Back to three-out-of four land.
We saw our "A" contenders win Race 9 (The Test) and Race 10 (The Ballston Spa), as those events went to # 5 Sweet Lulu (1.80*) and # 1 Laughing (2.65), respectively. In retrospect, we probably should have had more confidence in Laughing and just made her a single in The Ballston Spa; for, while her margin of victory was small, her method was just as we predicted; as she wired the field Saturday, just as she had when she won the Grade 1 Diana last month.
However, I feel we made the right move by covering all bases in Race 12 (The Travers), as # 5 Will Take Charge (9.60) just nosed out # 6 Moreno (31.00) at the wire, with # 2 Orb (3.15) and # 8 Palace Malice (2.45) following less than a length behind. As I wrote in the preview, three year olds are still maturing at this time of year, and there's no sure way to know which ones have grown stronger and which ones have just grown older until they compete on the track. Anyway, congrats to Trainer D Wayne Lukas on winning his third Travers Stakes.
As to Race 11 (The King's Bishop), well, we did do a few things right. For example, we were correct to disregard the chances of # 8 Overanalyze (8.00) who wound up a well beaten fifth. We were also correct to predict that this one would go to a deep closer; indeed, the eventual winner, # 3 Capo Bastone (28.25) was tenth, more than fifteen lengths back at the half. But we were dead wrong in having so much faith in the Morning Line and Post Time Favorite, # 2 Forty Tales (2.80*); who, as we feared, got caught in traffic and had to be steadied in the stretch; and then just didn't have enough in the tank when he finally did get clear, finishing fourth, a little over five lengths behind the winner. For the record, our lone "C" selection in this one, # 8 Declan's Warrior (6.00), had nothing, and was eased before the half (though he did walk off).
So there you go; two A's and one C and one we didn't have at all adds up to $45 in the loss column. Meanwhile, those who played the correct Pick Four sequence of 5 / 1 / 3 / 5 were rewarded with a payout of $3,009 for their fifty cent wager. May God bless them as they spend their winnings.
Oh well; onto the next race.
Peace and Love,
Jimbo
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