race! Unfortunately, she went off at a meager 1/9 price and had a daylight lead into the stretch, but was run down by her stablemate. Whether she was one of "those" two-year-olds that are so good as a juvenile but don't carry it into their three-year-old season, or it was the 9f distance of today's race we don't know, but she was second for the second time after having what looked like a commanding lead turning for home. The races on Friday only had one that appealed to me. It was the Grade 2 True North Stakes and I liked Catalina Cruiser. He'd been a real terror last year out west and came into the Breeders' Cup Mile as a short-priced favorite. He didn't fire that day. And this was his first start back. I thought that the fact that trainer John Sadler shipped him across the country to run today spoke to how serious they were and I bet him, but just the minimum. On the bus ride back from our excursion I checked the results and I'd won!
The $5.60 payoff meant I'd get back nearly $15. After I closed the app and I told Kim I'd won I remarked that it was too bad that all day tomorrow, on Belmont Day - where I had five selections - we'd be at sea. So I wouldn't be able to bet. But within a couple minutes the thought occurred to me that often on big event days like this there is advanced wagering. I re-opened my app and sure enough, there was a "Belmont Advanced" wagering menu. I plugged in all five wagers before we arrived back at the ship, and I knew I'd be able to check the results on the Bloodhorse page later in the day Saturday. The first bet came in the fourth race, it was the Grade 1 Just A Game for older fillies and mares going a mile. Chad Brown's Rushing Fall had only lost one time - due to a very poorly judged ride I believe - and she just looked really strong. As I remarked in my analysis not only did she simply look like the best horse in the field but the rivals lining up to face her were less than formidable. Javier Castellano took her right to the front, set moderate fractions and when the field began to pick up the pace turning for home his filly had plenty left and she accelerated home a daylight winner!
Next up was the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps going a mile and a sixteenth, and the distance was a key part of my selection. Midnight Bissou has won nine of her last thirteen starts, and in three of the four losses she was beaten by Monomoy Girl, one of which was the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Well, Monomoy Girl has yet to begin her 2019 campaign so Midnight Bissou is the divisional leader by default. To be fair, she is unbeaten in three starts this year, including a win in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom last time out. BUT it was also significant that she was a perfect 8-for-8 at this 8 1/2 furlong distance. She rode the rails in fourth to midway on the far turn, swung out and collared the 4/5 favorite - how 'Bissou wasn't the public choice I'll never know - and drew off as much, MUCH the best. Two for two on the day :)
The Grade 1 Jaipur Invitational was next on my sheet. This six furlong turf sprint has been owned the last two years by Disco Partner and he was in the field today. But this afternoon he'd have to face World of Trouble who has been just a beast this year. He's won in off-the-turf sprints, on the turf, and event took down a 7 furlong dirt sprint last time out. Just white-hot form and I didn't see anyone capable of running with him. He burst from the gate and rattled off wicked splits of :21.4 and :43.4 which going five furlongs might have made him susceptible to a closer like Disco Partner but at this six furlong distance those kind of fractions could be troublesome. Not for World of Trouble! He continued to pour it on and drew off in a dazzling display of speed stopping the teletimer in a remarkable 1:06.2. He was my first "big" bet of the day, and I was cashing for the third consecutive time! I'm having a very good day.
The ninth race was the Grade 1 Met Mile and it was a star studded affair with a field. It was considered a great betting race and I could have easily seen any one of six horses win, but I have been very impressed with the improving Mitole who won the 7 furlong, Grade 2 Churchill Downs last time out in impressive fashion. I liked him here in this one-turn mile. He pressed fast fractions into the stretch and edged to the front. To be fair McKenzie was probably the best horse but he was buried behind horses through the turn and midway through the stretch AND had to check and alter course. But Mitole held them all off and won paying a generous $9 :) And now I'm four-for-four with my BET of the Day coming up.
That big bet came in the tenth, the Grade 1 Manhattan carded for a mile and a quarter on the turf. I picked Chad Brown's Bricks and Mortar to win the richest turf race in North America, the Pegasus World Cup Turf, and he won decisively. I won right back with him in the Grade 2 Muniz on the Louisiana Derby Day card and then again when he won the Grade 1 Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day. He's clearly - in my opinion - the best turf horse in North America. And I also think we have yet to see him at his best, that's bad news for all the other turf runners pointing for the Breeders' Cup. He sat patiently under Irad Ortiz to the top of the lane, swung out about five wide and mowed them all down. Ironically trainer Chad Brown finished 1 - 2 - 3 in the race, he is really loaded in his turf stable! Somehow the crowd let Bricks and Mortar go off at 3/5 so I cashed for over $30!
So for the day I was a perfect 5-for-5....while sailing through the Inside Passage of Alaska no less....and finished 6-for-7 for Belmont Week with a clear profit of more than $60. WHOOO HOOOO.
The $5.60 payoff meant I'd get back nearly $15. After I closed the app and I told Kim I'd won I remarked that it was too bad that all day tomorrow, on Belmont Day - where I had five selections - we'd be at sea. So I wouldn't be able to bet. But within a couple minutes the thought occurred to me that often on big event days like this there is advanced wagering. I re-opened my app and sure enough, there was a "Belmont Advanced" wagering menu. I plugged in all five wagers before we arrived back at the ship, and I knew I'd be able to check the results on the Bloodhorse page later in the day Saturday. The first bet came in the fourth race, it was the Grade 1 Just A Game for older fillies and mares going a mile. Chad Brown's Rushing Fall had only lost one time - due to a very poorly judged ride I believe - and she just looked really strong. As I remarked in my analysis not only did she simply look like the best horse in the field but the rivals lining up to face her were less than formidable. Javier Castellano took her right to the front, set moderate fractions and when the field began to pick up the pace turning for home his filly had plenty left and she accelerated home a daylight winner!
Next up was the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps going a mile and a sixteenth, and the distance was a key part of my selection. Midnight Bissou has won nine of her last thirteen starts, and in three of the four losses she was beaten by Monomoy Girl, one of which was the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Well, Monomoy Girl has yet to begin her 2019 campaign so Midnight Bissou is the divisional leader by default. To be fair, she is unbeaten in three starts this year, including a win in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom last time out. BUT it was also significant that she was a perfect 8-for-8 at this 8 1/2 furlong distance. She rode the rails in fourth to midway on the far turn, swung out and collared the 4/5 favorite - how 'Bissou wasn't the public choice I'll never know - and drew off as much, MUCH the best. Two for two on the day :)
The Grade 1 Jaipur Invitational was next on my sheet. This six furlong turf sprint has been owned the last two years by Disco Partner and he was in the field today. But this afternoon he'd have to face World of Trouble who has been just a beast this year. He's won in off-the-turf sprints, on the turf, and event took down a 7 furlong dirt sprint last time out. Just white-hot form and I didn't see anyone capable of running with him. He burst from the gate and rattled off wicked splits of :21.4 and :43.4 which going five furlongs might have made him susceptible to a closer like Disco Partner but at this six furlong distance those kind of fractions could be troublesome. Not for World of Trouble! He continued to pour it on and drew off in a dazzling display of speed stopping the teletimer in a remarkable 1:06.2. He was my first "big" bet of the day, and I was cashing for the third consecutive time! I'm having a very good day.
The ninth race was the Grade 1 Met Mile and it was a star studded affair with a field. It was considered a great betting race and I could have easily seen any one of six horses win, but I have been very impressed with the improving Mitole who won the 7 furlong, Grade 2 Churchill Downs last time out in impressive fashion. I liked him here in this one-turn mile. He pressed fast fractions into the stretch and edged to the front. To be fair McKenzie was probably the best horse but he was buried behind horses through the turn and midway through the stretch AND had to check and alter course. But Mitole held them all off and won paying a generous $9 :) And now I'm four-for-four with my BET of the Day coming up.
That big bet came in the tenth, the Grade 1 Manhattan carded for a mile and a quarter on the turf. I picked Chad Brown's Bricks and Mortar to win the richest turf race in North America, the Pegasus World Cup Turf, and he won decisively. I won right back with him in the Grade 2 Muniz on the Louisiana Derby Day card and then again when he won the Grade 1 Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day. He's clearly - in my opinion - the best turf horse in North America. And I also think we have yet to see him at his best, that's bad news for all the other turf runners pointing for the Breeders' Cup. He sat patiently under Irad Ortiz to the top of the lane, swung out about five wide and mowed them all down. Ironically trainer Chad Brown finished 1 - 2 - 3 in the race, he is really loaded in his turf stable! Somehow the crowd let Bricks and Mortar go off at 3/5 so I cashed for over $30!
So for the day I was a perfect 5-for-5....while sailing through the Inside Passage of Alaska no less....and finished 6-for-7 for Belmont Week with a clear profit of more than $60. WHOOO HOOOO.
Belmont Festival Highlights
(from Alaska!)
No comments:
Post a Comment