WHY I PLAY MOUNTAINEER PARK?

[JustMissed]

In my post of yesterday, SUCCESS WITH ROUTES, I said that I played Mountaineer and Charlestown twice a week and Finger Lakes and/or Calder on Saturday. Someone replied that they had trouble with these tracks and this is my reponse.

At the beginning of my post I said that after my usual handicapping of throwing out the losers, I try to indentify the DNCs(Dangerous Non-Contenders) and the Dark Horses. Last night at MNR, Know City, the #1 horse, won the 5th race, 6 panels in the dirt. The $2 win ticket paid $61.80 & $21.60 to place. A $2 perfecta ticket with the #8 horse, paid $431.80.

The stable boy probably bought a $50 win ticket and is walking around with $1,500 in his pocket. Ms. Kitty Hebert, the owner trainer, may have bet $500 to win and has an extra $15,450 in her pocket to pay feed and vet bills or buy old 8 year old geldings at claim.

Anyway, I only had my usual $2 win/$6 place on the horse but was still glad to collect the $126.60. If you are wondering why I thought ole Knox City might could win-here are some of the reasons:

Knox had hit the board 28 of 79 races. He knows how to win.
Know had not raced in 224 days-since he only shows one recent work he probably has been worked out on the farm and is ready to go for the gold.
His late pace figures are very good-80's & 90s

Darryl W. Brinkley is a better jockey than his 7% record shows.
I have seen him win on longshot horses before and made a note of that.

Ms. Kitty Hebert, the owner-trainer, has never won a race in 21 starts and has more at stake than anybody else.
Being the owner and trainer-the $26,300 prize money is worth bringing ole Knox from the farm as this may be the only race he can win this year. The final odds were 29.90, it doesn't get much better than that for a betting trainer who needs a win.
Also, female trainers will not usually bring a real hurt horse back, regardless of the prize.

Anyway, these opportunities don't come along that often and I look forward to the day when I'm a better handicapper and can spot these plays more often and more importantly I long for a bigger bankroll so I can bet these races the way they should be played.

:)

[JustMissed]

I forgot to mention this and it is pretty important. Oct 21, 2001, Knox City ran his first 6 panel race after coming back from a 51 day layoff. He ran 4th in a field of 10 coming in only 2.75 lengths behind. As his odds in that race were an unbelievable 59.40, that race was probably a failed attempt to go for the gold. Obviously, if Ms. Kitty thought Knox needed more rest she was dead on.

The Nov 20, 2001 race was probably to darken his form as she was going to put him up. He ran 9th out of 10, 11.75 lengths behind. As this was he last race published he looks pretty darn bad to the public.

:)

[Suff]

Buddha works there.

[Buddha]

Originally posted by Suff
Buddha works there.

Funny you made a reply to this post Suff. I did a search for "Mountaineer" earlier and saw this one. I didn't reply to it, but if anyone has any questions about MNR or in general wants to talk about it, let me know, either on here, or email, and we can chat.

[Buddha]

Also, I am examing the MNR card, and going to be posting some selections in the forum. If you wnat to talk MNR, AIM is the easiest way to contact me. screenname is jarrodbrush

[sq764]

I have a request for Mnr.. Could you please post the winning trifectas for Sat night on Friday? Thanks

[Buddha]

Originally posted by sq764
I have a request for Mnr.. Could you please post the winning trifectas for Sat night on Friday? Thanks

I can do my best to post who I like Friday night or early Saturday morning. I can't say for sure that they will be winning ones, but I can hope they are :)

[SAL]

JustMissed, you REALLY read between the lines for that high priced winner! But you hit it on the head, MNR (and CT) is a track for form darkened horses. I play both tracks occasionally, and I almost never play short priced horses at either track. I hit my biggest DD of the year (for $2) at MNR a few months ago for $500+. Can be lucrative if you can sniff em out.

[sq764]

I rarely here that term 'form darkened' horse..

I still enjoy Jerry Stoke's trainer intent philosphy and use it often at Mountaineer. Amazing how many bombs show up there with FDK patterns..

[WINMANWIN]

I agree, I like Mountaineer also, As I play it on N.Y.C
O.T.B channel. I also Agree with DARKENED form, As many know
you NEED to have more imagination, when Capping the Smaller tracks at times, and Can catch Some nice Overlays. As Jock Changes and wide trip's to No where are Common :eek:
You would think the track announcer after all these years, would call the place and show horses, as they cross the WIRE, but
that EINSTEIN, thinks his style is unique:rolleyes: I'm surprised
track management, has put up with it so long, but with Casino
Gaming, management has other priorities.:mad:

[Zaf]

Originally posted by WINMANWIN
You would think the track announcer after all these years, would call the place and show horses, as they cross the WIRE, but
that EINSTEIN, thinks his style is unique:rolleyes: I'm surprised
track management, has put up with it so long, but with Casino
Gaming, management has other priorities.:mad:

Its even more fun when he calls the wrong horse or on occasion he calls a horse that isn't even in the race.

ZAFONIC

[kingfin66]

I think his name is Jim Dolan. Where most announcers have a little bit of auctioneer in them, Jim is more of a slow-talker. I have to admit though, for some reason he is growing on me as I watch the MNR races. The mules, however, are another story. Try as I might I can't seem to hit a damn thing at that track.

[Zaf]

I am actually beginning to like the guy also. Maybe I am brainwashed because I watch so many races from MNR.

ZAFONIC

[shanta]

ONE NIGHT LAST FALL MNR WAS RUNNING A 12 FURLONG MARATHON. I WAS WATCHING ON YOU BET. THEY STARTED THE RACE ON THE BACKSTRETCH AND AS THEY CAME INTO THE STRETCH THE 1ST TIME HE WAS CALLING THE RACE AS IF IT WAS ENDING. !!!! 5 OR 6 JOCKS PULLED THEIR HORSES UP AFTER THE WIRE! HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE WHEN ABOUT 4 OF THE HORSES KEPT RACING INTO THE BACKSTRETCH. WHEN THEY CROSSED THE WIRE FOR REAL ALL HE SAID WAS" I AM SORRY I GOOFED" OR SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A WILD PLACE!
:eek:

[WINMANWIN]

I have no problem with his voice and slow methodical race calls, But when you're a race track announcer, You should call the 2nd place finisher at the least :rolleyes: I mean, WHY NOT ?
My vision is 20/20 and I have a hard time viewing the exactor horse in tight photo's, or cant see the color silks well AT TIMES.
Especially when a horse WINS by 7 lenghts or so, and the camera shot is exclusively on the winner, I cant stand when some tracks focus on the winner, and we have to watch the wire and hope for the best, not knowing whats going on behind the winner. The Gimmick bettors have no clue, Who's running for 2nd, or 3rd. The simplest things in this age of techology, are the most mind boggling for race fans. Pan out on stretch shots, and call the PLACE AND SHOW STEEDS.....:mad:

[kingfin66]

I have two words: CLUBHOUSE TURN...

[Figman]

Winmanwin:
Your wishes come true:



Berry to join Mountaineer as track announcer

Although racing at Mountaineer Race Track will remain the same next year, it will have a distinctly different accent.
Australian Peter Berry, who called the races at SunRay Park in New Mexico this year and Arapahoe Park in Colorado last year, who will become the new voice at the Chester, West Virginia, racetrack on January 2 following the retirement of local legend Jim Dolan on December 30.

[JimG]

Best wishes to Jim Dolan, but that will be an improvement.

Jim

[WINMANWIN]

Jim Dolan had a unique voice and was a legend obviously, I guess
when you do something for years, you dont wanna change, and
he chose to stick with his style of not calling the place and show horses over the wire :confused: He probably was calling races before EXOTIC bets were allowed :eek:

[jk3521]

Could you explain the FDK pattern?

[sq764]

JK, basically, they are form darkening races that indicate trainer intent (sometimes)..

I forget the liberal 'rules' of an FDK, but they mainly are horses that are >5 lengths behind at the first call and end up losing less than 5 more during the race..

The premise being that they were intending to work the horse out and it showed some stamina.. And most important, it looks like an ugly race to the general public, which is what leads to the large odds..

[shanta]

JUST READ HERE THAT JIM DOLAN IS RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. I REALLY LIKED HIS CALLS!!! TALK ABOUT UNIQUE! I DO KNOW WHAT SOME FOLKS ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE ONLY CALLS THE WINNER! I ONLY PLAY WIN BETS SO THAT NEVER AFFECTED ME. I HOPE HE ENJOYS HIS RETIREMENT. MOUNTAINEER IMO IS REALLY SOMETHING , SPECIAL. WITH THAT BIG "BUBBLE TURN", FULL FIELDS, CHEAP HORSEES RUNNING FOR BIG PURSES, THE "MARK AND NANCE" SHOW WHERE THEY REALLY KNOW THERE STUFF ABOUT MNR AND SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC, AND THE SOON TO BE RETIRED VOICE OF JIM DOLAN!!!!!!!


RICHIE

[nomadpat]

I live in Colorado and have listened to Peter Barry make calls at Araphoe. His accent takes time getting used to, but in terms of the calls, is pretty good and uses words like "aplomb" that I assume Mr. MNR wouldn't dream of :) That would make another announcer paying his dues at Araphoe and moving on to greener pastures, the other being the announcer at Prairie Meadows.

[ranchwest]

Originally posted by JustMissed
I forgot to mention this and it is pretty important. Oct 21, 2001, Knox City ran his first 6 panel race after coming back from a 51 day layoff. He ran 4th in a field of 10 coming in only 2.75 lengths behind. As his odds in that race were an unbelievable 59.40, that race was probably a failed attempt to go for the gold. Obviously, if Ms. Kitty thought Knox needed more rest she was dead on.

The Nov 20, 2001 race was probably to darken his form as she was going to put him up. He ran 9th out of 10, 11.75 lengths behind. As this was he last race published he looks pretty darn bad to the public.

:)

Sorry that I'm getting into this thread late.

I was with you about this trainer's history until you got to the part about the Nov. 20 race. I don't think anyone plans a bad race and then lays the horse off for two years to darken his form. His form would be dark after only a few months. There was very likely something seriously wrong with the horse on Nov. 20, 2001.

[JustMissed]

Originally posted by ranchwest
Sorry that I'm getting into this thread late.

I was with you about this trainer's history until you got to the part about the Nov. 20 race. I don't think anyone plans a bad race and then lays the horse off for two years to darken his form. His form would be dark after only a few months. There was very likely something seriously wrong with the horse on Nov. 20, 2001.

Ranch, You could be a tad late getting in on my post.

My post was 7/3/2002 and I was referring to a race of 7/2/2002.

The Nov 20, 2001 race was only about 7 months earlier, NOT two years earlier. You might want to read the post a little more carefully before you try to make someone out to be a fool.

JustMissed
:mad:

[ranchwest]

Originally posted by JustMissed
Ranch, You could be a tad late getting in on my post.

My post was 7/3/2002 and I was referring to a race of 7/2/2002.

The Nov 20, 2001 race was only about 7 months earlier, NOT two years earlier. You might want to read the post a little more carefully before you try to make someone out to be a fool.

JustMissed
:mad:

My error. I wasn't trying to make you out to be a fool. Sorry that you took it that way.

I still think 7 months is a bit long for form darkening to be the motive unless the trainer routinely turns horses out to pasture for a while.