I must admit I was not watching all the action at the Meadows today. As previously mentioned, having twelve two year old races on the card is far from attractive as a wagering option. With the Hambletonian and Oaks eliminations tonight, there is a better place to invest my wagering dollars than on a slew of two year old races.
Despite the somewhat inferior racing card, the in-house/simulcast program at the Meadows should be mandatory viewing by all racetracks regardless of bred. Their show is second to none.
That being said, there were four races to watch at the Meadows today and here is a brief recap of those races.
1st Division of the Adioo Volvo - What can I say? For some reason my pick Pedigree Snob decided to go all out with fractions of :25.4, 53.1, 1:20.4. Is there any wonder she got beat? Sears had Blogette Hanover in the right spot so when Pedigree Snob tired, she was able to grab the victory in 1:51.2. In her loss, Pedigree Snob still looked good, after all with those fractions she had every right to be up the track at the end; she still lost by less than a length. Dawn's Legacy, my second pick and the 7-5 favorite was awful.
2nd Division of the Adioo Volvo - Ginger and Fred continues her dominating ways. She wired won the nine hole to win in a convincing 1;51. Samantha Q at 50-1 who took Ginger and Fred to the quarter spiced up the exacta with her second place showing; it was a gutsy showing by her. Personal Ad finished a well beaten third.
Adios Consolation - Fireintheshark, a 17-1 shot, survived an inquiry winning the Adios Consolation in 1:50.2. George Brennan managed to 'squeeze' through to get up at the end, admitting the inquiry could have gone either way. Sheer Desire (my selection) got the lead at the half and got nailed at the end to finish second. Rusty's All In finished third. Vertigo Hanover continues to be off form; a lay off may be in order for him.
Adios Final - Vintage Master saved the day for me. Third in the morning line, there was no way I could let Vintage Master go at 13-1. Yes, he was my third choice, but in the event of a torrid duel up front, I could not ignore those odds on a stone closer. Well, he came flying late off of fractions of :26.2, :51.3, 1:21, 1:49.2 but this was no torrid duel. Well Said was sixth at the quarter parked with cover before getting the lead at the half. After that, he controlled the pace till the top of the stretch. This mile was well within Well Said's ability; you sensed as they headed into the stretch it was just not Well Said's day. Mister Wiggles closed well to finish 2nd and Well Said held on to finish third. For those that say Well Said lost due to post nine, I would disagree; it is hard to keep a horse razor sharp week in week out. He lost fair and square. Curious to see whether Well Said heads back to the Meadowlands for the Oliver Wendell Holmes or if he will get a little freshening. One thing for sure, he will be back; a champion bounces back from defeat.
As for Ron Pierce's take on the race? No blaming post position nine. Just an acknowledgement that Well Said was tired and in need of a race.
On to the Meadowlands and the Hambletonian and Oaks eliminations!
Showing posts with label Adios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adios. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Well Said Draws the Outside - Hooray for the Open Draw
Post positions for the Adios were drawn yesterday and Well Said got the worst of the draw, getting assigned post position nine. The complete draw for the race is:
1--Vintage Master
2--If I Can Dream
3--Ideal Danny
4--Keep It Real
5--Chasin Racin
6--Schoolkids
7--Mr Wiggles
8--Straight Shooting
9--Well Said
But wait, didn't Well Said win his elimination? How can you win your elimination and get saddled with the worst post position in the race? This is because the Adios uses the open draw. Unlike races like the Kentucky Futurity where the heat winners draw for the inside posts or the Meadowlands Pace where the winners get to choose their post positions, what you did in your elimination has no bearing as to the post position your draw in the Adios final. This is the way it should be.
Assigning post positions based on the finish of an elimination quite frankly does not make sense. Think about your overnight events. In an open handicap race, the best horses draw the outside posts; claiming handicaps the horses with the highest base claiming tag draw the outside; for those that use a classified racing system the highest class horses draws the outside. This is done to make races more competitive. Yet, with races like the Pace or the Futurity we are actually giving our best horses the most advantageous post positions; we are handicapping the other horses and as a result we have races that are less competitive with favorites becoming unplayable due to unfavorable odds. The morning line has not yet been released for the Adios. When you see the morning line, think what the line would have been for Well Said if he was assigned one of the inside posts or picked his post position?
Yes, I know assigning post positions based on your performance in an elimination is supposed to ensure a horses best performances instead of racing just to advance to the final but this is not the way to do it; all we are doing is stacking the odds in favor of elimination/heat winners. Readers of this blog know I am a proponent of eliminating eliminations and limiting the number of starters in our stake races to the highest money earners and having meaningful consolation races as done in the Battle of Brandywine. However, if we insist on keeping eliminations then the best way to ensure we get the best performance possible from our competitors is to make the elimination purses more significant.
Well Said appears to be our three year old pacing champion this year. A true champion overcomes bad post positions; the path to championship should not be made easier by being assigned favorable post positions. Thanks to the open draw, the Adios is going to turn out to be one heck of a horse race and a test of Well Said's abilities.
It should be no other way.
1--Vintage Master
2--If I Can Dream
3--Ideal Danny
4--Keep It Real
5--Chasin Racin
6--Schoolkids
7--Mr Wiggles
8--Straight Shooting
9--Well Said
But wait, didn't Well Said win his elimination? How can you win your elimination and get saddled with the worst post position in the race? This is because the Adios uses the open draw. Unlike races like the Kentucky Futurity where the heat winners draw for the inside posts or the Meadowlands Pace where the winners get to choose their post positions, what you did in your elimination has no bearing as to the post position your draw in the Adios final. This is the way it should be.
Assigning post positions based on the finish of an elimination quite frankly does not make sense. Think about your overnight events. In an open handicap race, the best horses draw the outside posts; claiming handicaps the horses with the highest base claiming tag draw the outside; for those that use a classified racing system the highest class horses draws the outside. This is done to make races more competitive. Yet, with races like the Pace or the Futurity we are actually giving our best horses the most advantageous post positions; we are handicapping the other horses and as a result we have races that are less competitive with favorites becoming unplayable due to unfavorable odds. The morning line has not yet been released for the Adios. When you see the morning line, think what the line would have been for Well Said if he was assigned one of the inside posts or picked his post position?
Yes, I know assigning post positions based on your performance in an elimination is supposed to ensure a horses best performances instead of racing just to advance to the final but this is not the way to do it; all we are doing is stacking the odds in favor of elimination/heat winners. Readers of this blog know I am a proponent of eliminating eliminations and limiting the number of starters in our stake races to the highest money earners and having meaningful consolation races as done in the Battle of Brandywine. However, if we insist on keeping eliminations then the best way to ensure we get the best performance possible from our competitors is to make the elimination purses more significant.
Well Said appears to be our three year old pacing champion this year. A true champion overcomes bad post positions; the path to championship should not be made easier by being assigned favorable post positions. Thanks to the open draw, the Adios is going to turn out to be one heck of a horse race and a test of Well Said's abilities.
It should be no other way.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Adios Eliminations Preview, Weekend Doings, Can Fall be Far Behind
Tomorrow is elimination day for the Adios Stakes at the Meadows. Quite honestly, I am puzzled why they are staging the eliminations during the day; the first elimination is slotted to go off at 2:55pm. One would think they would have carded a Friday card with their normal 6:20pm post time to maximize the number of fans able to see the best three year olds. If it was on a Saturday, I could understand running the eliminations during the day like the final; but on a Friday?
That being said, let's review the races:
9th Race - Adios Elimination #1
#1 (pp 2) - If I Can Dream (5-2) - Had a horrible trip in the Meadowlands Pace. Meets easiest field in a while.
#1A (pp 9) - Vertical Horizon (5-2) - Winner of Jersey Cup. Fresh; makes entry that much tougher.
#2 (pp 1) - Roadway (10-1) - Failed in Reynolds and PASS; meeting better.
#3 (pp 3) - Born to Rockn Roll (8-1) -Closed nicely in last. Driver change to Palone. Best local chance?
#4 (pp 4) - Vertigo Hanover (6-1) - Snappy :26.4 last quarter in 3yo Open last week. Lands part.
#5 (pp 5) - Ideal Danny (8-1) - Not off last.
#6 (pp 6) - El Cucuy (9-2) - Meeting better this time.
#7 (pp 7) - Chasin Racin (7-2) - Just can't get a good post.
#8 (pp 8) - Clear Vision (10-1) - Overmatched
Selections: 1 - If I Can Dream; 4 - Vertigo Hanover; 3 - Born to Rockn Roll
10th Race - Adios Elimination #2
#1 (pp 4) - Built to Drive (15-1) - Better than shows, could pick up minor spoils.
#1A (pp 9) - Johnny Z (15-1) - Completes tough Teague entry; post hurts.
#2 (pp 1) - Panmunjom (20-1) - Little success against open company.
#3 (pp 2) - School Kids (9-2) - Won't keep up with top pick.
#4 (pp 3) - Doubleshotasscotch (6-1) - Tested for class this week; expect to fail.
#5 (pp 5) - Well Said (8-5) - Obvious horse to beat. No value.
#6 (pp 6) - Upfront Hoosierboy (10-1) - Ambitiously placed. Pass.
#7 (pp 7) - Keep It Real (3-1) - Second best. Prepped in 1:51 last week. Will be there if Well Said fails.
#8 (pp 8) - Mobile (20-1) - Dream on. No chance.
Selections: 5 - Well Said; 7 - Keep It Real; 1A - Johnny Z
11th Race - Adios Elimination #3
#1 Precious Medal (7-2) - At top of game, best hope of locals here.
#2 Mr Wiggles (6-1) - Nice prep in Reynolds. Been frustrating when it counts. Consider if odds favor.
#3 Vintage Master (5-2) - Great closing kick. One to beat.
#4 Rusty's All In (8-1) - Minor spoils at best.
#5 Sheer Desire (10-1) - Faltered in Reynolds. Scratched sick last start. Does pick up Sears.
#6 Straight Shooting (9-2) - Threat if minds manners.
#7 Fireintheshartk (10-1) - Sharp start at Pocono; fails versus stakes caliber. Pass.
#8 Bunkmeister (8-1) - Ambitiously placed.
Selections: 2 - Mr Wiggles; 3 - Vintage Master; 6 - Straight Shooting
Unfortunately, it looks like chalk in the first two divisions. Value seems to be presenting itself in the third division.
Since I will be away on Saturday, let's take a look at what else is going on this weekend in harness racing.
On Sunday, the Ben Franklin Final will be held at Chester. Other than the Adios eliminations, this is THE race in harness racing this weekend. Mister Big, Art Official and Won the West will be duking it out on Sunday.
The Meadowlands has two divisions of the Tarport Hap on Saturday, named after the ill-fated super mare. Ginger and Fred looks like the one to beat in the first $81,000 division; Yellow Diamond leads the second division. North of the border, is the Maple Leaf Trot. Will Lucky Jim continue his amazing win streak?
On Sunday, Bangor Raceway hosts the $25,000 Paul Bunyon Invitational Pace. This race is of note as Jason Bartlett heads north to drive On a Tear.
The first sign of spring is the swallows returning to Capistrano. The first sign of fall is the return of standardbred racing to the Red Mile. On Sunday, the Red Mile hosts the Mercer County Fair stakes. On August 2nd the Red Mile hosts the finals of the KYFS which will lead into the start of the regular Red Mile meet. While most people are familiar with the Grand Circuit meet, the racing during the regular meet is not bad as there are plenty of late closing events.
Enjoy the racing. The racing only gets hotter after this weekend.
That being said, let's review the races:
9th Race - Adios Elimination #1
#1 (pp 2) - If I Can Dream (5-2) - Had a horrible trip in the Meadowlands Pace. Meets easiest field in a while.
#1A (pp 9) - Vertical Horizon (5-2) - Winner of Jersey Cup. Fresh; makes entry that much tougher.
#2 (pp 1) - Roadway (10-1) - Failed in Reynolds and PASS; meeting better.
#3 (pp 3) - Born to Rockn Roll (8-1) -Closed nicely in last. Driver change to Palone. Best local chance?
#4 (pp 4) - Vertigo Hanover (6-1) - Snappy :26.4 last quarter in 3yo Open last week. Lands part.
#5 (pp 5) - Ideal Danny (8-1) - Not off last.
#6 (pp 6) - El Cucuy (9-2) - Meeting better this time.
#7 (pp 7) - Chasin Racin (7-2) - Just can't get a good post.
#8 (pp 8) - Clear Vision (10-1) - Overmatched
Selections: 1 - If I Can Dream; 4 - Vertigo Hanover; 3 - Born to Rockn Roll
10th Race - Adios Elimination #2
#1 (pp 4) - Built to Drive (15-1) - Better than shows, could pick up minor spoils.
#1A (pp 9) - Johnny Z (15-1) - Completes tough Teague entry; post hurts.
#2 (pp 1) - Panmunjom (20-1) - Little success against open company.
#3 (pp 2) - School Kids (9-2) - Won't keep up with top pick.
#4 (pp 3) - Doubleshotasscotch (6-1) - Tested for class this week; expect to fail.
#5 (pp 5) - Well Said (8-5) - Obvious horse to beat. No value.
#6 (pp 6) - Upfront Hoosierboy (10-1) - Ambitiously placed. Pass.
#7 (pp 7) - Keep It Real (3-1) - Second best. Prepped in 1:51 last week. Will be there if Well Said fails.
#8 (pp 8) - Mobile (20-1) - Dream on. No chance.
Selections: 5 - Well Said; 7 - Keep It Real; 1A - Johnny Z
11th Race - Adios Elimination #3
#1 Precious Medal (7-2) - At top of game, best hope of locals here.
#2 Mr Wiggles (6-1) - Nice prep in Reynolds. Been frustrating when it counts. Consider if odds favor.
#3 Vintage Master (5-2) - Great closing kick. One to beat.
#4 Rusty's All In (8-1) - Minor spoils at best.
#5 Sheer Desire (10-1) - Faltered in Reynolds. Scratched sick last start. Does pick up Sears.
#6 Straight Shooting (9-2) - Threat if minds manners.
#7 Fireintheshartk (10-1) - Sharp start at Pocono; fails versus stakes caliber. Pass.
#8 Bunkmeister (8-1) - Ambitiously placed.
Selections: 2 - Mr Wiggles; 3 - Vintage Master; 6 - Straight Shooting
Unfortunately, it looks like chalk in the first two divisions. Value seems to be presenting itself in the third division.
Since I will be away on Saturday, let's take a look at what else is going on this weekend in harness racing.
On Sunday, the Ben Franklin Final will be held at Chester. Other than the Adios eliminations, this is THE race in harness racing this weekend. Mister Big, Art Official and Won the West will be duking it out on Sunday.
The Meadowlands has two divisions of the Tarport Hap on Saturday, named after the ill-fated super mare. Ginger and Fred looks like the one to beat in the first $81,000 division; Yellow Diamond leads the second division. North of the border, is the Maple Leaf Trot. Will Lucky Jim continue his amazing win streak?
On Sunday, Bangor Raceway hosts the $25,000 Paul Bunyon Invitational Pace. This race is of note as Jason Bartlett heads north to drive On a Tear.
The first sign of spring is the swallows returning to Capistrano. The first sign of fall is the return of standardbred racing to the Red Mile. On Sunday, the Red Mile hosts the Mercer County Fair stakes. On August 2nd the Red Mile hosts the finals of the KYFS which will lead into the start of the regular Red Mile meet. While most people are familiar with the Grand Circuit meet, the racing during the regular meet is not bad as there are plenty of late closing events.
Enjoy the racing. The racing only gets hotter after this weekend.
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