Big Bang ending to a good year

Thanks to the monster move I am finishing the year with a much-needed bang. Hesitant as I am to wager on Aqueduct's quirky inner-dirt-track, I could not ignore 'move' opportunities on today's card: Coach Butts in the sixth, rallied for second at 9-1 and Personal Good (brilliant ride Mr. Morales!), sixth race, rewarded me with $71, $24, $12 and a $169 daily double.

Interestingly, the eighth race odds-on favorite showed a move and won for fun.

I'm glad I ended my holiday sabbatical.

An unrelated aside: The closest thing to an automatic bet at Fairgrounds has been trainer Steven Asmussen. At some point he boasted a 54% winning percentage. Apparently he's moved several horses to the Big A. He's already two for three at decent prices. A word to the wise…

Happy New Year. Clarity, wisdom, restraint and good handicapping in 2009!

Look to the charts, for longshots

How do you pick a $50 winner without the move? Look to the charts. Having been at a loss to find a good 'mover' at Fairgrounds in the past few days, I was getting restless. While investigating the 12/20 card I noticed Geniver in the first race. She had been disqualified at Churchill on November 26, elevating my 'move' choice Griding Miss to first at $43.60 and a healthy exacta.
A review of the result chart showed that Nadisheko, entered from the same race, had suffered significantly from Geniver's antics--enough so, that I wheeled Navi in the daily double. She romped, paying $50.60.

Happy Holidays to all, and better handicapping in 2009.

Oh! What could have been

I can't be angry at her. She's only an apprentice. But I have, indeed, opened a payment due bill for Jaqueline Davis in the amount the gazillion dollars she cost me on Joe Corrigan in the seventh, today, at Aqueduct. He probably wins. No doubt, the horse finishes at least second at
22-1–if she finds a way through the hole on the rail. (Truthfully, Morales on Phobia, tightened it up on her.) Across the board wagers, a part-wheel pick-three and a wheeled daily double went down the drain, as a result. It's alright, Jackie. I'll hold it on file, just in case. After all, I caught your first winner in NY. Did I mention Corrigan was a monster move?

Same Selection, Different Reasons

At 11:50 a.m., well before the NYRA 'Talking Horses' broadcast, I singled Por Favor in the first race at Aqueduct in doubles and several pick-3s. The reason? He was a solid move horse from move trainer Contessa, riding his new favorite (44% in the money) jock Pablo Morales. At the same time, I back-wheeled Higher Place the move horse in the second-part of the daily double.

Imagine my surprise that the prestigious Andy Serling on the NYRA show also picked Por, but for different reasons. He expected the horse to speed-pop the field. Which he did. $18.40 to win and a guaranteed double--at least. Congrats, Andy!

Great minds think alike--for different reasons.

By the way, Higher Place completed the $140 double, setting me up for a rare pick-three win with the favorite and two other horses. I don't typically pick three. But with back-to-back 'move' horses it was a given. Missunitednations completed that bet, for $670. Love this game

PS–Jockey Garcia ought to be ashamed of himself for the phantom 'foul claim.'

Lifesaver, 'Yet Again.' $79

I will state, flatly, that no other handicapping method has proven as reliable for me as the monster move method. Not even the Beyer numbers. Understand, I did not create it. While I accept the logic and premise, I am still learning the fine points of the system. But, the results are remarkable.

I spend infinite hours re-reading the source material in the hope that someday I might be able to confidently bet more than $10 on it's typical $30+ winner. Ultimately, I may have to settle for $2 and $5 wagers on these nags.

It happens, but I rarely completely overlook a 'move horse.'

So, you can understand why I was looking for a bridge to jump off after the open length win of 20-1 shot Tainted Love in the fifth at Aqueduct. It was right there on the DRF page; clear as day. I was livid. But, somehow, soothed my pain with the knowledge that trainer Gullo has had a rough time winning. Nevertheless, I had the car warmed up.

NYRA tracks tend to be difficult for move horses. The racing gods smiled on me; delivering two moves in the featured eighth race at the Big A. Still smarting from my wounds, I played Sentimental Union in doubles. Then I bet impossible long shot Yet Again (38-1)across the board and boxed the exacta with the two.

Payoffs of $79 to win and a $443 exacta, go a long way to making me feel better. No jumping today. Add Karl Grusmark to my move trainers list. Well ridden, Bocachica! You are lifesavers.

All a 'Tizzy' all over again

One of the most memorable examples in my book is Slew's Tizzy. He was responsible for my biggest score in 2007 in the Coolmore Lexington Grade 2 at Keeneland. This 'monster mover' paid $83 to win, finishing ahead of another move horse to return a $1,000 exacta.

Well, guess who showed up , today, with another move at Hollywood Park in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap? Yep, I didn't get too excited; being hesitant to bet West Coast tracks where the emphasis is always on speed. But, I couldn't ignore the colt, either. This time he was only going off at 7-1. So, I semi-loaded up.

Results? It was deja-vu, all over, again. He won like the only horse in the race for trainer Doug O'Neill and jockey Rosario, The payoffs weren't as large, but I bunched win, place, show, exacta and a $102 daily double.

Maybe, it's time to take the system West. It works everywhere else.

Worthwhile horseracing blog: Green but Game

While I don't have room in my layout for a link list, one of the most impressive sites out there is Green but Game, written by fellow NYRA fan Dana Byerly.  Check it out for oodles of info and enjoyable reading. Way to go Dana.

Formulator, a superb product…but

Until now, I haven't mentioned a thing about the relatively new Daily Racing Form product Formulator Web. Let me say up front that as a major fan of 'the form' my reaction is merely: Bravo! Superb! Hoo-Hah! Way to go!

My enthusiasm is particularly profound, because I am a die-hard Macintosh user. Until this version there was no Formulator for my population. So, for years I have been downloading a pdf version of the past performances. Unless, I am going to the track, I do my handicapping right on the computer screen. No printout, necessary.

Therein lies my one, small complaint. With Adobe Acrobat, I can mark-up my computerized version of the pdf–a valuable tool when you handicap two tracks and, at least 18 races a day. No such luck with Formulator.

Hopefully, the powers that be will consider including a similar tool with the next update. It doesn't even have to save the marks.

Other than that, I give Formulator four stars out of five.