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[Teach]

Prologue: Travers Day, a “red-letter” day on the summer-racing calendar. An excellent under-card. It's the kinda day that horse-players look forward to.

Race One:

Let’s get down to business. “Brass tacks,” as they say. As I begin, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I’m lookin' for “lucci." Or, as Virginia Mayo once sang, "We're in the money, we've got an awful lot of what it takes to get along!"

Today’s lid-lifter is a 7-panels, 83k MSW. After much perusal and scrutiny of replays, particularly that 6th race on August 10th, I’ve landed on SECRET LOVER (this ain't no tryst). As I looked at the "head-on" replay of that August 10th race, this 2-year-old was “brutalized” coming out of the gate. The DRF uses the word “sandwiched.” Are you kiddin' me! That’s the “sanitized” version. You'da thought there were “a contract” out on this colt. “You wanna ‘sleep with fishes,' cement-shoes!” As a result, this 2-year-old spotted the rest of field a New York City-block. I mean he was literally in another borough. Yet through this colt’s own ability and Trevor McCarthy’s urging, this Congrats-bred made up tons of ground. Indeed, the fact alone that he finished a-fast-closing 4th was, in itself, amazing. In my opinion, in the stretch, this colt was coming fastest-of-all. Yet, in the end, just too much real estate to make up. Anything, I repeat, any thing resembling a cleaner trip and this colt gets all the enchiladas, i.e., “breaks his maiden.” Trevor McCarthy (In the Boston area, we pronounce his last name, “McCah-thee.”) is back in the saddle for “El Venezolano,” trainer Antonio Sano. Sano is having an excellent Spa meet, percentage-wise, with a limited number of trainees. Finally, the broodmare, Wave Bye Bye, has produced 3 winners and 1 stakes-winner from 4 starters. Oh, a little moisture, it wouldn't hurt. Others: , , .