Something Different

by Ed Meyer

posted on February 21, 2010 in General Discussion | No Comments >>

Every Saturday or Sunday, I find myself stopping by the track to drop off some bets or even to stay and watch the races. But, this weekend was different.

For the first in many weeks, I stayed home and watched with an objective eye. I did plenty of homework and knew all about the preps that awaited my dollar. It was on this sunny day, that I stayed in my man-cave and observed the races, rather than watching with a vested interest.

With all of the racing world contact I have gotten to know over the years, and all of the handicapping material known to man, I laid off, and watched.

I have to say it was hard at first. But, it was gut feeling that kept me from heading out and dropping off a few bets. I used to work with a gent who would go tapped on payday. He would borrow from all of us, and after he ran his usual run of luck, he started taking notes. His copious notes would serve him well, as he was a longtime basketball coach, and called the scouting missions.

My scouting served me well on this day. Without boring you with all of the details of the day, I will leave you with the top that stuck out in my mind. If you tuned into Tampa Bay on Saturday, you would have caught odds-on Gio Ponti run down the lane to be bested by the well-ridden Carelian, under Rosemary Homeister. She has been riding very well on the oval, and it served her well turning back the charge of Gio Ponti by a nose. The notes that come out of the race are that Gio Ponti was handled by Ramon Dominguez. He wasn’t giving him a race, but didn’t waste his efforts. He got after his mount a bit, but did not wear him out….. This is where the notes come in handy. I saw that he got plenty out of the race, and was ready to step back onto the racing path once again. He will be ready, and willing to do his bidding in the bigger races, barring all injuries. I think Gio Ponti should be just fine. It was the race that caused people to line up on that tall bridge over Tampa Bay, and for the fans that care about what is down the road, well you saw what you needed.

Every once in a while, just take the time to watch a race or two. I love to wager, and by playing you may become too committed to a race or a runner. It is still early, and I think we should all just take it all in once in a while.  It cleanses your palate, and you have a better perspective about what is going on for the big races. I would still do my homework, and WP is a great place to start, by watching the predictions and measuring how you would put it into play. I guess there is a reason that pro-ball players take batting practice. It keeps you sharp, and gets you ready for the next round.