Thursday’s (2-1-2018) Power Page and PLUS for Aqueduct and Santa Anita are ready for download…

GUN RUNNER was FANTIASTIC!!!

Speed figures for this past weekends Pegasus tell the story of a terrific horse.  Maybe not a Great Horse, but getting darn close.  He broke sharply, with “brilliant early speed”, showing the kind of brilliance that would have him well placed in any Grade 1 sprint.   His 4 furlong pace fig was an 83.0.

Here is where it gets really, really good.  His final number was 82.8.  This means for all intents and purposes, this horse carried real weight, but had NO DECELERATION on in terms of “relative or nomalized speed figs”…  This gets a bit tricky for those not “schooled” in speed figs… and I will do a follow up piece on this subject.

But this performance was very comparable to the best performances of Skip Away and Ghostzapper with a slightly LOWER final figure, but a higher or faster EARLY FIGURE.  In both the cases of Skip Away and Ghostzapper, they had total control and confidence while just being faster than the competition at every call, but in the case of Gun Runner, he simply was in a blazing battle all the way and finished fantastically.  This is a truly memorable performance.  While Skip Away ran an 84.3 on my sheets, and Gun Runner only ran (did I say only) 82.8, a very good case could be made that had he not been forced to run so fast so early, he might well have equaled or exceeded Skip Away’s tour de force in 1997.  (For those of you who do not remember Skip Away, he defeated Cigar as a 3 year old and was one GREAT 4 year old, ultimately winning the Breeders’ Cup by as far as you can throw a little green apple.

Okay, back to normal racing as we start to look out to the KD…

 

 “Race Day Las Vegas” Plays

Thursday’s

IN race #5 at Aqueduct, we backed Blame Us All, off at odds of 7/2, broke a tough slow, but took up running right away,  to push along in the 2nd position, while down on the rail.  Continued competing in 2nd position, but could not stay with the winner and tired to 3rd.

Then in Race #9 at Santa Anita … Looking At Thelake off at 5/2, was ridden conservatively throughout and well back, started to slowly pick up the leaders late, then moved to the outside for the final furlong, still moving slowly, then suddenly settle and zoomed home – easily “much the 2nd best”, securing the pace.   Just a comment, it seemed Raffy could have gotten after her a little sooner, as she was going 2 for 1 at the end, but too late.  Yeah, I am gripping a little.

Friday’s

At Aqueduct, Fielding Gold went off at 8/5 in the 5th, after being as high as 9/2 in the early wagering.  Broke alertly and moved up on the early leader while one path off the rail ( this may have been a big deal) pursued the leader all the way around the track, finishing 2nd in a game effort.   (As all races had been won by the horse “pinned” to the rail on this day – so far)… WE got the place and made the exacta which paid well…

AT Santa Anita, Siege of Vicksburg, off at 7/2, broke a touch slowly, then ran slowly throughout.   This was a “terrible” psyche on my part…

Saturday’s

At Aqueduct, in Race #7, Belleville Spring off at 5/1, broke alertly to run in 2nd, while holding position on the rail, moved to the lead mid-turn, then opened up a nice lead and held sway…winning and paying $13.20.  No exacta today.

At Santa Anita, in Race #1, Full Access off at 5/2, was even and uninspiring while finishing mid-pack.

At Gulfstream, in Race #9, Rich Mommy off at 18/1, ran well in the 2 path throughout, then moved outside horses coming out of the turn, took dead aim, continued to rally, was about to catch the leader when passed by a 60/1 longshot, then finished 3rd.  Solid effort.

AT Gulfstream, in Race #12, Gunnevera off at 15/1, secured position just off the rail, continued along, saving ground and finished nicely to be beat a long way by Gun Runner and West Coast, but getting 3rd money, in a nice effort.

Sunday’s

At Aqueduct, we played Lake Party in the 9th, who ran along pretty well throughout while off a couple of lengths, then rallied well, but could only manage 3rd money.

At Santa Anita, we played Diamond Proof in the 6th,  off at decent value, raced up into contention early, along the rail, took a steady – mid turn, then got back into the bit to try some more, then tired finishing mid-pack.

TOTALS   for New York, Gulfstream Park and So. Cal Plays 2018

NY   Total Return   $35.00, Total Cost $ 22.00  ROI Total   $1.59/$1.00

Gulf   Total Return   $29.00, Total Cost $ 16.00 ROI Total   $1.81/$1.00

SC  Total Return   $33.20, Total Cost $ 32.00,  ROI Total   $ 1.03/$1.00

Returns on all plays for 2018

Total Return $ 91.40 Total Cost   $ 68.00  (Saturday had 4 counted plays)

ROI $ 1.34 / $1.00    (1-1-2018 thru 1/31/2018)

——- History Below this line —-

Returns on all plays for 2017

TOTALS   for New York and So. Cal Plays

(starting February 24, 2017 )

NY   Total Return   $414.10, Total Cost $ 396.00 ROI Total   $1.05/$1.00

SC  Total Return   $357.10, Total Cost $ 367.00,  ROI Total   $ .96/$1.00

Total Return $ 880.30 Total Cost   $ 896.00

ROI $ 0.98    (1-1-2017 thru 12/26/2017)

ROI $ 1.04    (1-1-2015 thru 12/31/2016)