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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 9, 2019 19:58:47 GMT -5
Day 22 A large crowd turned up at a sunny Spa on Friday to watch a procession of favorites and second favorites win the first six races on the card which our group did not find very appealing. Jeff the Baker did get proceedings off to a slightly sweet start with El Dulce ($3.10) but the meager pay off must have left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. The next five races saw us draw a blank before iBolita Boys ($20.00) put Bitowisdom in seventh heaven. MySaladDays was rolling in the green stuff too and had good reason to after Bon Raison ($18.60) took the feature and while most of us were Passing Out ($18.80) after the finale both Goldandmyrrh and Triguy were laughing all the way to the bank.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 11, 2019 10:16:06 GMT -5
Day 23 Jeff the Baker is certainly racking up the winners and started this sunny Saturday with a nice early daily double of Wicked Freud ($7.00) and Bassman Dave ($8.60) .Arsignman also struck the right note in the second where seven for once was not heaven. Our run continued in the third when SpiderJohn selected Decorated Invader ($4.50) on this website but we somehow missed a Wicked Trick ($6.60) who claimed the fourth. Ozzy feasted on Tumbling Sky ($6.10) in a salty maiden special weight that left most of us famished in the fifth. Surprisingly none of us got juiced with Saint Moon ($7.90) in the sixth, yet another speedster from the Navarro barn but TC enjoyed a monster win with Gozilla ($3.20) in the seventh. Nan53 got the Green Light Go ($5.10) special in the eighth but after that things Got Stormy ($12.00) for our group until Goldandmyrrh and JolyB salvaged the situation .when Valmont ($11.80) handled the field nicely in the finale. Tumbling Sky
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 12, 2019 10:22:05 GMT -5
Day 24 Sunday at the Spa certainly seemed to me to have a alcohol theme to it and I really should have started the day with a Fireball Shot ($14.00) but as Nan53 would have said after the second race Dontblamerocket ($5.80) . Morning Gold ($4.70) which sounds like a light beer to me was not in the script in the third and it was a rum do that none of us partook in some Malibu Mischief ($7.60) in the fourth. Surprisingly none of us had the skill or art to pepper up on High Jingo ($10.00) as he put on a jazzy performance to win the fifth and there was not a whole Lotta Ott ($9.20) going on in the sixth and no one had the right papers to Cross Border ($3.90) in the seventh. Hooper however was feeling bubbly after Talk Veuve To Me ($4.80) performed with valor in the eighth. The dayās alcohol theme did not continue in the feature much to my disappointment as Bohemian Bourbonās hopes ended on the rocks while Goldandmyrrh and Nan53 kept a watchful EyeontheSky ($7.50) . Finally we have a new leader in the contest as NDSC32 ended this Wild Weekend ($32.80) on a high note with a sharp performance in the last.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 14, 2019 12:47:41 GMT -5
Day 25 After reviewing all the PPs kindly provided daily by Ziggy , Cherokee Scot made the Snap Decision ($4.80) to go with horse #7 in every race and overcame the first hurdle in the opener along with Propro. The novel strategy however was Beyond Gone ($3.30) by the second race where Jeff the Baker chalked up his winner #8 . It would have been nice to be here Regalian ($10.60) you with a winner in the third but nobody picked him for a reason to soar to mention. Cherokee Scot rolled the dice in the fourth and sevens came up again ensuring that at least today he would not just Go Silently ($4.90) into the night like a Steelers fan for life coming out of a Dublin pub.Ā My Bronx Tale ($6.90) brought no comic relief to any of us in search of my happy place in the fifth while English Breeze ($20.60) blew us all away in the sixth. A box of chalk (the prize for shortest price winner) looks like it is heading towards BigRed1 after Kimari ($2.50) had the class to ward off the opposition in the seventh. Contest leader NDSC32 will take violent delights in winning the trophy and had his long shot selection in the eighth not been just narrowly beaten it would probably have been exit Stage Left ($12.00) for the other contenders. Pedalcar May have run out of gas but he can still hit the target occasionally and did it again with Golden Spear ($14.00) in the ninth as most of our selections tapped out. Finally it was ironic that while several of us went for Morrisette in the last it was double champion BadActor who was dancing with daffodils after picking up a major Brass Ring ($55.00) in the finale. Ā
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 16, 2019 7:46:06 GMT -5
Day 26 Not a great card at the Spa on Thursday where the main talking point was that Maximum Security and Game Winner were disappointingly both going to miss the Travers with the former now aiming for the Pennsylvania Derby . On the plus side I. Sure itās the first time that we will have ever seen Maximum Security at the barns at Parx ! On the track Jeff the Baker came up with his now customary opening race winner as Amazing Audrey ($3.90) claimed the first for the similarly amazing Danny Gargan. TC got in the act by hitting the next two with British Idiom ($5.90) and Uncontested ($5.90) who Also won in a cakewalk for Jeff the Baker. The big contest news of the day came in the sixth as Mo Zone ($10.20) put Bitowisdom back in his comfort zone of #1 on the leaderboard. Carrera Cat ($13.20) who at less than 6-1 was the longest shot of the day at least had Big Red 1 purring in the eighth and and although the finale had a nice Kerryās Ring ($5.50) to it none of us were doing an Irish jig as we head into the weekend.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 16, 2019 16:10:44 GMT -5
Day 27 Friday at Saratoga Chalk Downs started in the usual fashion with the favorite Mo Ready ($4.20) wining and the only surprise was that Jeff the Baker didnāt pick him. No medals awarded in the second race either when Olympic Village ($12.20) ran rings around his opponents and we were still browned off in the third when Value Engineering ($4.50) gave leading owner Klaravitch Stables yet another short price winner. Prairie Fire ($7.00) lit it up in the fourth burning everyone bar Nan 53 and the always Gallant Bob. Bobtailnag nearly had a heart attack when he saw all the money pouring in on Cove Blue ($5.80) in the fifth but a winner is a winner. Nan 53 showed that there is not just a bit of wisdom in her household with Zabava ($7.50) proving to be Makerās mark in the sixth. Spiderjohn looked sure to win with Multiplier in the seventh but unbelievably failed to Up The Ante ($4.70) by the slimmest of margins (see photo below) . Nan 53 was looking for winner #3 on the day in the eighth which would have made her a singular sensation but once again the favorite Rajajowski ($3.00) prevailed despite being headed in the stretch. In a a memorable edition of the Skidmore Stakes punters who used the proven strategies of betting the morning line favorite were blessed with Another Miracle ($7.10) Cherokee Scot was vewy vewy quiet for most of the finale but by the end of the race there was cause for celebration as Iām Elmer J Fudd ($25.20) marked the opening of wabbit season with a wemawkable win. Thatās all folks !
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 17, 2019 12:23:43 GMT -5
Day 28 Another Saturday at the Spa and with the opening race being off the turf you canāt blame us for not picking Acre ($12.40) who triumphed easily over the favored Market Impact who put up a half baked effort. In race two normal service was resumed as Jeff The Baker was able to figure it out that the only way to successfully Break Curfew ($5.60) at Saratoga is to bet on the Brown / Castellano combination. The third race scratched down to only five runners but that did not stop Arsignman , GAM and Joly B being all about it as Game Boy Benny ($4.30) lived up to his name and held on coming up the hill. Long shot Thesis at 26-1 looked great on paper for Cruzan and Onion in the fourth but narrowly failed to get a passing grade which resulted in a Giant Boo Boo ($4.30) . In the fifth Joly B had a birdās eye view and became a local hero when Nakamura ($12.00) came from a long way back and was able to wrestle away victory from Midnight Tea Time . Meanwhile Caratori ($17.60) set a new course record in the sixth but no one really cared on a rather low key day for our group. There was a lot of buzz about the Pletcher newcomer Candy Tycoon in the seventh but he lost his chance at the gate and American Butterfly ($46.20) flew home to give āThe Coachā his first win of the meet . You donāt see too many Australian breds winning at the Spa but Oleksandra ($10.00) was great in the eighth with a smart and fancy performance and no doubt encouraging Hooper and Nan 53 to put some shrimp on the barbie tonight. The finish of the Lake Placid was anything but placid as the stewards decided on a dead heat even though Stevie Wonder could see that Regal Glory ($3.10) had won the photo which was small consolation to Cruzan2000. No sweet home Alabama for our crowd as the Ortiz kid rocked in the feature as heās been doing all summer long with Dunbar Road ($5.50). Iām sorry if Iām repeating myself , Iām sorry if Iām repeating myself but the finale always goes to a long shot or a Chad Brown horse and this time it was Chad who got himself into More Mischief ($7.20). Oleksandra
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 18, 2019 12:47:39 GMT -5
Bump
Updating recap for last three races yesterday . Worth a read š
ps Thanks Nan53 for the kind comment.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 19, 2019 9:23:43 GMT -5
Day 29 it was a sleepy Sunday at the Spa with the majority of our members deciding to take the day off and Ziggy going a step further with canceling his selections after most of the turf races were switched to the dirt following Saturdayās late downpour. Trapshot25 was fully loaded in the first but unfortunately this was no help in Keeping the Peace ($10.20) . Riot Worthy ($5.90) may have been the hunch bet in Portland this weekend but our group remained calmly on the sidelines in the second. SpiderJohn however did live up to his mantra with Sharing ($7.10) in the third. An East Moon ($10.20) was rising in the fourth but we were all set and a Pletcher first timer ran Shadilee($17.80) in the fifth and was claimed for $75,000. The imposing Mrs Danvers ($3.90) took the quickest road to Manderley in the sixth and it was left to the charming Nan53 to claim the second and final winner of the day for our team with Gorgeous Charli ($12.80) helping her move a little closer to her hubby at the top of the leaderboard. On a day where favorites did not have it all their own way Jennemily ($14.60) was friendless in the eighth and no one got the Blue Prize ($3.20) in the ninth. The finale again provided the longest shot of the day when all you needed was Love and Love ($19.40) to make the world go around.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 21, 2019 14:12:19 GMT -5
Day 30 A wet Wednesday at the Spa resulted in the cancelation of the opening steeplechase and the switch to dirt for the remaining turf races as Travers week opened with whatever is the opposite of a bang. In the second race the well bet favorite Smooth with a Kick was anything but and had the rug pulled out from under her by Bellera ($17.00). By chance both Cherokee Scot and Elk selected the same horse in the third , no doubt reflecting on the low percentage trainerās winning performance in a similar race at Saratoga a couple of years back. However today it proved to be a Mejia mistake on their part as It was Shacklefordās Joy ($6.80) who triumphed courtesy of the stewards which made more than just one Indian cross. Big Red 1 had a rough day and things got worse in the Johnās Call where his selection of Red Knight was eclipsed by Highland Sky ($6.90) . The fifth race of the day proved eventful as Naked Avenger ($21.00) streaked home to put NDSC32 back at the top of the leaderboard and also give Otis a lift up the charts. A lengthy delay ensued as a thunderstorm had both jockeys and fans running for cover before Flute Maker ($7.30) put on a mcpeak performance to win the sixth and will now be aimed at the Woodwind at the end of the meet. The seventh race scratched down to only four runs but even then it was So Conflated ($3.70) for our group. In the eighth it was like rain on your wedding day for the backers of Morrisette as ironically she got caught in the last few strides by China Rider ($18.70) who came Cruzan late with HoponthebusGus a fast closing nowhere. We finally got a full field in the ninth and you should never say no to a Florida shipper as Leaky Cup ($21.20) was at least six percent better than the runner up. The finale also produced a decent price winner as Queen Kahen ($20.80) walked like an Egyptian into the winnerās circle with not a Zayat in sight. Naked Avenger
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 21, 2019 17:49:45 GMT -5
Bump Wednesday updated for late races and more obscure references
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 22, 2019 13:56:53 GMT -5
Day 31 After the gloom and rain of Wednesday it started sunny and chalky on the penultimate Thursday of the Saratoga meet. There was nothing much for the New York Turf Writers to write about in the opener as although the turf may have been yielding the odds on favorite Winston C ($3.10) was not and his backers were lighting their celebratory cigars a long way from home. It was no wunder that Proproās selection went off at twenty five to one as he didnāt finish until a quarter to two, stinking it up almost as badly as Peppay Le Pugh. Very few few of our group were playing today probably looking at the Travers card or researching on the Internet of Things ($3.90). There were a couple of nonsensical scratches in the third where Beau Belle ($7.10) won with quiet dignity to give JolyB and hrhobby our first winner of the day..Claytnthelionheart($10.40) showed much grit and glory to take the fourth with a sargeant stretch drive that evoked Derby memories after a mystifying stewards decision to take down the runner up. We saw a brilliant ride by the newly twittered Joel Rosario who had the perfect vision to steer Wicked Title ($20.20) home in a blanket finish in the fifth on what was turning out to be a perfect Chad summers day. Cruzan and Madame Blum both made picks in the sixth but unfortunately neither of them were Enforceable ($4.20) The seventh race race was a Nasty Affair ($9.00) but it wasnāt the fault of those who selected Irish Banker, I would blame it on mom. I canāt believe no one had my claiming contest horse Calculated Risker ($12.00) in the eighth as I certainly had the Handal on that one. Ironically we went from Calculated Risker winning to the Risk Averse Stakes in thirty minutes and Catch a Bid ($3.80) certainly represented those unwilling to bet on ABC (Anybody But Chad) . Once again we saw a Dark Storm ($8.10) who displayed a deft touch to land a knockout punch and have the final say in the finale. Winston C
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 23, 2019 17:36:27 GMT -5
Day 32 Friday at the Spa felt like the day before Christmas as the great and the good came from far and wide to gather In anticipation of the 150th running of the Travers the following day. Lots of picks made for the all NY bred card and Dr. Disaster asked the question - āIs this the right day ?ā but the answer for nearly all our members was a resounding no. Nice prices were in abundance but we all missed out on Ava Kās Girl ($23.60) in the opener , however, Catorat ($28.20) did jet home for Turbine in the second. Newly Minted ($4.30) saw no change in the standings in the third but Three Jokers ($6.00) had the last laugh for Madame Blum and Gallant Bob in the fourth. Belle of the Spa ($64.00) lived up to her name and lit up the toteboard in the fifth resulting in a $150k Pick 5 payout which is by no means munchkin money in anyoneās language. Call Me Harry ($6.00) took us back to normal in the sixth although for our group this was certainly not the preferred outcome. Fierce Lady ($4.20) showed her competitive edge in the seventh and if you decided to listen to your heart instead of your head you also missed out on City Man ($6.50) in the eighth.Offering Plan ($6.40) had no subscribers in the ninth but Gallant Bob was laughing all the way to the IRS window when Funny Guy ($17.00) took the tenth. Chazaward was having a fruitless day but he is a determined one and was looking to get something from the finale but he was not a happy giant when Curlinās Legacy ($14.00) saw him inherit nothing.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 26, 2019 20:11:59 GMT -5
Day 33 A crowd of over 48,000 enjoyed a glorious Runhappy Travers Day at the Spa. Several members of our group almost got off to a stunning start when 40-1 shot Gemonteer led from the start only to be caught by the favorite Frontier Market ($3.30) in the shadow of the wire. Amazingly despite literally hundreds of selections none of had a winner in the first ten races š± We couldnāt Tap it To Win ($9.30) and we all missed the Performer ($7.00) . No one stepped up to Come Dancing ($3.50) , we absolutely had no Mind Control ($12.60) and there was a total absence of Significant Form ($16.60) . Indeed many Annals of Time ($7.10) had passed before JohnnyBatTBD and Ten Furlongs finally got us off the collective duck in the Travers. Ozzy was hoping to be in hog heaven on Saturday but at least he ended the day on a bright note with Magic Star ($5.00) taking the finale to make it a five win day for the dominant Chad Brown.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 27, 2019 12:03:17 GMT -5
Day 34 Another beautiful day at Saratoga but we didnāt even hear a Wicked Whisper ($5.20) from the backstretch on who was going to win the opener. However Nan53 showed that she was Readyforprimetime ($16.20) while most of us were still stuck in No Mans Land ($12.20) with Excess Capacity ($5.70) in these Violent Times ($4.60) that we live in. Cherokee Scot came dressed for a Bourbon War but he should have listened to Big Red 1 that you should never try and Front Run The Fed ($4.90). Goldandmyrrh is keeping up the pressure on the leading two and was all smiles when Extrodinary Jerry ($7.90) took the ninth. Another Jerry this time Crawford of Donegal Racing picked up the spoils in the finale with Augusta Moon ($4.80) who made it two on the day for Bog Red 1.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 28, 2019 20:11:37 GMT -5
Day 35 The final Wednesday of the meet got off to a chalky start with odds on favorite Teodoro ($3.30) winning by over 33 lengths. With our group looking for long shots there was no opportunity to Jump for Joy ($3.90) in the second and no one paddled the War Canoe ($10.00) in the third. Indeed it looked for a long while that we were going to have our first whitewash in the contest this year before Fighting Seabee ($12.60) came to the rescue for Ozzy and Ten Furlongs in the ninth. So no changes at the top of the leaderboard and all to play for in the last five days of the tournament so be sure to get your picks in. It just takes one huge longshot to propel you to the top !
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 31, 2019 14:07:02 GMT -5
Day 36 The sun shone brightly on the final Thursday of the Saratoga season also known as the Chad Brown Stable clearance sale as the hectic activity at the claiming box in the racing office at the Spa continued. However there was not much Irish Danzing ($10.80) done by our group who had a rather disappointing day although Salestopper managed a little jig after opening her account with Cross Border($4.40) in the second. There may be a hurricane heading towards Florida (hence the delay in the daily recaps) but what we were really crying out for was a Blissful Breeze ($75.00) which could have made all the difference to the contest. Lundqvist was a very popular selection in the fourth with perennial latecomer Kinley even selecting him twice but only long standing member Gallant Bob had the Tenure ($7.80). Sadly that was the last winner of the day as short priced horses ran out the rest of the card which was good news for our current leader NDSC32.
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Post by cherokeescot on Aug 31, 2019 14:30:15 GMT -5
Day 37 Final Friday at the Spa and those of us looking for some Financial Stability ($6.80) had no Cowboy Rhythm ($3.60) at all in the early double. Wild William ($7.90) however did fit the bill for Salestopper in the third and somewhere out there a crazy guy is going lol. Despite the Wonderful Light ($4.80) we still could not see the nearby Arch of Troy ($11.20) although Nan53 continued to be a Freewheeler ($12.00) in her first shot at the challenge. Meanwhile Triguy wished his selection to Remain Anonymous ($7.80) although everyone at the track seemed to know that this first time starter was a sure thing having been bet down to 5-2 from a 15-1 morning line ! That was the end of our winning selections for the day despite Propro and Elk taking multiple shots instead of relying on the normal Servis of turning claimers into Stakes winners.
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Post by cherokeescot on Sept 1, 2019 21:59:16 GMT -5
Day 38 With both the meet and the contest drawing to a close many of us were Fully Vested ($9.10) on the final Saturday at the Spa but only Pony Girl and JohnnyB picked up the benefit checks. After two failed efforts Three Techniques ($4.00) finally paid off in the seventh but not really in a Big Red way. After last sat weekās festivities it was not surprising that we had No Word ($9.10) from Hooper who had more to say later. Meanwhile Arrifana ($6.50) showed that lifeās a beach for the Italian Stallion who celebrated his success not with vino rosso but with vino verde. The fabulously named Mrs Sippy ($14.60) kept the flow going for Hooper who prior to today had just been going through the motions. In the feature Italian Stallion and Johnny B showed they were not just jerken around when they doubled up on the day with Preservationist ($8.10). In the finale many were going for gold in an effort to move onward and upward but all that was needed was a light Airtouch ($8.30). Arrifana
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Post by cherokeescot on Sept 1, 2019 23:02:48 GMT -5
Day 39 It was hoodie giveaway day on the final Sunday of the meet which was most fortunate for Larry as he was able to leave the track undetected by those in the 35,000 plus crowd who had bet all their hard earned savings on Larryās Picks. Mike Luzzi winning a race at Saratoga sounds like a Summer Fantasy ($25.30) but there were two believers in fairy tales in JohnnyB and Shoes. Iāllhandalthecash ($8.30) emerged out of a northern haze to take the third and Salestopper and Hooper pocketed the change. Surprisingly no one was Feeling It ($49.80) in the fifth which was a shame as that score could have shaken up the leaderboard. Salestopper doubled up on the day with Sparkling Sky ($4.70) in the seventh and Chaz gets an award for selecting Alandra ($16.80) in the eighth. Here Comes Jackie ($8.20) got the call from Goldandmyrrh and Hooper but surprisingly not from Quick in the ninth while Big Red got another one with Carrizo ($4.40) in the tenth. Johnny B had a good weekend and found the Perfect Alibi ($12.40) in the eleventh but we all decided to Opt ($7.50) out in the finale. So with one day to go long time leader NDSC32 hopes that the glove fits him this time. He has the ball on the one yard line and will he go over to clinch the title or fumble it in Seattle Seahawks fashion. Bitowisdom and Goldandmyrrh are still very much in contention and many players have kept back one final pick to throw a Hail Mary with. (Apart from Spanky who for the third year in a row has entered the contest and made zero picks)
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Post by phlierfreak on Sept 2, 2019 0:51:47 GMT -5
maybe spanky will pull a brewster, ( from brewsters millions). and select every longshot 50-1 and over.
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Post by cherokeescot on Sept 4, 2019 10:48:29 GMT -5
Day 40 Apologies for the delay in posting the final recap. Truth is I wrote a lengthy piece and failed to save it and had to start from scratch again. Disappointingly the weather did not do-operate on the last day resulting in three races coming off the turf and a boatload of scratches. Congratulations to NDSC 32 on his well deserved win. There were opportunities for the chasing pack on the final day with some decent priced winners but none of the close contenders were able to take advantage. Madame Blum and Ozzy got proceedings off to bright start by jumping on Southern Bridge ($19.60) in the opener. Nan53 and Wrighstuff linked up to produce a Manifest Destiny ($10.00) in the second while Seanow ($4.00) completed a very successful debut for the aforementioned Nan53 who along with Bitowisdom won the best couple award narrowly edging out FMazur & Spanky and the redoubtable Brown brothers. Meanwhile Salestopper needed a Rucksack ($22.00) to take home lots of shiny copper pennies after the fifth. After winning the Monmouth Survivor contest Ponygirlās life will be Forever Changed ($26.20) and seasoned veteran handicappers Sammy the Sage and Onion were pleased to see that she could also pick long shot winners at Saratoga after the eighth. Bitowisdom was hopeful of catching the leader but those hopes ended up in the Basin ($8.20) when Green Light was scratched and did not Go. There was still the possibility of drama in the last but it was former champ Turffan who avoided the dreaded 0fer when Dr Deveraās Way ($46.20) won with impunity. Thanks to Tom for his yeoman work on running the contest. Itās a fantastic effort by him and seeing all the activity on the boards during the contest makes it worthwhile. All being well I hope to see you again next year.
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