First Post: Saturday, August 26, 2017

Hang in there, Tejas. Stay strong, Houston & San Antonio.

We frequently take the Tejas Mythos apart in this here space, but there are otherwise many fine people who are at the Mercy of Mother Nature right about now. Safety to all, anyway.

Free ones: Rundown…

Saratoga Race Course 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13
Gulfstream Park Proper 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club 5, 8, 9, 10

Pay-side (Weekend/Weekday): Today…

Arlington 6
BelTerra 1, 3, 5, 7, 8
Delpark 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Ellis Park 1, 4, 5, 9
Golden Gate 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Louisiana 2, 4, 5, 7
Monmouth 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12
Remington 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Woodbine 4, 5, 7, 8, 11

Today’s Stakes Pageantry: Free page has Saratoga 7, 9, 10, 11, Del Mar 9. Pay-side has Monmouth 11, Woodbine 8.

Bypassing the morning-line choice in Gulf 11, going instead with #3 Lirica, #1 Sweet Tooth Haven, #6 Arty’sbourbongirl. We’ll see.

Canterbury 2 is open, and #2 Sir Navigator can set sail for the wire first. Race 3 there could be the wildest thing scheduled at any North American racetrack today, and you are advised to pick any number you like — as long as you are swinging for the Target Field fences. Ditto Race 4. Go with God, Bike with Buddha.

Chas. Town 7 appears contentious, yet we are under contract to recommend #3 Moonlit Song. Oh, well.

Not a live longshot, technically, but 6-1 morning-line offering #2 Cake Pop should be among the living in Thistle 7.

Greetings to our friends at the Md. State Fair at Timonium! From personal experience: to avoid embarrassment and potential arrest, do not inhale any combustibles while riding on the carousel. Now, this was more than a quarter-century ago, so we can’t say for certain if vapers (read: e-cigarette users) are subject to the same jurisprudence. Also, water pipes and portable hookahs might be acceptable. Call ahead for details. Now, if you remain undeterred, here’s a longshot trizacta box for Race 9: #3 Rockinn On Bye, #8 Final Prospect, #6 Unbridled Lion. Hit that and you’ll be in deep-fried crab-cake donuts for the rest of the meet. Thank you!

Yesterday’s Activity: Hey! How ya’s doin’ over there? Well, that’s good! Anyway, some meets have just opened-up, and if you have been with us for any length of time, you likely know what that means (or what we think that means). Right. Big prices to begin new meets. This is conjecture and may not be a certainty. Anecdotally, you understand the rationalizations: sharp bettors not on top of the mutuels yet, trainers change things around, form-reversals due to a change of surroundings, last-race sparkling form not necessarily translating to the new venue, blah-blah-blah. Who knows?

Four tracks began their meets yesterday, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. We have some highlights from three of them: Ferndale, Golden Gate, Timonium. Sorry, Remington. We’ll have to come back to you in the next couple of days. Please be patient.

Ferndale 6 had the aptly named Lucky Views (‘Hey! It’s not luck! It’s skill’), who had an acceptable 85 on the LifeLiner Speed Column analysis; he rallied like the champion he should have been, winning by a clean nose at $21.80. Good work.

Down U.S. 101 South along the Calif. coastline to Golden Gate for the next one. Race 4 had Bonmont, field-best 86 on the LifeLiner Spread Column analysis, who indeed went gate-to-wire to win by 1 at $23-even. Good work.

Across the country to Timonium for the fifth, in which Free Union, a Dual Qualifier (!) at 80 on the LifeLiner Speed Column analysis and 81 on the LifeLiner Spread Column analysis, was a stalking-horse throughout before winning by 1½f at $43.40. Good work.

So, check it out these days at Ferndale, Golden Gate, Remington, Timonium, which have just commenced proceedings.

WMF Report:

Early
Canterbury 6f
Columbus 6f
Emerald 6f, 6½f
Evangeline 6f
Finger 6f
Fairmount 6f
Los Alamitos 4½f
Marquis 6f
Northlands 6f, 6½f, 1m
Ruidoso 5½f
Saratoga 6½f

Nocturnal Submission: Sifting through the wreckage…

Thank you. Best wishes. Goodbye. Shelter safely.