May 30

May 30 - The Last Weekend Of The Month

Today was one of "those days" that as a fan of thoroughbred racing you talk about.  To the casual fan, it's all about the BIG days....the championship days like the Breeders' Cup, the Kentucky Derby, etc.  But to someone like me, EVERY day at the races provides excitement and stories full of thrills, victories, disappointments, and woulda-coulda-shoulda decisions.  And as I've often said and written, it is every bit as rewarding AND they pay the same for picking the winner of a non-winners of two lifetime claiming sprint as they do for picking the winner of the Breeders' Cup or Kentucky Derby!  So, with next weekend being THE BIG weekend where we find out if we will have a Triple Crown winner for the first time in nearly forty years, today I headed out to Gulfstream to play the races around the country.  There were a couple of graded stakes and some listed events, but by and large it was a day of racing where good handicapping was required and there were no superstars you could bet on by name and reputation.  Sit back, get a cold one, and enjoy this long story of one of the best weekends of the summer I'm sure.  The weekend started when on Wednesday I was surprised to see that entries for some tracks were already online at the DRF for Saturday's cards.  I knew I wanted to head out because the national showcase was centered on Penn National's "Penn Mile" card, but I also knew that if I started handicapping on Wednesday I was probably going to handicap a lot more races than I needed to for a full day at the track.  Still, by Thursday I was geared up to begin the process.  By the end of the day Friday I had a four-page selection sheet with nearly fifty races from some TEN race tracks around the country!  My first selection was scheduled to leave the gate at 12:55 pm and the final race on page four wasn't going off until 7:52 pm......it was going to be a L-O-N-G ride!  I arrived at Gulfstream around 12:30 where I made my first big decision - with races nearly every five minutes or more frequently I would find it difficult to do my videos.  So I decided I would just enjoy the racing and if I wanted to make a montage video of stretch runs on Sunday I would do that, but today no videos.  I had plenty of time to go through the sheet and make adjustments for scratches.  I had only three races where my pick was scratched and no weather changes.  I looked over those three races to see if I had an alternate choice, but decided that I had plenty of racing without going with a back-up.  Soon it was time for the racing to begin.  In the opener at Parx, a last minute addition to the schedule of tracks, I had John's Cross in a nw3L mile event.  Bet down from 3/1 to 6/5 second choice he was flying from WAY back, too far back to catch the double-digit winner.  This time of year at Gulfstream I am fortunate to find maybe four or five races where I like someone - much like the Calder cards of yesteryear - but today I had added investment selections in the first three to kick off the day!  In the opener I thought Rich Daddy looked MUCH the best.  In a twenty-two race career he'd only been on real dirt once, and earned a career best figure with a sensational score.  Today he projected to get a dream trip behind the speed.  Well, that was true, but he was pinned on the rail throughout the race and as they turned for home there was a narrow opening.  He burst through and that my friends, was that.  Won by daylight at 1/2 odds and I had WIN #1 for the day! 

 

At Churchill, in their second race, I knew the crowd would be all over Commanding Curve in this nw1x allowance race.  He'd run a huge second in last year's Kentucky Derby and had seen nothing but graded events.  But, as you can imagine with this being an entry level allowance, he'd never won.  AND to complicate matters he was a deep closer.  I went with Raagheb who was an improving sort and figured to be a price.  8/1 at post time and a closing second.....behind the favorite who today raced closer to the pace and was ready to pounce as they turned for home.  Smart ride.  The second at Monmouth reminded me so very much of last summer's Monmouth Handicapping Project.  So much so that I toyed with the idea of handicapping their daily races until we leave for Europe because races like this were "easy pickin's!"  Paco Lopez was riding on Confrontational who was plummeting from $25K runners to $10K.  I envisioned one of Paco's patented rides where he's looking around for someone to make him ask his horse for run.  Indeed, as I saw it.....he ran away without ever being asked as much the best and still paid $4.20.  WIN #2.  At Woodbine I took a chance on Harvey's In Court who had stopped going shorter, but I thought he might steal it today loose on the lead going longer.  Right to the front to mid-turn, stopped at 3/1.  That race had just finished as I headed out to the rail to see the second at Gulfstream.  I didn't have a seat today because I wasn't going to pay to watch the few live races when I knew I'd be watching over 40 races inside on the simulcast monitors.  I thought Princess Fionna was a standout in here for Edgar Prado.  She had a three wide trip, put away the leader in mid-stretch, fought off a challenge from the inside at the furlong marker, only to have to resist a late runner on the outside.  But on the wire she was in front......WIN #3! 

 

My pick in the third at Monmouth was one of the three scratches on the day so I moved on to my first selection from Belmont.  Clothes Fall Off was a good second at 5/2 behind the lone speed....hmmm, my third second from my first seven races, hope this isn't a pattern on the day.  Over the next fifteen minutes I had a "new experience" for the day.....I did NOT cash a winning ticket after missing!  I had two more misses when both R Cat Daddy - a prime time play in Gulfstream's third - was a huge disappointment at 4/5 and Mayaak Prince at Churchill ran third.  The opener at Arlington was up next.  Much like Gulfstream today, I had a limited number of picks, but really liked them all.  In this spot, an allowance race I thought Richie's Sweetheart looked REALLY hard to go past.  He was coming off of a five month break, but trainer Larry Rivelli was winning at a near 30% clip ($2.07 ROI) with those kind and he had one of the best front-running riders in the business in E.T. Baird on today.  Richie burst out of the gate and was three clear before the field had gone 100 yards.  It was just a parade around the track as Richie's Sweetheart never saw the whip and scored in hand for WIN #4 on the day!  I had originally planned to double the bet, but when I'd printed off the Brisnet analysis for Arlington today their two "BEST" plays of the day were here and in my personal BEST of the day.  So I upped the investment to prime time!  The $3.00 payoff meant I would cash for $30!  I closed out the first page of my selection sheet with three misses - a fourth at Parx where Hunted Vision was 7/5 and weakend after pressing the leader to the stretch; a second at Gulfstream when Little Alexis - who had once been pointing towards the Breeders' Cup is now struggling to win a listed event at Gulfstream's summer meet; and then third at Woodbine at 2/1 on a Woodbine 40% Club selection, Shot for Shot. 

 

I had handicapped the card at Pimlico but only came up with two picks.  The first was in their fourth race, a maiden special going two turns.  Gasparilla Inn had run well in all three starts prior to today, and as a Phipps home-bred she just seemed to lay over this Maryland field on class.  She was 7/5 in the program, 3/5 at post time and ran to those short odds as she was never in trouble, drawing off by daylight for WIN #5 on the afternoon.  I thought He's So Fine in Monmouth's fifth was another obvious pick.  Not only first off the claim for sharp Jorge Navarro, but a best-of-54 bullet for today!  Split horses in mid-stretch, dueled to the wire, lost the photo finish at even money, second (again).  But I quickly bounced back as my gaze shifted first to the Arlington screen and then to the Woodbine monitor.  At Arlington, in their second race of the day, I like Luvnotionnumbernine.  She had debuted with a best-of-the-rest second while six clear of the show and a huge 80 Beyer.  In her second start she confirmed that number winning by eight widening lengths with a near-identical 79 number.  And that race appeared very strong when I noted that the runner-up was also three clear of the show and the third place horse was three clear of the field.  All of this and 'Luv had been bumped AND boxed in according to the trouble line.  I doubled the bet.  She was even money at post time and went right to the front.  But as the field turned for home the pressers were gaining on her and the margin was now just barely a length.  Crunch time, either she's got that special "it" to win first time out against winners or she's just another good maiden winner who struggles in her first try against better.  Luvnotionnumbernine dug down, held off the challenge and actually edged clear as they approached the wire!  WIN #6 and my second in a row at Arlington! 

 

The fifth at Woodbine was my BEST BET in Toronto, and it was Jim Bannon's (Woodbine Handicapper) BEST.  Cort'n Asong was trained by Mark Casse who had been fanned six wide into the lane in his debut race over the Keeneland turf.  And in spite of that he was only beaten three lengths and earned a big 75 Beyer figure.  He looked TONS the best even without his best-of-28 bullet work in a sizzling :59.1 over the Woodbine turf.  Right to the front at 1/5, but was confronted by a 6/1 challenger heading into the lane and was even headed!  But he battled back and edged clear in the final 100 yards.  He had been 3/5 as they loaded into the gate, but plunged as they left the gate.  Still, the $2.70 meant I'd cash for nearly $30 on WIN #7.  The next hour was the longest hour of the day.  I missed with back-to-back second place finishes at Monmouth and Parx......first I led into the lane on the Jersey Shore and couldn't last, then chased the front-runner and couldn't catch him in Philadelphia.  Then, very uncharacteristic for the day's schedule, I had nearly a full hour with one race to watch, and that a minimum investment.  This was due to the other two scratches from my list, unfortunately only 15 minutes apart.  My legs were killing me from standing and I took a ten minute break to sit on one of the benches outside in the paddock.  Came in to see my 9/5 pick at Pimlico run a distant and never-threatening eighth.  I led into the stretch at 5/2 at Parx to start off the next sequence, but weakened late in a five-furlong turf sprint with Racy - third.  Next up was my BET OF THE DAY!  It was from Arlington in a five and one-half furlong turf sprint.  Voodoo Spell laid over this field on either surface.  Six f the seven rivals had never run above an 85 on the Beyer scale.  Voodoo Spell's last SIX figures were: 88-87-91-91-91-92.  The lone runner that had a competitive figure had been beaten by Voodoo Spell in that one's last start.  AND from the Brisnet selections I'd printed off, this was their other top choice.  Looked like a slam dunk until I noted that the outriders appeared to have rain jackets on when I looked at the Arlington monitor.  Sure enough, after the fourth race Arlington took all their turf races off the grass and moved them to the main track.  Just a wee bit of a dilemma because Voodoo Spell had run well on REAL DIRT and turf.  How would he handle the Chicago poly?  I didn't think it mattered and I upped my own prime time investment to $30 to win.  I was delighted that he left the gate at a generous 4/5.  Sat in mid pack through the turn and the lone speed looked to have the race in hand.  But even as heads turned for home not only did I know my horse had a strong closing kick, but I also know from experience that NO LEAD is safe at Arlington where the stretch often favors those with late speed.  Sure enough, here came Voodoo Spell roaring up on the outside, and my favorite track announcer John G. Dooley gave one of his best calls when he sounded out that jockey Emmanuel Esquivel was "unleashing a spell" on the leader!  Right on by and ridden out as MUCH THE BEST for WIN #8 and my third win from three picks here in Chicago.  I had wisely chosen to wear my Arlington shirt today!  WHOOOO HOOOO! 

Of all the races on the day the one result that truly surprised me was next.  Handicapping logic said that Breeders' Cup Sprint champion Work All Week might be vulnerable in this his 2015 debut.  Having not run since the first weekend in November and with bigger targets ahead.  But the fact of the matter was he had a 12-for-14 overall record and was a perfect ten for ten on dirt.  I just could not believe that NOW, with that kind of streak, his connections would be willing to "get one under his belt" by running a short horse.  The crowd bet him down to 3/5 and he was stalking the second choice through the turn and into the lane.  I thought, "Here comes the big kick for home....." and then - nothing.  The second choice took off for the wire and was GONE.  Second best.  No time to cry over spilled milk, and little reason to do so as it turned out, as they were into the gate for Belmont's seventh race.  This happens ALL THE TIME and still I am amazed.  Todd Pletcher is sending out a debut runner.  Well duh.  First, the DRF linemaker listed Capriana at 20/1, like that would ever happen.  But I must admit I was really shocked that the official program listed him at 6/1.  All the better for me.  And I must admit that Pletcher is less effective with his turf runners, but I've also found out time and again that here is where you can get the rare price on a Pletcher horse, especially a debut runner.  At post time Capriana was 3/1.  He seemed to be sitting a comfortable trip to the far turn, but then as John Velazquez asked him to run there was no where to go by EIGHT wide!  Still, at the furlong marker only one horse was making up any ground on the front runner and it was me!  He inhaled that one with two hundred yards to go but now a fresh challenge from a closer......PHOTO FINISH.  I thought I'd won and when I saw the slo-mo replay I was even more convinced.  Yep - WIN #9.  Best of all - the price was a very juicy $8.60 so I was cashing for nearly $45.  It wasn't even official yet and they were off on the Santa Anita turf in the 3rd there, an allowance test going a mile.  I went for the upset in Screaming Skylar who was 6/1 in the program and left the gate at 4/1 odds.  She had been the pace setter in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes last time out in her first try against winners and I thought the angle of "early speed/class drop" would be good enough to get her home at a price.  She made her move on the turn, spun out five wide into the lane.  Dueled to the wire with each stride and head bob putting a different horse in front.  PHOTO FINISH!  I honestly didn't know and my gut reaction was I'd lost.  Watching the replay I thought there was a "maybe" chance that my head was down on the wire, but it literally would be determined by where, exactly, was the wire because neither filly had finished in front, it was just a question of who's head was bobbing down at the precise moment they hit the wire.  IT WAS ME! 

And Screaming Skylar paid a rich $10 even, meaning I would cash for another $25 on WIN #10 today!  As I mentioned earlier I had added the Parx card to the list late and so far I'd miss on all three previous choices.  FINALLY in the 9th Chroni was able to draw clear in mid stretch and hold off the challengers late for WIN #11 on the day, and my first in Philly.  The $3.40 price netted me nearly $20 as I'd doubled the bet here.  The final play on page two turned out as I expected, odds-on favorite Village Warrior lost at Monmouth.  Why bet him?  Well, it was Paco Lopez for Todd Pletcher and I just thought he looked best on paper.  Not even close when 4th at 4/5 odds.  Next was the feature at Woodbine, the Grade 2 Connaught Cup going 7 furlongs on the turf.  It was raining in Toronto as well now and this just added to the puzzle as my top choice, Conquest Top Gun had never been on the turf!  Now he had to try soft going.  I was tempted to pass the race, but his 12/1 program odds were bet down to 4/1, so I stuck with the minimum investment.  An even fifth.  Next up was the co-feature at Churchill, and if you'd asked me before the racing day began which of the two returning layoff champion runners in the two stakes races in Louisville would be most likely to lose, I'd have said it was the Pizza Man here in the Opening Verse.  Was event a touch more concerned when Breeders' Cup champ Work All Week went down in the previous race.  I had even gone so far to reconsider my bet, opened up the sheet and changed the pick......but then reconsidered and deleted the change.  Why?  I re-read my comments and I took a lot of confidence from the fact that even though The Pizza Man is best known for his work in marathon races, his record at today's 8 1/2 furlongs was a strong 9/7-1-0!  And as for the layoff; well even though the barn was not a big winner with such types, the two layoff lines showing for The Pizza Man had produced wins!  I stuck with the double investment.  I thought his 2/1 post-time odds were a handicapping gift from the racing gods!  He was on the rail through the turn and it came decision time where either the rider would have to swing five or six wide and lose a lot of ground and momentum, or be patient and hope the rail opened up.  He stayed inside......heads turned for home and nothing yet.  Then about 100 yards into the stretch run the leader came off the fence and he made his move!  The Pizza Man burst through and in what seemed like just a couple of jumps he went from third to a daylight lead.  He wasn't even asked to run hard late as he easily crushed the field!  WIN #12 had been delivered! 

The $6.20 payoff was oh-so-nice and I was collecting over $30!  At Gulfstream I thought I had a price play on Chepstow who was 7/2 in the program.  But in the early betting she was 3/5!  Floated up to 4/5 but ran like a 7/2 horse, 5th without a threat.  Next up was a turf race at Monmouth.  I thought that Love That Kelly was so obvious, most certainly should be a short-priced favorite I assumed.  The horse had a local mark of 9/5-1-1 which certainly qualified him as a "Horse-for-the-Course."  Even nicer was the 3-for-5 mark at today's one mile distance.  A subtle positive angle was that he was being moved UP in class by trainer Jamie Ness off of a fading loss for $12K to today's $20K level.  Ness has been making all the right moves on the Jersey Shore with an overall 43% win rate this spring/summer.  Love That Kelly stalked to mid-stretch, collared the leader and edged clear as the decisive winner.  And in spite of all the numbers somehow the crowd let her go off at better than 2/1!  WIN #13 paid a handsome $6.60 and I would be collecting over $30!  WHOOOP WHOOOP!  The prices came up and I quickly noted them while shifting my gaze back to the Churchill Downs monitor where Falcon Harbor looked to take down the finale in Louisiville.  One of my favorite subtle angles is this:  first off the claim by a trainer who is ALSO THE OWNER!  Uh oh!  You know he's going to spot his own horse where it can win.  Falcon Harbor went right to the front, appeared long gone into the lane.  But at the 16th pole it was VERY obvious he was a tired horse.  Here came the one legitimate closer.....where's the wire!!!!!! Just in time as he held on by a diminishing 3/4 of a length for WIN #14 today.  Those prices came up and it was post time at Belmont for their feature, the $200K Pennine Ridge for three-year-olds on the turf.  I thought that the winner was a "duh" obvious pick here.  Divisidero had won the Grade 2 American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard for me at a huge $19.20 price.  I understood that he was overlooked that day after closing from out of the clouds to win his maiden debut, then was a troubled third, beaten less than a length in the Grade 3 Palm Beach in his first try against winners.  But today, after just blowing by the field to draw off by daylight in Louisville, he was certain to be odds on here, right?  Before I left for the track I watched NYRA analyst Andy Serling's Pick-4 video.  Now you have to understand, this guy is not only opinionated, but his tone of voice leads you to believe that anyone who does not bet with him is just plain supid.  Well he starts off the video by saying he hopes that trainer Chad Brown runs both halves of the entry in the Pennine Ridge because he is certain they run 1-2 today.  He goes on and on about this and I know he's just way off base.  But as I look up at the monitor, the entry is a prohibitive 4/5.  Am I missing something?  I don't think so.  I am the beneficiary of this wagering error as my pick is sitting up there at 2/1!  They break out of the gate and when the opening fraction is posted at :25 and change I know that this pedistrian pace is real problem for the closing style of Divisidero.  Then the rider makes a brilliant call - I hope.  He lets the horse run for about a half mile and goes from the back of the pack to an up-close 4th as the feld heads into the turn.  It's not often that a closer can make two runs at the lead, unless he's got some real talent.  We shall see, but I am thinking as this happens that this was the best move because to try and rally from the back into this pace would have been hopeless.  The field turns for home and Divisidero is swung some six wide turning for home.  And wouldn't you know it, the 4/5 top half of the entry is in front (though the other half is no where!).  Here came Divisidro and with a sixteenth to go he was up to his neck but seemed stalled as the favorite seemed to have enough to hold him off.  But in the final 100 yards Divisidero found another gear and surged to the front to win as the clear, but narrow victor! 

The price flashed up on the board at a big $6.30 and my triple investment ticket on WIN #15 was going to get me back nearly $50!  Take that Andy Serling!  I had only three more races to watch live before I was going to head for home.  About an hour ago I had made my bet on the second at Evangeline Downs where I had a couple of picks and a prime-time play in the $300K Evangeline Turf Sprint.  But the race had still not gone off due to a weather delay.  First it was labled a "slight delay" on the monitor, then a "severe weather delay" and now the monitor flashed the message that the rest of the racing card had been cancelled. Disappointing.  The finale at Gulfstream I had a longshot in Ghost at Sunrise who was 20/1 in the program but bet down the 4/1....ran like a 20/1 when dead last of ten.  In the feature at Monmouth Rainbow Heir went right to the front at 2/5 in the John J. Reilly Handica.  His five-for-six local record more than offset the layoff line I thought.  Turned for home and he got a challenge and it seemed like he said to the fresh horse, "you take it, I'm tired."  Faded to be a well beaten fourth.  And in the Grade 1 American Oaks the favorite produced for the crowd while my upset pick, Mrs McDougal for Chad Brown was fourth at 5/1.  When I got home I watched a television program we'd recorded while I had a very light dinner and then went to the computer to watch the replays.  In Santa Anita's 6th Forest Blue was 6/5 and led them into the stretch under confident handling.......caught after running a :22 and :45 pace going a two-turn mile, second best.  At Penn National the big races were the first four on the card with a 6 pm first post.  My pick, Strict Compliance had been cross-entered in Santa Anita's Grade 1 American Oaks, but Chad Brown sent her here with Javier Castellano to ride.  She rated off the leaders, waited to the furlong marker and then hit high gear to sweep by as WIN #16 on the list. 

Another more-than-fair price of $6.20 means that ticket will be worth over $30 when I head out on next.  The very next race on the sheet was the finale from Monmouth Park.  I liked Khloe's Quest - not only because she's the namesake of my favorite niece, but because last time out she'd show speed against better.  She was first off the claim for Jorge Navarro and with the rail draw she looked to be the lone speed.  Within the first quarter of a mile she was in front by six lengths and despite the :21 and change opening quarter seemed to be well within herself.  She turned for home and widened the margin to over eight lengths while being ridden out as WIN #17 and yet another nice price - $8 for a $2 ticket, so I'll cash for $40 next trip to Gulfstream!  I rewound the replay and video recorded the stretch run on my phone then sent it to my sister to share with my niece.....thanks Khloe!  I was an oh-so-close 2nd in a desperate photo with favorite Ben's Cat in Penn National's Pa Governor's Cup.  That would have been nice.  Really thought he had the winner on the wire, but he was one jump short and a desperate nose behind on the finish line.  The 8th at Santa Anita was the Grade 2 Californian and everyone was going to bet Moreno.  He'd earned Grade 1 status last summer and had several big numbers on his resume.  He'd just won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic over the best runner in North America, Shared Belief when that one came up injured.  He seemed logical.  But to me, he's always been too inconsistent.  You never know when he's going to give you a big effort, and he next to never gives you two winning efforts in a row.  Add to that fact that when he was a best-of-the-rest second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap two back, he'd finished a neck in front of today's rival Catch A Flight.  If you liked Moreno, you HAD to like Catch A Flight who was sure to be a better price.  Sure enough, Moreno was 4/5, Catch A Flight was 2/1 as they hit the far turn.  Moreno had been tracking longshot leader and made his move midway through the turn and was in front.  But as soon as his rider said "GO" so too did Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens and the move to quicken with Moreno seemed to take both the horse and rider off guard.  Within two jumps Catch A Flight was in front and Moreno tried to the wire, but he was beaten.  Again, a nice $6.60 price on WIN #18 will lead to another $30 payoff.  WOW. 

In the featured Grade 3 Penn Mile for 3yo colts, I went with Pappacoolpappacool who had been impressive in his last ou stakes win at Santa Anita.  He was bet down to 5/2 favoritism, but I thought that was a fair price.  He was a little farther back than I'd have wanted, and mid way down the backside the rider tried to move up, CHECKED!  Now he WAS in last, boooo.  Made a sweeping move but was fanned so wide that it was negated and he was a non threatening sixth under the wire.  Ironically the winner had been my top pick in a Pimlico stakes on Preakness weekend and was second as the favorite - paid over $20 today :(  In the finale at Santa Anita they were racing down the hillside course - you know I love those kinds of races!  Pay the Fine had been a sharp third in his debut down the hill last time out despite a five-wide trip.  From post one he would enjoy a perfect inside-outside trip down the unique course which bends first to the right and then back to the left.  Could not have scripted it better as he pressed the leaders to the dirt track cross over and then kicked clear as EASILY the best for WIN #19 today.  And again, a fair price of $8.60 meaning when I go back out on Belmont weekend my four winning tickets will produce a return of over $125! 

One more race on the selection sheet, the Lyphard Stakes from Penn National.  Lenape Rim, the defending champion was flying six wide off the turn, but was a just-miss second behind the favorite who got through with a dream run on the inside.  For the day, a remarkable NINETEEN wins from 45 selections, that's a huge 42% my friends.  And get this, the BET OF THE WEEKEND doesn't run until tomorrow!

May 31
I had targeted three races to play today on the Sunday landscape, but once we decided to spend the afternoon at the movies I backed off to the one play, the BET of the WEEKEND in Belmont's Wonder Again Stakes.  As a juvenile, filly Lady Eli had won three in a row, culminated by a win in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf.  That had prompted many national turf writers to call her the "best 3yo filly on any surface."  She made her 2015 debut about a month ago at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Appalachian and just crushed the field without taking a deep breath.  Now I knew she was an ultra-talented filly, but when the runner-up - Miss Temple City - came back to romp in the Miss Preakness on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard AND was then being targeted to run at Royal Ascot next, well, that speaks to just how good Lady Eli is.  I made my bet on her and we went to the movies.  Once we returned I opened up twinspires.com and watched the replay.  It was obvious from the outset that most of the riders were trying as hard to BEAT Lady Eli as to win the race.  She was buried among horses near the back as the leaders went a pokey :25 and change and then a modest :51 for the half mile and a walking 1:15 for six furlongs.  No where to go STILL as the field turned for home and jockey Irad Ortiz had a ton of horse waiting to run.  At the furlong marker the two that emerged with the lead burst away, sprinting for the wire.  The separation from the rest of the field left a gap for Lady Eli.  Eased out she immediately hit high gear, collared the leaders and was clear easily under a confident hand ride without ever being asked.  WOW, ultra impressive on WIN #20 for the weekend!  Check out the recap video with the stretch run calls of all twenty winners on the video below!

May 30-31 Recap Video