9/23: Belmont Park (7th-10th)

[Kasept]

Saturday action featured its' share of outstanding racing highlighted by the intense Cotillion duel between My Miss Aurelia and Questing that saw the Asmussen filly remain undefeated. Corey Nakatani has enjoyed a career revival over the past year and his terrific ride aboard the 2011 Juvenile Filly Champion made the difference over the Alabama sensation and Irad Ortiz. My Miss Aurelia's win further enhances what appears to be shaping up as an epic Breeders' Cup Distaff given her unbeaten status to go along with that of Awesome Feather. Fold in Royal Delta, It's Tricky (F&M Sprint?), Love and Pride, Include Me Out, et al, and you have the makings of a tremendous cap to Friday's Cup.

If you wagered which $1,000,000 stake Irad Ortiz would win Saturday, you certainly were more likely to say the Cotillion. But Handsome Mike, whom both Ed DeRosa and Steve Haskin lauded as live on ATR, finally broke through in a big spot to annex the Pennsylvania Derby under Ortiz. The result flip-flipped the outcome of the Cotillion jockey-wise with Macho Macho running an odd race under Nakatani.

I was interested enough in Handome Mike to use him as Best Value 3rd choice under Macho Macho and Alpha, but the surprise of the Philly stake sequence that quashed the quad play came an hour earlier in the Gallant Bob when Ben Perkins Jr. stunned with steadily improving Well Spelled. The G3 Jersey Shore winner, who toted a Parx ALW victory from the spring into the event, has run poorly just once in his 11 career starts, a forgiveable try over the Tapeta at Presque Isle in the Tom Ridge. He undoubtedly received a big set up from the early licks of Il Villano, Private Zone and Trinniberg (:21.2, :43.4, :56.2), but to his credit was the only horse besides Trinniberg that was running late. Including the $50k son of Spellbinder in the P4 with Alphabet Soup photo winner Philly Ace and the $1,000,000 race heroes returned $1,300 for the .50 punt.

At Belmont, Dust and Diamonds didn't need the lead to win the G2 Gallant Bloom for Satish Sanan as the Padua homebred earned an all-expenses paid BC F&M Sprint start. At DelPark, Optimizer hounded Excaper and then drew away from him late in the Kent to give Bluegrass Hall's Brad Kelley and Wayne Lukas an elusive graded stakes win for the homebred English Channel bay. ATR listeners may have glommed the big $610 triple utilizing Mike Beer's opinion that 39-1 Two Months Rent was playable and that Optimizer was the horse-to-beat. Late Saturday at Charles Town, Book Review indeed snapped back from what I termed the 'too bad to be believed' Test and scored in the rich Oaks as the 3-2 favorite. Holiday Soiree, whom Beer and I liked as a price inclusion, was 2nd at 18-1 to boost the exotics.

Fun day of racing all around.. Hope everyone did well! Just a little P4 tinker at Belmont for Sunday.


BELMONT PARK


POST-SCRATCHES


7th: ALW/N1X, F&M-3+, 6f (P4, P3, DD)

Excellent set. Faves fast and strong but popular-at-the-claimbox Marvelous Margeret worth including at 15-1 and Los Ojitos (6-1) perked up in first real dirt try that earned diploma..

Most Likely: #9 Willet 4-1 3rd
Next Best: #3 Ullapool 3-1 WON ($8.50)
Exotics Use: #1 Delightful Quality 7-2 2nd
Best Value: #7 Marvelous Margeret 15-1 7th
Super Add: #6 Los Ojitos 6-1 4th


8th: OC/S-ALW, F&M-3+, 8.5f-IT (P3, DD)

Wide open. 15-1 and 7# with Wilmer is pretty irresistable on #3 Mykindofladyfriend..

Best Value: #3 Mykindofladyfriend 15-1 3rd
Next Best: #4 Wet One 6-1 4th
Exotics Use: #2 Spooky Kitten 5-2 10th
Super Add: #11 Eulonia 9-2 WON ($16.80)


9th: NY-ALW/N1X, 3+, 7f-T (DD)

Outstanding betting affair as Jeter takes his money-burning act to the lawn. Count Knickerbocker was one of the good hits of the Spa season and is one of several late runners with a big shot at a price..

Most Likely: #1 Western Tryst 5-1 3rd
Next Best: #12 Count Knickerbocker 8-1 5th
Best Value: #6 Anaphylaxis 20-1 8th
Exotics Use: #10 Kharafa 8-1 WON ($7.20)


10th: NY-MDN CLM, F&M-3+, 6f-IT

Best Value: #12 It's Your Dime 6-1 2nd
Next Best: #5 Talmadge Hill 8-5 4th
Exotics Use: #9 Princess Jenny 7-2 WON ($9.00)
Super Add: #7 Marcy 15-1 3rd


<$75 P4 Play:

7: 1-3-6-7-9
8: 2-3-4
9: 1-6-9-10-12
10: 5-12

5x3x5x2 = 150 x .50 = $75


Good luck!
Steve