The title of this blog is a far stretch from my recurring column, The Turf Club Bathroom (Volume 1) 6.10.23. I decided to use this title and take a more positive light, because some how some way... we got a free table at the Golden Gate Fields Turf Club on Saturday. It may or may not have came at the expense of several others attitudes and demeanors in this group, but more on that later.
Golden Gate Fields isn't Saratoga or Del Mar, but I love that track and the horsemen and workers who make it happen. So this was a pretty fun experience for me regardless of how the betting or rest of day went. It was an awesome place to have a few drinks and lock into an awesome weekend of racing in California and New York. I also scratched an item off my horse racing bucket list, again more on that later... but overall pretty fun day.
I also want to proactively address that I went 0-2 giving out picks in the first blog. I dunked home the winner (and several others) in the third at GGF. Go figure that it is quite literally the race after the one I gave out on the blog. I also lost the Belmont, and honestly shame on me for not taking Arcangelo serious.
So first off, hats off to Arcangelo, trainer Jena Antonucci (first female trainer to ever win the Belmont Stakes), and the connections. The horse ran one hell of a race, got an awesome trip from Javier Castellano. It's win in the Peter Pan stakes really was a good race and I was foolish to think it couldn't run any better. Extra props to Javier, people on horse racing twitter had a lot to say after Mage came up short in the Preakness about his ability as a jock. Some even calling his Derby win on Mage a total fluke. Well, he just shoved that up all your asses because he got his revenge on Bob and National Treasure and held off a very game late running Forte. Maybe the best part out of this entire race was the reaction we got from Jena:
Also, how cool is it that Arcangelo was purchased for $35k? For purchasing a Triple Crown winning horse, that is peanuts. Especially these days with names like Amir Zedan shelling our $2.3 million dollars for a horse, lol. I typically am not one for feel good stories, but I think the game of horse racing needs a story that everyone can get behind now more than ever before. So whilst my pride and wallet did not like Arcangelo winning and despite me being very very angry at Flavien Prat in the moment. Once tempers have cooled down, I am very happy with the outcome of the Belmont Stakes.
We had taken Angel of Empire earlier in the week. Rewatching the race, minus having to go wide he sat a pretty good trip. I can't say I was crazy about the blinkers coming on the horse but I can't attribute him not winning the Belmont to an equipment change. In watching the replay a few times, I don't know that he could get a mile and a distance. Despite him improving on the Beyer Speed Figure in each start, I think this was evidence that his win in the Arkansas Derby may not have been as impressive. And no Forte in that Derby race definitely helped him hit the board there. The horse was all out in the stretch run and had zero chance of catching Arcangelo and despite the traffic, Forte ran way harder.
How about Bafferts horse though get eaten up in the stretch? That Preakness race was not great. He got a bit more pressure early in this race and definitely late and he folded and looked a lot like the horse who couldn't get a win or hit the board for show money in the 8 horse Santa Anita Derby. Bob and Jill must have been pretty ticked off though because the rumor floating around horse racing twitter is that they verbally accosted one of the games ambassadors and mega fans in the Belmont paddock post Belmont. Hopefully me writing about this doesn't make this blog the second piece of content OTM has to remove due to legal pressures.
This isn't the first time I have lost a Triple Crown race and with how this game goes, it likely won't be the last. The good news is, the circus that is the Triple Crown is over. People who only watch horse racing once a year (and sometimes 3 if they can find enough goofy hats to wear in their closet for their Belmont parties or Triple Crown Days at their local track) can go back to watching the news and Succession or whatever the hell else they watch. And now we can get ready for the real racing season. Which runs over the Summer meets (Del Mar and Toga) then right into the fall for the Breeders Cup World Championships. Which I really would like to attend since it is in Southern California this year at Santa Anita.
I was there for races 1 through 9 and I had an awesome time. I picked 3 winners and had 2 horses come in second which sucks. Could have been a monster day, but all things considered I have definitely had bigger losing days at the track. My highlight or favorite pick was in the third race with Que Sera Sir Ralph. The horse was 8-1 morning line, and fresh off his best speed figure to date. Also was moving back to a distance and surface where he had raced at 4 times winning once and taking third the other. All signs pointed to this horse improving which he did. He ended up going off as the post time favorite which sucked, but wired a lowly field to give us our first winner of the day.
It also was when the two other dudes in wrinkled suits showed up. It will never cease to amaze me how people in this organization can't show up on times to events. Whether it's this or March Madness when they asked me to upset my wife and come watch basketball with them, they are never on time. It is one of my biggest complaints to date. These dudes missed two races because they couldn't find the parking lot. Not sure for how well being late bodes if this ever does scale, but I will let the media mogul himself figure that out. I just am a lowly blogger.
My other grievance is I honestly think we could have won more races had it not been for the low vibes and energy brought by Dan and Reese. Gambling is all about vibes and I can't say they were ultra high. Reese was rattled because he was missing a birthday party in the Marina. And Dan bailed completely on anything discussed on camera and in the Discord regarding the gambling contest. All because, he couldn't film content.
Yup, hilariously GGF (and rightfully so considering where we live) thought Dan was an undercover PETA nut. So they denied his credentials, honestly I thought it was hilarious. However, this consequently brought the vibes down to wet blanket mode. Him and Reese didn't care that we got a free table as a consolation award in the Turf Club and sulked around picking at the buffet and having a few sips of beers (that I bought them). Allegedly not being allowed to film content makes gambling less fun according to Dan. I have been gambling for 20+ years without cameras constantly rolling and have more fun doing that than most other things. I really think Dan was in a poopy pants mood because he realized he wore his fucking suit for no reason.
Even after an awesome rep for GGF took the time to meet with Dan and hear him out, and assure him he could get credentialed in the fall, the vibes remained low. The $500 budget he suggested bringing was not in play (I think he pulled out like $200). And he made two bets, one on the Belmont and then another on the 9th race at GGF. Leaving me in the trenches taking grenades yet again. I hope that when the track opens back up for the fall meet we can give this another go and hold true on our commitment to have a gambling contest and actually bet on some races in solidarity.
This also was why I cropped both of them out of my first instagram post in a while. As a lifelong racing fan and aspiring owner of a race horse, it has always been a dream of mine to make my way into the winners circle. In the 7th race I bet on the 2 horse Attenzione. He won a dramatic photo finish on the turf and I was pumped. I also happened to be standing right by the winners circle and charmed the owner into letting me join the photo because I had a decent wager on the horse. He let me, and then all of a sudden the dudes who just can't not be in front of the camera had to come crash the party. It is crazy and kind of sad how much being in front of a camera can change those guys moods. Dan even had the audacity and comment saying he somehow contributed to my bucket list moment, when I was the one who talked to the owner?
Anyway, I had an awesome time. It was an awesome day of racing at Golden Gate Fields and Belmont and I am super excited not only to bet on the summer meets but also to give more mediocre handicapping and picks and provide coverage on all the big races (Pacific Classic, Travers, etc). Hope Dan and Reese are both feeling better too.
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