The Nomination Is In: The Sky Classic Grade 2 at Woodbine

The dapper gentleman to the left is George W. Strawbridge Jr., owner of Augustin Stable's and Smart Bid, The Turk's chalk in today's Sky Classic at Woodbine.

The Turk and the Little Turk are quite fond of Mr. Strawbridge for many reasons. He is a sportsman of the highest quality, a true horseman, and his support of the Buffalo Sabres, perhaps saving the franchise in its lowest moments will never be forgotten. I'm also a big fan of Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup, even the low sodium variety.

I went to Church this morning and as I sat in quiet meditation all I could focus on was how poorly I handicapped the Arlington Million Day Pick 5; Horrendous. I have other things going on today but nothing was as important to me than handicapping the Woodbine card and getting my feet back under me. I can live with getting the races wrong, that happens, I just felt like a hack yesterday and this is the equivalent of taking a nice shower.

Woodbine has a better purse structure than Arlington and has a pretty nice turf course to boot. The two tracks have quite a bit in common for me, as the poly plays pretty fair at both and the turf tracks have the most European feel in North America.

Let's get after today's featured race, the Grade 2 Sky Classic, contested at 1 1/4 miles on firm turf.

Woodbine Race 8: The Sky Classic Grade 2: 1 1/4 Miles on Firm Turf for 3 YO and Up.



This is a nice field of 8 runners with a legitimate 4 or 5 potential winners. I'm making my tentative chalk Smart Bid. Hard to believe but this Smart Strike son is now 6 YO. 2 places in 3 starts at the distance, 10 of 15 in the money on turf and 8 of his last 13 in the money. Cutting back 2 panels from his winning effort in late July. All or nothing I fear, ran a solid place in last year's edition.

Hotep is the type of horse that is always in contention. You must always be aware of his presence. 5 YO A.P. Indy son, born in Ontario, with P. Husbands up for Trainer Malcom Pierce who also sends the former Queen's Plate Winner Eye of the Leopard to the gate. Only 1 win in six tries on the turf, no attempts at the distance, he comes in off a sharp Nijinsky Grade 2 loss by a neck.

The former Prince of Wales stakes winner, Pendor Harbor, with Contreras up, is also trying the distance for the first time but has two wins over WO turf and has been running strong this year. Trainer DePaulo has a goose egg in his Graded Stakes tries over past year.

Scalo (GB) is the 2010 German Horse of the Year. He tries North America and gets a shot of Lasix for the first time. First time going LH in nine races and hasn't run on firm turf in some time. I'm covering him from Place down but betting he doesn't take the win spot today (and giving myself good odds to look foolish-gotta love public handicapping).

New Hall of Fame member Roger Attfield places A. Solis up on Forte Dei Marmi (GB). The two are winless in 17 tries over past year and winless in 7 tries at Woodbine. The six year old Selkirk gelding closes like a freight train with a devastating turn of foot. 4 wins in 12 tries at the distance, another feast or famine type.

I feel better already. Have fun friends, Turk Out!

The Nomination Is In: The Eddie Read Grade 1 at Del Mar

The house that Bing built...literally. 1936, and one of America's biggest stars, Bing Crosby, lays the cornerstone of the Del Mar racetrack that was to open the following year.

Thinking of Bing, I think about the fame that was thrust upon stars of the past; it would be wrong to wax poetic about how stars of the past handled their 15 minutes of fame with more aplomb than the current generations. Bing was a real class act, a gentleman showman, but no one is perfect, and I always get a bit worried by those who seem too Rockwellesque. I was saddened to hear of the death of Amy Winehouse today, not because I was a fan, which I was not, but because of her senseless decay into filth, drugs and an unrepairable moral compass. I was saddened to hear of Mike Smith's arrest for alleged DUI, Michael Baze's and Chris Antly's deaths, of Robby Albarado's arrest earlier this year for a domestic incident, and I wish these people we hold in such high regard could step away from the their bodies for a moment, step away from the enablers, and see that life's too f**king short to piss it away.

The Turk lives in the grind everyday and he knows a bit about working away and keeping it real. I don't pretend to be perfect but I try to teach the Little Turk that happiness comes from within and to love oneself, because it's the folks who aren't comfortable in their own skin, no matter how much fame and wealth they have, that can't keep it together.

OK, I'm done with my Sermon from the (kitchen chair) Mount. Let's get after some Grade 1 turf racing at the seashore heaven, Del Mar.

Del Mar Race 8: Post Time 8:30 ET



My base handicap is no shock with Caracortado up top, but hey, only one win in five starts in 2011 so let's not rush out and plan the ticker tape parade quite yet. As handicappers we can acknowledge the greatness of the animal on paper, but as a bettor I'm thinking about depressed odds on him and a legit contender going off a real nice price.

A layer of quality just below Caracortado includes Acclimation and Smart Bid, both most likely to be in the top four with the betting audience. Cutting just another bit deeper I find Jeranimo from the one post and Leroy's Dynameaux as two likely to be serious value with the ability to finish well. I'm not overlooking Celtic Princess either.

I've built my base handicap and my base bet would be a five horse superfecta box. My hope would be Caracortado finishing Place or Show and some much longer odds taking top prize. I'll most likely spread my money around on my betting options and look at some of the value players, the third/fourth and fifth bettor's favorites on the tote board just before post, and make up some exacta combinations.

It's early and I don't want to commit yet. The Turk will think a bit more on the bet and we'll see what happens.

Have fun, Turk Out!

Post Race Analysis for Race Day June 18, 2011: The Colonial Downs Colonial Turf Cup Day

Happy Fathers Day to all my horseplayer friends, readers and family. That handsome collection of fella's are all the fathers in The Turk's immediate family, taken on the deck of the Turk household where we enjoyed each others company, great food, fine cigars and spirits. There are plenty of fathers no longer with us anymore, and I can think of some wonderful horseplayers that taught me that the races are so much better when you can enjoy them with your family, so no matter where you were today, I raise my whiskey glass and salute all the men who share the fraternity of fatherhood with me.

There were some lovely races to pick from yesterday, and some thrilling stars competing as well. Who can't look at Blind Luck and get excited? For me as a player, I wanted to pick a sequence of races over turf to have a go with, and I settled on the Colonial Downs Colonial Turf Cup day as my weekend target. While I ultimately passed on the Pick Three, I had some success and doubled my money with good handicapping and a reasonable, if not conservative bet strategy.

Let's get after it!




I passed on a Pick Three bet. The sequence seemed really chalky to me and I couldn't get excited about it. I made a mistake too and I wanted a pick four and assumed there would be one from race 6-9 but that wasn't the case; even experienced players make assumptions and mistakes and I wasted time handicapping a 5 furlong maiden two year old filly race, yawn! The lesson is pretty self explanatory and I urge everyone to double check the race conditions before planning bet options.

After my mistake, the Da Hoss didn't go well for me. My chalk was also the bettor's top choice, Mikoshi, who finished a length back in Show. 9-1 Followmyfootsteps took the wire with 12-1 Action Andy for Place, with 15-1 Vanquisher fourth, a combo that powered a $3,650 $1 Super and a $3,700 $2 Trifecta. Nice payouts, but I wasn't in the right zip code on that one. Moving on...

Race 7 was the Edward Evans All Along Grade 3. With heavy duty chalk Aruna singled, I crafted a cheap-o superfecta bet that cost $24 and paid $77. Workmanlike and a reminder that you don't have to be afraid to play with heavy chalk.

The the Colonial Turf Cup I returned to the same bet structure I used on race 6, a five horse superfecta box. I was a bit surprised at the action Rahystrada captured as I had the former claim fifth on my chart, but he made the final cut and powered a $490 superfecta win, with my strong move placing Dark Cove high while the rest of the betting public had him 6th.

All in all the results were better than a sharp stick in the eye even though it wasn't what I'd consider a good betting card. Doubling your money is not some automatic process, but by sticking to sound handicapping fundamentals and then practical betting strategies, you can learn to string good days together. Today's key was identifying contenders from pretenders and then slotting them into the top five, regardless if I thought they'd be under or overlays. I handicap without morning lines and I encourage horse players to do that: Don't let any bias interfere with your handicapping and morning line odds are just that, another players bias. After you handicap and before you prepare bets, take a gander at both the morning lines and the tote board; it's a thrill when you have a horse high on the board and others aren't as bullish, and it's also important to know what to expect if you do win. In Race 7 if I would have done a 5 horse superfecta box for $120 dollars I would have pulled the worst magic trick in racing, turning a big pile of money into a small pile of money.

And finally, the reason why I work crazy hours, why I travel my ass off, put up with a Blackberry that never stops ringing, is also the greatest gift a man could want, my son, Little Turk. He's quite a fine young man and I'm proud to be his dad.

Happy Fathers Day All, Turk Out!

The Nomination Is In: December 26, 2009; The Malibu Stakes Grade I; 7 Furlongs on Fake Dirt at Santa Anita

Friends, remember Ferdinand, the 1986 winner of The Malibu Stakes, today's featured race on opening day at Santa Anita Park. Mighty Ferdinand, 1986 Kentucky Derby Winner and 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic winner, killed in a slaughterhouse in Japan in 2002. Pray that something so horrific never happens again. Again, the Turk is backing a Baffert horse today, Misremembered, looking to give the Hall of Fame trainer his first Malibu win. Let's Go!

Race 9 Santa Anita Park Post Time 7:00 PM ET: The Malibu Stakes Grade I; 7 Furlongs on Fake Dirt for 3 YOs.



Misremembered is breaking from the one spot and dropping back in distance for today's race. His running style should put him near or at the front by 4 furlongs but make no mistake, this is beatable chalk. Coming off a strong two starts on dirt and makes his first start at SA. 3 wins in 5 starts on poly. 4 wins in 8 tries in 2009. The son of Candy Ride (Arg) should be no worse then Show.

Smart Bid is bred by Mr. George Strawbridge Jr, a man all Buffalo Sabre fans are indebted to for his financial support when the franchise was teetering, and a true horseman in every way. Comes in off a sharp 7f SA win in October putting up a 96 BSF in a 100K stakes. 3 Wins in last 7 starts for the son of Smart Strike. Watching the tote and think about a win bet >6-1.

M One Rifle is 7 of 7 in the money on poly with 3 wins. M. Smith up today for Trainer Headley. Training very sharply including a :34 second 3F work this past week.

My B Group are all capable of Top four finishes and several would not be surprise winners and only their current form is in question. Supreme Summit may be a bit of a stretch but is capable of 100+ BSF on the fake stuff.

Papa Clem and Mythical Power both enter off long layoffs. Mythical Power has been training very sharply for Trainer Baffert. Square Eddie I still don't know what to do with.

These opening day Santa Anita stakes fields have been an oddity to handicap and expect good payouts based on the uncertainty in the morning lines and independent analysis. I'll work a similar strategy as I plan for The La Brea Stakes, with 5 boxed Supers and then some exactas and win bets.

Have Fun, Turk Out!