Win Some, Not Win Some
Alan Garcia, Saratoga’s 2008 title holder, after winning the Belmont (~ RAYMOND)
Alan Garcia and Kiaran McLaughlin held on to win the Jock and Trainer titles for Saratoga… congrats to both of them!
I’m also happy to report that I’m exiting the meeting on a winning exacta ticket! I couldn’t believe it when Cribnote blew the turn in the Hopeful and came back to place! I wasn’t originally planning on including him but he looked great in the parade. While I remain down on the meet, the last three days were (modestly) in the black… John Kimmel wasn’t the only one on a roll!
Anak Nakal finally got a win in the PA Derby! I always felt he had a slightly worse wrap than he deserved and that he had been quietly improving all year. I’ve certainly been putting little bets on him since the Wood. I also liked Acai, one of my Saratoga picks, and Smooth Air (you know, the high paying trifecta).
At the last minute I made my way to Twinspires prepared to make a little $2 exacta box of Anak Nakal, Acai and Smooth Air but didn’t see Acai in the selections. He was listed as 14F at DRF for the program number and 12 in the gate. There was no 14 to select and when I moused over 12 it said it was Wishful Tomcat. Naturally, I thought Acai scratched.
Imagine my surprise when the race started and not only was Acai running, he was looking like the winner! They also listed the result as 12. Only after looking at DRF a couple of more times did I put it together that Wishful Tomcat, Alaazo and Acai were all rolled into #12… but why?
I’m trying to let the fact that I picked them override my annoyance at Twinspires for not making that more clear. Arrrrrrr!
Posted by dana on Sep 01 2008
Filed Under: 2008, Twinspires, Raymond Haddad, Anak Nakal, Internet, Exacta, Saratoga, Alan Garcia, Kiaran McLaughlin, Racing
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That is why it is always better to find a track to go to. I was at the Spa and bet the PA Derby with no problems after looking at the post parade on the simulcast screen on the grandstand level. Watching the Hopeful live and betting the other tracks while at the track-it is better than being in heaven. This sport was meant to be at live, not looking at it on a computer.
Watching Alan Garcia get warm applause while walking through the Spa Crowd is what it is all about!
Good for you!
That’s a bad beat, and one for which you can totally blame Scientific Games. Due to ridiculous and outdated limitations in their tote software, which is used by Philadelphia Park, any time a field greater than 12 is entered in a race, every horse in post #12+ is bundled into a mutuel field. So Acai and Wishful Tomcat and Alaazo were all #12 as far as betting was concerned. Aggravating. Congrats on the Hopeful win, though. I’m lamenting that I missed out on Vineyard Haven.
Ah, an answer… now THAT’s what I was looking for!
Somehow I knew you’d know… thx!
Come to think of it, what’s even more vexing is that in the case of coupled entries, the new snazzy AJAX interface shows the name of both horses entered under the number when the entry number is moused over. I would have assumed this would be the case here too, but they can’t display what they don’t get.
Wow—Hopeful exacta. NOT easy.
I think you’re just prepping for another Wood Memorial-type attack at the Big A.
But good luck at Belmont, too!
Thanks E!
Maybe I’m kinda like Grand Courtier or Skakis… I was doing well this time last year and had a nice Fall meet with the pinnacle being JCGC weekend. It all fell apart at the BC. We’ll see!