It's all in the name - Surviving Monmouth

I love the shore! I would consider myself a beach guy, but when it comes to Friday’s on the Jersey shore, I want nothing to do with it. 23 days of racing at Monmouth Park and Friday has been a riptide to my handicapping. In fact, the only day I missed the board was on a Friday and had to use a life preserver to stay in the tournament. Last night I shared my selections for the three races that were in play. So what follows is the recap.

4th race: This race for $30,000 claimers non winners of three on the weeds at a mile and sixteenth, and was wide open. All 10 were vulnerable and no one stood out. I leaned initially to Lady Kafca. Good speed, Dennis Manning with Elvis Trujillo , but its two last turf starts at GulfPark were rank. Liked Mordecai Jones, who was an Also Eligible and finally landed on Supah Jalene. Speed had been picking up, excellent last pace and finished second last out. Only problem is Fragoso is not a killer jock on the grass. So the rules of the tournament state you can make changes 30 minutes prior to the first race selected. Meaning the 4th race. I checked scratches on my TVG account and showed Supah Jalene was out, I thought about Lady Kafca again, but went with Mordecai Jones. Lady Kafca wins pays $9.20 and Mordecai Jones was the fourth horse. What was weird? Is that Supah Jalene didn’t scratch! TVG messed up, but nothing to get upset about for she came in last. No regrets for not playing Lady Kafca, maybe my instincts should have ruled.

10th race: Another claimer on grass. These fillies and mares were going a mile and sixteenth. This race was a bit cleaner, and Ms. Short Pockets was the favorite and likely winner. I decided to look for a price play in this race and found, Smarti Bobbi. She fit nicely, good overall speed, decent closing numbers, Serpa is a good turf rider and seemed to be coming into form. If you’re new to handicapping, the thing you have to determine with claimers is their conditioning, are they rounding into form or are they fading. She looked like a shot to grab some of the mutual. The form held and Ms. Short Pockets won and Smarti Bobbi finished fourth. Now I’m down to the final race, don’t hit the board here and use my life preserver and have a long road through July not to get eliminated. 24 races without a life preserver puts you in a spot to play the chalk.

12th race: Maiden Claiming, $10,000 over a mile and 70 on dirt. This matchup is any handicappers nightmare. I went to a simple handicapping technique I picked up from James Quinn. Well actually, he would say pass on this race for none fit the profile, but I had no choice. I looked for the horse that finished 2nd last out. Nothing else mattered. So scanning the entrants, not one finished 2nd. All I could do was laugh, so went back on more race and two popped up. Shot Gun Mary (m/l favorite), had finished second in a sprint and the other was, Shesasuperfreak, finishing 2nd at the distance today. The two jockeys were equals, trainers were average, speed moot and then used the old sentimental name play. I have this wicked girlfriend in Canada, and couldn’t resist. So the name fits play it. Shot Gun Mary won, actually cut off Shesasuperfreak down the stretch but not enough for an inquiry. Shesasuperfreak eked out a 3rd and saved my day.

Three races tomorrow at the Shore and a Round 1 for the BC Qualifer, 10 races over Arlington, Hollywood but most at Colonial Downs. Blowing a kiss to my Bet’s and as they say, “It’s all in the name.”