First Post: Friday, October 18, 2013

Breathe…exhale…

Free ones: Rundown…

Belmont 1, 3, 7
Calder 4

Sorry, Arcadia! Next time!

Pay-side: Today…

Golden Gate 4, 5, 7, 8
Hawthorne 4, 7, 8, 9
Keeneland 2, 5, 6, 9, 10
Laurel 3, 5
Meadowlnads 2, 5, 6
Retama 4, 5, 6
Remington 2, 6, 7, 10
Woodbine 4, 7, 9, 10

Today’s Stakes Pageantry: Kee 9 is on the pay-side. So are RP 2, 6, 7, 10.

Looks like a default-box scenario in the OKC opener between the obvious #4 Lounge Lady, #3 She’s Gone Dancing.

Then in Race 3, straight-up upset call to #9 Winner to Be.

Uh-oh. Vaunted Triple Threat Horsey status accorded to #3 Fast Resource in the fifth.

Wild stuff in CT 8. On its own, this race would have been included in “Nocturnal Submission”, it’s that good. Your Colonial Penn Stakes Triple Stumper of the Evening involves #2 Hymn Note, #4 Deco Rocks, #3 Gold Edge.

Yesterday’s Activity: As always, Welcome to The Home of The Runner-Up Finish, this time led by the great, top-touted Iker in the closer at Hawthorne. ¡Iker Casillas, portero de Real Madrid y España!

Iker was 40-1 and finished second, though not in the same Time Zone as the winner, nearly 16 lengths in advance. Ah, well.

Then at the Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., it was a case of the bookend scores, which means the second of those was — yea, verily — a King of the NetCapper Bulliesz special.

First, the opener went to Arikepa. Arikepa was second on the Betting Line, Fair Odds of 2½-1. His morning line, however, was 12-1, and he went off at 10-1. Running mainly to his LifeLiner array of 99-99-99, Arikepa stayed toward the lead before going away in the final furlong, prevailing by nearly 6 lengths at a win mutuel of $22.60.

Last, Second Bonkersmate Snow Fair came through in the late stages and paid $74.40 up top. Snow Fair, 30-1 on the morning line (as an aside, some people will automatically dismiss 30-1 shots on the morning line, summarily dismiss) and eighth of 11 on the Betting Line, did well enough on LifeLiner Speed (82) and merited consideration.

The runner-up, three-quarters of a length behind Snow Fair, was Goshen Hawk, the top-touted horse in this race. Goshen Hawk, 15-1 on the morning line and 9-1 in real life, ran hard to his LifeLiner array of 60-60-85, closing express-style to complete your eminently gettable $495.60 exacta. Sorry about the third-place slot, which was completed by the 2½-1 public-choice, for whom we had no use. Regretsz, trizacta fansz!

Thanks again, Keeneland. Lexington, Ky., firing up America!

WMF Report:

Early
Albquerque 7f
Finger 1m
Indiana 6f
Mountain 5f, 5½f
PennNat 6f
Santa Anita 6f

Nocturnal Submission: Sifting through the wreckage…