At the Gate - Friday
Thursday was a bright day at Hollywood Park, as track announcer Vic Stauffer returned to the microphone after giving his fans, family, and friends a scare over the weekend.
Stauffer, who also is the jockey agent for Joel Rosario, was hospitalized last Saturday with what was diagnosed as a ?mini-stroke.?
He missed calling the races on Sunday while undergoing tests, and doctors cleared him to return to work yesterday.
?I am absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes,? Stauffer said. ?Tina, Lilly and I can never properly say how much we appreciate it. I know that I am going to feel better when I?m doing what I enjoy most, and that is calling the races.?
Stauffer is very popular among horseplayers that post on a variety of horse racing forums, where the announcer regularly contributes.
Known to some as the ?Goof on the Roof,? Stauffer never misses an opportunity to poke fun at himself.
In one posting on a popular horse racing forum, Stauffer wrote, ?A "mini-stroke" ? What the hell? Haven't had one of those since I was 13 and stole my dad's Playboy!?
On July 14 of last year, racing lost one of its most popular announcers in Luke Kruytbosch, who passed away at a much too young age of 47 years old.
It was reported Kruytbosch died of cardiac-related natural causes.
When I first heard ?stroke? it was hard not to think the worst, and hearing the 50 year old Stauffer back in the announcing booth certainly was good news indeed.
Stauffer once called a race during a earthquake, and now has survived what was termed a ?mini-stroke.?
It looks like ?Goof? is not going anywhere soon, making this game all that more enjoyable for everyone involved in horse racing, from the backstretch to the betting windows.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Alw $50,000s (3:00 ET)
#2 Spartan King
#4 Mr. Universe
#9 D'Wildcard
#1 Fairway Drive
Analysis: #2 Spartan King gets the call at a price in a wide-open start to the day. The colt went gate to wire to break his maiden last out at Del Park for a $50K tag at 4/5. The colt is in good hands with the Trombetta barn that ships this one in and Rosie is in to ride this guy and one for the barn in today's fourth race. The colt is by El Prado out of the multiple stakes winner Willa On the Move ($364K) who was 0 for 2 on turf and did her best running in Maryland in dirt routes. The colt still looks like he may have some upside potential and the 15/1 ML looks generous.
#4 Mr. Universe is making his first start on turf here for the Jerkens barn that is showing a 0 for 28 mark moving runners from dirt to turf. Ouch. The gelding is coming off a good second last out going six furlongs on the main track off a ten-month layoff. The sire Aldebaran gets 11% winners from offspring trying turf for the first time and this gelding is out of the stakes winner Madame X Ski ($165K) who was 0 for 2 on the turf but she is by one of my favorite turf sires in the late Polish Numbers. The gelding figures to move forward second off the bench and if he takes to the surface switch he could be in the mix here at a price.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 8/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 1,2,4,9
TRI: 2,4 / 1,2,4,9 / 1,2,4,5,7,9
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Dam Little S. (6:36 ET)
#6 My Magic Moment 4/1
#8 Doremifasllatido 5/2
#5 Speed Dating 5/1
#4 Mother Russia 7/2
Analysis: #6 My Magic Moment came up short last out in NJ but was facing Grade 3 company and this looks like an easier spot here as she is back in with New York breds for the first time since breaking her maiden last fall. She has a stakes win on her resume and was beaten just a neck and a head in the Grade 3 Ms Grillo last October here. She should be running late and should be able to handle this group of state breds.
#8 Doremifasllatido will be trying turf for the first time in her career. She won a Grade 2 here over the main track last fall and is making her third start of her current form cycle. She should take to the grass as she is by Bernstein (18% first turf) and out of a Green Dancer mare that dropped stakes winner Fortunate Damsel, a three time turf winner, earning $182K on the weeds. For this gal to win we have to overlook the barn's 0 for 28 mark moving runners from dirt to turf.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 6,8 / 4,5,6,8
TRI: 6,8 / 4,5,6,8 / 3,4,5,6,8
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Belmont Park
R1: #2 Spartan King 15/1
R1: #4 Mr. Universe 8/1
R6: #4 Being Anna 10/1
R7: #6 Inside Info 12/1
R7: #11 Pimentinha 8/1
R9: #1 Karakorumsweetheart / #1a Kim Karakorum 12/1
Good luck today!
Thursday was a bright day at Hollywood Park, as track announcer Vic Stauffer returned to the microphone after giving his fans, family, and friends a scare over the weekend.
Stauffer, who also is the jockey agent for Joel Rosario, was hospitalized last Saturday with what was diagnosed as a ?mini-stroke.?
He missed calling the races on Sunday while undergoing tests, and doctors cleared him to return to work yesterday.
?I am absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes,? Stauffer said. ?Tina, Lilly and I can never properly say how much we appreciate it. I know that I am going to feel better when I?m doing what I enjoy most, and that is calling the races.?
Stauffer is very popular among horseplayers that post on a variety of horse racing forums, where the announcer regularly contributes.
Known to some as the ?Goof on the Roof,? Stauffer never misses an opportunity to poke fun at himself.
In one posting on a popular horse racing forum, Stauffer wrote, ?A "mini-stroke" ? What the hell? Haven't had one of those since I was 13 and stole my dad's Playboy!?
On July 14 of last year, racing lost one of its most popular announcers in Luke Kruytbosch, who passed away at a much too young age of 47 years old.
It was reported Kruytbosch died of cardiac-related natural causes.
When I first heard ?stroke? it was hard not to think the worst, and hearing the 50 year old Stauffer back in the announcing booth certainly was good news indeed.
Stauffer once called a race during a earthquake, and now has survived what was termed a ?mini-stroke.?
It looks like ?Goof? is not going anywhere soon, making this game all that more enjoyable for everyone involved in horse racing, from the backstretch to the betting windows.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Alw $50,000s (3:00 ET)
#2 Spartan King
#4 Mr. Universe
#9 D'Wildcard
#1 Fairway Drive
Analysis: #2 Spartan King gets the call at a price in a wide-open start to the day. The colt went gate to wire to break his maiden last out at Del Park for a $50K tag at 4/5. The colt is in good hands with the Trombetta barn that ships this one in and Rosie is in to ride this guy and one for the barn in today's fourth race. The colt is by El Prado out of the multiple stakes winner Willa On the Move ($364K) who was 0 for 2 on turf and did her best running in Maryland in dirt routes. The colt still looks like he may have some upside potential and the 15/1 ML looks generous.
#4 Mr. Universe is making his first start on turf here for the Jerkens barn that is showing a 0 for 28 mark moving runners from dirt to turf. Ouch. The gelding is coming off a good second last out going six furlongs on the main track off a ten-month layoff. The sire Aldebaran gets 11% winners from offspring trying turf for the first time and this gelding is out of the stakes winner Madame X Ski ($165K) who was 0 for 2 on the turf but she is by one of my favorite turf sires in the late Polish Numbers. The gelding figures to move forward second off the bench and if he takes to the surface switch he could be in the mix here at a price.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 8/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 1,2,4,9
TRI: 2,4 / 1,2,4,9 / 1,2,4,5,7,9
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Dam Little S. (6:36 ET)
#6 My Magic Moment 4/1
#8 Doremifasllatido 5/2
#5 Speed Dating 5/1
#4 Mother Russia 7/2
Analysis: #6 My Magic Moment came up short last out in NJ but was facing Grade 3 company and this looks like an easier spot here as she is back in with New York breds for the first time since breaking her maiden last fall. She has a stakes win on her resume and was beaten just a neck and a head in the Grade 3 Ms Grillo last October here. She should be running late and should be able to handle this group of state breds.
#8 Doremifasllatido will be trying turf for the first time in her career. She won a Grade 2 here over the main track last fall and is making her third start of her current form cycle. She should take to the grass as she is by Bernstein (18% first turf) and out of a Green Dancer mare that dropped stakes winner Fortunate Damsel, a three time turf winner, earning $182K on the weeds. For this gal to win we have to overlook the barn's 0 for 28 mark moving runners from dirt to turf.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 6,8 / 4,5,6,8
TRI: 6,8 / 4,5,6,8 / 3,4,5,6,8
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Belmont Park
R1: #2 Spartan King 15/1
R1: #4 Mr. Universe 8/1
R6: #4 Being Anna 10/1
R7: #6 Inside Info 12/1
R7: #11 Pimentinha 8/1
R9: #1 Karakorumsweetheart / #1a Kim Karakorum 12/1
Good luck today!
