September 12

In Toronto!

Another EXCELLENT Day Of Handicapping

This morning I headed to Ft. Lauderdale International Airport and left for Toronto Canada at 12:30, touching down after a direct flight at about 3 pm.  I had made the trip with my good friend Jim Anderson.  It took us about 40 minutes to first figure out and then actually go through customs and exit the airport before we waited outside for our free shuttle to our hotel.  The first really good part of our trip came when we exited the terminal building and were greeted with the crisp low-60's temperatures.  We had to wait for over a half an hour for the shuttle and I can tell you that my ears were quite cold by the time we got into the van.  Checking in was no problem and one thing I'd forgotten was that the hotel was already paid for when I'd booked through Expedia, so it will be a "free" weekend!  I took the elevator to my room on the 9th floor and looked out the window....what did I see? 

 

The view above is a photo out my window; yes, that's right, I'm looking down the homestretch!  I had picked this hotel because of its location near the track and purposefully had not gotten a rental car.  But during the final twenty minutes of the flight the gentleman seated in my row remarked to me he'd seen me looking at a Woodbine program and asked about my trip.  As we were talking he told me that the area around the track had very little there and he said he would not recommend walking in the area.  We also talked about how we needed to exchange our US currency for Canadian and as he lived in Canada we exchanged some money at the going rate.  He was very nice.  But once Jim and I saw the location of the hotel we both felt that (a) the walk was not far, and (b) was certainly not a safety issue.  Literally, the track is across the street from the hotel.  Because of the size of the parking lot I wondered about the time of the walk, especially with my lung condition that I'd just had diagnosed (small blood clots).  But it took ten minutes or a touch less from the front door of the hotel to entering the Woodbine facility.  We checked out the gift shop, which was very small, and decided that the few items they had on sale near the entrance were of more interest to us than the actual gift shop (only one polo shirt with "Woodbine" on it!).  And after we'd checked the place out it was nearing post time for the co-featured Grade 2 Summer Stakes for two-year-olds, a "Win and You're In!" Breeders' Cup event.  We went outside to and I was amazed at the view.  The apron in front of the stands is very small and you right on top of the turf course - which is one unique thing about Woodbine - the turf is on the outside, the main track on the inside!  I had bet eight of the ten races online before we left and my selection in this event, The Zip Zap Man went off as the tepid 5/2 favorite.  He pressed the pace into the stretch and faded to 8th and last.  But the view was very cool and we were both very excited about tomorrow's racing.  We headed back to the hotel and had a nice dinner, then turned in around 7 pm, agreeing to meet for breakfast at 8 Sunday morning. 

 

I opened the computer and checked the replays from the day.  In the opener, a Maiden Claiming event saw Sheer Chance go off as the 7/5 favorite.  He was away slowly, rushed up to press the leaders and faded late to be fifth.  In the third - passed the second - Simon's Siesta was a nice 6/1 price but was never close to being a threat, fifth again.  I began to wonder if my excellent 3-for-4 results yesterday were going to be the extent of my pre-Woodbine Mile Day wins!  In the fourth, and allowance event, I liked Hidden To Win who was by far the most consistent runner with three wins in her last five starts.  Top rider Eruico DaSilva was aboard.  I tried to look for an alternative because those wins were in a MSW and two restricted claiming events.  But in the end could not find a viable alternative.  She was four-wide heading into the lane and edged clear in mid-stretch to give me my first win on the Saturday card. 

 

The 9/5 odds meant I'd only get a little less than $15 back but a win is a win!  Right back in the fifth a Maiden Special for juveniles.  Much like the 4th I really tried to find an alternative to Conquest Soprano who WAS a Woodbine 40% Club play, but after losing his debut in a stakes race had collected disappointing seconds in back-to-back races as the favorite.  Again I could not find a likely alternative and I reasoned if he was even money in the program he had to have a good chance.  I would have passed I think if he'd not been a Club play, but I doubled the bet.  I was surprised that another colt, who I had not liked was the 4/5 favorite and Conquest Soprano went off at 8/5.  As they hit the far turn the 8/1 leader was being reeled in by both the favorite and 'Soprano.  But as they moved through the turn it was clear to me that the rider of the favorite was riding his mount hard and my jockey was sitting chilly.  This looks good for me!  They hit the stretch 3 across the track, but when my pick was asked he accelerated away as easily best!  WHOOO HOOOO two in a row! 

 

The $5.20 payoff was MUCH better than I'd imagined and I was cashing for nearly $30!  The 6th was a Maiden Special, but for older horses.  Phil's Glory had a huge advantage over her maiden rivals today - she'd actually won a race.  But she had lugged in late and was DQ'd.  The four she did not face had Beyer figures of 8-0-43-29 in their most recent, obviously not win threats and the most likely of the two she'd beaten had been 17/1 vs. Phil's 3/2 odds in that last meeting.  And finally the other filly had been 5/1 but could not catch either of her two rivals that day.  I thought all Phil's Glory had to do was run straight and she was a winner.  Couldn't have been more accurate.  She was dead last heading into the far turn, causing me some concern don't ya' know!  But she moved decisively past the entire field and blew by them all to win going away.  Ironically the top three finishers were the same three fillies, in the same order as the last time they'd met! 

 

The winning payoff was a fair $3.60 and I cashed for just shy of $20.  THREE STRAIGHT!  In the 7th, the Grade 2 Natalma for 2yo fillies going a mile on the turf I had wanted to have a pick, but nothing jumped out at me.  I finally had settled on Caren who had been a winner twice for me and was a perfect 3-for-3, two of them being stakes wins.  The problem was all three of her races had been main track sprints.  She stalked the leader into the lane, but as they turned for home that one accelerated away to wire the field and Caren held third behind a late-running closer.  The eighth was my "BEST of the DAY" and glancing down at my selection sheet during the replays I knew that the bottom line would be decided by the results of this race in spite of the good winning percentage I would have.  It was a no conditions allowance test going a mile and a sixteenth.  Luke's Alley looked REALLY strong on paper.  He'd won back-to-back graded stakes and six of nine career starts.  WOW.  What's the problem? Well, he'd not seen the races since November.  But, he showed wins off the bench in his pp's - though never a layoff of this extent - and jockey Luis Contreras was 28% for the barn.  I had gone "prime time" with my investment.  He was near the leaders in this short field of five as they hit the far turn and then swooped up three wide with a powerful move to draw off as easily the best of the field! 

 

EXCELLENT!  My fourth win of the day!  Luke's Alley had been a more-than-fair 4/5 price when they left the gate so my winning ticket would be worth nearly $40!  I already knew the results of my final bet, the Grade 2 Summer (the race we'd seen live).  So for the day I was a superb 4-for-8 and had profited well over $25!  I am hopeful that the first two days of Woodbine Mile Weekend are a prelude to a big day as I've won with seven of my eleven selections!  BIG DAY tomorrow!