August 2

Sunday August 2 - Haskell Day

Much like the first day of the Woodbine Handicapping Project, today I had my picks from the Toronto track, but I also had selections from another venue hosting a big national race.  This time it was Monmouth Park on the Jersey Shore where it was Haskell Day.  Last year I was at the Haskell to see champion filly Untapable run against the boys and I thought that was a huge event.  But it didn't compare at all to today's main attraction - the return to the races of Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah!  Another similarity to the first day of the Woodbine Project was the lack of success north of the border.  In the third Conquest Calvary was a Woodbine 40% Club play in a 2yo MSW event.  He chased the loose-on-the-lead 6/5 favorite all the way around the track and was second as the 2/1 second choice.  In the 4th my top pick was O Wanderlust, who was also a 40% Club play - but he scratched out of this spot to run tomorrow.  In the 5th Narrow Escape was a big 11/1 as another Club play, 4th behind my second choice Ruth Less Blue who won as the 3/5 favorite.  In the 6th Sky Marshall was a non-threatening 4th at 8/1.  In the 8th, the featured Grade 3 Seagram Cup I supported last year's winner Pender Harbor who was allowed to go off at 7/2.  He lacked room the length of the stretch until finally getting through on the rail - just too late as he was a head short, second.  In the 9th Sorry About That was my top choice at 4/5.  He rallied 6-wide to forge to the front but was caught right on the wire......second again.  Sigh......  Too early to draw any conclusions, but wondering what's the cause for the lack of winners so far.  Is it that I have not handicapped since June or that I need to "get a feel" for Woodbine?  All I know is that I'll keep firing and things are bound to turn around!  The numbers always seem to work out for me. 

 

Haskell Day 2014

 

Without question, the highlight of the day was the action from Monmouth.  I was 4th at 9/2 on a Todd Pletcher first-time starter, Blue Earth, in the 2nd.  But I won the first of five stakes selections with Got Lucky in the Lady's Secret.  In retrospect I should have made her a much bigger investment.  She'd just beat nearly this same group in dominant fashion in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher a month ago.  But I only tripled the bet today.  In much the same as that race she stalked the dueling leaders in mid-pack to the turn; was asked to run and collared them turning for home before pouring it on to draw off convincingly. 

 

I will say it was nice she was a "bigger" price today at 1/2, so my triple investment netted me over $20!  I liked Todd Pletcher's Catron in the Teddy Drone Stakes, and so did the crowd as he was bet down to 9/5 favoritism.  He was 8th and last from the opening bell to the finish line.  In the Grade 3 Matchmaker I went with chad Brown's Testa Rossi.  She was exiting back-to-back efforts against Grade 1 winners so I thought this field looked ripe for the taking.  She was six wide into the lane and looked to have a good chance, but was outkicked to the wire, third at 5/2 odds.  I picked up my second win when Bradester wired the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup.  I really thought I was going with a price play as he was 5/1 in the program and there were at least two if not three others that wanted the lead.  But with the rail draw I saw him as the speed of the speed.  Well, I was right in that analysis, but the crowd hammered him down to 4/5 favoritism.  So I cashed for less than $20. 

 

THE big highlight of the weekend came in the featured Grade 1 $1.75 million Haskell Invitational.  I knew American Pharoah would offer no value, but I was also convinced if he wasn't rusty that he would be an easy winner.  I felt that his connections, who I admire so much for racing him throughout the remainder of the year, will not run him unless they are convinced he's ready for a peak effort.  They seem genuinely concerned to give the fans what they are looking for - a champion running a championship race.  And man did he deliver today!  Check it out: 

American Pharoah DOMINATES The Grade 1 Haskell

 

 

I can't think of a race that was more impressive that I've seen.  The only one that comes close was when Wise Dan won the 2012 Woodbine Mile when he set a track record without ever being asked.  But he didn't dominate like American Pharoah did here.  It was breath-taking.  I kept thinking as he ran through the stretch how very fortunate I was to have seen him live in the Arkansas Derby and the Preakness and that I should get to see him in the Breeders' Cup Classic. 

 

For the day I was 3-for-6 at Monmouth, but the 0-for-5 performance at Woodbine dampened the results on the bottom line.  I like that Woodbine runs tomorrow as I usually don't have racing to look forward to on Mondays!