Fraser Downs Parimutuel

Track Condirtions: Trust the Maestro

The Surface: It looked a lot darker than yesterday, hoofbeats sounded different, and it wasn’t playing the same. It didn’t dawn on me until the rain started in the 4th …. The all-weather Maestro had prepared the surface for forecasted rain. I assume he shaved off a bit of Friday night’s powder and added some dark granular material.

Did it help? The high-purse race still went in 1:53.3 on a track declared sloppy and given a variant of -2 seconds. Most amazing ! 

Bands of Showers

Weather: Big rain drops began falling during the 4th & blustery winds from the SSE filled the infield flags.  Effects first noted in the 7th race when the wet surface reflected light and driver returning to the winners circle was soaked in a translucent grey liquid. Officially changed to “good” [-1] before the 8th. Lottsa wheel spray. Declared “sloppy”[-2] before the 9th.  There was no rain in the 12th & 13. See fractioanl time chart for estimated variants.

Parimutuel Political Economy: KY-Derby & The Puck

Handle was V. weak.  Players were tapped out  by TwinSpires long-shots.  Others were tuned in to the Vancouver Canucks fluking there way through  prelim play-offs.  Small exoctic pools made for strange pay-offs. In Race #1 the  Super-F pool was only $1356. It paid on 6/all/all/all.

Saturday night - rain- Fractions, differences and variants in 5tyhs

Race#7: NW5-6 F&M, Team Murphy on a roll.

 #2 UBDID HAMOVER ( Davis sr.) was bet down to 0.80: to 1. The odds & exacta matrix backed the [2-4] box, maybe [2-3]. #4 FULL OF MACHZ ( Marino) did all she could  in spite of leading the slowest Q2 of the night at 31.2.  {her  last start looked fast but was a fading pocket trip.}. I think MACHZ got away with that slow Q2 because she was carrying  #3 AS SHE MEANT TO BE ( Treen) who  was a parked, dithering obstacle to any outer flow developing.
                                                3 
Around the CHT they sat 4-7-1-2.  On the BS that accelled by 2.4 seconds to 28.3, #3 MEANT-2-B , attempted to over take the leader. That  fast Q3 on the sloppy track cooked  MEANT-2-B and took a lot out of #4 MACHZ.  Mid BS,  #1 CARU HANOVER was able to get off the rail to follow the stale MEANT-2-B. #2 UPBID couldn’t get off the rail and was boxed in  till the wire, “full of pace”, as they say.  #10 ROSS RIDGE BIGGINS ( Masse/Wonnenberg ) came closing for second . $2 exacta [1-10] paid $362.  Tri paid on 1-10-all

Race #7 , Mid BS to head of Lane

RAce #7 , Mid Lane to Wire . #2 Upbid remained boxed

PP Race #7

Race #9: NW3, F&M
ANGELIC STAR   (Masse), at the longest odds in her last five starts ( 0.65:1), win by 6 lengths, going away - -  with ease, off of nice pocket trip. What a finely featured child !
Looking Good, even when she’s standing still. Minimal equipment perfered, No ?

Tonights programs lines for ANGELIC STAR

[  $1 bet to win in all six starts ( including tonights win ) would have resulted in a total loss of $1.50 ]

   ******* Race #9   Mid Far Turn **************   Passing by the Winners Circle ****

Race #10: Open, but carded as Nw12001L6
#5 STILETTO HALL , Wire to Wire. Extraordinary acceleration in Q4.
Last week’s 2nd by 6 lengths to the new track record was misleading. That winner, KIAWAH, was beyond reach and STILETTO’s focus was on whatever it took to assure 2nd. 

Race #11: Clm8k,NW25kLT The Lonnie Mack mystery.

Somebody help me read between the DQ lines.

Please help me read between the lines. I Can't find any clues

#5 LONNIE MACK ( Treen/R. Lancaster),  Wire to wire in fine-fast fashion for new connections. This is a new ( revised) Life mark. #1 TEEKA raced strong and was given a slick-steer  to ovecome obsatcles. It was 4 lengths back to  #9 LIKENT  (D. Hudon), who could do no better than 3rd and finished as he pleased.

Race #13: Clm4k: 1st half 57.1 (only the feature race went faster),  2nd half 1:01.1
A concoction of very fit horses and SPEED too fast for existing conditions contributed to a Saturday Night Special and parimutuel highlite. (Fore-telling outcomes for this very capable top tier of 4K claimers {& any 5K claimers} is not EZ money).

Essentially the first three went MAD ( Mutually Assured Destruction). The live hores behind them ( Davis & Marino)  were completely trapped behind the slowing front end.  ( trailing visibilty on this beat-up, sloppy track must have been v. bad). The eventual 1st & 2nd finishers came 4 & 5 wide around the blinded congestion. Winner, #4 RS YOGI ( D. Hudon/Mills) was at least 4 wide around the the entire far Turn. 

Way too fast.  Three launched very large. I calculated the 1st 8th in 13.1. #3 IGNITE THE SPARK made  #6 JOHNNY JOJO pay for the lead, parking him till mid first turn.  Q2 , no breather here,  went in 29.4. Early on the BS  #1 SHARP CAM ( The FAV, bet down to 0.80:1odds) came FO with PROUDSON OF SCOTLAND following in what looked like the perfect strategic spot.  SCOTLAND  got his shot as they turned into the lane,  and beat everyone except the two deep closers. RS ROBUST followed Scotland and should have been closer. JoJo hung-on pretty tough, given the V. fast pace.  SHARP CAM (used early & later FO) now has two excuses in a row ( see my comment on his previous start). AM HARDY advance up the vacated rail through the BS &  far turn, and was willing but obstructed from going further by a wall of spent horses. 

Just too much action to describe. For a deeper appreciation I reccomend you download the Track’s replay into MS MovieMaker and slo-mo the key intervals. Please go to the “pages” section of this blog (right column) and click on “How to watch replays in Windows Movie Maker”.

RAce #13: abbreviated result chart

Race 13; Left — First Furlong, Mid– Mid Stretch, Left — Photo for 4th

Race 13: Read Right to Left