If requiring long-winded reasons why, see extended column on HRI homepage.
Otherwise, we’re going on record with Code of Honor (4-1) to win, taking no lower than 5-2 straight, exacta key boxes with Tacitus (5-2) and Mucho Gusto , extra ticket with Tacitus.
Also, exacta and trifecta keys keying both Code of Honor and Tacitus first, with Mucho Gusto (6-1) and Endorsed (15-1) second and third.
Superfecta fans, can add Owendale (6-1), Laughing Fox (30-1), Looking At Bikinis (10-1) and Tax (6-1) in the fourth position.
Truly is a great betting race; now just needed t be right!
YESTERDAY: City Man ($6.50) showed another dimension winning the Funny Cide, stalking the speed after breaking sharply, still showing a bit greenness in the lane, but still drawing off with lengthening strides late. Like this juvenile a lot; would love to see him develop further.
15 Responses
First odd thing about the Travers is why is ‘money Mike’ on Chess Chief? Why did he come east as Talamo is the regular rider of Mucho Gusto. Ahh, to ride Midnight Bisou in the 9th.
I can’t narrow it down to three possibilities so I pass on yet another Saratoga stake race. But, if you will loan me a Hamilton (I’ll pay you right back, I promise) I will bet either Tax or Tacitus with the longer odds to win; they belong in the race and both have run in the Wood Memorial finishing first and second.
So ya’all now have a couple of blue bloods you can toss with confidence.
Do you have no Code of Honor, sir?
If you did, wouldn’t need the sawbuck, IMHO.
Mr. Pricci: Great reply. You are treading on Mr. Jicha’s ‘one liners’.
JP,
Way to go!
A cold super.
A friend of mine refers to 1 horse per slot wagers as “erotic betting!” LOL
Congrats John. My AWD account is now back in good standing thanks to your call today. I must admit my passion for the sport has been somewhat more diminished after Mark’s latest “Walk the Talk” commentary on Tuesday, but I nonetheless did wager and watch today per your analysis on the Travers. I was going to play with Shug all along, but used your two additional calls as backup to cash on the exacta as well. The main point was not so much the money credited, but the beauty of the race itself. I did not have a wager placed on the Personal Ensign for example, but loved that “exhibition of excellence” as well. So wish the game would revert back to the innocence of old before the race day meds took over.
A home bred home run. Spoke to a friend in Player’s Club as race was running. He bet Code of Honor and it was nice to hear him say, “Code of Honor is moving, he’s going to win (he bet him to place and show). Then, later when he was home he was not so happy he let the 5-1 win price go. He said the horse doesn’t always break well but today was different. Boy, was it ever! John, you gave it out and you were right. Will never forget 5-Star Special Mike Warren gave out to his subscribers once: Seattle Slew in the Wood. Win mutual: $2.10. Hey, it was a winner but ANYBODY could’ve had that one. Slew would’ve romped yesterday, methinks.
Slew would have romped most days methinks Mal. Thanks for the props. The handicapper you mentioned that gave out a $2.10 winner was the Donald Drumpf of sports touts, a hustler with a reputation as a cheat. Don’t know how many of HRI Faithful realize how lucky we are to be a associated with Marc Lawrence, a family man who must be married about 40 years by now, a man of high character, and whose sports database is the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen. And he’s chomping at the bit: King Football is back!
Indulto, erotic betting? I love that! Thanks for the props.
McD, happy to see you back. At our age we worry about things.
Sometimes you have to walk away from this game. These shortsighted racetracks and ADWs who refuse to do something about the late odds drops and/or creating fixed odds wagering as an alternative do us all a great disservice. I’d love to walk away but as the late Hyman Roth once said, “this is the business we have chosen.”
Happy that your account is back in good stead. Sad that your plays did not reach out for the trifecta and super. Actually could have picked up $117 for one thin dime. It cost me more as I included a few other price shots third and fourth but was pleased and proud for the HRI Faithful. Don’t be a stranger…
The overall deceptive late money wagering mismanagement, the lack of stewardship and questionable governance cited within the collective HRI articles, and the “shortsightedness” evidenced in avoiding corrective actions, have all had me leaning away from wagering of late, but I am so ensconced in the sport from childhood that I can’t give it up altogether.
My normal wager in a feature race is to always to add a few fifty cent triples to my win and exacta wagers. Yesterday I pulled back for no other reason than my personal inner protest against the race day medications administered in Grade 1’s. I miss the days when I subscribed to Totebusters and managed a players pool set up with several friends and family members. We did very well and had fun in our endeavor. We never won too much, and we never lost too much. Each player put in twenty at the outset and I managed to churn that same pooled balance with Saturday only wagers for well over a year and a half. I disbanded the group last year due to my frustration over the excessive use of race day meds. I had lost faith in the current state of the sport. Feature races are pretty much all I will wager on at this point.
McD,
I found JP’s performance inspiring as well as enriching. The separate detailed analysis sparked interest as well. I wouldn’t have included Endorsed in my supers without his input.
Maybe Shug’s success will trigger a visit from Tabasco Cat.
You and me both; feature races, certainly the ones I analyze here, price dependent, of course. The sad truth is that, at the bottom line, the game won’t miss either of us.
Then let them try to bottle our passion! It won’t be snuffed out, and without our loyalty, there no chance that the younger generations we touch will develop any passion for the post at all.
Short-sighted and stupid makes me as angry as all the other “wrongs” we could point to. It’s great to be a high end owner most days with short fields and big purses. Even if most of today’s stock could take aggressive placement, there’s no need. Win one or two big spots and your year can be made.
Hello Indy, First off, I hope this exchange finds you and all of your extended family in good health. My stubborn Irish side caught up with me and bit me on the butt yesterday. Cost me the Triple. John certainly laid it all out for us, and to think that the additional “erotic buy in” on the Super was only a dime.
Many years ago when Billy Conn fought Joe Louis in a championship title fight, all he had to do was stay away from the big guy for the last few rounds for the win. He was way ahead of Louis on all score cards. Instead, Conn decided to try to knock Louis out, and the result was that he was knocked out in round thirteen. When asked by reporters after losing the fight, why he didn’t just stay away, as he already had the fight won, he simply replied “What’s the sense in being Irish if you can’t be stupid.” Lol. Duplicate the aforesaid towards my angst yesterday. For an additional buck ten……….and it wasn’t that I was being cheap mind you, just pissed off over all the excessive medications. I almost didn’t even wager at all.
I was also thinking of Tabasco yesterday as well my friend. I’m sure based on his past comments that more than likely he was wagering with Shug’s Code of Honor as his hey. Hopefully he will return once again to HRI. His voice is indeed missed.
John, Thanks for keeping me in the game.
Mark, “Duplicate the aforesaid.” So admire your passion as well.
McD: Also hoping all is well with T Cat and he checks in with his Travers report. Good Conn anecdote.
I: Happy I did somebody some good; it’s good for the soul…
Brother’s Indy, McD and Preach,
Finally some recognition,LOL. I told you COH would win the Derby back in February. Sorry, I meant the Travers, the Mid Summer Derby, LOL.
The loyal fans of Shug or “Shugsters” were rewarded with another thrilling memory and possibly life changing score(if you played your vertical and horizontal cards right). I’m glad that Preach gave it out and the faithful cashed in.
I’m doing well, TY, for the love. Glad that you’re all doing well too. Love the 2.0 HRI. I’ll add more later in the COH becomes a man collumn.
The beat goes on…
Love is but a song to sing
Fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment’s sunlight
Fading in the grass
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It’s there at your command
I said, come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Right now
Right now…