The Wall of Fame

The Stories Behind The Pictures

My first recollection of a "Big Day" in racing came when I hit the exacta at the 1988 Breeders' Cup held at Gulfstream Park when Sunday Silence beat Easy Goer. That year for Christmas I asked for a picture of that great finish, and so began my "Wall of Fame" in my racing den / computer room. To read the stories behind all the pictures on my "Wall of Fame" scroll down........ 

Tepin

Tepin: Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff (2016)

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All of the Wall of Fame photos have great stories, after all that's why they are on the Wall of Fame. But this may be one of the best STORIES behind a thoroughbred star on my wall. You have to go back to the 2015 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland where my buddy Keith and I were in the grandstand on BC Saturday. While I was having a fairly good weekend of handicapping Keith was struggling. It was time for the Breeders' Cup Mile and as he looked over his program he turned to me and said, "I'm going to bet a Trifecta Box, which horses do you think do not hit the board here?" I immediately said, "Toss the #7" ...... he looked in the program and then at the board and said, "Tepin? She's one of the favorites?" I immediately replied, "SHE DOESN'T HIT THE BOARD! I've seen her run her last two and she's doesn't win today." He gave me "that look" and said, "OK tough guy, but I'm looking for horses who won't hit the board, not win" I reiterated that I didn't think she would even hit the board, "vastly overrated" was the phrase I used. I then gave him the 1-2-4-and 10 horses to toss. As they came down the lane it was Tepin who ran away to win the race....followed by the 4-1-and 10 horse. WOW. He gave me "that look" again and as we laughed heartily he said, "I will always remember this weekend as the day you told me that the 7-1-4-10 wouldn't win and they finished 1-2-3-4! Fast forward to January. It was Tampa Bay Derby Prep Day and I was at Gulfstream. The feature at Tampa was the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes. The program favorite was Tepin. Now what.....was I really right all along or was she really this good? I thought she was too good and made her the "BET of the Day." She romped as much the best. A month later in the Grade 2 Hillsborough on Tampa Bay Derby Day I was on track with my father-in-law Ed and again Tepin was my BET of the Day. Todd Pletcher's Isabella Sings was SIXTEEN lengths in front down the backstretch and half a dozen in front turning for home but HERE CAME TEPIN to nail her on the wire. I had $50 to win.....twice! WHOOOO HOOOO! Next up was the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley and Tepin walked with it. Finally, on Kentucky Derby Day, May 7, 2016 she was the favorite in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Mile. Isabella Sings looked loose on the lead again, and unlike the Hillsborough at nine furlongs, she might steal it at this one mile distance. I went back and forth on the wager size and finally decided on a $100 WIN bet. But I had a "little something up my sleeve!" The week of the Derby I'd received a letter from Xpressbet that if I brought this letter in to Gulfstream they would "give me" $100 in free wagering money. So on Oaks Friday I went to the desk and "cashed it in." The lady reminded me I'd have to make wagers of at least $100 within 30 days to collect the money, and I replied, "Oh, that won't be a problem." So before leaving for the track on Derby Day I made a $50 win bet on Tepin. My Wall of Fame play was a cool $150 to win! WHOOOOO HOOOOOOO

American Pharoah

American Pharoah: Grade 1 Preakness (2015)

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Finally, the wait was over! After 37 years a Triple Crown winner. And it could not have come with a better horse, or with better circumstances. In the fall of 2014 American Pharoah was a surprising loser in his debut at Del Mar in a maiden special event. But he was so highly regarded that he returned for his second start in the Gr 1 Del Mar Futurity - yes, a Grade 1! And he walked with it. He was my top choice in his next start, the Grade 1 Forerunner at Santa Anita as a final tune-up for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Again he was my choice and he was dominant. But he was unable to run in the Breeders' Cup due to an illness.

After being crowned the Juvenile Champion, he made his 2015 debut as a three-year-old in the rain-soaked Grade 3 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. This was significant to me because Kim & I were already booked to travel to Hot Springs, Arkansas to watch the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on Friday and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on Saturday. I was so hopeful he'd come back to run there. He did, and he was such an impressive winner I told several people that I'd only seen three races in my lifetime that had taken my breath away, and that was one of them. With that win he was my Kentucky Derby pick, and I told everyone that it was the most confident Derby pick I'd ever had. My son Jeff then posted my analysis all over the Internet and many of his friends were on board with us. American Pharoah was all washed out in the paddock, didn't handle the track, and was five wide all the way around the Louisville oval.......but STILL won! I had booked my trip and tickets to the 2015 Preakness months in advance and how lucky was I to be able to see American Pharoah again! I told the fellas I was sitting with that I thought he'd actually take a big leap forward today. Right before the horses were saddled the sunny skies opened up with a torrential rainfall that lasted throughout the race. But if anything I was even more confident that American Pharoah would win based on his performance in the slop at Oaklawn in the Rebel Stakes. As I watched (in the clubhouse!) he roared to the front and blew the field away.

All that was left was the Belmont.....but could he break the 37 year jinx and go 1 1/2 miles after racing three times in five weeks? I thought he looked much the best and he was. How fortunate to have seen him live twice in this most remarkable season! And as it so happens, his stated goal was to come back in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Clasic at Keeneland......where I had tickets!

Untapable

Untapable: Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks (2014)

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Untapable makes the "Wall of Fame" for several reasons, but the biggest story behind her is the bet I made......here's the story. Going back to mid-winter she surfaced in the Grade 3Rachel Alexandra at the Fair Grounds. She was coming off a layoff and had scored in the Grade 2 Pocohontas over the Churchill Downs main track, so I thought - and wrote that day - that while she was NOT my pick that day, she looked to be setting up for a big run at the Kentucky Oaks. Well, despite the layoff she destroyed the field that day. So when she came back in the Grade 2 Fair Ground Oaks on Florida Derby Day whe was my "Bet of the Day." Untapable walked with that race. So in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks she was going to be my "Bet of the Weekend!" I handicapped the Oaks card first and settled on a $100 win bet. Then I handicapped the Derby card and thought Wise Dan stood out over the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, and I put down $100 to win as my bet on him. Then I thought......if Untapable is the "Bet of the Weekend," and I'm betting $100 on Wise Dan, shouldn't my bet reflect the extra confidence? I debated for three days about going for a bet that would rival any level I'd ever played. I was still undecided as I headed out to Gulfstream to bet the races on that Friday. But I took enough money IF I was willing to make the play. Finally I resolved with myself that I would start with a $50 bet and keep going as long as I felt confident. Well, as you can see by the photo and in the video recap of Oaks Day I went all the way up to a $200 to WIN wager - that's as big as I've ever made - I think I made that bet once before some dozen years ago! When she romped home at even money I was making a profit of $200! What a great score - and that carried me through the entire meet where I won a near-record high 40% and profited over $400!

Mizdirection

Mizdirection WINS 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

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Before the 2012 Breeders' Cup I wrote this about Mizdirection: "A VERY intriguing prospect, especially at a price as I anticipate her to be. On the downside she has not run since the end of May when second as the 2/5 favorite in a Hollywood Park flat-course turf sprint going six furlongs. But, on the upside, she's raced down the mountain here at Santa Anita twice and WON BOTH TIMES! Even more encouraging is to note that she won one of them on the lead, and came from off the pace when the fractions were sizzling, as they should be here today. This four-year-old filly just might be the one. UPSET SPECIAL!." And in my final selections, I wrote, "Toss anyone who's NOT a winner down the hillside and you're down to a very short list of contenders. Because she's a filly and coming off a long break, this one could go off at a big price. Note she's won six of ten career starts and is unbeaten down the hillside. UPSET SPECIAL!" She won and paid $15.80 while I had tripled the bet and collected nearly $120. I followed her through three straight more wins at Santa Anita in the Grade 2 Monrovia in January, then the Grade 2 Buena Vista in February, and again in the Grade 3 Las Cinegas in April. The first and last of that trio of races were down the hill. She shipped to New York and was sent a mile in the Grade 1 Just a Game which I thought was a mistake on all three counts, she faded to fifth without my support. So heading into the 2013 Breeders' Cup she was coming off a five month break, which was shorter than the 2012 break leading to her win, and she had run her downhill record to FIVE-for-FIVE. I wasn't as convinced she would be a price, nor that she was as good a play, but originally planned to go prime time on her ($20 to win). But I restructured my bets after losing on Friday in the Distaff and downgraded my bet to $10. Yet, right before the race a former student/player and his wife arrived and he texted me to ask who was the bet. He asked how much....and I assumed he meant how much had I already bet; but he meant how much should he bet FOR me. So as he walked up prior to the race and gave me the ticket I was back to a PRIME TIME investment. She was up in time, again, just like last year! The payoff yielded nearly $75 and she immediately became a shoo-in for the Wall of Fame!

Wise Dan

Wise Dan: Breeders' Cup Mile

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If you look at Wise Dan's record below, heading into the August 10, 2013 Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap, I have been on him in EVERY race going back to his win in the Grade 3 Ben Ali over the Keeneland main track. Over that period of time I've invested $475 on him.....he's won 8-of-9 starts for me, and I've collected $752.00, for a one-horse profit of nearly $300! All of that would be good enough to make him a unanimous inductee to my "Wall of Fame." But what sealed his photo's destiny to hang on my wall for ever more, and probably will always be my FAVORITE story from all my pictures was what happened on Breeders' Cup Day 2012 at Santa Anita Park. The long and the short of it is that my son Brad bet on him.....and bet on him big unbeknownst to me. We cashed our tickets for well over $400 together and so our photo becomes the only one on the "Wall of Fame" other than a horse picture. The video above is well worth the watching as this moment is forever recorded in time! Below you can watch replays of Wise Dan's multiple wins for me in graded stakes races leading up to and following the Breeders' Cup.

Groupie Doll

Groupie Doll: Breeders' Cup 2012 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint 

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It was the BEST BET of the weekend. All week I knew I had five "BEST BETS" and though I felt awfully certain they would all win, I knew that the most likely event was that three would win. And with large investments on what figured to be favorites, my profit/loss for the weekend would depend on my wagering strategy. I felt going into Friday that both Executiveprivilege and Royal Delta were 2nd tier "Best Bets" and so I settled on $20 investments...................I had been saying all along that the "BET of the Weekend" was Wise Dan in the Mile. But realistically, of the three races I liked the most on Saturday, this was the one that featured the toughest set of rivals and possibilities for an upset. Game On Dude in the Classic looked so tough, but I was hesitant to make him "the one" since he'd been run down last year when clear in the stretch.....I THOUGHT being on his home track would make the difference. And so it fell to Groupie Doll to be "the chosen one." As I woke up Saturday I made my firm decision - I would make her the choice. My intention was to bet the planned $50 on her and then if I felt settled with it I'd make another $50 bet later in the day. But by the time I made it to the windows I was all but certain, and after making all my investments I asked for the extra ticket. Kim and I went to the paddock right after the 4th and waited to see her come into the walking ring. Awesome. She towered, physically over many of her rivals today and looked the picture of health. I'd read in the Daily Racing Form that since arriving in California she had worked sensationally and then what cinched it for me was when I read the trainer said she was "squealing" with delight at how good she felt on Thursday. It's going to take a lot to beat her I thought, and so I made the bets. We went out to the rail where we got a good spot at about the furlong marker and I waited anxiously (see middle photo). As they broke and announcer Trevor Denman remarked "the rider is having to work hard to hold her position" I was a small bit concerned, but I knew she didn't need to be up close. Then came "THE MOVE" on the far turn. She swooped by half the field and was suddenly on the flank of the leader, Dust and Diamonds - who is a very good filly. Then as heads turned for home she found another gear and surged by. Dust and Diamonds would not go away, but as she passed us she found yet ANOTHER gear and she was gone! Whooooo Hoooooo. It was a natural that she'd be next on the "Wall of Fame." And in an interesting sidebar, the three Breeders' Cup Champions that now hang on my wall (as of this writing) are all fillies/mares! Zenyatta - Royal Delta - Groupie Doll!

Acclamation

Acclamation - Del Mar: July 21, 2012 

Grade 1 Eddie Read 

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It was July 21, 2012 and Kim and I were vacationing in San Diego. One of the highlights of the trip was bound to be the day we spent at Del Mar, one of my favorite race tracks. I had been a huge fan of Acclamation for two years and I felt so fortunate when I saw the race schedule for today and it included the Grade 1 Eddie Read as the feature race. This race was nine furlongs on the turf and who was the program favorite? None other than my favorite older turf horse than Acclamation!

Kim and I were joined on track by one of my former students and football player, Joel Desguin who has become a regular follower of my racing via Facebook. We all had lunch together overlooking the paddock and I didn't have a bet in either of the first two races at Del Mar. But the third was my "BET of the Day" as well as my first selection on track - it was the Eddie Read. I had $50 to win on Acclamation and I didn't see any way he would lose this race.

As the gate sprung open he easily cruised to the lead and as they came down the chute onto the main turf course they passed right in front of us. Acclamation continued to lead without pressure, loose on the lead at a nice easy clip until they hit the far turn. I could see he was accelerating, and as they spun out of the far turn and ran in front of us in our reserved grandstand seats he found another gear and was L-O-N-G gone! Whooo Hoooo! I knew I'd have to add his photo to my Wall of Fame, not only as one of my favorite runners, but because I had been on track when this one ran his "Wall of Fame Race!"

Black Caviar

Black Caviar - Royal Ascot: June 23, 2012 

Group 1 Diamond Jubilee 

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Having just been to Australia last spring, we'd met many people who upon hearing of my interest in thoroughbred racing, wanted to know if I had heard of the Australian superhorse, the unbeaten Black Caviar? Of course I had. But the one thing I knew about her was that in spite of being a legitimate star, she'd never ventured beyond Australia to race. When I heard she was going to run at Royal Ascot, on the Saturday after Frankel's return to the races on the previous Tuesday, I was very excited! She looked like a legitimate superstar and was heralded as such by all the analysts heading into the race.

As the race unfolded, everything went as scripted and with two furlongs to go her jockey asked for her run and she spurted clear. But instead of drawing off she ran on evenly. As they went inside the final furlong two closers were making up ground to her outside, but she looked to be clear to the win. And then jockey Luke Nolen stopped riding as though she'd already crossed the finish line! The closers surged and with about 20 yards to go he saw them, then desperately asked Black Caviar for one last burst! It was agonizingly close, but she'd won! How foolish everyone thought, he'd almost cost her her spot in history! But then afterwards it was discovered she'd raced with two torn muscles and bruising in her hind quarters....and all this while racing in a month that she'd always had as a month off....she so was over-raced and injured and STILL won! Later Nolen admitted he knew something wasn't quite right and thought she had enough to win, so he HAD eased up on her without asking her to perserve. Still, it was an amazing race and a performance - with what we now now - worthy of legendary status!

Goldikova