First, a brief look at some of the headlines from this past weekend.
[1] It's one thing to be saddened if a racetrack closes, but quite another when an entire country says farewell to the game. On Saturday, the island-nation of Singapore said goodbye to horse racing after 182 years as Kranji Race Course held its signature Singapore Gold Cup as the final race on its final racing card.
[2] TVG's Mike Joyce celebrated a graded-stake win as an owner this weekend as Hang the Moon won the $200,000 Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.
[3] In Keeneland Sunday stakes action, Governor Sam ($5.48) won the $250,000 Indian Summer giving jockey Paco Lopez his 4,000th career victory. Idiomatic ($2.64) led from flag fall to that's all in the $600,000 Grade 1 Spinster Stakes setting up a potential Breeder's Cup showdown with Thorpedo Anna. Minaret Station ($78.88) looked like a rocket ship in the final eighth of a mile winning the $350,000 Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes.
[4] A Keeneland Early Pick-5 carryover of $265,000 will be on offer come Wednesday, October 9th.
Now, onto the weekend in review for Belmont-at-Aqueduct where approximately $38M passed through the windows over the last four days.
Sunday
Race 2 - Raging Sea ($2.20) was not at her best as she turned back Batacuda in the $250,000 Grade 2 Beldame. I thought she was closer to Idiomatic however that is clearly not the case.
Race 4 - Even my friends had the prerace rumor mill in full gear for D's a Rock ($10.60) who turned out to be a rare Chad Summer first-out winner under Katie Davis. Second place Someone broke sharply but was then taken back and left with too much to do turning for home under Kendric Carmouche. Favored Bubbe Dearest (2.25-1) and Just Words (7.90-1) showed that their place and show results from September 13th's six furlong maiden claimer in 1:16 3/5 were absolutely as bad as they looked.
Race 6 - The Chad Brown trained duo of Marvelous Madison (17.80-1) and Lavender Disaster (3.75-1) looked to have a grip on the action until the 5/16ths pole where the former bolted and carried her stable mate out of the race along with longshot Grace and Grit. Meanwhile, rail sitting Scythian ($24.20) got the break of all breaks to win the Grade 2 Miss Grillo. Virgin Colada (2.35-1), who got a preferred post three in the redrawn race, closed for second after being inexplicably next to last for much of the early running.
Race 7 - Three B's ($7.20) held sway over favored Keepinitreal as Santana appeared to "low-five" Prat's bottom post race following a head bobbing stretch drive. Saw it live on ADATR however none of the replays captured the immediate gallop out.
Race 8 - Abientot ($12.20) won the Grade 3 Matron under Dylan Davis capping a great weekend for him now standing on top of the Fall standings.
Race 9 - Flavien Prat's mount, Unit Economics ($5.60) closed strongly to catch Santana's Bring Me a Check by a half length in the finale.
Saturday
Race 5 - Carson's Run ($5.00) ran down Deterministic and El Rezeen in the $500,000 Jockey Club Invitational Stakes. This was the fourth favorite in the opening five races resulting in a $431.00 Early Pick-5.
Race 6 - Senbei ($10.00), named by Acacia Clement for father-in-law Christophe's stable, takes the Belmont Turf Sprint. Overbet Mischievous Angel (2.45-1) ran poorly as the Irad money again created win pool value As a side note, the Belmont branding is cool, but isn't it time to recognize Disco Partner as the champion six furlong sprinter at Belmont per ADATR discussions?
Race 7 - The maiden Scottish Lassie ($15.00) took the Grade 1 Frizette by nine lengths over "the other maiden", heavily-bet favorite Snowyte. This was trainer Jorge Abreu's first graded stakes winner.
Race 8 - Chancer McPatrick ($3.10) completed Round 3 of his amazing closing kick runs in winning the Grade 1 Champagne. Tip Top Thomas battled early and held for second. Hard to believe that the Champagne was the final Grade 1 race of the year on the NYRA circuit with the Cigar Mile dropped to Grade 2 for 2024.
Race 9 - In a crazy stretch drive, Mickey Shillelagh ($14.20) won under Jose Lezcano. My interesting price play, Barnstorming (27.75-1) ran well beaten two lengths to finish sixth under Luis Rivera, Jr. Odds-on Transactional could do no better than seventh in a game with no moral victories.
Race 10 - Jockey Rivera came back to get the top prize with Bam's Bliss Kiss ($23.40) in a turf-to-dirt move for trainer David Duggan.
Friday
Race 2 - How was anyone playing In Time (0.45-1)? This completely skewed the win pool and despite the $106.00 win price on Lady Firefoot, I could not have had this one at 1,000-1.
Race 3 - Finger Lakes shipper Stewie (19.80-1) just missed in this first level NY-bred allowance as Sandy Sweet Tooth ($4.20) took the nose photo.
Race 5 - Mentee ($10.20) won the Grade 3 Futurity under John Velazquez. Personally, I could not have found this winner if it was the only horse on the page.
Race 7 - Some complained in the Twitter-sphere about the short Grade 3 Waya Stake exacta price at 76.25-1 coupling La Mehana ($21.20) and Immensitude (9.90-1). Fifth place McKulick (0.70-1) exaggerated the mutuels as did overmatched Beautiful Love (4.10-1) and Idea Generation (5.50-1).
Hope you all had a great week!
