According to Wikipedia, cotton is the appropriate gift for one’s second anniversary. I like a nice cotton T-shirt and prefer cotton over synthetics any day of the week… good thing too as today is Swifty’s and my 2 year horse racing anniversary!
2 years ago today we finally decided go out to Belmont after talking about it off an on for several months. We had originally planned on going out today but both of us have too much to do, plus we’re going to Saratoga for opening week!
When we went last year, we learned a lot of valuable lessons, such as trying to handicap every race on the card for multiple days in a row is much harder than we anticipated, the payouts at Saratoga are fantastic, one may end up sitting by someone who hits a 4 digit trifecta using their hotel room number (while you handicapped all night to not a cash a single ticket), and perhaps most important, that regardless of the afore mentioned lessons, there’s no where else I want to be on opening week of Saratoga!
Last year I met Joan, who will be joining us again this year, which is great because I hardly ever get to hang out with her in the city. This year also adds a welcome twist, Swifty and I now have a lovely group of friends to hang out with!
I noticed today that Fabulous Strike threw a bullet breezing 5F in :59.84 (1/26) in preparation for the G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on Saturday 26th. Other probables include Abraaj, Black Seventeen, Bustin Stones, First Defence, Sammarco, and Thor’s Echo. The rest of the Whitney card is shaping up to be interesting as well.
Last and probably least, I have a little hunch play for the 3rd at Belmont. Shtarker from the Allen Jerkens barn is running back from last week where, according to the running lines, he was through after a half. That race was 1 1/16th, todays is 6F and he gets blinkers + long shot Sanchez has the mount. He’s 15-1 in the morning line and I’m gonna put a little money on him across the board as I’m willing to go with Allen Jerkens on this.
Update: Shtarker came in last! Oh well, heat and humidity never help intuition.
Good to luck to all today, especially Evening Attire!