Mark Patterson, simulcast host at Mountaineer Park

[John Kelly]

Where is he?

No-nonsense commentator will no longer offer his opinions at Mountaineer Park this year.

From track announcer Peter Berry via Twitter: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Mark Patterson’s acclaimed handicapping show will not be seen for the remainder of the year.

Any insight?

 

[blueline]

his kid has Covid and he says he is in quarantine.....guess that must be it

 

[blueline]

is sullen Nancy still there

 

[John Kelly]

is sullen Nancy still there

Thankfully not.

 

[John Kelly]

his kid has Covid and he says he is in quarantine.....guess that must be it

Hmmm...

Doesn't strike me as a guy who would miss a night of racing at the Mountain.

But okay.

 

[blueline]

Im assuming quarantine includes not going to work

 

[John Kelly]

Im assuming quarantine includes not going to work

Why not broadcast from home?

 

[blueline]

its WV?

 

[Valuist]

One can go to a day of racing at Mountaineer and naturally quarantine.

 

[John Kelly]

One can go to a day of racing at Mountaineer and naturally quarantine.

Haha.

 

[John Kelly]

Watched some of the races tonight at Mountaineer Park.

In the ninth and final race, a horse's odds dropped from 9/2 to 9/5 on THE FAR TURN.

Got nailed in the final strides by a 14/1 longshot but the money certainly signaled intent.

I saw $2,400 in the win pool on #1 Khozana as the gates opened and more than $10,500 on #1 Khozana in the end.

Liza won the race in an upset at $30.60.

 

[John Kelly]

Mountaineer should update their odds more frequently by merging their pools with out-of-state locations more rapidly.

Hard to believe nearly half the win pool is bet in the final 60 seconds of wagering.

Hmmm...

 

[blueline]

horse was flagged allover the software for improvement...had fair odds of 4/1

 

[John Kelly]

horse was flagged allover the software for improvement...had fair odds of 4/1

Understood.

So the 9/2 price off the 8/1 morning line price was about right.

But 9/5?

Took sharp money in the Pick 3 and Pick 4 pools, too.

Of course, not a big win pool ($37k) late on a Tuesday night in New Cumberland, West Virginia.

 

[blueline]

There are people who REALLY fire using this stuff

 

[blueline]

by the way the winner had this FR3!

 

[John Kelly]

There are people who REALLY fire using this stuff

I believe it.

Looked like a $5,000 or $6,000 win bet on #1 Khozana.

The late money at Mountaineer Park doesn't always win, but a lack of pari-mutuel support on what many people consider to be a contender is a death knell.

Horses whose odds float or drift in the final minute or two of wagering rarely find the winner's circle.

 

[John Kelly]

Ken Massa has a big following.

Plenty of tournament players use his software.

 

[John Kelly]

Interesting note in the ninth race at Mountaineer: The well-meant horse beat the gate while the eventual winner broke a step slow in a five-furlong race.

 

[Neveragain]

Random Racing notes...

After seeing it way too often, there was point not long ago when I would always watch races at Mountaineer with trepidation
that one of the horses in the race would breakdown turning for home. Always relieved when it didn’t happen.

News today from Bloodhorse, Illinois-based trainer Roger Brueggemann died Dec. 15 after being hospitalized due to COVID-19. He was 75.

I had a fortunate exchange with successful tournament player, Ryan Flanders, who shipped me a $200 DRF gift card
when I guessed correctly on Twitter that he would be staying in Vegas at the GVR.
I made my GVR guess after most strip hotels had already been guessed wrongly.
His handle is Benny Southstreet on Twitter and he also runs “trip note pros” tout service.

Female jockey Ferrin Peterson is still winless at Aqueduct. She won 42 races at Monmouth last summer.
NYRA is a tough circuit.

 

[John Kelly]

Thanks for sharing, Neveragain.

Ryan Flanders uses HTR software.

Flanders typically tries to beat the favorite in every race.

 

[John Kelly]

Just watched Ryan Flanders on a 2019 edition of Quigley's Corner at Santa Anita.

He relayed trip notes, speed ratings and some other cute angles.

Seemed like a sharp guy but he had a tough time finding winners on the April 27th card.

Got beat by a long neck for $4 million, he said, at Gulfstream Park recently.

Tough game.

 

[Valuist]

Random Racing notes...

After seeing it way too often, there was point not long ago when I would always watch races at Mountaineer with trepidation
that one of the horses in the race would breakdown turning for home. Always relieved when it didn’t happen.

News today from Bloodhorse, Illinois-based trainer Roger Brueggemann died Dec. 15 after being hospitalized due to COVID-19. He was 75.

I had a fortunate exchange with successful tournament player, Ryan Flanders, who shipped me a $200 DRF gift card
when I guessed correctly on Twitter that he would be staying in Vegas at the GVR.
I made my GVR guess after most strip hotels had already been guessed wrongly.
His handle is Benny Southstreet on Twitter and he also runs “trip note pros” tout service.

Female jockey Ferrin Peterson is still winless at Aqueduct. She won 42 races at Monmouth last summer.
NYRA is a tough circuit.

Sorry to hear about Brueggeman, who was one of my favorite trainers on the Chicago circuit.

 

[skinny]

Billy Johnson passed away today.

Was Mountaineer top agent for years, had Deshawn Parker's book when he led the nation in wins.