First Post: Saturday, December 14, 2013

It’s sunny and 75°F. Birdies chirping, roses blooming, open-toed footwear would not be out-of-place.

Free ones: Rundown…

Aqueduct 2, 6, 7
Calder / Gulf Calder 6, 8, Gulf 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
BetFail 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Pay-side: Today…

Fair Grounds 6, 11, 13
Golden Gate 3, 4, 8, 9, 10
Hawthorne 6, 7, 8
Laurel 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
Retama 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Remington 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Sunland 7, 8, 11
Tampa 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10
Turfway 6, 7, 8, 9
Turf Paradise 7
Woodbine 5, 6, 11

Today’s Stakes Pageantry: Man City were in fine fettle this morning, trouncing the Farsenal, 6-3. Farsenal were not abjectly bad, but Man City were routinely imperious, stroking the ball around like they were just practicing. Title race on!

Elsewhere, Hol 7 is on the free page. As is Crc 8.

On the pay-side, it’s FG 11, Haw 7 and TuP 7.

Should be OK for #6 Hud’s Rebellion in FG 5. In the seventh there, #3 Mischievous Mama can be a low-priced upsetter. In Race 10, #7 Sunbean should do all right.

Uh-oh. Vaunted Triple Threat Horsey status bestowed upon #5 R Free Roll in GP 9, the Grade III Sugar Swirl.

Yesterday’s Activity: Over at the Golden Gate, top-touted Giannonatti took the fifth at an unimpeachable $18.20.

Giannonatti, second-choice on the Betting Line at Fair Odds of 3½-1 and sufficiently sanctioned on LifeLiner Speed Column (86), rallied the way his full LifeLiner Array of 72-76-86 suggested he would, prevailing by a hard-fought half-length at the wire. The 2½-1 second-public-choice, also OK on LifeLiner Speed Column, completed the exacta: $50-even, for $2.

As always, Welcome to The Home of The Runner-Up Finish, this time led by sole-touted Play Like a Raven in the fifth at Laurel.

Play Like a Raven, ignored by the Betting Line but a highly rated 97 as the second-best number on the LifeLiner Speed Column, went off at 17-1, off a morning line of 15-1. He rallied the way his complete LifeLiner Array of 60-64-97 said he would, not close to the winner but better than seven others in the nine-horse field. Yes, the top-rated LifeLiner Speed Column horsey won as the 2-1 second-public-choice, and the saver exacta paid $114. Not bad.

Another honourable second-place effort came in Tampa 5 via sole-touted Abadoy. Abadoy, 30¢ shy of going off at 20-1 in real life, was not rated with Fair Odds on the Betting Line but did well enough on LifeLiner Speed Column (85). He made the lead in the straight but had to settle for the runner-up ending, beaten 4 lengths. No good read on the winner, though. Sorry!

More nearly-was in Woodbine 7, courtesy of top-touted Itzhoweeroll. Itzhoweeroll was third-choice on the Betting Line, but without fair odds. LifeLiner Speed Column gave him clearance, however, with a 92. At 15-1 on the morning line, Itzhoweeroll was sent off at 16-1 when the bell rang. He beat 11 others in the 13-horse scramble, 1¾ behind the winner. That winner was the lukewarm 3-1 fave as well as the top of the Betting Line and OK on LifeLiner. The saver exactor returned $85, an anemic price, considering that this was 3-1 on top of 16-1 in a 13-horse field. Pool-killaz!

Finally at the Turfway, Race 6 went to sole-touted My Princess Dawn. Princess Dawn was ignored by the Betting Line but top-ranked on LifeLiner Speed Column, at 99. She rallied the way her complete LifeLiner array hinted at (67-81-99), and won by 2 lengths at $32.40 up top.

WMF Report:

Early
Delta 5f
Gulf 6f
BetFail 6f
Mountain 5f, 6f
Remington 6f

Rally
Golden Gate 1m (WMF 10)

Nocturnal Submission: Sifting through the wreckage…

Thank you. Best wishes. Goodbye. Drive safely.