Miss World stuns; Bowling Green, Cole anchor nice day
Taking advantage of a nightmare race for .40 favorite GOZZIP GIRL, jump up win by Clement’s MISS WORLD surprised the Garden City at $29, and simultaneously quashed the multi-race tries on an otherwise good afternoon. Off the turf nightcap winner COUNTRY TRICK (Tabbed 2nd as Best Value) helped bail out the day paying a nice $14 and keying at $75.25 triple. Superfecta was within the selections as well ($163.50) if you went after it. Similar set of races this afternoon at Belmont constitute the late P4 with smartly rescheduled Bowling Green and fun full field Ashley T. Cole (NYB) co-featured. Hope you did OK Saturday!
BELMONT PARK
PRE-SCRATCHES
7th: 34th Ashley T. Cole (NYB), 3+, 9f-IT (P4, P3, DD, Super)
Most Likely: #6 Banrock 2-1
Best Value: #4 Stormy Success 20-1
Next Best: #3 Straight Story 5-1
Super Add: #8 Hangingbyathread 7-2
8th: OC/N2X, 3+, 1m (P3, DD)
Most Likely: #1e Darley-Godolphin entry 6-5
Best Value: #11 Even Raise 6-1
Next Best: #8 Stungbythestorm 5-1
Exotics Use: #5 Cave’s Valley 10-1
9th: 51st Bowling Green (Gr. II), 3+, 11f-IT (DD, Super)
Most Likely: #8 Grand Couturier 5-2
Best Value: #3 Expansion 8-1
Next Best: #9 Gentleman Chester 4-1
Super Add: #5 Colony 6-1
10th: MDN CLM, 3+, 7f-T (Super)
Most Likely: #8 Sultan’s Sword 3-1
Best Value: #3 Royal Lord 12-1
Next Best: #7 Everybodywantsone 6-1
Super Add: #10 Letsgotwosteppin 8-1
<$75 P4 Play:
7: 3-4-6
8: 1-4-5-7-8-11
9: 3-8
10: 3-8
3x6x2x2 = $72
Good luck!
Steve
RESULTS 9/12
BELMONT PARK
POST-SCRATCHES
SLOPPY AND OFF THE TURF IN THE 1st, 5th, 9th and 10th…
7th: MSW, 2yo, 6f (P4, P3, DD, Super)
Completely mysterious group features 8 of 11 debuters, further complicated by potential for an off track.. Some major siblings ties here including CITY WOLF (Ghostzapper; City Zip), STRICTLY SOCIETY (Awfully Smart), LAMBEAU LEGEND (Point Given), LITIGATION RISK (Trevor’s Clever) and UNBRIDLED FURY (Grand Adventure)..
As a further side note, yearling colt by Storm Cat, (full to Lambeau Legend and half to Point Given), sells Tuesday at Keeneland as Hip #260..
Most Likely: #3 Strictly Society 7-2 4th
Best Value: #4 Lil Snitch 12-1 5th
Next Best: #10 Quick Ride 6-1 WON ($7.70)
Super Add: #6 Litigation Risk 8-1 2nd
8th: 31st Garden City H. (Gr. I), 3yo-F, 9f-IT (P3, DD, Super)
Most Likely: #1 Gozzip Girl 2-1 4th
Best Value: #7 Pull Dancer 6-1 8th
Next Best: #6 Shared Account 4-1 2nd
Super Add: #9 Keertana 10-1 3rd
9th: NYB-ALW/N1X, 3+, 7f OFF THE TURF (DD, Super)
Most Likely: #11 Brecciate 7-2 WON ($4.50)
Best Value: #13 Papa Jerry 8-1 5th
Next Best: #12 SCR
Super Add: #16 Four Star General 10-1 7th
10th: MDN CLM, 3+, 6f OFF THE TURF (Super)
Most Likely: #8 Peacefields 5-2 2nd
Best Value: #14 Country Trick 10-1 WON ($14.00)
Next Best: #15 Sal Paradise 8-1 4th
Super Add: #11 Love of Life 8-1 3rd
$1 Exacta (14-8) Paid $19.50
$1 Trifecta (14-8-11) Paid $75.25
$1 Superfecta (14-8-11-15) Paid $163.50
<$75 P4 Play:
7: ALL
8: 1-7
9: 11-12
10: 8-14
8x2x2x2 = $64
RACHEL A RARITY THAT OUTPERFORMS THE HYPE
In little more than one minute and forty eight seconds, the closing Saturday September 5 at Saratoga became one of racing’s most magical, historic and unparalleled afternoons in many decades. Not only an unprecedented test of sophomore filly versus older males, Rachel Alexandra’s performance in the Woodward Stakes figures to stand the test of time against any comparison for years to come.
Those in attendance, more than 30,000 who cheered themselves ‘horse’, will relish their presence at the unique occurence, and never forget this delightful day when a moment in time stood still. If there was anyone doubting that the Medaglia d’Oro miss was one of the best of her kind that trackgoers have seen in years, they need now acknowledge their error.
As if her victory wasn’t impressive enough, the way in which she won borders on impossible. Pressed from the opening bell, Calvin Borel and Rachel Alexandra set brutal early fractions as alternately Da’ Tara, Past the Point, Cool Coal Man, It’s a Bird and Bullsbay took runs at them. The filly fractured them one after another. Macho Again, who was having the affair served to him on a pace plate, took his turn past the eighth pole and could not get past the remarkable poetess in motion.
The victory marks an idyllic coda to what has been a wonderful race meet at the old Spa. And for jaded consumers of the race game, Rachel Alexandra and the audacious examinations she has been subjected to at Pimlico, Monmouth and Saratoga, provide more proof that organic development of the sport’s unscripted drama is the perfect tonic for whatever supposedly ails it. And notably, racing showed on this day that it is one of the few producers on the sports landscape capable of a spectacle that outperforms its’ hype.