It's 2017 and the first Breeders Cup, ever at Del Mar, right there in my hometown and track I spent almost 30 years playing and covering.
It's Thursday of Breeders Cup week and we are celebrating at Maurizio's Trattoria in Encinitas, a phenomenal Italian joint run by my, brother from another Italian mother, Maurizio Carbone.
I have two brothers named Maurizio, but that's another blog for another day.
We have the whole middle of the restaurant, 12 handicappers talking racing all night long, and the Italian thing to do is to have a 3 hour dinner, while being loud, now that's Italian!
A former protege of mine, whom I taught to clock and had recently gone out on his own came in to the restaraunt with the family.
"Speed was so good" he said about the Thursday results from Del Mar. "Speed looks like will be the way to handicap the Breeders Cup card this weekend."
I, Racingwithbruno, just nodded, I wasn't going to school this rookie tonight, I let him twist in the wind the entire weekend, as one thing I have learned the fall meet at Del Mar is far more volatile with the way the track plays than the summer meet.
I told my better half at the time of the conversation, and she said to me "I hope you didn't wisen up rookies''. She can be brutal but on the money.
The next morning before we got ready to head to the track, I prepared a large email, blog blast about how i believed the track would change on Breeders Cup Friday.
There are certain things people don't understand about fall at Del Mar. It's the cooler temps, the early start and the track conditions are nowhere near than the day before.
That Breeders Cup 2017 played extremely to the outside especially on Friday. Rally wide runners dominated, see the results and how the wider outside the better.
We called it that Friday morning, and had a terrific Breeders Cup, solely by understanding the circumstances.
Saturday was somewhat similar, and if you went by the Thursday Speed fest you were in the middle of the pacific ocean without a paddle.
The 2021 Breeders Cup at Del Mar, wasn't slanted as 2017, but it was pronounced to the outside, we had discussed it on our zoom two days before as we expected to play to the outside. It didn't dawn on talking heads on the Breeders Cup telecast until Saturday midway thru the card that the track was playing to the outside.
Advantage us!
If it wasn't for a Friday gross mistake that ruined the Breeders Cup, when the wrong horse was scratched by a vet at the gate, Modern Games would have keyed a huge Friday, leaving a sour taste in handicappers beeks for the rest of the weekend.
The headline in the LA times told the whole story the following day: "Erroneous scratch angers bettors at Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar "
Everyday players who don't understand Del Mar in the fall, are in for a rude awakening, as they will descend on the Breeders Cup handicapping the same way they always do. They will ascend with their tail between their legs.
I am there at Del Mar, this whole fall meet as we switch our tack from Keeneland and the Midwest back to Southern California.
Our All-inclusive Breeders Cup package is going to cover all the happenings at Del Mar, i will be trackside starting Thursday the 24th with boots on the ground starting with the opening of the track for works on the 21st, this coming Monday.
This is what the All-Inclusive package for Del Mar will offer:
The Fun starts on Saturday, October 26 with closing day at Keeneland, moves to Churchill on Sunday, October 27 for THE always popular all-two-year-old card.
Workout Reports, with exclusive videos, of course, will cover the entire week, in the Churchill Downs and Del Mar products
Wednesday, October 30 our Simulcast edtion which includes Churchill Downs will be published and part of your package.
Wednesday, October 30, Zoom for BC Friday and Saturday. Replay will be available.
Halloween, Thursday October 31st we kick off Del Mar Fall meet, including. big dinner at Maurizio's stay tuned for more.
Breeders Cup Friday and Saturday, November 1st and 2nd plus our Simulcast edtion.
We conclude the package with Sunday at Del Mar and Churchill Downs plus our Simulcast edition
A $299 package worth for only $199.95
We will also have our blog for subscribers only on how the track will play and what we foresee in our own exclusive way on Friday and Saturday.
So, lets get after it!