FALL TURF FESTIVAL AT DEL MAR!

I know I've been quiet on here during the Bing Season at Del Mar, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! We close out this meet with some fantastic stakes races this Saturday and Sunday as part of Del Mar's yearly Turf Festival. I had the pleasure of talking about these terrific turf races on two podcasts. Here are the links below. Give them a listen!

HHH Racing Podcast: Ep. 316: Del Mar Graded Turf Stakes Preview for 12/2 w/Frank Scatoni - YouTube 

In the Money Players' Podcast: Del Mar Turf Festival Preview – In the Money Media (inthemoneypodcast.com) 

Email Contact: ScatoniRacing@gmail.com.

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER...

I’ll try not to get too sentimental, but the old adage rang true on Saturday: “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

If you look at today’s photo, you might mistake the lady in the picture for the great Beholder, Richard Mandella’s brilliant student who beat the boys in the 2015 Pacific Classic (G1) and later outgamed the talented Songbird in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) for her second win in that event. Oh, she also happened to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies as a 2-year-old, so her entire career was defined by greatness. Beholder was a true champion…multiple times over!

But as much as the lady in the photo resembles Beholder…it’s not Beholder. In fact, she’s actually a little broader and bigger than Beholder. That’s Tamara…Beholder’s baby girl, and let me tell you: she is a runner just like her mamma. Tamara absolutely romped in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) on Saturday. Romped! Beholder should be very proud of her—and her papa too. She’s got Bolt d’Oro on the top side. If you don’t remember, Bolt d’Oro was a beautiful looking horse and a heck of a runner too. He was owned and trained by Mick Ruis—and now Bolt D’Oro has proven himself to be a terrific stallion as well.

Heading into the Debutante (G1), I gave Tamara a big shot—but when I looked at the tote board and saw even-money, I had to take a shot against her. There were a few other fillies I thought could run well—and, as a horseplayer, it’s hard to take even-money in a 13-horse field.

I bet #12 Gate to Paradise to win at 10/1, and I played her in an exacta box with #4 Benedetta at 15/1 and #6 Chatalas at 3/1. I also came back and played Gate to Paradise and Benedetta on top and bottom of Tamara in exactas because I didn’t want to be too stubborn.

Tamara broke sharply, sat right off the pacesetter, Mike Repole’s Pushiness, in a great stalking spot—but the two of them blistered through quick early fractions, separating themselves from the rest of the field. The pace seemed way too fast for 7-furlongs, but no one told Tamara that. She buried Pushiness and then started to pile it on, distancing herself from the field with every stride through the stretch. Track announcer Trevor Denman, who’s seen it all, was impressed: “Just look at this girl go,” he exclaimed, “Tamara and Mike Smith could not have been more impressive. They win it impressively!”

It was shades of Beholder. If you need a reminder, go back and watch Beholder’s Pacific Classic (G1) here. The move she makes around the turn, on her own courage, blowing by the boys as if they were standing still, is breathtaking. Tamara’s performance on Saturday was very reminiscent of her mamma’s here at Del Mar. I had chills. My key horse, Gate to Paradise, ran really well to finish third, but I didn’t cash any of my tickets. It didn’t matter: I was giddy. You don’t see that kind of performance every day. Horseplayers might be a cynical bunch, but when we witness something special, we get sentimental and maybe even a little teary eyed. Everyone I know tried to beat Tamara in that race, yet all of those same players couldn’t heap enough praise on her after the race.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And, in this case, watching Beholder’s baby romp in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) truly was a thing of beauty.

AND NOW...THE END IS NEAR

Well, folks, this will be my last column for the meet. Some of you are probably humming Frank Sinatra in your head right now thanks to the title of this section—but I’m actually listening to Sid Vicious’ version because it has been a punk-rock summer! We came into the meet with the pedal to the metal…and we soaked up everything Del Mar had to offer. We even managed to cash some nice tickets!

I want to thank all of you for reading and following along. This column has been a lot of work…but also been so rewarding. Every time a horseplayer came up to me at the track…or DM’d me on Twitter…or reached out via email, I got re-energized. I can’t tell you all how much your kind words have meant to me. I’m so thankful to Pete Fornatale and all of the team at In the Money Media for allowing me the creative freedom to write from the heart and capture my experiences this summer. What was meant to be a tiny little Del Mar Notes column morphed into an epic saga—and I enjoyed every second of it. Thank you, guys!

Of course—and I can’t say this enough…and I’ll keep saying it again and again, over and over, forever and ever—none of this would have been possible without my rock, my best friend, the yin to my yang, my way better half: Terri Marconi. I had one job: to write the “Frankly Speaking” column, but Terri had about a half-dozen jobs this summer: photographer, editor, co-writer, muse, P.R. agent, and business manager. She did all that to perfection [chef’s kiss] and she still managed to be my loudest cheerleader and the best partner in crime any man could ever ask for. My name might be on this byline, but this column is as much hers as it is mine.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

ALL ABOUT THAT BUTT, 'BOUT THAT BUTT, 'BOUT THAT BUTT!

When I give my Newcomers’ Seminar, I tell all the newbies that the best thing they can do all day is to go down to the paddock and look at the horses. For one, they are such beautiful and majestic creatures, and we are lucky to be able to get up close and personal with them. Secondly, I stress that these are “equine athletes,” and no Thoroughbred is created equally. Horses can give us clues in the paddock as to how they might perform on the race track against their fellow competitors.

I talk about a couple of physical things to look for, but the one that gets the most attention is when I tell everyone that they need to look at the butt! I’m not the best judge of horse flesh—I leave the paddock picks to my main man Tom Quigley, who has an incredible eye. But even I can tell if a horse is fit and powerful and ready to run—and that’s just by looking at the butt. When I first got into horses, Pete Fornatale and I were at Saratoga, hanging out with the Brothers Clancy—two guys who knew a thing or two about horse flesh, having grown up around horses their whole lives. I believe it was Joe Clancy who uttered these descriptive words that have stuck with me all these years later: “Check out that one. He has an ass like the back end of a Westchester bus!”

I don’t use that line in my seminar because most Californians don’t know where Westchester is, but you get the point…maybe.

I do not claim to be an expert, but all I know is what I have learned over the past 20 years about horses, handicapping, and paddock picks. A well-built butt on an equine athlete typically translates into a good performance in a sprint race. In the Newcomers’ Seminar, I also talk about looking for negative clues in order to bet against horses, like spotting kidney sweat. Most of you probably know what that is, but for those who don’t, come to the Newcomers’ Seminar next year!

So, getting to the photo…Terri went down to the paddock before the stakes race on Friday (invited by her good friend Stephanie), the I’m Smokin for 2-year-old Cal-breds. Terri just happened to take a picture of the winner in the paddock, Dr. No No, before the race—and not just any picture…she took one of his butt! After the race, Terri showed me the picture and said, “Look, I took the best photo of his butt! And there was no kidney sweat either, just like you say in your seminar.”

Someone was paying attention all those past Thursdays.

“I guess that one was ‘built to win’,” Terri continued, quoting a phrase that a trainer friend of hers uses when he sees quality horse flesh—and he should know. He’s been one of the best in the business for a very long time, especially when it comes to 2-year-olds (and I’m not talking about Baffert).

Anyway…next time you’re at the track, be sure to check out the horses’ butts—especially in sprint races. For a newcomer, going to the paddock is a way to participate, stay involved, and at least make a somewhat informative decision. For those more advanced, it’s one of the last bastions of handicapping that the computer teams can’t quantify, because they are not on track and they can’t work physicality into their algorithms. Take that edge any time you can get it—no ifs, ands, or butts!

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

THE BAFFERT…AND THE OTHER BAFFERT

We witnessed something very interesting at Del Mar on Sunday. Granted, the featured race today, the Shared Belief (R7), was a two-horse race on paper, but the crowd was very closely divided. The first two choices were 8/5 and 2/1…and, get this, they were both trained by Bob Baffert.

I didn’t think #6 Mr. Fisk could lose, and the public gave him a slight edge in the wagering in this one mile affair—but I talked to my buddy Bobby down at the paddock as soon as the horses walked by, and he touted the “other” Baffert at 2/1: “Have you watched the works on this one horse [Tahoe Sunrise]? This horse is super-game; he just refuses to let other horses pass him.”

I said that I didn’t see the works, but that I was worried about the rail post for the horse, especially with the jock who was riding him. Bobby was worried about that too, but he was all in on Tahoe Sunrise based on the morning-works. Turns out later (in the post-race quotes) that Baffert told jock Victor Espinoza before the race (and I paraphrase): Tahoe Sunrise is a son of American Pharoah. Ride him like that.

And Victor did. The gates opened, and Victor asserted himself early, making the lead from the one hole. He looked in control, and he even opened up a few lengths at one point while everyone but his stablemate, Mr. Fisk, was in an all-out drive. He looked home at the eighth pole. But Mr. Fisk, who was in last along the backstretch, started to make a run around the turn.

When they turned for home, Tahoe Sunrise was still comfortably in front, but he was starting to shorten strides. Mr. Fisk was gobbling up ground, but he still had a lot to do. Tahoe Sunrise kept trying so hard, refusing to yield an inch despite being exhausted. At the sixteenth pole, track announcer Trevor Denman said, "The only thing we know for sure is that Bob Baffert's going to win this race, but which one will win it?"

They got on even terms close to the wire, and neither one wanted to lose. They hit the wire at exactly the same time. Wow. It was such a thrilling finish. I promise you that I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that the whole crowd cheered in astonishment. What a performance by both of these horses…but who won?

No matter how many times they showed the replay, it was just too close to call. Bobby looked at me, imploring me to tell him that his one had held on. But all I could do was raise my eyebrows and shrug my shoulders. If there’s one thing I know about Del Mar, it’s that the camera angle typically shorts the outside horse, so whenever it’s a tight photo, I usually expect that outside horse to get the victory—and that would have been Mr. Fisk, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Bobby that I thought the outside horse beat his one. But it was so close, and I really had no clue who was the winner.

The crowd waited in silence. After several minutes of anticipation, that silence was broken. “Ah-LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…” came the voice of track caller Trevor Denman, several decibels louder than he usually calls the results…and with much more excitement. “We have a dead heat!” The crowd breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that everyone had one of those two horses singled in all of their wagers. To my knowledge, that was the first dead-heat for the win this meet, and it turns out that it was the second dead-heat for Baffert here at the seaside oval. Way back in 1992, he dead-heated for the win with a trainer named Jack Haynes in a minor stakes race that I never heard of.

But that wasn’t just Baffert’s second dead-heat. It was a dead-heat between two of his own horses. Imagine being so good at what you do that you get to have your picture taken twice…with two different horses…in the same race!

I know it might sound cliché, but it’s true: It’s Baffert’s world…we just live in it.

I had several friends who used one or the other of the Bafferts, but not both. They were upset that they had to chop up the money in all of the multi-race wagers, but I had to remind them that a dead-heat was way better than a losing photo!

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

YOU SAY DUH-MAY-DOUGH, I SAY D’AMATO!

I don’t know how Phil D’Amato will be able to sleep tonight. I can’t even imagine the pressure of having so many live horses in some of the biggest stakes races of the meet on the biggest card of the year for Del Mar. When I talked to Nick Tammaro on the In the Money Players’ Podcast about the Late Pick 5, I picked the D’Amato horses in every turf race. He looks poised to have a very big day, so if he is celebrating at this time tomorrow night, so will I!

So let’s have a little fun here. I’m just going to look at all the graded-stakes races and give you some thoughts. Maybe it will help you out when you’re constructing your tickets—but if you are going to tackle this Late Pick 5 seriously, you really should listen to the whole conversation Nick and I had here.

Before I dig in, just a big reminder: today is also a mandatory twenty-cent Pick 6 force-out, so all money must be paid back to the players. The jackpot is currently at $405K, so that money, plus all new money wagered in the Pick 6, will be returned (minus the takeout, of course). If you care about positive expected value—and you should—you have to get involved. It’s one of the few times the average horseplayer has the odds stacked in his favor.

Race 7: $300K Del Mar Mile (G2): 8-furlongs on the turf with the rails at zero-feet.

As I mentioned in the intro, I’m all about D’Amato here.

#3 COUNT AGAIN (4/1) was arguably the best miler in SoCal last year, but something went wrong after he won the Shoemaker Mile (G1), and he hit the shelf last May. Despite the fact that he was favored in his comebacker, I have to think that that 9-furlong run in the Eddie Read (G2) here was just a prep race for this. He broke from the 9-hole; he was way off the pace; and he ran on late to finish fourth. That seems like a very useful race for this spot. This dude is 5-for-8 at a mile, so I think it’s his race to lose.

If not him, then #5 BALNIKOV (IRE) (6/1) looks solid just as well. I’ve always liked this horse; he has a very strong stretch run with come-home times that are well above par. The problem is: he’s not super consistent, but I think that he likes this course—and I thought he ran really well in the Eddie Read (G2) last time to just miss, losing to his stablemate, whom I like in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) in Race 11. Look, he’s a 4-year-old who still has room to improve, so I think he can easily win today, especially since he too loves the mile distance.

Race 8: $150K Torrey Pines (G3): 3-year-old fillies going 8-furlongs on the main track.

I think #9 FAIZA (8/5) is going to be very tough. She’s undefeated here in SoCal. She’s been freshened for this spot; and she should get a great stalking trip in the clear with no kickback on what has been the best part of the track. I’m not telling anybody anything they don’t already know, and this gal will be on all my tickets, but what if she runs another flat race like she did back East? Because of that, I will throw out an interesting filly to use as well...

#4 COFFEE IN BED at (12/1) has a chance to spring the upset. There are a few things that I like. First off, her debut was exceptional. She won at first asking for Mandella, who doesn’t often have them fully cranked—and she looked good doing it. She showed a strong stretch run at 6-furlongs and galloped out like a monster. She needed two months off, came back, and lost to Anywho in here as the 4/5 favorite. She was probably a short horse, so I can forgive it. She then needed a few more months, which I don’t love, but she came back and faced older horses in a 6-furlong sprint earlier in the meet, and I thought she ran a decent third. That race should have her ready to go two turns. I love horses stretching out who come out of dirt sprints where they ran their last eighth of a mile faster than their previous one. That always suggests improvement around two turns. Plus, she was hammered the last two times, and now she’ll be a big price. She’s sneaky to me.

Race 9: $150K Green Flash Handicap (G3): 5-furlongs on the turf.

I like all three D’Amatos in here. He’s got #5 BEER CAN MAN (6/1) to stalk the pace; he’s got #3 TURN ON THE JETS (IRE) (6/1) to track the pace; and he’s got #8 MOTORIOUS (GB) (4/1) to come from off and mow them all down.

I find it very hard to separate those three, but if I had to, I’d go with #5 BEER CAN MAN as my top pick. First of all, he never runs a bad race. All he does is show up and run his eyeballs out. Secondly, even though Turn on the Jets (IRE) beat him by a head last time, there’s a world in which this guy might not have been fully cranked, coming off a two and half month layoff, with the thought that he was prepping for this.

The horse who just beat him, his stablemate, #3 TURN ON THE JETS (IRE), is tough to knock. He loves this course; he’s a perfect 3-for-3 here, and his tracking style should suit this race flow well. The only thing I’ll say is that he was making the second start of his form cycle last time, so perhaps that’s why he headed out Beer Can Man.

Then there’s #8 MOTORIOUS (GB). This horse ran some monster races last year, but he hasn’t been seen since May 2023, so we’ll see if this 5-year-old shows the same late kick. The works are pretty good and D’Amato knows how to get one ready, so I’m not too concerned—but he will have to work out a trip from off the pace in this big full field, so there is very little room for error at this short distance.

Race 10: $1,000,000 Pacific Classic (G1) contested at 10-furlongs on the main track.

I have to go with my gut here based on what I thought to myself after the San Diego (G2). I thought #7 SLOW DOWN ANDY (8/1) ran the best race in in the San Diego (G2), and ever since then, I’ve been saying he’s my pick to win the Pacific Classic (G1), so he’s still my top choice all these weeks later. First off, this is just a cool horse. He’s a graded-stakes winner on both turf and dirt, and he has a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), so I believe there is still upside here for this 4-year-old. As for the San Diego (G2), yeah, it looks like he got a perfect stalking trip and should have won, but he was forwardly placed on a closer-biased track, racing down toward the inside, which was not the place you wanted to be. I can see him getting the same stalking trip today but toward the outside, and that can make all the difference in the world. We’ll see if he can handle 10-furlongs, but I’m expecting him to fire big today.

If not him, then I feel like you have to use five other horses on your tickets, in no particular order: #1 GEAUX ROCKET RIDE (5/2); #3 STILLETO BOY (8/1); #5 DEFUNDED (4/1); #9 ARABIAN KNIGHT (3/1); and #11 SKINNER (10/1).

Race 11: Del Mar Handicap (G2) contested at 11-furlongs on the lawn.

You’ve got a really competitive group here, headed by last year’s winner, #10 GOLD PHOENIX (IRE) (3/1), one of three D’Amato horses. I absolutely loved this horse in this race last year, and he was very kind to me, so I’ll be rooting for him yet again—and of course, I do think he’s got a shot to repeat in here, simply because this guy absolutely loves Del Mar, and this 5-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. I love his tracking style, and you know he will just keep grinding and staying on all the way to the wire.

#9 PLANETARIO (BRZ) (4/1) was a Group 1 winner in Brazil, and I like that Mandella sent him back East to face Grade 1 animals in the United Nations (G1). He ran fifth, but he wasn’t beaten by all that much. I think that race should set him up well for this, and we know the horse can run all day. He will need something to close into, but Berrios knows him well, and this course favors horses with solid come-home times. Note that Berrios won with Gold Phoenix (IRE) last time yet ends up here, so that is very interesting.

#5 CATHKIN PEAK (IRE) (6/1), another D'Amato, should be sitting on a big race, second off the bench. His come-home times have always been terrific, yet he’s never really had a chance to run this far and show if he can still have the same kick as he does going shorter. Note that he beat Gold Phoenix (IRE) last June and that he’s run some good races against other graded-stakes foes. He seems a slight cut below, but what if he relished the added distance?

#4 MISSED THE CUT (6/1) is just a little interesting because he was a decent turf horse overseas before he came here and Sadler tried to turn him into a dirt horse—or maybe those two dirt races were just preps for this all along? It’s tough to say, but this guy was good enough to run in a Group 2 overseas in France, and he’s done good work going 10-furlongs, so I’m sure an extra furlong won’t hurt too much. He just seems a bit sneaky is all. I mean, why the heck is this horse only 6/1 on the morning-line? He should be at least 12/1. He must be working really well.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

A TIP OF THE CAP!

One year is a very long time, but it seems like it was only yesterday when all of Del Mar—and racing fans from all across the country—were excited to see what the great Flightline would do in the 2022 Pacific Classic (G1). This year’s renewal of the race, which takes place on Saturday, might not have the same aura of greatness surrounding it, but it’s a really competitive affair that drew a nice full field—and Del Mar is going to make darn sure that no one will forget the absolute display of brilliance that Flightline showed in this prestigious race last year.

For those of you who might not remember: Flightline was a perfect 4-for-4 when he was asked to go from his one-turn win in the Metropolitan Mile (G1)—a race regularly regarded among breeders as a stallion maker—to the taxing two-turn distance of 10-furlongs in the Pacific Classic (G1), so he was entering uncharted territory. Sure, there were never any questions surrounding this horse’s innate ability, but there were some questions surrounding how he would handle such a Herculean task of running two extra furlongs—around two turns for the first time—with no stamina-building races on his form.

If you haven’t seen last year’s Pacific Classic (G1), I encourage you to watch it here. It was one of the most impressive performances by a racehorse I’ve ever seen. Not only did he win; but he did it so effortlessly, and in fast time. All of the hype and accolades surrounding him were warranted, so there was a lot of excitement heading into last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

So this Saturday, Del Mar is giving away a Flightline baseball cap to the first 10,000 fans, and it’s just another example of how omnipresent Flightline has been this summer, even though he last raced back in November and retired shortly after his scintillating victory in the Breeders’ Cup.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked to 2022 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) champ, Drew Coatney, on my Sunday “Best Bet” livestream, and we rehashed just how he won that tournament, using a similar strategy as the 2021 champ, Matt Miller (who will be this Saturday’s “Best Bet” guest!). I still can’t believe Drew had the stones to do this, but heading into the Classic (G1), Drew had amassed $97K (from a starting bankroll of $7,500) by hitting a couple of key targets on his road map toward his goal of finishing with around $150K.

For those of you who missed the show (and Drew’s appearance last year as well), Drew described how he sets targets for himself when playing contests (and oftentimes in daily play too). He thought he’d need around $150K to win the tournament (and the top-heavy first prize of $410K that came with it), so he mapped out a few key win bets and doubles throughout the day to get him to a point where he could go all-in on Flightline in the Classic (G1). Easier said than done, right?

Well, Drew hit his markers, and his bankroll was at $97K when the odds opened for the main event. Now most people—including myself—might have second thoughts about sticking to the original plan of going all-in. I mean, can you imagine betting almost a hundred grand on a racehorse? Wow. But Drew had his convictions, and there he stood at the self-service machine punching the $500 win bet “Repeat” button more times than I can even keep count.

Drew held up his end of the bargain—and so did Flightline. Fortunately for Drew, it wasn’t even a sweat. Flightline dominated that field and capped off an incredible—albeit brief—career.

Back to the Pacific Classic (G1)...that same Pacific Classic (G1) last year was also the first time my buddy Joe Marcello (also a guest on “Best Bet”) came out to Del Mar. He decided he needed to see Flightline in person. So he booked a flight from his home base in Florida to watch the eventual champ romp in person. I wrote about that a week ago, along with the fact that Joe also came out to Del Mar that fall to see a horse named Joe Don Looney! No one ever said horseplayers weren’t crazy!

Anyway…we are just a few days away from the 2023 running of the Pacific Classic (G1), and I can’t wait for the day. Saturday’s card will be incredible (with a mandatory Pick 6 payout on the wagering menu), and it will be fun to see so many patrons rocking their new Flightline caps.

There won’t be any Flightlines in the race this year—but perhaps we will see the future 2023 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge champion. That’s right. There’s an on-track handicapping tournament, and yours truly will be playing in it, looking to earn a seat to that big one. I finished ninth in this Del Mar tourney last year, so I’m looking to improve my performance. I know I need to play more aggressively and maximize my opinions as much as possible. However, I don’t think I’m quite there yet to bet $97K on one horse, so perhaps I’m handcuffing myself a little bit—but I am going to take a page out of Drew and Matt’s playbook and come up with a road map to victory. Wish me luck!

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

JOE DON LOONEY

If I told you a horseplayer came out to Del Mar for the first time from Hallandale, Florida, right near Gulfstream Park, to see Flightline romp in the Pacific Classic last year, you wouldn’t bat an eye.

What if I told you that the same horseplayer came out during the fall meet to see a horse named Joe Don Looney? You’d think he was loony, right?

Well, let me introduce you to my newfound friend, Joe Marcello. One fall day last year, I was hanging out at Quigley’s Corner at Del Mar watching the horses walk by, and a guy tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and he introduced himself. He said his name was Joe Marcello, and that he wanted to say hi because he recognized me and followed California racing. I was flattered, so Joe and I hung out at the Corner and just talked about racing.

I’m not sure who thought it was more cool, me or Joe, because I’m always extremely grateful when someone comes up and says hi and talks about handicapping the races.

Fast forward 12 months…oh, wait! During my chat with Joe, we realized we share the same birthday, February 2, Groundhog Day. My brother from another Italian mother!

We became fast friends and I realized what a great handicapper he was, and I eventually asked Joe if he would like to be a guest on my “Best Bet” Sunday livestream (click the link!). He accepted, and we pulled it off earlier in the meet. We joked about how he came out in the fall to see the horse Joe Don Looney. When I asked him why, of all horses, Joe Don Looney, he laughed and said that it was a family joke, and once he saw that Joe Don Looney was entered at Del Mar, he just had to come see him.

Joe Don Looney wasn’t entered this Saturday, but sure enough, Joe wanted to come back to Del Mar regardless, and it was great to see him. It’s always a great day and weekend when you can hang out and bet the races with your buddies, especially when you have a kindred spirit like Joe. It’s more than just cashing a winning ticket—although that’s always great—but our deep down enthusiasm and love of the sport and all the athletes involved is priceless.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack for more Del Mar content.]

DEL MAR BY WAY OF SARATOGA AND BELMONT

This New Yorker was getting a little wistful on Friday evening, watching the end of Del Mar but thinking about Saratoga and upcoming Travers Saturday being just a half-day away. I know people like to huff and puff and draw a line in the sand, posturing and taking sides when it comes to the two destination tracks, but that’s not me. I love both places, and they both mean so much to me. Yes, I chose to call Del Mar my home for the last 23 years, so that says a lot—but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t cut my teeth going to Saratoga every summer, making friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

And then that got me thinking a bit more: well, if tomorrow is Travers Day, that means the end of the summer is sadly soon upon us…but that means that the Belmont Park fall meeting is right around the corner—and I just happen to have a pretty funny story about Belmont that I’d like to share here.

When I lived in New York, Pete Fornatale and I were weekend warriors at Belmont. Every Saturday, we’d meet at Penn Station by the giant scheduling board and catch the special LIRR racetrack train to beautiful Big Sandy. As much as I loved summers at Saratoga, there was something really special about the Belmont Park fall meet. For one, the weather was often perfect: sunny, cool, and breezy. The best racing weather. It was also usually a star-studded meet—once popularly known as the Fall Championship Meet long before the advent of the Breeders’ Cup races, so the cards were always stacked with terrific stakes races, and those races would often determine who would win the Eclipse Awards.

So there Pete and I were on a mid-September afternoon in 2000, ever so slightly backing up and gravitating toward the pizza place (I forget the name) that was right across from the big board. Both of us were staring up at the schedule, checking to make sure that the Belmont special was still on time. Of course, we were suitably armed with old-school newspaper copies of Daily Racing Form—so I guess, in retrospect, we stood out like sore thumbs if you knew the type of person you were looking for. Now mind you, this was long before the days Pete fashioned an iconic racetrack look for himself. There was none of the sartorial splendor he’s known for today. No fedora, no stylishly cut sportscoats. I doubt he even had a beard back then. We were both eking by on meager assistant editor publishing salaries, so I’m sure we both looked one rip or tear away from looking like total bust-outs.

Perhaps that’s what Walt and his buddy first saw. To this day, I still imagine the conversation Walt and his friend must have had. “Look at those two guys over there…by the board. They look like total degenerates. They must know which train will take us to Belmont Park!”

And then as Walt got closer, I imagine he must have noticed the Racing Forms in our hands—and he knew he hit paydirt.

“Excuse me,” Walt said. “You guys must be going to the racetrack. Do you know which train it is?”

“Yes!” Pete and I replied, “How did you know?”

Walt nodded to our Forms. D’uh!

So we struck up a conversation. Turns out Walt was in for the weekend…from Del Mar!

No way! I couldn’t believe it. Just a month and half prior, I had visited Del Mar for the first time—and I was enchanted. I’ll save my Del Mar origin story for another time (though most of you have already heard it), but suffice it to say that once I got back to New York, I quit my job and made plans to move out to San Diego.

I told Walt this, and he couldn’t believe it either. “Well,” he said, “here’s my number. Call me if you need anything.”

And then we boarded the train and had a fun time at Belmont Park.

Fast forward just a few weeks later, in October 2000. I had safely landed in San Diego to start my new life. It was a big adjustment for this city boy, but I instantly felt at home. I knew this was where I belonged. But being the New Yorker that I was—I had spent the first 30 years of my life priding myself on being industrious when it came to getting around town. If you live in New York, public transportation and your own two feet are your best friends. Who needs a car?

Ha! Silly me. I actually moved out to Southern California without a car, if you can believe it. It wasn’t that hard to get around to get things I needed. I had a bike, and I was living in an area where everything was nearby. But one Saturday, I wanted to bet the races. This was in 2000, long before the proliferation of ADWs and online wagering outlets. If you wanted to bet the horses in SoCal, and you weren’t at a track, you had to go to an off-track to do it. So I called Walt.

“Hey, it’s Frank. Remember we met at Belmont Park a few weeks ago and I told you I was moving to San Diego? Well, I did! Any chance you’re going to Surfside today to play the races?”

It turns out that Walt was going…and he offered to pick me up and bring me home. Just like that, I had a new racing friend.

Walt was a saint. He chauffeured me around for a few weeks until I finally came to the realization that I had to get a car. I did—still, Walt and I remained friends, and whenever he’s at the track, even when he’s hanging out with the legendary Roxy Roxborough or a few big-wig Las Vegas casino execs, Walt always stops by The Corner to hang out for a few races and talk turkey.

As I think back on this, I realize that I probably never properly thanked Walt for doing what he did—so let this article rectify that. Thank you, Walt, for letting me hitch a ride with you all those years ago, so I could bet the races! The Racing Gods work in mysterious ways. Clearly, Walt and I were meant to meet up and become friends on that mid-September morning long ago at Penn Station. I might not win every photo or end up on the right side of a DQ, but I know the Racing Gods were looking out for me that day.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

A SHOT OF ANISETTE

Most of the stories in this space have been about my exploits this summer, but for this column, I am happy to take a back seat to the real stars of the show: the horses! And I mean one horse in particular: and that’s the all-world filly Anisette (GB). Wow. What a special lady.

On Saturday, Anisette (GB) made her third start in the States in the prestigious Del Mar Oaks (G1), for 3-year-old fillies going 9-furlongs on the lawn, and just when I thought she couldn’t run any better than she did in her first two U.S. starts, she showed up with a performance that is sure to be the highlight of the summer.

Rewind back to a month ago, the first Saturday of the meet: as soon as she crossed the finish line in the San Clemente (G2), I—and everyone else with two eyes—anointed her the winner of the Del Mar Oaks (G1) because she looked so good. She sat comfortably off a quick pace, was covered up along the backstretch, moved a little early into that fast pace because Umberto Rispoli wanted to make sure they had clear sailing around the turn before tipping her out into the lane, and then she exploded with a sensational turn of foot. As she crossed the finish line, track caller Trevor Denman proclaimed: “She’s absolutely stylish today!” I proclaimed: “There’s your Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner.” She then proceeded to gallop out a mile ahead of everyone else.

She won that San Clemente (G2) so effortlessly, with such a classy way of going. She’s sleek; she’s smooth; she’s handy; and she’s powerful. She’s got it all—so it was no surprise that she went off favored in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) a month later. In retrospect, 2/1 was a gift on her; she probably should have been 7/5 on Saturday, even though I tried to make a case for two others (Window Shopping and Impact Warrior [IRE]).

Go back and watch the replay of Saturday’s race: Anisette (GB) was incredible—and she had to work for it a little bit. She sat way off a slow pace, and every time Rispoli tried to make a move with her, he got stymied. He was patient and fearless, and right after a hole closed on him between horses during a crucial point in the race, he found daylight at the rail, asked Anisette (GB) to go on with it, and she did, exploding up the wood in the blink of an eye. Before you knew it, she had opened up on the field and just destroyed them.

I went on Jason Beem’s TwinSpires podcast on Monday (listen here: @BeemieAwards), and we talked about this effort (fyi: my segment starts at around the 11:10 mark). I said that if anyone gets the chance, watch the overhead drone footage of the race. Rispoli’s ride was incredible. Fortunately, that footage is available. Click this link to the @JockeyCam Twitter feed, and you can see the race from both the overhead cam and from Rispoli’s helmet cam. Strap yourself in because it’s quite a ride.

I was a little sentimental when Anisette (GB) crossed the wire. My dad—who passed away in 2018—loved himself a shot of anisette in his espresso after a good Italian meal. I thought it was only fitting that the boss filly was ridden by an Italian. And then I thought a bit more: Anisette (GB) really is an all-world horse. She’s a Great Britain–bred, ridden by an Italian, trained by a Frenchman, and racing in the good old U. S. of A. How cool is that?

Want to see something even more cool? Check out this picture of Anisette (GB) and trainer Leonard Powell’s daughter, which was posted here @LeoPowellRacing on Twitter. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then that photo has this column beat by a mile!

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

I had a blast doing this podcast: from Anisette (GB) to The Howard Stern Show and everything in between (including a fun discussion of racetrack nicknames), Jason Beem and I shared plenty of laughs talking about the summer so far at Del Mar (and you can stay up to date with more of my content at www.frankscatoni.com). Hope you'll give it a listen! It's a great show all around, but if you just want to hear my segment, I start at the 11:10 mark. Check it out here @BeemieAwards Twitter feed.

Also, if you want to see the overhead drone footage that I talk about, click this link to the @JockeyCam Twitter feed, and you can see the race from both the overhead cam and from Rispoli’s helmet cam. Strap yourself in because it’s quite a ride.

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE: HURRICANE CASEY VS. HURRICANE HILARY

I’ve been saying for weeks that a hurricane was a-comin’! I meant it figuratively, in honor of my good buddy Casey, who comes to visit Del Mar every year and blows in and out of town like a hurricane. Little did I know that a literal hurricane was also brewing at the same time Hurricane Casey was scheduled to touch down.

Yup, all of us here at Del Mar are on high weather alert, as a real hurricane—Hurricane Hilary, gathering off the coast of Mexico—is threatening to send a storm to San Diego Saturday night and into Monday morning, throwing a monkey wrench into the works for Sunday racing. For all the Del Martians out there who don’t know what rain is—it’s precipitation that forms in clouds and falls from the sky in the shape of water droplets. It’s a pretty common occurrence at Saratoga—but not at Del Mar!

Of course, I jest. But it rarely rains out here in the summertime, and the thought of races being washed off the turf on Sunday—or worse yet, canceled—means we are all watching the weather forecast with bated breath.

But back to the figurative hurricane, Hurricane Casey. I met Casey many years ago, and we became fast friends, mostly because he came with Tom Quigley’s stamp of approval. In fact, Casey’s origin story as a member of Team Eddie Logan (the suite at Santa Anita overseen by TQ) is one of my favorite racetrack stories ever.

It happened a long time ago, so I might be a bit fuzzy on all of the facts (so apologies if I got something wrong), but it goes something like this.

Casey Tweeted out that he was going to visit Santa Anita with his mom, Coleen, for the very first time, and he asked Horse Racing Twitter to do its thing and give him some recommendations and suggestions. Of course, several sharpies read the Tweet and replied, “If you’re going to Santa Anita, there’s only one man to talk to: Tom Quigley.”

So Casey reached out to TQ, and before you could say “photo finish,” Tom had the red carpet rolled out, along with a special invite to Casey and his mom as special VIP guests in the Eddie Logan Suite at God’s racetrack.

Casey and his mom had the best time. I know how much it meant to Casey, but I also know how much it meant to Tom, who was more than happy to give a mom and his son an experience of a lifetime. That’s just how Tom is. If he can do even one tiny little thing to make someone else happy, consider it done, no questions asked.

So that’s how Hurricane Casey touched down on our fair shores many years ago. Not too long after his first visit to SoCal, Casey’s mom sadly passed away, so he came up with a great idea. He and some of his buddies decided to come out to Santa Anita every Mother’s Day weekend—and on Mother’s Day, we’d all hang out in Logan, get together for a group picture, and toast our dearly departed mothers while enjoying their favorite drinks. That’s just how Casey is. Never one to take anything for granted, Casey turned his personal moment with his mom into a group tradition, connecting all of us degenerates in a special way, bonding together over the women in our lives who made us who we are today.

I know no one is happy that a hurricane might be coming to town this weekend—except this guy. I’ll take a visit from Hurricane Casey any day of the week and twice on Sundays, especially if that Sunday is Mother’s Day.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

SANTA ROSA AT DEL MAR!

Just when you think you’ve heard it all as a horseplayer…let me tell you this funny little story.

As most of you know from my last column, Sunday, August 13, was our dog Odie’s celebration of life at Del Mar. It was a perfect day, a joyous day, and it was amazing seeing King Odie’s name in big lights—but it was also amazing seeing friends, family, and strangers all embrace our four-legged friend while enjoying all of the festivities.

That was mainly because Tricia, Terri’s sorority sister from Texas A&M, zhuzhed up the proceedings by making the coolest boutonniere you ever did see (see second photo to the left). Everyone in our party—including our main man Henry, who takes care of us in Section 28—walked around all day proudly displaying this sartorial tribute to Odie. Tricia’s husband, Aaron, let us know that Tricia spent three days getting the design just right—and he had the pictures of his wrecked dining room table to show it, and even the puncture wounds from trying to make sure the safety pins would hold! As you can imagine, this interesting conversation piece—a Milk-Bone boutonniere—was an attention-getter. We couldn’t walk two feet without someone stopping us, looking at the dressed-up Milk-Bone, and asking us what it was.

“Well,” became my pat reply. “If you look at Race 9 in your program, you’ll see that it’s named after King Odie, who is no longer with us. This boutonniere is a tribute to King Odie.” You can imagine how many dog lovers there are at Del Mar, so this explanation was summarily greeted with a big smile, several accolades, and many exultations of “How cool is that!”

We were able to spend a great day bouncing from our box to the paddock and back to the box again and again—and right before Race 7 was about to kick off, the last member of our party, Michele (sandwiched between me and Terri in the group photo to the left), showed up to celebrate with us. She sat down in the box just as the race was about to go off. We all got up and started cheering as the horses whizzed by the sixteenth pole, but I noticed that Michele was cheering a bit more loudly than the rest of us. As the horses crossed the finish line, she was exultant.

We stood there, looking at her, waiting to hear the good news. “I hit it!” Michele exclaimed. “I just hit the superfecta!” We were all very happy for her—and then she got a little bit of a sheepish look on her face. She held up her program, and you could see, clear as day, numbers 2,3,4, and 5 boldly circled. But something looked off. Then she pointed to the very top of the program: Santa Rosa.

She started to laugh; we all started to laugh; and then she admitted: “I accidentally picked all of my horses using Race 7 from Santa Rosa!”

But sure enough, her ticket read “Race 7: Del Mar,” so Michele was indeed a winner, and she picked up a sweet $105.17 for her ten-cent bet.

I’ve always said that it’s better to be lucky than it is to be good—but it’s always better to be both. I’ve also talked about beginner’s luck, and how a first-timer’s win at the track can hook them for life. But Michele has been to the track plenty of times before, so it wasn’t exactly beginner’s luck. Part of me can’t help but think that Odie was smiling down on her, and he wanted to give all of us a great big laugh.

The rest of the day just kept getting better and better, culminating with a trip down to the winner’s circle after Race 9, when I’m a Risque Girl, trained by Andy Mathis, won King Odie’s race impressively. The winning connections were gracious enough to let Terri and I crash their photo—and after that, all of Odie’s entourage managed to get a group photo to commemorate the moment.

I know it might sound corny, but if I don’t cash another ticket the rest of the Del Mar meet, I can still put this meet down in the books as a winning one, because what I experienced on Sunday—in Odie’s memory—was absolutely priceless.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

WELCOME BACK…

I knew today was going to be a mellow Friday, and I was fine with that, but I ran into a few friends today whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time. Before I get to that, I do first want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out and said nice things about what I’m doing here for In the Money Media. I feel like this column has gained a lot of traction in the last week, and I am grateful for that. Let’s face it: we are in this game because we love it. It’s the toughest game in the world, and there are way more down days than there are good ones—but we have to make the good ones count—and it’s always nice to know that there are good friends right there in the trenches with you.

I’ve always said that everyone should have to take a year sabbatical and spend it at the race track. There is no one more resilient than a racetracker, and you can learn a lot of life lessons by taking bad beats or experiencing the thrill of victory. There is no one I would want to have on my side more than a horseplayer.

But let’s get back to today: As I said, I was lucky enough to run into three guys whom I haven’t seen since before Covid—and it was like no time had passed. That’s what you usually say about great friends—but it also applies to racetrackers. You cannot see a guy for three years, and there you are, standing there at Quigley’s Corner and talking about the horses as if it were yesterday. There’s the old joke where one friend says to another. “Will you be at the track tomorrow?”

“Well,” the friend replies. “If I’m not here, you better call the morgue.”

I love that gallows humor…but it’s true. Where else would I be if not at the track?

So let me just give a shout out to the three guys I ran into today.

First was Jimmy Mac (the other dude in the photo). I couldn’t tell you his last name if you paid me, but that’s what he goes by at The Corner, so that’s what I call him. Jimmy Mac has been coming around for years (since 1981, in fact, long before I was here), and he always has a smile on his face and a great SoCal positive energy. He’s a surfer, from what I gather. And back in the day, he used to always have his buddy Kenny right by his side. I haven’t seen Kenny in a while, but I do know this: a long, long time ago, Jimmy Mac was surfing…and Kenny was surfing, too. They didn’t know each other—but Kenny got wiped out by a giant wave, got knocked unconscious, and Jimmy Mac was right there to pull him out of the water to rescue him and save his life. Yup. That’s Jimmy Mac.

Then there was Kent. Years ago, I didn’t know Kent from a grape, but I would see him every day, coming up to the white board at the Newcomers’ Seminar to write down my picks. After a while, he finally came up to me at The Corner and introduced himself. I recognized him from the seminar, and we just started to shoot the breeze. That’s what horseplayers do. We are kindred spirits. Kent and I became track buddies, and every time he comes out to the track, he comes over to The Corner to talk about the races.

The last person I ran into today was someone I was actually thinking about last week because I hadn’t seen him since he left Del Mar several years ago. That man was Jeff Furmanski. You see, every year, Del Mar selects an intern to work in the press box. In fact, you all probably know Matt Dinerman, who calls the races at Golden Gate—he actually got his start as an intern in the Del Mar press box. We usually get a different student every year to fill this coveted spot, but we were lucky enough to have Jeff for a few years in a row, and Jeff was a rock. No matter what we needed, Jeff was there to help out the writers.

The other day, I was just wondering what Jeff was up to. And there he was today, walking by The Corner, as if the universe wanted to let me know that it was listening to me. I was happy to see Jeff, so I gave him a bro hug, and I ended up spilling some of his beer. My bad! Jeff gave me a look, but he tolerated the spillage, and we got caught up. Turns out Jeff spent some time working in the racing office at Oaklawn Park. Wow! That meet is insane, with horses coming from all over the country, and Jeff was a part of making that a success. That made me very happy. It’s always great to see the younger generation embrace the game and make an impact.

It goes back to what I was saying earlier—we love this game. We are lucky to be in this game. We get to be around the horses; we get to spend time at the track; and maybe—just maybe—if we are good enough and the Racing Gods are kind enough, we can make some good money. But even if we don’t make money, you can’t put a price tag on the friendships you make at the track. And I know that if things ever went sideways for me, I could rely on my track brothers and sisters to have my back.

And I’m sure they know that I would do exactly the same for them.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

SAVOIR-FAIRE...IS EVERYWHERE!

Terri and I have this long-running joke every week during Del Mar.

“Guess who I just saw?” Terri will invariably ask me once we meet up after a few races of doing our own thing.

I always respond: “Joe Harper!” That’s the correct answer, every time, because Terri always seems to be running into Joe Harper no matter where she is at the track.

In fact, we both feel like there must be clones of Joe Harper walking around because Joe really is everywhere. It’s remarkable. I don’t know how the man does it, but for the last several decades, Joe has been the face and embodiment of Del Mar racing—and he’s very good at what he does. Of course, there are certain exclusive spots at the track where you’d expect to see Joe, entertaining high-end guests, shaking hands, kissing babies, and regaling everyone with his hilarious and entertaining stories—but Joe is also out there making the rounds, seeing to it that everything around him is running smoothly.

In fact, just the other day, when Terri and I were enjoying our Tanner’s Prime Burger on the third floor of the clubhouse, there was Joe, surrounded by a group of people and holding their attention (as the first photo shows).

So let’s talk about Sunday. There Terri and I were in the Turf Club, as guests of Rusty and Debi Brown, who had their talented filly Crazy Hot running in Race 9, the $125K CTBA Stakes. Terri’s friend Annette, who introduced us to Rusty and who is a terrific handicapper, had just put together a group Pick 5 ticket, and we were already 2-for-2 with a 13/1 shot getting home in the first leg.

After rooting home the winner of Race 8, Annette turned to Terri and said, “Let’s go to the paddock for Rusty’s race.” Terri was all too happy to oblige.

Off the ladies went with Rusty, Debi, and their big group of friends, while I decided to stay up at the table to hold down the fort and not mess up the mojo of our Pick 5 ticket. Believe me, I’m the last one to get to the Turf Club and the first one to leave and go back to my spot at The Corner, but you don’t mess up your routine when it comes to multi-race wagers, so I sat there nursing my beer while everyone else went down to see the horses.

And then they all returned. I turned to Terri as she was sitting down, and I asked, “So, how was the paddock?”

“Eh,” Terri shrugged. “It was just the paddock.”

Whoa…whoa…whoa…stop the clock! “Just the paddock!”

Terri can’t go two feet or two minutes at the track without seeing something interesting or running into someone noteworthy. That’s just how Terri is. I call this “Terri Magic.”

“What?” I exclaimed! “You didn’t see anything interesting or run into anyone? I don’t believe it!”

“Nope,” she said, and she shrugged her shoulders again.

“What?” I exclaimed again! “No one? Not even Joe Harper?”

And then Terri’s eyes opened wide and she started to laugh. “Oh,” she said with a shout. “I did. I did see Joe Harper! I even took a selfie with him.”

[The second picture above is the evidence.]

We both started dying. As I said, Terri always has something to report back when she is off doing her own thing at the track—and we are always joking about how she always seems to run into Joe Harper.

I thought it was the funniest thing, but Terri did a little introspection. “Wait,” she said to me. “Am I that jaded that I didn’t even mention to you that I took a picture with Joe Harper?”

I didn’t see it that way. “Jaded”? No way. Terri has an amazing sense of wonderment, and I know she will never lose that. It’s such an admirable quality, especially since she continues to show it, even around this grizzled old New York horseplayer.

“Exhausted” is more the way I would describe it. This was late Sunday afternoon after several long days of racing and several weeks in a row of non-stop action. For everyone who comes up to me this meet and says, “Man, Frank, you sure are working really hard,” remember this: Terri is right there with me every step of the way, at every seminar, at every event, working just as hard—if not harder, because she’s also doing so many things behind the scenes.

All I could think of was: how funny would it have been if Joe Harper had gone home that night and sat down for dinner with his wife, Barbara, and she asked: “So, Joe, anything interesting happen today? Did you see anyone?”

“Nope,” Joe might have said.

“What? Nobody?”

“Nope.”

“Not even Terri Marconi?”

“Ah! As a matter of fact…” Then I could see Joe smirking like the cat who ate the canary, pulling out his phone, and showing Barbara the selfie of the two of them together.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

IT'S BETTER TO BE LUCKY THAN IT IS TO BE GOOD

We can spend countless hours handicapping the races and coming up with wagering strategies, but let’s face it: we are betting on animals, so that means it’s really better to be lucky than it is to be good. A horse doesn’t get through a tight hole; a horse treads water on a dead rail; a jock drifts in and gets DQ’d. There are a million ways to lose a race, but only one way to win: and that’s once that “Official” sign is posted.

I wasn’t very good for most of the day. Fortunately, I redeemed myself with Carmelita’s Man, who was 5/1 in the California Dreamin’. But as I said in the title, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than it is to be good. Check out the picture. I’d say I was pretty lucky today! Terri came out with two of her friends for the “Taste of New Orleans” event—which was awesome, by the way—and we all had a great time. Terri and I hadn’t seen her friend Allison (in white) in a long time, so we all felt lucky that we could connect—at the race track no less.

The day started magically with not only one of my best friends, Frank Tate, as my seminar guest—who gave out a $60.60 horse—but also seeing our buddy Jerry Weseloh, and his wife, Mary, in attendance (and not heckling us!).

If you know me, or have read anything about me, I am allergic to shellfish, and you can’t have a New Orleans-themed party without shellfish: however, I really do envy the group endeavors of extracting lobster and shrimp from a tower I could never climb. Of course, I took a Benadryl before walking Terri into meet her friends, but sadly, my only excitement was the 5-ounce Hurricane taster, a delight of sweet berry and rum. I left Terri and her friends to their crawfish boil extravaganza.

That’s what I really love about Del Mar: it has something for everyone. I’ve always said that the racetrack is one of the only places in the world where you can literally stand next to a prince and a pauper. At Del Mar, you can come for the party. You can come to try and get lucky. Or you can come and be serious, treating the races like a job (which, by the way, is the only way to be successful in the long run). Today, I came for the party…but I was also able to take things seriously with Carmelita’s Man, cashing a nice win bet at 5/1. Like I said, Del Mar has something for everyone…but no matter what you’re here for, it’s still always better to be lucky than it is to be good.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

A BAD DAY AT THE TRACK IS STILL BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY AT THE OFFICE…OR IS IT?

What a whirlwind Friday was. My picks were mostly terrible, but part of that had to do with how the track profile flip-flopped. You can read my "Frankly Speaking" column at In the Money Media to find out more about that (link below), but let me tell you about my busy day.

I got to the track early because I was recording a segment for the TV show “SoCal Scene.” It was me and the reporter just going over the basics of being at the races, trying to make an informed decision, and betting to have fun and win a little bit of money. The segment went well, but of course, they wanted to bet the first race as an example, and I knew I was dead in the water. Race 1 on Friday was a 5-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-old fillies. Thanks, Racing Gods! There were several first-time starters and some dirt horses trying turf. I gave it my best shot, but my horse stalked the pace early, looked poised for a big run, but found nothing and faded late. Still, we had fun, but that was just the first part of my day.

Right after we wrapped up filming, I popped up to the Turf Club to give a truncated version of my Newcomers’ Seminar to a group of journalists and social-media influencers who wanted to know what the racetrack was all about. It was a cool group, and they were genuinely interested in learning about our lifestyle. There was a travel writer from The New York Post and an Instagram sensation named McKenna, who goes by the handle @thebubblyblonde.

One woman, a freelance journalist who has a pretty good handle on the social-media market, was giving me advice. She was very encouraging, saying how it would be cool to do 60-90 second Instagram Reels going over my picks for the day, and then doing more content throughout the day after each race is run. “You have a great voice, and believe it or not, good voices do really well on Instagram Reels.”

Hmmm…I thought to myself. I think that’s just a polite way of saying, “Frank, you have a voice for Instagram Reels and a face for radio!”

So all that took up a big chunk of my day. But race after race, all of the picks that I gave out to the film crew and the influencers weren’t any good. I had a modest paying exacta in Race 2, but it was tough sledding after that. Granted, I did tell everyone that my only two strong opinions came in Race 6 and Race 7. I had a small sense of redemption when my horse ran third at 4/1 in Race 6, and my stone-cold exacta box lock of the day in Race 7—Turn on the Jets (IRE) and Beer Can Man—hit, but I was disappointed with my performance.

What can you do? The track is a tough place, and you’re going to be way more wrong than you will be right.

After all that talking, though, I got really hungry. I had heard about a new burger place on the third floor of the clubhouse called Tanner’s Prime Burgers that is supposed to be pretty good. Terri and I both decided that we needed some red meat after an exhausting afternoon. Check out Terri’s picture—the burger was as good as advertised. The fries were a little too salty, like my mood after a rough day of betting, but Terri and I were satisfied splitting one of the burgers, as I also drowned my sorrows with a few beers.

We were there for a few races, so of course, we ran into a bunch of folks, most importantly, Billy Koch of Little Red Feather racing. Billy sat down with us, and we shot the breeze while his burger was being prepared. “Have you ever seen Beer Can Man in the flesh?” Billy asked, referring to his crack turf sprinter who was about to race in the seventh. “Go down to the paddock and check him out. He is built.” And then Billy made a pose that would have made Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime envious. Beer Can Man ended up running a terrific second, losing to his stablemate, another excellent turf sprinter, Turn on the Jets (IRE), but Beer Can Man really ran a winning race, and I was bummed for Billy and everyone else associated with the horse.

After the race day, Terri and I had a re-cap, as we always do—of course she is always the cheerleader when I am salty about not having the best picks for the day. I appreciated her words of encouragement. But Terri was a little disappointed, too, that she did not capture the cool pictures throughout the day of the film crew and the influencers. She wanted to stay out of the way of the film crew, so she could never get quite the right angle…because they had it!

Terri’s pep talk cheered me right back up, and I realized just how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing—Summer 2023 at Del Mar! I guess the old adage is just partly true: "A bad day at the races is still better than a good day at the office." But after three long years of Covid, maybe being back at the office isn’t so bad—but let’s face it, being at the races is waaaaaaaay better!

***

Reminder: Frank Tate is my Saturday Handicapping Seminar guest. I've known Frank a long time, and there are few handicappers as well-respected as he is on track. He's also a really good friend, so I can't wait to interview him. Seminar starts at 1:05 PDT in Plaza de Mexico right inside the Stretch Run entrance near the big fountain. I will also stream the seminar on my Twitter feed @ScatoniSureShot.

Also...extra bonus for fans if you are on track only. Tidewater Tavern (on 101 in Solana Beach: Tidewater Tavern (tidewatertaverncali.com) was nice enough to give away two $25 gift certificates to those who came to the track and want to get a local experience after the races. So I'll be giving them away in a raffle at the end of the seminar. Come get some!

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

THE LUCKY BOX!

For those who’ve been reading my “Frankly Speaking” column for In the Money Media since the start of the meet, you’ll remember how I wrote about how my box—28H, which I co-own with my buddy Ciaran Thornton—was a lucky one on Opening Day. Well, let’s just say that after Race 9, the Eddie Read (G2), on Sunday, July 30, box 28H is now 2-for-2 on the meet when an owner sits there, so that means our box is tied for first place in wins with wherever Reddam; Barber; and Bello & Bartlett sit, since those three owners have two wins so far this meet as well! Is there a prize for “Winningest Box?” I doubt it, but there should be!

That’s right. In addition to the Turners—who sat in our box Opening Day and won with their 17/1 shot Mongolian Legend—Ciaran and his family enjoyed a big win in 28H. And it wasn’t just an ordinary win. They won the Eddie Read (G2) with Gold Phoenix (Ire). As if winning the Grade 1 Kilroe in March at Santa Anita wasn’t enough, this horse reversed his recent form and stepped up big-time to win his second graded-stakes at Del Mar in the past two years (having also won the G2 Del Mar Handicap last year).

Gold Phoenix (Ire) is owned by the Little Red Feather group, along with Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, and he is trained by Phil D’Amato. Before the race went off, I joked to one of my friends that we should just box the four D’Amato horses in the race. “How funny would it be if his four horses all hit the board?” I asked. I’m sure you can guess the result. I’m not 100 percent certain that a trainer had ever finished first through fourth in the Eddie Read (G2) before this past Sunday, but I’d be willing to bet that no one else has—and Del Mar has seen it’s fair share of incredible turf trainers come through, so what D’Amato accomplished Sunday should not be overlooked.

This seems to be a familiar refrain in this column, but how much joy do these horses bring us? Take a look at the photo here, and you’ll see what I mean. Ciaran, his wife, Shannon, and their two children, Connor and Ciara (along with two family friends), had a blast celebrating in the Champagne Room.

Right before the last race that day, I was standing by the Racing Office talking with a friend of mine, when Jessica Pyfer—yup, the jock, the rising media star, and a prominent member of Team D’Amato—walked by. I caught her eye, pumped my fist, and shouted, “Gold Phoenix!!!”

She stopped dead in her tracks, looked right back, and said, “You mean Gold [expletive redacted here] Phoenix!!!”

I must have blushed and looked a bit surprised. She just laughed and said, “Oh, that’s just what we call him around the barn.”

So the next time someone comes up and asks you who won the 2023 Eddie Read (G2) at Del Mar, look twice to make sure no kids are around, and say, “Gold [expletive redacted here] Phoenix!!!”

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  for more Del Mar content.]

IT PAYS TO OWN A CAL-BRED

This year’s renewal of the $400K Bing Crosby (G1) was an excellent one. A big full field of 12 horses were entered to greet the starter, and when I handicapped the race—as most of my regular readers know—I did what I usually do at Del Mar: I handicapped from the outside in because that’s how sprint races have been playing. I got to #11 Dr. Schivel, and I almost stopped. He looked very tough to me—but I kept going through the horses. #10 American Theorem also looked good to me…and then a few horses later, #7 Anarchist was a good fit as well.

I had zero interest in any of the inside horses except #4 The Chosen Vron, but ultimately, I decided that he’d have a rough trip on the worst part of the track. Plus, he is a Cal-bred who was facing a very tough group of open horses—and, truth be told, I felt a little stung by his defeat in the Pat O’Brien (G2) here last year when I loved him at 20/1. He tried hard, but he didn’t seem like he was on the same level as the best sprinters in the world.

What a difference a year makes!

Suffice it to say that The Chosen Vron is the horse I knew he was. Wow! What a game victory to take a prestigious Grade 1 at Del Mar. We all know that the East Coast turf horses are usually better than our turf horses out here, but California sprinters are the nuts—and this year’s renewal of the Bing Crosby (G1) was one of the toughest in recent memory, so for this Cal-bred to step up and win this race was very special. Not only did he win, but he had to earn it, outgaming the very talented Dr. Schivel, who won this race in 2021, and Anarchist, who always fires and runs a good race.

I was watching the race with my buddy Jerry Weseloh, who was co-owner of another incredible Cal-bred, Brandothebartender, who brought so much joy (and $$$) to his connections. “Brando” is now living the good life at Old Friends Farm, and when The Chosen Vron won, I could see that Jerry was overcome with emotion. He just happens to know one of the co-owners of The Chosen Vron, Bob Fetkin. Jerry and Bob owned a piece of a horse named Cupid’s Claws together, and they had a nice little run—but if you’ve ever owned a horse with some friends, you know that you form an even more special bond with them. Jerry was over the moon for The Chosen Vron’s connections. I don’t know if Jerry won or lost betting the race—but it didn’t matter. He was just so happy for Bob and his fellow owners.

See, that’s the funny thing about horseplayers. We’re a weird bunch. We are very competitive because there is a lot of money at stake—but we also know just how hard this game is—as an owner, trainer, jockey, horseplayer, etc.—so when someone we know wins, even if we are competing against him or her, we are happy. I know, it sounds weird, and I’m sure Freud would have a field day analyzing our lot, but it’s true. Jerry was so happy for Bob. He took off right after the race and went to find Bob to congratulate him. And if you see the picture I posted of the two of them on the “Happening Now!” section of www.frankscatoni.com, you’ll see just how happy Bob is too.

Can you imagine? Winning the Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar…with a Cal-bred? If you could bottle that feeling and sell it, you’d be a gazillionaire.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  to learn more.]

NO BULL

I’m sure y’all are disappointed that I didn’t ride a bull again tonight, but I do have a little bit of a funny story to tell. I’m sorry that my personal photographer wasn’t on scene to capture this moment, but you’ll just have to take my word for it that this is a true story. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned, I’m playing in the two-day Del Mar Summer Handicapping Challenge starting Saturday with some friends. The buy-in is steep: it’s $6K. I’ve always been of the mindset that one of the best things about horse racing is: you can bet a little to win a lot. That still holds true—but so does the old adage: you have to spend money to make money, and I really do enjoy live-bankroll contests, especially when you have a few buddies to play with.

So there I was, hanging out at Quigley’s Corner with my entry fee in hand: a giant stack of hundreds. Mind you, as I’ve said, I have friends whom I team up with so that the sting isn’t so bad if you bust out—and the thrill of victory is even sweeter, since there’s no better joy than sharing a big win with your friends.

For the last several Del Mar tournaments, me and my friends would pony up some cash and try to turn that $6K investment into a lot more. We’ve been okay, securing some small prize money and winning some seats to other tournaments, but we’ve yet to hit that big home run. But I’m confident that we will. So when you see “Frank Scatoni” at the top of the leaderboard, I want you to know that this is a team effort. “Scatoni” is a group of friends who love to handicap and play the horses together. There’s no multiple entry under different names hoo-hah, no collusion, no shortcuts to get that big check. We all have opinions, and we all collaborate when it comes to our wagers—as one sole entity.

So…back to me at The Corner. I had to go pay the entry fee, so I was trying to count all the money as discreetly as I could. Every time I got about halfway through, someone would come up to me and say some nonsense. “Arrrgh! Now I have to start all over again!” I’d mutter.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all my years at the racetrack, it’s this: horseplayers have zero situational awareness. If they are intent on telling you about their bad beat story or who they like in the next race, even if the horses are loading into the gate and you’re trying to get your bet down, they expect you to suffer through their litany. I once told this to a Hollywood producer friend of mine whose mother was apparently skilled in social graces. He said, “The best advice my mother taught me was this: No matter what, you can always politely excuse yourself from any social situation. It doesn’t matter what the excuse is: it’s how you deliver the message.”

I thought this was brilliant, because at the track, we all have a built-in excuse for politely excusing ourselves: “Oh, wow, there’s two minutes to post. I need to get this bet in. Sorry. I’ll be back.” And off you go like a thief in the night, no longer having to endure the tried-and-true story about how “I was going to put this horse in fourth on my super ticket, but I threw him out because the ticket was too expensive blah blah blah” and all that other mumbo-jumbo.

So these interruptions went on for a good five minutes, and then The Corner got quiet when there was about three minutes to post. Right when I counted out the three thousand mark again, one of my buddies came up to me and said, “You know, I’ve always thought it was a little pretentious when someone just started counting out hundreds at the track.” (And then this little voice inside of me said, “Oh, wasn’t there a great country song that said, ‘You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table?’ Hmm. Maybe I am a country-music fan after all.). So I stopped counting, and I looked over and saw a familiar face. He smiled. I smiled. But then I said, “Come on! Now I have to start all over again.” My buddy laughed, and said, “Ha. That’s what I was going for.”

I counted that money five times…and then I had him count it—twice! I wanted to take a picture of our bankroll as he laid out six stacks of hundred dollar bills, but then I thought: “The only thing more pretentious than counting out six thousand dollars in the paddock of Del Mar, is taking a picture of it.”

The moral of the story? “Seriously, Frank, go to the bathroom or the barber shop, and be discreet and classy about it when you count your money at the track”…said that absent photographer when I told her this story later that night.

[This story is part of my "Frankly Speaking" column for In the Money Media, where I also share my Del Mar notes every day of the Summer Meet. Go to (1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack  to learn more.]

THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

Today was a series of firsts. The first “first” was extremely heartfelt: today, Thursday, July 27, 2023, marked the first time I’ve done the Newcomers’ Seminar since Covid hit—three full years around the captivating Del Mar sun: "Where the Turf Meets the Surf!" It’s been a really long time, and I can’t thank Del Mar enough for recognizing how important this seminar is, and for bringing it back on the best day possible: “Free and Easy Thursdays.”

It was such a joy to see so many people show up to try and gain entrée into the sport. We old-timers all know that the barrier to entry for handicapping and horseplaying is steep—so for people to come out and want to dip their toe in the water has always meant so much to me. We’ll keep it going every Thursday for the summer season, and I’m so happy about that. Admittedly, I was a little rusty, but the audience was rapt, and now the momentum is there to keep it going for the rest of the summer season.

During the Newcomers’ Seminar, I always talk about my "first" racetrack experience, when I was invited by my colleague Pete Fornatale--when we were boring editors at a very high-profile publishing house back in 1996--to go out to Belmont Park and watch the third leg of the Triple Crown. Needless to say, if you haven’t heard the story, I had a great first day at the track. My "first" bet ever won, and I've been hooked forever (thanks, Editor's Note!). Today, I experienced several other “firsts.”

The next “first” was that I, Frank R. Scatoni, confirmed horseplayer and typical eschewer of games of chance and other frivolity, won a slots tournament at Sycuan Casino Resort (an event organized with both the casino and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club—no fixes, as per official gaming rules!). Yup, you read that right: I won a slots tournament!!! Granted, all I did was push the “spin” button with my right hand and then hit the targets on screen with my left hand, but I won nonetheless! All I could think was that all of my time spent playing arcade games as a kid finally paid off.

I was exhausted, as if I’d been a jockey who had just won three races earlier in the day. Not to compare, but I felt a bit out of shape. After one minute of pushing the spin button with my right hand, I kept calling for the wire! Nope! Two more minutes to go! So I went to the left hand. Thirty seconds later, I was exhausted again. Back and forth, I switched hands, until, mercifully, the three minutes were up, and I crossed the wire first. Winner!

So why did I play a slots tournament? Del Mar did a really cool thing and bussed out a bunch of owners, players, and fans to Sycuan and gave us the V.I.P. treatment to enjoy an incredible night. Which leads me to my next “first”…

…A country music concert!!! Wow. Look, I get that musical tastes are subjective, so I’ll just say that modern country music is definitely not my cup of tea—but maybe I’m the wrong one! The pool area at Sycuan was packed…and everyone there was having a great time—if you can call line-dancing “a great time!” Seriously, though, it reminded me of the days when Del Mar had concerts, and the country crowd would come rolling in—there was nothing but good vibes and fun. Now that’s my style—as long as I can mute the music!

And that leads me to my last “first.” At this pool party, there were several floaties in the water. I had zero interest in jumping into that giant Petri dish, but Terri jumped in, corralled a floating bull, pulled the bull toward the side of the pool, and said…“Wanna ride?” Before I knew it, Terri—who hails from Texas—was riding that bull, and the bull had taken her away to the other side of the pool. What’s a "City Boy" to do but rope that bull in and save his girl? Now, that’s a great country-western song. Maybe George Strait could have told this story...instead of “The Chair,” maybe he would have written about “The Bull”?

I know y’all are tired of me mentioning my girlfriend from Texas—who is actually my business manager as well—but I have no idea of how she captures the perfect moment of every photo I post.

All in all…what was supposed to be a slow Thursday turned out to be a unique day for me. I almost feel like this column should be part of a “Flight of the Conchords” skit, with Bret and Jemaine opining about “How many firsts can one person have?” Well, I had several “firsts” today! 

WEEK ONE IN THE BOOKS

Since my "Frankly Speaking" column will be free every Thursday and Friday on the In the Money Media network, I'm just going to post the link here to their "Players' Newsletter" page, so you can click on my column and get all my Del Mar updates that way. Of course, if I have more to say, I will post it here! (And there will be unique content every weekend.)

For now: "Frankly Speaking" for Thursday, 7/27/23:

(1) In The Money Players' Newsletter | Substack 

Good luck to us...and let's make some money!

THE CORNER

For those of you who know me, you know that my favorite place to hang out at Del Mar is at Quigley’s Corner, which is along the horse path from the paddock out onto the track on the clubhouse side. Lorded over by Tom Quigley himself, this area is the unofficial gathering spot for all the true horseplayers, so if you stop by for a beer or to watch a race, you are guaranteed to run into someone interesting.

I’ve been so busy these first few days that I’ve rarely left the press box, but I was able to make it down to The Corner today for a few races on Saturday, and I was greeted by some of my favorite people at the track. Of course, there was TQ, scribbling on his program, eyes shifting up and down from horse to paper, making copious notes about the physicality of every horse in the race. After they all walked by and Tom was finished with his assessment, my good friend Frank Tate (and one of the best turf handicappers you’ll ever meet) gave out a few little bird chirps, which was the cue for Tom to release his Tweet to The Corner before he posted it on Twitter.

Next to Frank was another good friend and sharp handicapper, Jerry Weseloh. Frank and Jerry often get into detailed conversations about the races, but whenever I’m there, the conversation always takes a turn toward one of my favorite horses ever: Brandothebartender. Yup, Jerry just happens to be one of the co-owners (as Flawless Racing), along with Brian Flanagan and Michael Jarvis, who campaigned the gutsy Cal-bred, who is now retired and living comfortably at Old Friends Farm.

After we spent a few minutes reminiscing about Brando, Pete Fornatale showed up after spending half the day at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) table, where he was trying to spread the word about this terrific organization, which looks to take care of ex-racehorses, offering them lifetime sanctuary. I had the pleasure of spending the whole week with Pete, and this was his last day before heading back to Saratoga, so we decided to pool our money and go in on another Late Pick 5 together. Unfortunately, the result was the same as Friday (four of five, missing the 32/1 Steve Knapp juvenile), but a good time was had nonetheless.

Lastly, along came Dylan Donnelly, perhaps the hottest tournament player right now and one of the most consistent players over the last few years. Dylan, who has appeared a few times on my handicapping show, “Best Bet,” was hoping his key long shot would come home in the next race, and that got us inevitably talking about contests. “Where else would I be!” was Dylan’s response to me when I asked him if he was going to be here next weekend to play in Del Mar’s prestigious two-day event. Duh! Of course, where else would Dylan be? He’s been cleaning up in live-bankroll contests recently, and we all know that when a horseplayer is hot, he or she better ride that streak until they can’t ride it anymore!

So there we all were, enjoying the horseplayers’ paradise known as Quigley’s Corner. Of course, my girlfriend, Terri, never one to miss a good photo op, made sure we all got together so she could capture this moment forever. In typical horseplayer fashion, we stood there stoically (probably as a result of one too many bad beats), waiting for Terri to take the picture. "Come on," Terri shouted in her captivating Texas twang, "pretend you guys just hit a big race and won a whole lot of money!"

That did it. We all started to laugh, and the resulting photograph is perfect. I think I might blow it up and get it framed. Heck, I might even use it to decorate the area at home where I do my Zoom calls! I’m sure you all have great friends you have met at the track. It takes a certain kind of person to be a horseplayer, because we know that what we do is not easy and that there are way more beats than victories—but we certainly love it, and it’s those sweet victories that make it all worthwhile!

These are the guys I want to be in a foxhole with. We might be competitive against each other in tournaments, but at the end of the day, there is always camaraderie and respect. That’s why I love this game.

And I know all of these players would have loved it if there was one more person in this photo: Jose Arias, the 2014 National Handicapping Championship (NHC) winner, a regular in the Eddie Logan suite at Santa Anita, and one of the nicest guys you could have ever met. Sadly, Jose passed away far too young a few weeks ago, but he was with us in spirit. He was one of us, and we horseplayers stick together. I'm hoping one of Jose's friends wins next week's Del Mar Challenge because you can rest assured that the victory would be dedicated to him.

DEL MAR MAGIC -- OPENING DAY RECAP

Yesterday I wrote about how the start of Del Mar was like Christmas in July. Well, a Christmas miracle happened on Opening Day. Me and my buddy Ciaran Thornton, who is actually doing the Sunday “Best Bet” seminar with me this week, own a box together. Strangely enough, neither one of us could use it on Opening Day. He and his wife, Shannon, were part of the Little Red Feather posse, while I had to hide away in the press box and get some work done. My girlfriend, Terri, loves the Turf Club, and she spent the whole day there with her fancy friends, so not one of us could use the box on Opening Day. Weird, right?

Well, it turns out that Terri knew someone who could use the box—and not only were they very appreciative of the fact that they finally had access to a sold-out Del Mar Opening Day, but they also got to watch their own horse compete. Yes, in Race 4, a $20K/N3L contested at 6-furlongs on the main track, Evonne and Robert (Bob) Turner were the proud owners of #10 Mongolian Legend (12/1), a 7-year-old gelding trained by Jerry Wallace.

If you listened to my podcast with Pete covering Opening Day, I said that over the years, the outside tracking trip was typically the winning one—and oftentimes, I like to handicap a dirt-sprint race from the outside/in. Such was the case with this race. I handicapped it, starting with the #11 horse, Heir (FR), and then worked my way to the rail. I wanted so badly to like a horse drawn on the outside, because I wanted to take advantage of a potential bias, but I couldn’t come up with a horse, so I decided to pass the race. Big mistake!

The gates opened and Abel Cedillo had Mongolian Legend in the perfect tracking spot, just outside of and a few lengths off a couple of aggressive horses. He was in the clear and cruising around the turn. As they entered the lane, I could tell the speed horses were starting to get tired, but Mongolian Legend loomed boldly while racing three wide. He dug in as he leveled out, and he ended up winning the race at 17/1 and paying $37.80.

Wow! I was thrilled. I wasn’t smart enough to bet the horse, but I was so happy for the Turners. I ran down to the winner’s circle to congratulate them, and Evonne was crying tears of joy. Evonne and Bob own a ranch in East County, and they use that space (The Windsor Equestrian Center) to rescue horses and rehabilitate them. I’ve seen some before and after pictures of horses they’ve saved from the slaughterhouse, and what they are doing is incredible.

In fact, when they claimed Mongolian Legend back on April 2, 2022, they only got two races out of him before something went wrong. In his second start for the Turners, he finished fifth in a $12.5K claimer, and someone tried to buy him—but the vet voided the claim. Mongolian Legend went back to the Turners’ barn, and over the next year-plus, the Turners laid him up and babied him, making him happy and healthy again. They were patient and gave him enough time to finally get back to the races.

On June 4, 2023, Mongolian Legend came off such a long layoff and ran a really good second in a 6.5-furlong sprint at Los Al as a waiver-claim. It was a useful prep race for his next race. Trainer Jerry Wallace had enough confidence in the horse to stretch him out and run him for $20K. The rest is history.

When Terri and I handed Evonne the tickets on Thursday night, she was pretty upset about one of their rescue horses, who was suffering from some kind of mystery ailment. They were caring for him in the best possible way, but the poor horse wasn’t making much progress. A distracting day at the races was exactly what Evonne needed. The pure joy in her and Bob’s faces when they were walking toward the Champagne Room was something I’ll never forget.

Winning a race at Del Mar Opening Day is something incredibly special…and pretty rare—so when it happens, you must savor every moment of it. As I turned away to walk back up to the press box, I couldn’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—our box (28H/Thornton-Scatoni) is a lucky one.

To find out more about The Windsor Equestrian Center, please visit: Windsor Equestrian Center.

DEL MAR DREAMING -- 2023

It’s Opening Day 2023! I’m going to keep this simple for today and just provide a few links for you to check out because all the good things I want to say have been said already!

Check out my Late P5 analysis from the “In the Money Players’ Podcast” with Peter Thomas Fornatale. Here is the link to that: https://bit.ly/3Q8ekHC.

As some of you might know, every Sunday during the meet at 11 a.m. PDT, I host the “Best Bet” livestream from Del Mar, where I have a guest who picks out a few spot plays for the card and gives out suggested wagers. But for the first time, we did an Opening Day preview show. Dean Keppler was my guest, so feel free to check it out here: https://bit.ly/46UQMM5.

And lastly, I do a horse-by-horse analysis for the online Del Mar contest race, which can be found on the Del Mar site here: https://bit.ly/43BVSKv. Or you can always go to www.FrankScatoni.com for easy access links to all the stuff I’m doing this summer. 

Good luck to us...and let's make some money!!!

Belmont Park

 The Test of Champions!

Race 12: $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) for 3-year-olds going 12-furlongs on the main track

Oh, it’s one of my favorite races of the year, even though some consider it the forgotten leg of the Triple Crown whenever there isn’t a coronation on the line. Well, you know what: who wants a Triple Crown contender or winner every other year? I sure don’t!

I know there’s been a lot of chatter on Twitter about changing the spacing of races in the Triple Crown—and when I first got involved in horseracing way back in 1996, I thought the same thing, especially after so many near-misses in the next few years from quite a few really good horses. But after a decade (or two), I realized that the Triple Crown is hard for a reason. It’s supposed to be hard!

Don’t get me wrong: I know that racing has changed, and training has changed, and even the breed has changed (can someone do an analysis of how many turf sprints were run in 1996 outside of Del Mar as compared to now? Actually, I don’t think I want to know the answer!). I’m a firm believer of “evolve or die,” and I’m all for meaningful, modern changes in the sport—but I also believe that some things are sacred, and I’m not really interested in kowtowing to an idea that something should be easier.

Seriously, what will changing the Triple Crown spacing do for the sport? Nothing. Nothing at all. Will making things easier for horses move the needle? I would argue it would have a negative reaction. No one outside of horseracing would care—unlike they do now when that rare feat is on the line—and there is truth to the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. If a Triple Crown were on the line year in and year out, there would be nothing special about it. It would be mundane. We would take the one thing that people outside of racing actually pay attention to and relegate it to being something ordinary.

Yes, I understand the argument that it would be nice to have a lot of the same horses compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown, but if those horses aren’t good enough or aren’t stout enough, then that’s on their trainers and breeders. Maybe we should think less about precociousness and speed and think more about longevity and stamina. Would that be such a bad thing? Heck, maybe as an incentive, the three Triple Crown tracks can get together and offer up bonuses for horses who compete in all three legs…or for those who finish in the top five, or whatever.

Let’s encourage horses to run. Let’s encourage breeders to change their money-first/money-now philosophy. Let’s encourage trainers to bring horses along slowly, giving them foundation to withstand racing more than just a few times a year. Let’s encourage owners by boosting the purses of route races and encouraging them to buy horses who are bred to run long.

I like that the Triple Crown series is grueling and tough. Would you rather have years—even decades (as I had to endure)—between Triple Crown contenders and winners (and all the anticipation that comes with those few rare attempts when glory is on the line)…or a contender to the Crown every couple of years? Why would you want to see something so rare become so commonplace? I wouldn’t. Some things really are sacred.

If we want to make effective changes in the sport, re-spacing the Triple Crown is like number 857 on the list of things we can do to make horseracing better.

Okay, that’s it. Rant over! Now, without further ado…my horse-by-horse analysis of this year’s renewal of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) contested at the testing distance of 12-furlongs on the main track of Big Sandy, Belmont Park, my old stomping grounds! And yes, it’s called the “Test of Champions” for a reason! Let’s hope the air quality in New York is safe for all, humans and equines alike!

#1 TAPIT SHOES (20/1), one of three Brad Cox entrants, gets wiseguy consideration from me, simply because I think he’ll be forwardly placed while breaking from the rail, getting a good stalking trip while saving all the ground. I really liked his last race, where he was close to an honest pace on a closer-friendly track (according to www.Racingflow.com), yet he still finished up well, getting headed out by today’s foe Red Route One, who was flattered by that closer bias. He’ll have to step things up a bit, but he certainly looks like a horse who could just grind along in a good forward spot in this 12-furlong race with an anticipated dawdling pace. Upset special! GRADE: A.

#2 TAPIT TRICE (3/1), the first Pletcher trainee, will be my takeout reducer here. Don’t get me wrong: he’s a very good horse who has done nothing wrong, always coming on with his strong late run, but his preferred run style—from well off the pace—concerns me a bit. Sure, I know he sat close to the pace at Gulfstream when he destroyed N1X foes in February, but it was a slow pace, so where else would he have been? Since then, he’s been content to come from way off, and that’s not really where you want to be in a long race with very little pace. Look, he’s good enough to win, and I won’t be surprised if he does—but I’m taking him on (even though I liked him in the Derby!). GRADE: X.

#3 ARCANGELO (8/1) has the look of an ascendant 3-year-old—a horse who has improved in every one of his races. He used the traditional local prep of this race to his advantage when he was game in victory when taking the Peter Pan (G3), so it only stands to reason that he can move forward again today. He’s less accomplished than a lot of these—but I suspect he’ll take a little bit of money off that last race to make him shorter than his morning-line. If he moves forward today, he can have a say, especially with his tactical run style. GRADE: B.

#4 NATIONAL TREASURE (5/1) was my top Preakness (G1) pick, and he did not disappoint, setting an easy pace and holding on gamely to win by a head. I wish every race was that easy to handicap! There was a key scratch in that race that allowed this guy to have things his own way. He’s likely to have things his own way again, but we’ll see if he can take another step forward after such a tough effort. I’ve always thought this guy had ability (I bet him over Forte and Cave Rock in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile), but I feel like he ran such a hard race last time that he regresses a bit today. If I use him at all, I’ll use him underneath at this taxing 12-furlong distance. GRADE: B.

#5 IL MIRACOLO (30/1) has danced some big dances, but he hasn’t really shined. His graded-stakes record is nothing to write home about, so he does seem in deep today, despite coming off a very sharp win in an upper-level allowance race going one-mile at Gulfstream Park. He seems like a fish out of water today, but if he does somehow manage to pull off the upset, it’s because he’s Tapit on bottom and Gun Runner on top, so there is some breeding here! Still… GRADE: X.

#6 FORTE (5/2) would have won the Derby (G1) by a few lengths, in my humble opinion. He was the best horse last year, and he was the best horse this year (speed-figure lemmings be damned!). His Florida Derby (G1) win wasn’t the fastest on figures, but my goodness, he was a warrior. How can anyone watch that race and not be impressed? He took so much cake in his face, ran into a wall of trouble, looked like he had no shot in the lane, yet still got up to win…going away…easily—and beating the next-out Derby (G1) winner, Mage, in the process. No knock to Mage, but if Forte was right for the Derby (G1) and got a clean trip, Mage would have run second. That said, I don’t like that he’s had some issues or that he had to scratch out of the Derby (G1)—and we’ve seen a few clips of him on Twitter stumbling when pulling up after his workout—but I trust Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole, and I think this is the best horse in the race. GRADE: A.

#7 HIT SHOW (10/1), the second of three Cox trainees, ran a pretty good Derby (G1) to finish fifth, all things considered, since he had to break from the dreaded rail—but I wasn’t crazy about him then, and I’m less crazy about him now, mostly because he actually lost lengths in the lane in the Derby (G1) and couldn’t beat a gazillion-to-one shot in the Wood (G1) the race before (though one has to wonder where that Lord Miles race came from after all the subsequent surrounding controversy with his trainer). I like that he’s a bit of a grinder, but his come-home times are not as strong as some of the other contenders, so I’m going to play against him again today. GRADE: X.

#8 ANGEL OF EMPIRE (7/2), the last Cox runner, was one of five horses I was alive to in the Pick 4 ending in the Derby (G1), and I have no complaints with his third-place finish, since he showed up and ran a big race. He wasn’t as good as the winner or second-place finisher that day, but he franked his Arkansas Derby (G1) and Risen Star (G2) form by trying all the way to the wire. I’m not crazy about his off-the-pace run style, but Cox is no dummy, so he adds the blinkers today. I think he’s the second-most talented horse in the race, and if Forte isn’t 100 percent, then I do believe it’s his race to lose. GRADE: A.

#9 RED ROUTE ONE (15/1) beat my wiseguy play in here in an overnight stakes at Oaklawn Park two back, but he was well off an honest pace on a closer-friendly track—and he still only won by a head. I didn’t like him in the Preakness (G1), where he was up against it from a pace perspective, and now he’s up against it from a pace perspective once again. Plus, I think some of the other off-the-pace runners just seem a bit better than this one. Maybe he can sneak in underneath, however. GRADE: X.

CONCLUSION:

I wish I had something really clever—but I only have a tiny bit of cleverness to share by using #1 TAPIT SHOES (20/1) as my wiseguy/key horse with the two most likely winners of the race, #6 FORTE and #8 ANGEL OF EMPIRE. I’ll definitely bet TAPIT SHOES to win at the price he will be, but I’ll also play exactas with him on top and on bottom of my other “A’s.”

Good luck to us…and let’s make some money!!!

A Horse-by-Horse Analysis of the Second Leg of the Triple Crown

Pimlico

R13: $1.5 million Preakness (G1); 1-3/16 miles on the main track; 3-year-olds only

Well, I was alive to five horses in the Derby (G1) for a very nice P4 bet at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, but alas, I didn’t have Mage. My whole angle on him was that he couldn’t beat Forte twice before, so why would he beat him in the Derby (G1)? Well, when Forte scratched the morning of the race, I should have reassessed Mage’s chances, and I didn’t—and that cost me a few thousand dollars! Lesson learned: as horseplayers, we always have to be ready to adapt to whatever changes come our way: bad weather, late scratches, track biases, etc. So when the best horse in the race scratches, and your only knock on another horse is that he lost twice to the best horse in the race, you kind of have to look at him again with a fresh set of eyes! Oops!

So…all this is just a preamble to ask: can Mage do it again? I really liked his race in the Derby (G1), but he got the right set-up, and he got the right trip. I actually think Two Phil’s—whom I disliked entirely—ran the best race, but that foe isn’t in the Preakness (G1), so I’ll look at a few new faces to pull off the mild upset and beat this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) champ.

#1 NATIONAL TREASURE (4/1) appears to be sitting on a peak race because one could argue that he wasn’t fully cranked in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) after missing some time with a minor injury, and he just looked to get going after the race was already over. He now makes the second start of his form cycle while re-adding blinkers—and he already has enough speed to make the running if that’s what he wants to do. I have always liked this guy, but he never really showed up with that big breakthrough effort. Will today be the day for this Baffert trainee? There isn’t much pace to chase him if Johnny V. guns hard from the rail, and with First Mission out, this guy should get a dream trip. GRADE: A.

#2 CHASE THE CHAOS (50/1) has done good work on the synth, but this is a far cry from Golden Gate. His one fast-dirt try was pretty bad. GRADE: X.

#3 MAGE (8/5) got the right set-up and trip in the Derby (G1), and he made the most of it. He’s obviously in peak form, since before that, he was only a length away from Forte in the Florida Derby (G1), so this lightly raced son of Good Magic can continue to move forward today—but at the short price he’ll be, I’m more interested in using him underneath or trying to beat him altogether. But if he wins, I’ll tip my hat…and then look to beat him in the Belmont (G1)! GRADE: B.

#4 COFFEEWITHCHRIS (20/1) is a local hero who will look to make Marylanders proud by upsetting the apple cart today—but is he fast enough to win? He’s gotten slower as the race distances have increased beyond a mile, so I think he’s in deep water today. He looks like a pace factor only. GRADE: X.

#5 RED ROUTE ONE (10/1) was game in victory last time when beating overnight-stakes foes at Oaklawn Park at 2/1, but note that he was adding Lasix that day, while his previous races without Lasix saw him settle for the minor awards instead of getting the W. He’s back with Lasix-off today, but maybe he can clunk up for a small slice. GRADE: X.

#6 PERFORM (15/1) was 10/1 last time when he won the local prep for this race, coming from well off the pace to get up by a head. It was a game victory, where he had to overcome some adversity, so he’s definitely a 3-year-old who is heading the right way—but it wasn’t too long ago when Mage beat him on January 28 when the Derby (G1) winner broke his maiden and this guy finished fourth. He’ll need a big step forward, but Shug wanted to run here (as a supplemental nomination), so I’m going to trust his judgment and say that this runner is sitting on a big race. Will it be big enough to beat more accomplished foes? Maybe he can finish third or fourth, if you’re a believer. GRADE: C.

#7 BLAZING SEVENS (6/1) had a solid juvenile campaign, but his two races as a sophomore haven’t been anything special. That said, Brown is usually a man with a plan, and I have to think that he’s been pointing to the Preakness (G1) for a while with this guy. Toss his comeback race at Gulfstream and take the view that the Blue Grass (G1), which was a pretty good third all things considered, was likely just a prep for this, and you’re looking at a horse who is sitting on a peak effort. He seems up against it from a pace standpoint, but I trust Irad Ortiz, Jr., to move at the appropriate time. GRADE: A.

#8 FIRST MISSION (5/2) has been declared from the race.

CONCLUSION

Let’s try to make some money here. If Mage wins or runs second, we probably aren’t looking at anything too juicy (unless you like one of the price horses for underneath)—but what if he runs out? Well, then we can make some money. I can see a world in which #1 NATIONAL TREASURE is in front turning for home with #7 BLAZING SEVENS picking up momentum. Of course, Mage will be running on as well, but maybe four tough races in a row catches up with him and he flattens out. I’ll also throw #6 PERFORM in for a penny.

Let’s exacta-box 1/7, and then let’s play another exacta 1,7/6.

Good luck to us…and let’s make some money!!!

3-Year-Olds vs. Elders

Churchill Downs: Race 10

#5 REDEMPTION TIME (8/1)

It’s important for a horseplayer to be nimble. What might work for him or her one day won’t necessarily work the next-time out—but it is important to have some personal parameters to help guide your handicapping, all in the search of value and creating good wagering opportunities.

One of the things I’m most stubborn about this time of year is backing 3-year-olds against older runners, especially at short odds. I’m not saying they can’t win, but if I’m interested in a sophomore squaring off against older runners, I want to have value built into the price.

On the flip side, if you can find a race where a few 3-year-olds are going to take money against older horses, then you have a good betting opportunity, especially this time of year. As we get into the summer, this angle is less of a factor, but it’s still important—but as with everything in life, it’s all situational!

So let’s look at Race 10 from Churchill Downs, where this angle strongly comes into play. It’s a Maiden Special Weight contested at a one-turn mile on the main track. Surprisingly, to me anyway, the morning-line favorite is a 3-year-old, #9 BRIGADE COMMANDER (3/1), a second-time starter for Dallas Stewart. Based on what, I have no idea! This horse finished fourth in his debut, running evenly in a 6-furlong race at Keeneland at 14/1. Sure, normal second-out improvement and added ground mean this horse should be expected to move forward today, but does he deserve to be the 3/1 morning-line favorite, facing some older horses who have run faster than he has? I don’t think so.

The second choice, #1 TRUMPTASTIC (7/2), certainly figures. He’s a 4-year-old who ran a pretty good race last time to just miss—but that might be his M.O., and I’m kind of shocked the connections didn’t add blinkers for today, since this guy has now just missed twice in a row. I do think he’s a major contender, second off the bench and with an age advantage, so I will use him for sure, but I expect him to go off much lower than his morning-line of 7/2.

The third choice, #12 PURSUIT OF POWER (4/1), like the morning-line favorite, is a 3-year-old who has run fourth twice against his own age-group. Now he has to face older foes after losing lengths in the lane in each of his starts. He’s probably sitting on a career best, making his third career start, but do you want him at 4/1? I sure don’t.

And that leads me to my top choice in this race, the 4-year-old #5 REDEMPTION TIME (8/1).

Three of his four career races are just meh—but one race sticks out like a sore thumb. Yup…that September Churchill race at a one-turn mile last year, in his second career start. He ran an excellent second, just missing at 12/1. He put up a respectable speed-figure, and now he comes back second off the bench after prepping in a 6-furlong sprint, just like he did last year to get ready for this one-turn mile. He’s now a 4-year-old who has that big Churchill race to run back to. At 8/1, this guy is great value in this race, and he’s a must-use horse in all of your multi-race wagers (since people typically gravitate to the top-three choices in their P[N] wagers), not to mention an excellent win bet at as low as even 3/1, in my opinion, since I have knocks on two of the three top choices.

In addition to the win bet, I’d also consider exacta-boxing the two 4-year-olds—#1 TRUMPTASTIC and #5 REDEMPTION TIME.

So there you have it: let’s see if we can use the age-angle on a key horse in Race 10 at Churchill Downs!

Good luck to us…and let’s make some money!!!

So, if you listened to the “In the Money Players’ Podcast” today (5/5/23, link below), you’ll know that I talked about Saturday’s Late P4 at Santa Anita Park. 

Well, I was actually prepared to talk about the Late P5, so here’s some bonus content! I present to you my thoughts for Race 7, which is Leg 1 of the Late P5. 

But first, here’s the link to the podcast, so give it a listen:

In the Money Players’ Podcast: https://bit.ly/3nCjLCH

Santa Anita Race 7: $100K SENORITA (G3) for 3-year-old fillies; 6.5-furlongs down the hillside turf course

This race is just all about the pace for me, since I think several of these are fairly evenly matched, and any one of them is good enough to win. On paper, however, it looks like several of these want to be on or near the lead, and according to OptixEQ (https://bit.ly/3B13tWU), which I use to get a much better feel for the race shape, this renewal of the Senorita (G3) has this as a somewhat contentious race with a very fast early pace rating, so I’m going to land on the best finisher in the race—and that’s #1 THE WILD GRAZER (IRE) (3/1).

I don’t typically gravitate toward rail horses in these downhill affairs, but they can win—and they have a better shot in a small field, like today’s. This girl has a win down the hill, and note that even though #3 AG BULLET (5/2) beat her by a neck in the Lady Shamrock, that came going a mile, and this gal was favored that day. Toss the last race on “good” turf; today will be firm. Plus, it just wasn’t this gal’s day as she was being a brat and acting up pre-race. I expect her to be picking up the pieces late for the W.

I’m tempted to just single here for the P5, and if I miss, I’ll come right back and play my P4. But for those who aren’t as brave and want some back-up, I’ll give out a sneaky horse to use in all your gimmicks: #6 TOM’S REGRET (15/1).

Note that this gal beat the boys at Churchill Downs last year in a stakes race, so there is talent here to be sure. Last time, she lost to a horse who was bet like the second coming of Secretariat, so this gal was never going to win that race anyway. But what I find most interesting is that Optix has notes suggesting this gal will move forward getting on turf. There’s a world in which she wants no part of this distance, but I think you could be cheeky and use her as a “B” back-up, because you’re just diluting your wager if you use the three other obvious choices, who are all about the same price as my top choice.

Good luck to us, and let’s make some money!!!