Coast to Coast racing continues in high fashion!  At Saratoga, the Power Page (Speed Figs) produce 7 of 9 win or place finishes form 9 races used ( 2 races not included because the field were full of First Time Starters)… With 1 Winner and 1 Place from our 4 Pop Out Keys in the PLUS portion…  So it appears, at least through the first 2 days we have a good view and handle on racing at Saratoga.

On to Del Mar, through the first 6 races the Main Track seems to be playing against the rail horses.  That being said, Coco Kisses in the first did run a decent 2nd, after firing to the lead.  Also our Pop Lout Key in the 5th, Seven Scents did drop down to the rail for a period of time, then move away and then in the final 100 yards drop back down – to finish a lively 2nd.  And then in the 7th race, the BOOM 4-year old colt, Catalina Cruiser went wire to wire on the rail the entire trip.  It may be appropriate to consider these signals as a sign the rail is neutral today and the track is without a bias.  I am not quite ready to declare that…  But at some point I will make a decision on this.

The Turf racing at Del Mar is amazingly HONEST.  It seems everyone who has run, can make that run – this is setting up some finishes that will have the entire field on the wire before the meet is over.  And for those of you who make the jockey as a significant part of the equation, this is definitely a good thing for you.  When everything is equal and the racing is tight, the jockey with the sharpest reflexes and best vision can make a big difference at the wire…  Generally, at least with me, I am so tuned into the form of the horse, that I don’t consider the jockey that significantly… but if the races continue to appear close, then don’t hesitate to include the jocks in your decision process.

It’s Coast to Coast — Spa Racing from morning until night…  Saratoga begins Day #2  with a stellar card – 11 race card and Del Mar enters Day #4 – also a terrific card.  No surprise there.

The Bias at Del Mar is distinctly negative for horses who are running on the rail – IN MY OPINION.  But the jockey’s who seek the rail should be avoided until we see some horses take advantage of inside position to find a winning line.  The best line seems to be well out into the track…  Remember, these things do change and you have to play the game accordingly… So be nimble and make decisions that give you the best chance to score.

At Saratoga, the inside part of the main track was an advantage.  The Turf course played as it has for years and years… we will keep our eyes open to see if it starts to get a little baked out.  For the moment, there is an edge to inside positioning – that’s for certain. But there were some nice runs by horses well out in the TURF course as well… The biggest effort of the day for any horse, even though it was a slower class of horses was Giant Zinger.  GZ was a monster and prevailed after being wide and pressing the pace — all the way.  That was awesome – even though she kicked my butt…