Well, Auburn Hills went off at 2/1 and faded in the stretch to finish 3rd. The 9th race was off the turf. In the 4th, my alternate Sinful Dancer just wasn't good enough and ran 4th.
After Day 11.
Total wagered: $88.00
Total returned: $85.00
Record 22 4-5-3
Friday, July 29.
Best bet: Race 8 - #4 Fauci 9/2 ML, Antonacci/Santana. Maybe I'm not giving this one enough thought but I just think Fauci is the most talented turf horse in this race. He'll need to stay out of trouble but I'll certainly take 9/2 on him if that's what price he goes off at.
Best Value: Race 7 - #2 Gilded Age 10/1 ML, Mott/Alvarado. I could be wrong but I think this is a horse with some talent. That's maybe why Mott sent him to the Withers after his maiden win and sent him to Dubai after the Withers. He looked pretty good against much weaker in his first race back in the States and now looks to take another step forward. He'll need to in order to have a chance here. But now in his 2nd race after Dubai, I think he will. Creative Minister is a very nice horse but you've got to wonder if he's had anything taken out of him from the Preakness and Belmont. And notably, his two wins he got pretty nice trips. So although I've liked him, I'm not betting him here. I actually think the "horse to beat" may be the Brown/Irad combo on Artorious who will try two turns for the first time. But at a short price, I'm not all that interested in him. For me, it's Gilded Age, who will need some pace to have a chance and I'm hoping that the combination of A.P.'s Secret, Wolfe County, Make it Big, and Be Better will provide some pace for him to run into. We'll see about that. Another reason I like him is that I like to see a horse make a big move on the turn and still run OK in the stretch and he did that in the Withers. Last time out, he seemed to have timed his move a little later and was really motoring home in the stretch. Alvarado stays aboard so hopefully he works out a good trip for him once again.
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