Travers Hangover
- Bruno@Racingwithbruno
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Recapping Saratoga yesterday — we haven’t officially recapped Saturday’s Saratoga results yet, but unofficially, we had the winner in the 1st or 2nd choice on the sheet in 7 of 14 races, including two 10-1 shots, in the 6th and 13th.
Don’t ask me to spell the maiden winner in the 6th — the Kinnon La Rose horse. I’m still trying to pronounce it let alone spell it.
And, of course, there was Leading Change in the Travers as our 2nd choice.
We weren't wrong on our first 5-star work in a decade or more. That's a good thing. Phew!
But as they say, that’s water under the bridge. What are you going to do for me today?
Kentucky Downs has also kicked off, and Amy Kearns had the perfect mindset when we talked about it:
"When I have 6 of 8 winners at Colonial Downs, I know you can't do that at Kentucky Downs. You have to pick your spots. If you're right in 3 or 4 races, it's a win-win day."
Wise words.
We are definitely not at Ellis anymore.
Kentucky Downs is a different animal. You can't approach it like a normal track and expect everything to make sense. It's chaos. It's turf racing with a lot of moving parts, and sometimes you have to throw the word "logical" right out the window.
Amy told me this morning, "I tried to be too logical on opening day Kentucky Downs is not that kind of track."
She's right.
She has the right mindset.
And that's important because this is the fun time of the year. Saratoga is almost over, and honestly, for me, that's a relief.
The Spa can be exhausting mentally.
I find the stress level during Saratoga is higher than at any other time of the year. Why?
Because everybody wants to do well at the highest level, you compete. It's natural. The best horses, the best jockeys, the best trainers, the biggest pools, the biggest days — everybody wants to be in that winner's circle, everybody wants to pick winners..
Sometimes Saratoga feels like you're playing Frogger.
You're trying to cross the street, dodging everything coming at you, hoping you don't get left in the wake of the lake, if you will — hoping you don't get run over.
Other times, it feels like losing a life in Donkey Kong and hearing that famous chime.
Game over.
But we keep chugging along.
The Racingwithbruno Choo-Choo Train.
And that sounds a hell of a lot better than the "Ciuccio Train."
Ciuccio means donkey or jackass in the Neapolitan dialect — and don't confuse that with Ciccio, which can mean buddy, pal, friend, and so on.
Anyway...
Choo-choo.
We keep moving.
I'm sure you do too, as a player and handicapper.
We're like the Energizer Bunny.
We keep drumming.
Today is a new day.
We're dabbling in a few at Saratoga, looking at Kentucky Downs, and giving Amy a chance to settle in.
I know some of you just throw it down like pistoleros on opening days at tracks you fancy.
Kentucky Downs is not that kind of track.
Pick your spots.
That's the game.
Saratoga, meanwhile, has been a little different. The racing all meet long has revolved around a few characters — especially the jockeys, I have never witnessed jocks winning at some of the clips we have seen at Saratoga.
Early in the meet, Prat, Irad and Jose seemed to be winning 75% of the races.
Then Irad got hurt.
Jose went on a tear.
Prat served a suspension.
And here comes Manny Franco and Ricardo Santana Jr.
They love their jockeys in New York.
Then you look at the trainers.
De Paz started out like a house on fire, then cooled off.
Chad Brown has been chugging right along.
Pletcher had that monster five-win day with Repole.
The Kanatamarchi family has been very good all meet.
And then there's Linda and the Rice family, which includes Jose Ortiz, her in-law, along with Adam and Kevin Rice.
Linda is like the Godfather. She s always out there like an offer you can't refuse.
She's made of Teflon.
Everything slides off her.
Nothing sticks except winners.
She has no pattern. Nothing to grab onto. You think you have her figured out and then — boom — there she is.
She even resurrected Jose Lezcano when at one point he was 1-for-forever.
She uses a lot of riders, and when she has multiple horses in a race, your guess is as good as any.
They just pop out of the ground with big efforts like its a 'Walking Dead' sequel.
She's truly a tough cookie to corner.
That's Saratoga.
It's not easy.
Everybody wants to be in that winner's circle.
And that winner's circle has magical powers of healing — and then some.
I witnessed a group that had just won the Troy Stakes. It was pouring buckets. Absolutely pouring.
And there they were in the rain, smiling, jumping around, getting pelted by rain.
They were soaked.
Didn't matter.
They had won at Saratoga.
That's the Spa.
That's why everybody wants it.
We have been doing well, hovering around 25-30% with our 1st or 2nd choices on the sheet, and approximately 48-52% winners overall with our first two picks.
That's the kind of consistency we're looking for.
But after the Travers day?
I had the hangover.
A buddy reached out and wanted me to meet him at Kentucky Downs today.
It's about a three-hour drive.
I told him:
No. Shot. No. Chance.
I've got the Travers hangover.
So today, we regroup.
We are done handicapping and going to enjoy the day.
We pick our spots. There is a first time Euro in the last at Spa today worth a follow.
And we keep the train moving, east to west, north to south.
The Racingwithbruno Choo-Choo Train.
Because today is a new day.
And we've got savings through this weekend for you, get them before they go away.
Get your credits — they never expire and are good anytime — or go ALL-INCLUSIVE for all coverage.
The train keeps rolling, all day long.
Ciao Ciccio.
