Leave to Appeal - CHA-CHING!

A tad delayed in getting this up, but this li'l filly is like the energizer bunny. We claimed her for $6,250 and now she's won for $12,500 and $16,000. This last race was a delight the way she charged up the lane to nip the chalk at the wire. And with the SoCal turf suplements the purse rang in at $24,000. If only all claims worked out so well.

Results and Entries

Delta Slam finished in mid pack last Wednesday with an uninspiring run. I didn't see the race, but the chart didn't offer much promise. We'll keep watching in hopes he turns it around.

Leave to Appeal is being stepped up in class yet again and is entered in the 7th at Golden Gate on Black Friday. You can keep the shopping malls, I'll be at the track.

A partner in my Exploit filly, Irving, alerted me to a couple of broken maidens by Exploit progeny. One, in a 2yo Maiden Special Weight at Zia Park at the new track in Hobbs, NM, and another MSW winner at Hawthorne for 3yos. Both brought home nice checks, but I'd rather not have to wait until November of our horses three year old campaign to get our picture taken. Unless there are some extinuating circumstances, we'll drop her to a level where she can win before then. I have no illusions--we probably have a claiming horse here, but we'll let her opinion rule, of course.

Delta Slam Tries Turf

Half brother to our yearling, Delta Slam drew the six hole in a one mile maiden special weight over the Matt Winn Turf Course tomorrow at Churchill. He's got enough turf pedigree, in my opinion, and has every right to take to the surface. This is a solid field, though, and he'll have to improve to make an impact. We're hoping for the best.

Hard Day at the Track

I spent no less than 14 hours indulged in nothing but horse racing Sunday. From 6a works to TVG & HRTV supplied night racing. I dropped the little lady off at SFO at 5:30am and hotfooted it to Golden Gate for morning works--homemade bloody mary mix in tow.

Sunday was Cal Cup day with an early post so I had no down time, even utilizing the renovation break to make a few picks. It was lackadaisical handicapping, loads of fun, and as it turns out profitable.

About mid-card I ran into one of my favorite jocks, Barrington Harvey. He's not setting the world on fire, but he's a decent rider and I cleaned up with him at last year's Golden Gate fall meet when he logged a fourbagger and I had three of 'em.

Last Wednesday Barrington had tipped me off to an Ellen Jackson mount he had the following day--longest shot on the ML. He'd worked'em and said this was a ton of horse. I don't bet on Barrington's tips, but not because his tips are no good. They usually have some merit, but he tells EVERYBODY and when he's got a live one they'll get crushed.

At any rate, the horse ran well for second. The long and the short of the story is "Baze cried to the stewards" lodging an objection and Barrington got DQ'd and days. I didn't see the race and one jockey's account of events is less than reliable, but I always root for Barrington. He's headed to New York this weekend to see his kids and was hoping to get a win or two so he could throw some cash around. He had two mounts today, both up the track. I hope he gets a winner tomorrow. Tough gig, being a jock.

Leave to Appeal Upsets at 14-1

Leave to Appeal scored her third win in a row on Wednesday despite being hung five wide in the far turn and lugging out in the stretch.

The real headline is that this is the very first time I did not place at least a token win bet on a horse in which I had an ownership interest*. I was despondent after being shut out at the windows on the 6th at Santa Anita when I loved the 2 horse Stormin' Away at a very generous 10-1. The race went off with 1 MTP still showing on the in house feed and with my voucher still in the terminal. He wired the field, I sulked, then watched with mixed emotions as my horse took the honors at an even bigger price. The fact that I did not bet my horse tempered the joy I took from the win. This does not seem rational, but there is no denying the mixed emotions I felt as she stuck her nose in front at the wire. It probably speaks volumes about me. Deep down I'm still far more of a horse player than a horse owner.

*It seems somehow pretentious or misleading to say "a horse I own" or "my horse" when I only own between 2% and 20%, as is the case in most of these partnerships. I suppose it's time I get over that, for the sake of readability and avoiding wordiness, if nothing else. The yearling, on the other hand, I feel truely is My Horse, even if I have dished off some to a coupla partners.

Leave to Appeal entered Wednesday

Leave to Appeal is the most recent claim from a partnership I've been in for about a year. There are nearly 40 partners which makes it a bit impersonal, in that you don't get the access you would as an outright owner, or in a small self directed partnership. The advantage is someone else handles all the bills, you can get in for a very small investment--just a few hundred dollars--and this one is structured such that all fees are paid out of the initial investment and the assets, if any, are liquidated after the term of the partnership elapses.

We claimed her for $6,250 so we're stepping up quite a bit, but Armando's pretty high on her and she has some back class.