Post Race Analysis for Race Day January 23, 2010; The Holy Bull Stakes and the Late Pick Three at Gulfstream Park

The winner of today's Holy Bull Stakes is the fine looking son of Unbridled's Song, Winslow Homer. The Turk was lucky today, inserting Winslow Homer in the Late Pick Three and also betting him to Win, and lucky in the fact that he wasn't the horse I expected to win or place, but I guess that's why they race 'em. Let's get after it!

Gulfstream Park Race 7 - Race 8 - Race 9 The Holy Bull Stakes Grade III



Race 7 was the start of the late Pick Three. I was committed to spending no more then $18 on the bet and I was committed to some combination of 3 X 3 X 2. The opening leg, a MSW 45K concerned me as so few of these horses had ever raced before. With no regard for the tote board or the morning line I whittled the starters down to three horses, with what I thought would be the winner, Bushwhacked/6 and I played Mine N Gems/4 and Six Clicks/5 as well and Mine N Gems, the bettor's choice and the morning line second choice, won by 3/4 of a length and Bushwacked missed Place by a nose.

Race 8 came and I was still alive. Pre Race I intended to put three horses into the mix but I inserted a third horse into Race 9 and I had to subtract somebody. I went with Musical Romance/9 and Take a Vow/3 and I late tossed Miss Olivia Rae/7. Musical Romance won by 1/2 a length and Miss Olivia Rae took show by a neck with Take a Vow never entering the fray. No matter, I was alive after two and I survived the 2 horse leg of the journey.

Before the Holy Bull, I still was unsettled by the fine field and the number of horses in my A and B group that I thought were capable of winning. I made a decision to bet the Superfecta using my base handicap which didn't work out because of the failure of Aikenite to deliver a top four finish. It happens. I did look at the tote board before the race and place three $4 dollar win bets, with one of them being Homer Winslow who I thought would go off at a slightly higher price then he did, but I figured if one of them hit the win the bet would be no worse then a push. It was a bit better then a push. The best move I made was inserting Winslow Homer into the Pick Three. I was torn between William's Kitten and Homer Winslow, who I rated both equally pre race. I went with the gut and took the Unbridled's Song and it paid off to the tune of $128.

Good stuff for a Saturday. Congrats to both Friesen Fire and General Quarters, both looked very good in the LA Handicap.

Have Fun, Turk Out! Next week we'll be back for the Sunshine Millions. Yeah!