Saturday September 7

Fall Racing Season Opens!

I enjoy the Fall Racing Season for a completely different reason than my other racing seasons......why?  Because it is the one time of the year that I am not fully focused on the racing and it allows me to recharge my handicapping batteries as I prepare to head into the difficult winter Gulstream season.  So, much of my handicapping is what are termed "spot plays" where I may only have a single play a day, or just a few.  Such was the start of the racing season on this Saturday afternoon. 

It was Opening Day at Belmont, with the horses having left Saratoga, and the feature race was on the turf with expected favorite Boisterous looking to rebound off his loss in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer.  I did not like his chances at all and I looked over the field in search of an alternative play.  I briefly considered Hyper, one of my favorite horses, but he had won his first ever stakes (a listed stakes) last out, and to think he'd take down a graded stake field was a bit of a stretch to me, so I passed.  I looked at the Calder card and I was surprised to see two Team Calabrese runners, one of which was a multiple stakes winner, and a graded stakes winner at that.  Put them on the list!  I looked at Gulfstream and didn't see anything.  I looked at Arlington, nothing, and finally I went to Louisiana Downs, where I knew I had at least one play, in the Grade 2 Super Derby.  When I was done with my research I had narrowed my preliminary picks to five horses. 

First at Calder, in the sixth it was a claiming race at the bottom level of $5,000.  But owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Kirk Ziadie had entered Dreaming of Bella.  If all went as it appeared on paper this filly would be L-O-N-G gone at short odds.  Then in the 8th, it was an allowance race and again it was Team Calabrese I was focused on.  They had enteed Where's Sterling.  Now this guy has won at the graded stakes level and is a multiple stakes winning runner here at Calder.  He just TOWERED over his rivals in allowance company.  Again, if all went according to paper form, he was an easy winner at a short price.  Well, Dreaming of Bella broke behind the field and was quickly last!  Sigh.....but apparently the rider knew, or had been told he was tons the best because he got her settled and accelerated.  By the first quarter mile she had moved into third; by the top of the far turn she'd swept to the lead.  Typically when a horse breaks slowly, and then rushes to the lead they have nothing left for the stretch.  But as Dreaming of Bella took the lead I thought she was moving very easily.  Sure enough, when they turned for home she was not only still in front but was WIDENING her lead!  She drew off and won in a canter.  Easy-Peasy Pie! 

In the eighth Where's Sterling broke much better and stalked the leader while under firm restraint.  The rider let him go mid-way through the turn and he was quickly clear.  But as they hit the furlong marker in mid-stretch he seemed to flatten out.  One of the closers was making up ground, but too little, too late. A winner and by a comfortable margin.  Whooo hooo, two-for-two to start the day - both with added money investments!

At Louisiana Downs I had settled on three races, but before I made my bets I immediately decided I did not like my chances on the turf in the River Cities Stakes.  I went back and forth on the Temperence Hill Stakes, a sprint affair, and finally decided to be cautious rather than aggressive and passed.  But in the Grade 2 Super Derby I was all in.  Mixed reviews on the two races I passed.....Artemus Kitten finished dead last at 8/5 on the turf, but Gantry showed up with his "A" game and took down the Temperence Hill as I had thought he would.  He only paid $2.80, which I would not mind taking IF I had thought he was as much of a lock as the other three plays I had on the day.  So I was ok with passing on him.  In the Super Derby my "BET OF THE DAY" was on Departing.  I had bet him several times this spring and he had demonstrated in his win in the Illinois Derby and most recently in the West Virginia Derby that he was a top shelf runner.  His connections had resisted the Triple Crown trail and had been patiently spotting him in graded stakes where he fit very nicely.  His record reflected this with five wins in seven starts.  The Grade 2 Super Derby was a great spot as well.  He may well be one of the top three year-olds at this point in the year, but he is much more lightly raced and would not be facing any of the "name" sophomores here.  He was 4/5 early, then pounded down to 1/9, but eventually floated up to 1/5 on the board - which while certainly not anything to write home about, I thought it was a very fair price based on his legitimate chances.  He stalked the leaders in fourth or fifth to the far turn and then effortlessly glided up to assume command.  He took off through the lane and was tons the best on the wire!  WHOOOO HOOOO!  Three-for-three on the day to start the season! 

Oh, and the Belmont race.....Boisterous was a flat third, as I thought, and the winner - yes, you guessed it, Hyper :)