Astronaut Helps Vic Stauffer Orbit Field To Win Pacific Classic Betting Challenge

[thaskalos]

It's great to see expert horseplayers get their due.

[MJC922]

Well done Vic

[Nitro]

Vic that’s certainly quite an accomplishment! Way to go!

I’ve never been a big fan of tournaments or contests because over the last 40 some odd years of playing I feel that every time I make a bet that I’m already competing with all those trying make a profit.

I have been following Del Mar pretty closely this year and thought that the announcers at TVG were doing a decent job (especially yesterday). In fact, out of all those announcers Christina Blacker chose the #10, Astronaut as her live long shot of the day!

While we’re extending kudos, I wanted to also congratulate Jay (Jay68802) for posting and hitting the Pick-6 for $10K at Del Mar yesterday! Post#4
http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...d.php?t=166323

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by how cliche

If not mistaken, believe Vic also won the HT pick and pray yesterday too worth another sixteen thousand! The kind of session most of us only dream of. Well done sir.

Congratulations Vic! (from your high school baseball "water boy")

That is a pretty impressive accomplishment - to win a live bankroll contest AND a pick 'n pray on the same day! Definitely requires a couple of different approaches there.

One thing that intrigued me a bit. On Friday, I heard Rick Hammerle mention on Steve Byk that he liked Tripoli at a price. Brad Free was also on and he mentioned that Tripoli had (the best? a very good?) Thoro-Graph number, so he definitely wasn't out of the question. I know that having the best last-race TG number isn't everything, that so much has to do with patterns and what's next.

But I admit that when I saw Quigley's Corner tweet out the Del Mar standings showing you near the top before the Pacific Classic, combined with knowing that you, Vic, are a big TG user yourself, and then seeing Tripoli win -- I was surprised to see you fall OUT of the top standings after the Pacific Classic!!! Obviously you went a different way. Would love to read your contest approach in the Classic.

Glad you recovered to win with Astronaut! All the best. Looking forward to December!!!

[Inner Dirt]

Congrats Vic! How about the back story? No idea how these contests work. Was the Astronaut hit the equivalent of a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with your team down 3-0? Did you know how far behind you were when you made that bet?

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

Vic is a star in our game, and he's the announcer for Oaklawn.

Perhaps should be getting even more shine and respect from colleagues for his exploits in tournament play over the years?

This is why I love Vic!

He is the announcer at my favorite track AND he dominates on his handicapping/selections!

Congratulations I wish I could shake your hand sir for a job well done!

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by davew

Vic, congrats on your win.


I have always wondered going into the last race in a tournament, does your bet 'change' depending on your current standing and what is needed to win?

100% yes. In bankroll tournaments the first thing you MUST learn is to use your dollars and if they are chips in a poker tournament. Every combination I played in the last race was designed to get me into a payoff position or end up at $0.

Thanks for the congrats.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Congrats Vic! How about the back story? No idea how these contests work. Was the Astronaut hit the equivalent of a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with your team down 3-0? Did you know how far behind you were when you made that bet?

Going into the last race my bankroll had shrunk from $11,700 to $1000. In any tournament the goal is to get into a cashing position. It must be played with that in mind and as though the bankroll is chips not dollars. My goal was to make sure each of the bets I made would return at least $10,000. I liked two horses equally in the race. MASTEROFFOXHOUNDS and ASTRONAUT. I have a good friend who in addition to being a good handicapper looks at things very differently from me. He really liked MASTER PIECE. At 22-1 he was the perfect fit for the scenario needed. So with the goal being any bet that hit exceeding $10,000 I bet $400 to win on ASTRONAUT and a $100 EX Box. MASTEROFFOXHOUNDS, MASTER PIECE AND ASTRONAUT. Tournament play is very very different than day to day play. Oh,one other piece of good advice. CHECK YOUR PLAYS. At three minutes to post have have trained myself to double check that I have punched in exactly what I want. When I did that last night I discovered I had used MEDIA BLITZ instead of MASTER PIECE. At the end of a long tournament mistakes are easy to make. I canceled the incorrect play and at two minutes to post put the proper numbers in. My best bet of the day was always Astronaut. Needless to say the plan was to go into his race with much more than $1000. But I couldn't have been more wrong in the 4 races leading up. I did know that if I kept $1000 for his race there were bets I could make to hit cashing position. Turns out I got very fortunate and the best possible outcome came across the wire.

[Elkchester Road]

Congratulations to you, Vic. Great job!!!

[JustRalph]

Wow! Even better with the back story……Congrats again

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by BarchCapper

Congratulations Vic! (from your high school baseball "water boy")

That is a pretty impressive accomplishment - to win a live bankroll contest AND a pick 'n pray on the same day! Definitely requires a couple of different approaches there.

One thing that intrigued me a bit. On Friday, I heard Rick Hammerle mention on Steve Byk that he liked Tripoli at a price. Brad Free was also on and he mentioned that Tripoli had (the best? a very good?) Thoro-Graph number, so he definitely wasn't out of the question. I know that having the best last-race TG number isn't everything, that so much has to do with patterns and what's next.

But I admit that when I saw Quigley's Corner tweet out the Del Mar standings showing you near the top before the Pacific Classic, combined with knowing that you, Vic, are a big TG user yourself, and then seeing Tripoli win -- I was surprised to see you fall OUT of the top standings after the Pacific Classic!!! Obviously you went a different way. Would love to read your contest approach in the Classic.

Glad you recovered to win with Astronaut! All the best. Looking forward to December!!!

TRIPOLI had a terrific forward moving explosive pattern. But he was going to have to improve at least 3 to 3 1/2 more TG points to get to the type numbers that 4 others in the race typically run. He may well have done it. Or perhaps the race feel apart. Probably a combination of both
. Anyone who picked TRIPOLI made a super selection. He wasn't for me.

[FRMNBRI]

Like everyone else already said congats to you Vic. That is some great handicapping indeed to find those horses and box them. That is years of experience coming into play when you needed it. GREAT JOB!! Cant wait for Oaklawn to get back to hear your race calls. You always paint a great picture of the race and make it exciting whether its some low level claiming race or a big stakes. I appreciate your thoughts, when you take the time to post about DQs and how the stewards view different aspects of the race when stuff happens that baffles many of us here at Pace Advantage. Keep up the good work!!

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by FRMNBRI

Like everyone else already said congats to you Vic. That is some great handicapping indeed to find those horses and box them. That is years of experience coming into play when you needed it. GREAT JOB!! Cant wait for Oaklawn to get back to hear your race calls. You always paint a great picture of the race and make it exciting whether its some low level claiming race or a big stakes. I appreciate your thoughts, when you take the time to post about DQs and how the stewards view different aspects of the race when stuff happens that baffles many of us here at Pace Advantage. Keep up the good work!!

My pleasure. Thanks for the kind words. We've added 9 days to the 2022 Oaklawn meeting.

Opening day is Friday Dec. 3rd. thru Ky Derby day.

Best part IMO is running just three days a week.

Will make every day will feel special. An event.

You can roll into town at 1:00pm Friday see three great days of racing and be on your way home at 5:00pm Sunday.

Gonna be awesome!

[Speed Figure]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

My pleasure. Thanks for the kind words. We've added 9 days to the 2022 Oaklawn meeting.

Opening day is Friday Dec. 3rd. thru Ky Derby day.

Best part IMO is running just three days a week.

Will make every day will feel special. An event.

You can roll into town at 1:00pm Friday see three great days of racing and be on your way home at 5:00pm Sunday.

Gonna be awesome!

Major props Vic! one question! why is Oaklawn not available on horse tourneys?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Speed Figure

Major props Vic! one question! why is Oaklawn not available on horse tourneys?

Management preference.