There are some days you go to the track and you can search all over for one big horse. Then there are days like today where you are literally tripping over big named horses like its nobodies business. Today I saw no fewer than; Jackson Bend, Morning Line, Plum Pretty, Stay Thirtsy, Uncle Mo, Aikenite, Mucho Macho Man, and Gio Ponti, all in the span of about 60 minutes. I love these days! It makes up for monday when I felt skunked — and didn’t get much of anything.
Heres my morning in about 5 pictures! 🙂
Dawn at the Oklahoma Training Track 8.3.11
Uncle Mo breezes 5 panels in 1:02.4 in preparation for the Kings Bishop 8.3.11
Whitney challenger, Morning Line, after a brisk jog around the Main Track 8.3.11
Jim Dandy winner Stay Thirsty 8.3.11
Kentucky Oaks winner, the gutsy Plum Pretty. 8.3.11
Hopefully tomorrow (my mission) is to get a good picture of Gio Ponti. I have kind of zeroed in on the time in which he takes to the track. I got backed up on and don’t like how the photos of him came out today.
The racing today felt somewhat mediocre. However, making the best of it, it was definitely nice to see Shug win another one in the first. The horses he sends out run to win, they dont run to run. It seems like whenever Shug has one in, its hitting the board. The racing today was made EXTREMELY exciting in the 6th and the 7th by absolutely sensational stretch drives that went to a head bob.
Frazil (3, rail) bests Unbridled Heat to win the 6th 8.3.11
An all out Majestic Hope (blue cap) denies Worth a Buck in a bob, 7th race. 8.3.11
The feature race was the James Morrisey overnight, featuring Ibboyee, Naughty New Yorker and Be Bullish. I am partial to Ibboyee because his rider in the morning is fabulous, hah! At the break, Be Bullish almost went butt-over-tea kettle. He went to his knees and quickly recovered, but it cost him the race. Down the lane it looked like he had put away the field, but Ibboyee came flying out of the next zip code and stole the race — in ANOTHER head bob!
Ibboyee winning the James Morrisey 8.3.11
After the races I went to Harvest and Hearth, on 67 by Saratoga lake. It was SO good!! It is a brick oven pizza place. We had two pizzas and multiple glasses of wine and the prices where more than reasonable. By the way, you DEFINITELY need to try the pepperoni, gouda cheese and caramelized onion pizza. Sounds gross but its so delicious that my mouth is watering right now just thinking of it. I also shared some great company and my face still hurts from smiling. Thats whats so great about Saratoga. The people here just make it so much more enjoyable. Sure there are those who have bad energy, but there are many more who have such a positive way about them that it rubs off on you. Love it here, and love the people that I call friends.
I will leave you with my friend Calamity’s big mare breaking her maiden today in race 4! Go Calamity!
Yadira breaks her maiden, Race 4, 8.3.11
Stay classy, Saratoga!
The Gutsy Gelding does Saratoga 