HALLANDALE BEACH, FL, July 23, 2021 — There is a chance that all fans might see one of the ones today in the fifth race at Saratoga. Be warned that the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks is not an event that one looks to bet on:
Malathaat is 2-5 on the early line to vanquish three rivals. Do we like her? In February, we called out good friend Paul Cornman in Las Vegas and asked if he could get me a futures price on her to win the Kentucky Derby. So, yeah, we do.
The co-featured G3 Caress has dawn only six turf mares sprinting 5-1/2 furlongs, but half have a serious chance on paper.
And trend trend continues, lamentably. On an overnight-stakes loaded card at Pimlico we keyed on two turf races and neither event could attract more than six runners.
Note: Great matchup in the King George IV Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, Race 5, post time 10:35 am, EDT
When playing exotics, all wagers at minimums available, straight wagers notwithstanding
***
SARATOGA RACE COURSE (multiple horses are preferred in listed order)
G1 COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS
A. 1-Malathaat (2-5)
B. 4-Clairiere (9-5)
C. none
G3 CARESS STAKES
A. 2- Robin Sparkles (6-5), 1-Caravel (7-5)
B. 6- Jakarta (6-1)
C. none
PIMLICO RACE COURSE
BIG DREYFUS STAKES
A. 5-No Mo Lady (3-1), 2- Counterparty Risk (6-5)
B. none
C. 6- Sister Hanan (3-1), 1-Sailingtothewind (6-1)
BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL TURF CUP
A. 1-Field Pass (8-5)
B. 4-Pixielate (2-1), 3-Talk Or Listen (8-1)
C. 5-English Bee (10-1)
GULFSTREAM PARK
MONROE STAKES (Turf Only)
A. 3-Shifty She (7-5), 8-Mo of the West (6-1)
B. 9-Drapes (8-1), 2-Lovely Luvy (9-2)
C. 11-Global Brand (12-1)
MONMOUTH PARK
IRISH WAR CRY HANDICAP
A. 5-He’spuregold (3-1), 8-Quiberon Bay (8-5)
B. 6-Kratos (4-1)
C. none
This is a live on-going column
14 Responses
Could it be the prospect of the additional racing analysis to follow later that finds me awake at five in the morning? Not really. Too much damn ice cream and cake last night more than likely to blame. At seventy three, simply thinking indigestion is all. Anyhoot, I wake up thinking about the prospect of a full cycle investing Saturday, and a full cycle Pricci handicapping day.
Before I get into the time to kill, any chance you could add a race or two over the hedges during the week for us John? If you like them, I’m game to play. Kind of like bobble heads going over the jumps and all, but what the hell John, fun is fun, like watching The Rievers, a racing related movie of old, and we’re only talking about two bucks a play. Two bucks on a chaser would be more fun than two bucks on a two buck chuck bottle of wine. Now there’s indigestion.
Thinking a few other readers might like a jumper or two added to the FRA game as well is all. Seems odd that a race intended to most properly identify and capture the purity of the equine’s grace and athlelticism, should end up as being vilified and perceived as it’s most suspect event. Really, it’s only hedges and timing that come added into the challenge At any rate, I feel it would be a value added approach for HRI to add a chaser race or two, and let the HRI faithful player decide if he or she wants in or not.
Added thought, maybe even Wendell might voice in a plodder or two over the course of the meet, any meet, and mix in a claimer or two, if only for the pastrami sandwich and cold Fosters view and value perceived from the grandstand seats. I always liked the view from the grandstand side best myself Wendell. I quite often simply watch a race from the more silence enlisted area of the far turn coming home. Crack of the whip time reminder time for a few to get their mindsets set for the challenge ahead. And as for the jumpers, only if your already playing yourself mind you John No one is forcing anyone to play any race, but if you have already done the work……please do share a name or two minus any long narratives and typing please.
As long as I am awake, I wanted to add comment regarding the absence of comment of a previous writter and commenter if allowed. Was it really all about red states vs blue states? So bad that a friendship natured and nutured over so many years simply reverted to sound without rebound, and now to merely old dust, like an old foul aged elephant fart sealed in a circus tent, just let a friendship die for the sake of I’m wright?. Shuck MAGA and the oysters in your pockets, I’m taking second base and going home attitude, and get on with life already.. We are left with the Arrogate guy didn’t like playing anymore, so he picked up his base, and left with no one covering second, more like instead of playing like men, just flat out picked up second base and went home. For MAGA? Boo Who Democrats and sorry ass Republicans? Well then I’m not playing anymore? Time we all revisit kindergarten and better learn how to get over it. All of us. Pick up the phone Tom, John, or meet somewhere like down on the far turn and resolve it all over bending a few elbows. The hour is always getting later for all of us. Tick, tick, tick….is all.
I recommend everyone chill out. Pick up a copy of CASTE and give it a read. Explains everything about why we all are the way we are. Stuburn in our own world’s of stupidity and entitlement. We all evolved that way. Born into what we were born into. Never taught the half of what we should have been. The book just reinforces in me the concept that there’s room in the world for a lot of things, and all of us, and God forbid a couple of chase races added. Book ’em Dano. Add the hedges John.
I always felt and knew that the Editor was to be found camping out on the high side of the road, at least his side of the road perceived that way by many, but picking up the base and simply going home to sulk sound with no rebound is childish. Too bad for all of us boo who democrat types because his racing analysis was always quite informative and intetresting. Spot on in fact. This one we all lost out on.
Now time to venture over to Indulto’s column, falling behind in the reading again and blaming the good weather on the North Fork. The oysters as well. Anyhoot, be back later in the day for the additional homework lines. Now that I have all this crap off my mind, maybe I’ll catch a few more hours of downtime. Instead of counting sheep, I’ll just shuck a few more oysters while John Boy wraps up the homework crap. Who the hell wants to spend all them hours workin’, when if I’m lucky enough, I would only come up with the same plodders as Wendell, Indulto and Prici anyway. Brothers in arms we are. Brothers in arms,.racing forms and horse shite I figure. Sometimes even a little elephant shite and donkey crap as well, lol. If we can’t learn to laugh at ourselves first, maybe we should all just shuck off. To be continued…..
Peace out friends.
Safe journey today to all and please don’t fall off going over any of the damn Gallo McGivney type jumps and hedges. I got two bucks invested.
Riders up. Gettin’ closer to Eastern Daylight Cappy time up on the North way.🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎 Full Field and they’re off……..
Could it be the prospect of the additional racing analysis to follow later that finds me awake at five in the morning? Not really. Too much damn ice cream and cake last night more than likely to blame. At seventy three, simply thinking indigestion is all. Anyhoot, I wake up thinking about the prospect of a full cycle investing Saturday, and a full cycle Pricci handicapping day.
Before I get into the time to kill, any chance you could add a race or two over the hedges during the week for us John? If you like them, I’m game to play. Kind of like bobble heads going over the jumps and all, but what the hell John, fun is fun, like watching The Rievers, a racing related movie of old, and we’re only talking about two bucks a play. Two bucks on a chaser would be more fun than two bucks on a two buck chuck bottle of wine. Now there’s indigestion.
Thinking a few other readers might like a jumper or two added to the FRA game as well is all. Seems odd that a race intended to most properly identify and capture the purity of the equine’s grace and athlelticism, should end up as being vilified and perceived as it’s most suspect event. Really, it’s only hedges and timing that come added into the challenge At any rate, I feel it would be a value added approach for HRI to add a chaser race or two, and let the HRI faithful player decide if he or she wants in or not.
Added thought, maybe even Wendell might voice in a plodder or two over the course of the meet, any meet, and mix in a claimer or two, if only for the pastrami sandwich and cold Fosters view and value perceived from the grandstand seats. I always liked the view from the grandstand side best myself Wendell. I quite often simply watch a race from the more silence enlisted area of the far turn coming home. Crack of the whip time reminder time for a few to get their mindsets set for the challenge ahead. And as for the jumpers, only if your already playing yourself mind you John No one is forcing anyone to play any race, but if you have already done the work……please do share a name or two minus any long narratives and typing please.
As long as I am awake, I wanted to add comment regarding the absence of comment of a previous writter and commenter if allowed. Was it really all about red states vs blue states? So bad that a friendship natured and nutured over so many years simply reverted to sound without rebound, and now to merely old dust, like an old foul aged elephant fart sealed in a circus tent, just let a friendship die for the sake of I’m wright?. Shuck MAGA and the oysters in your pockets, I’m taking second base and going home attitude, and get on with life already.. We are left with the Arrogate guy didn’t like playing anymore, so he picked up his base, and left with no one covering second, more like instead of playing like men, just flat out picked up second base and went home. For MAGA? Boo Who Democrats and sorry ass Republicans? Well then I’m not playing anymore? Time we all revisit kindergarten and better learn how to get over it. All of us. Pick up the phone Tom, John, or meet somewhere like down on the far turn and resolve it all over bending a few elbows. The hour is always getting later for all of us. Tick, tick, tick….is all.
I recommend everyone chill out. Pick up a copy of CASTE and give it a read. Explains everything about why we all are the way we are. Stuburn in our own world’s of stupidity and entitlement. We all evolved that way. Born into what we were born into. Never taught the half of what we should have been. The book just reinforces in me the concept that there’s room in the world for a lot of things, and all of us, and God forbid a couple of chase races added. Book ’em Dano. Add the hedges John.
I always felt and knew that the Editor was to be found camping out on the high side of the road, at least his side of the road perceived that way by many, but picking up the base and simply going home to sulk sound with no rebound is childish. Too bad for all of us boo who democrat types because his racing analysis was always quite informative and intetresting. Spot on in fact. This one we all lost out on.
Now time to venture over to Indulto’s column, falling behind in the reading again and blaming the good weather on the North Fork. The oysters as well. Anyhoot, be back later in the day for the additional homework lines. Now that I have all this crap off my mind, maybe I’ll catch a few more hours of downtime. Instead of counting sheep, I’ll just shuck a few more oysters while John Boy wraps up the homework crap. Who the hell wants to spend all them hours workin’, when if I’m lucky enough, I would only come up with the same plodders as Wendell, Indulto and Prici anyway. Brothers in arms we are. Brothers in arms,.racing forms and horse shite I figure. Sometimes even a little elephant shite and donkey crap as well, lol. If we can’t learn to laugh at ourselves first, maybe we should all just shuck off. To be continued…..
Peace out friends.
Safe journey today to all and please don’t fall off going over any of the damn Gallo McGivney type jumps and hedges. I got two bucks invested.
Riders up. Gettin’ closer to Eastern Daylight Cappy time up on the North way.🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎 Full Field and they’re off……..
McD, way too much to ponder here. All I’ll say about friendship is that the schism in America is real and I’ve lost more than one friend to the political climate. Between post-truth dogma that creates “controversy” from willfully ignorant anti-vaxxers, I cannot stand with people who disrespect facts people who don’t care if me or mine live or die. Of course, they have a right to kill themselves but not innocent countrymen.
No one lives in a vacuum and if we are that far apart philosophically, what value is friendship without honesty? I’m out on the rest of this…
Toni has had some health issues recently, nothing life-threatening but an one that needs monitoring and care. Also, we have a friend living with us for a spell, a friend who is the kind of family we choose. It has taken some getting used to, even if it’s all good. I bring this up because it’s a matter of time which, as chief cook and bottle-washing editor, is in very short supply. Many do not appreciate the time and effort that goes into one race, between figures assessment, video analysis, and Handicapping Angles 101.
The Saturday selections, usually around six from different venues, take a good part of two days to complete–I bet my money, too–but there will be, during Saratoga, one selection per day. There is news to keep up with and two to three columns per week to write, along with editing, etc., etc.
I love steeplechasing but the American betting public does not. This is the first request for jump-up analysis I’ve had since we launched HRI in 2007. I made a judgment call the other day, forsaking the Smithwick in favor of the best allowance race on the Spa card. I promise that I will not give short shrift to the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard later in the meet.
Like handicapping, when it comes to time management, hard decisions must be made. There’s 24 hours in each day and I require enough time to work, chill, interact, entertain, sleep and for eating ice cream.
(I generally parlay Breyer’s chocolate with Ben & Jerry’s vanilla).
a few more oats to share…..
Good Morning Shout Out To My Associate Buddy On The West Coast…….The I-Man “Indulto”, aka Master of Keyboard Verse Management. He may not have a clue of what he’s writing half the time, but I believe him. His dogs always going to be better behaved than mine, and I don’t even own a dog. His dog? Yeah, “Bigger too” says the I-man. “He’d bet you on it about his dog too, but he wagered all his damned dimes on that dumb ass Superfecta dime box.” says Wendell.
And McD, he’s just walkin’ around clueless, mumbling and looking for his floppy ass beach hat, so he don’t get anymore of that damn squamus skin doctor crap scraping. Last I saw he was mumbling about Saratoga and always waitin on Pricci to get off his ass. “Today’s the day” says Dennis, “Pricci is giving us all fresh oats to play. Some of them old ones hell admit had already been through the horse. If only he would touch base with Photos by Toni. I think that she’s got one of them Twilight Zone Rod Serling cameras where you can take the picture first and and then see the results on a race before the race is even run.
No way Pricci carries the household budget down in Hallendale, or Plantation, wherever is my read. ….Toni’s the one blessed with both the looks and the brains in their pairing. Pricci must just have been in the right place at the right time. He’s the first one to say “better lucky” than burdened down by intelligence and skill. Even a monkey could dart throw three winners is my answer. How do you think he ever came up with them $500 trifactas when he had them all con-gamed when at Newsday. The Sunday column was the only day he really needed to work, and more than half of that came from the write in guys and girls. I’ll take credit for Delp’s horse not being awarded HOY in Pricci’s column in Bid’s day. I was the guy who abstained from voting saying you can’t credit Bid at a mile and a half win based on a Walk Over. Pricci got all the credit back then just like the Son got all the credit at the Wedding Feast. Mary was the One who put him in his place and told him to make the wine. “BS with the not yet my time Mom.” Anyhoot, I’m gettin’ tired of this, up at five and all. Besides no one is forcing anyone to read any of this nonsense. I’m just killing time waiting The Editor. Suns Up, Riders Up.
Sun is shining and let’s go get ’em.
John, I totally understand and appreciate your efforts, all you put into your craft and passion. Not one of my neighbors has a clue as to the hours I spend working on my berry picking and distribution.
I will add Toni in my prayers. Asking Mary to keep her under her watch. My Susan had a run years back when we were flipped over in our jeep at 65 MPH on the LIE, pitted from the rear we were, wrong place, wrong time, surgery followed for her, she was airlifted out, next up a battle with cancer, then next back up in for spine fusion at NYU, onto Sloan for brain surgery after that one, I’m missing one major I know, but for a while it went on forever, with major derailments in life each time. Me, for the most part, I just had to do things I had to do to help her get passed all of it, jack of all trades orderly nurse was I, reinvented myself at times, but prayers to Mary for intercession, and we were all good to go. All good for us at this point. Some prostate surgery coming up for me in Sept, but I can do that stuff standing on my head. I hope any how.
Two more non-alc beers for me over here Eddie. One for me and one for Broadway. It ain’t even noon yet. 0.5% please. I’m not getting in trouble with Toni. Time for me to ship another gift certificate for Total Wine to Plantation. Appreciation for Mr. Pricci’s dedication and sharing his skill sets is long past due once more. The least I can do is spring for a bottle for one of his favorite wines. If I can’t find the address John, I’ll let you know. Pretty sure I have it written down at home. Win or lose, you’re a good man in my book..
McD,
My own pre-dawn philosophizing would be greatly enhanced by a dose of Coffee ice cream, but I must forego such digestive debauchery to continue progressing toward the finish line without a stretch duel with my stomach.
How fortunate we are indeed to have HRI to lift our spirits, ADW sites to ventilate our wallets, and news sources to mutilate our friendships.
Meanwhile, there is nothing like a Dick Francis novel with a jump race passage to satisfy my appetite for horses hurling themselves over hurdles, and the Haskell replay to see a horse and rider miraculously escape injury.
Two stake races today at ‘The Spa’. One has four entrants, the other five entrants. Both stake races have two heavy favorites. Both appear to offer no value for the gambler, err horseplayer. They both s/be thrillers. Of course, you can abandon handicapping skills and take a shot at one of the long shots as most bettors do and maybe cash a good ticket.
You will never watch a more exciting race at Saratoga than the fourth yesterday. A truly exciting race throughout the entire stretch involving the top jocks; and, the race was a claiming race! My gosh!
Thanks WMC, I just watched the race 4 replay from Friday. Real nice race. Captures why I love this game so. I would have lost by the way. Sucker for the closers I am since the days of Carry Back, lol. I was rooting for fourth place going into the turn Jackson on the replay Loved watching the replay without even one dollar on the race. Thanks again Wendel.
Thank you Wendell for the heads up. Will watch the replay. Thanks. No more said Rober Duran. No mas from me today. I ain’t drivin’ this bus no more tode. Made the wrong turn on a dead and earlier in the day and quite frankly just ran out of road. Let being stuck on a double deck bus in NYC. Easy for the knuckleheads riding below me, they’ve got a driver down there. Up top, I figure we’re on our own Wendell. You wouldn’t be carrying a spare flask of Weller 12 on you by any chance? Poor man’s Pappy but awesome stuff on its own. Any Weller or Pappy for that matter.
10 Minutes to post until the CCA Oaks.
I like Clairiere.
Step 1: Determine that a horse who is a favorite with odds of 3 to 10 will lose.
Step 2: Determine what horse will beat the favorite.
Step 3: Tell everyone “I knew that favorite would lose”.
Actually, she lost probably in the only mode that would beat her; setting a pressured pace instead of chasing one. Her game is power and stamina, not speed…
too many typos, my bad, tiny cell keys is all. sorry.
Giving The Editor a day off today and playing David Aragona’s Timeform analysis on his Win, EX KB’s, and 50 cent Tri’s later today at Saratoga. Been asking too much of John Boy lately. Time he gets a day off is all.
“I ain’t writing no more words today Olive. I simply can’t stands it no more. Going offline and simply watching where the numbers land they land.
Can of Spinach in the third Olive. Can of Spinach. “Riders Up” said Popeye with a pipe and a smile. “Safe journey to all.”