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Post by trackrat on Oct 7, 2011 23:56:32 GMT -5
I don't know what happened to him in Indiana but he totally stinks as a driver now. I lost a lot of money on him the last couple of Fridays. Some drives, he never left the rail. Other drives, he never used his whip, even to nudge the horse along. He makes Frank Harris, Beau Blevins and Doug Guptill look like Hall of Famers.
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Post by kassracing on Oct 8, 2011 15:29:16 GMT -5
He drives like he's scared on an off track.
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Post by trackrat on Oct 8, 2011 17:21:52 GMT -5
He clearly did not improve any of the horses he drove the last two weeks. The old Elliott would have dominated these guys. Maybe Rachel is wearing him out.
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Post by jimhorseman on Oct 8, 2011 20:09:06 GMT -5
Trackrat:
A couple of Fridays ago Deaton came out for his first post parade in an old wooden crate that would have been considered an outdated sulky in the 1950's. I immediately pitched him and have done so since. Deaton was always ahead of the curve and was one of the first to use the blackjack and advantage a couple of years ago. I'll know Deaton is serious again when he returns to one of the newer model bikes. In an era when top drivers are using carbon or graphite sulkies that are designed to be aerodynamic and give a horse a bit of an edge I can't take a driver serious who comes out in a sit up straight wooden cart with oversized wobbily black wheels. Take a look at Russell Swartz who has the latest greatest model (you can tell by the funky spoke design). Watch for Keith Kash Jr to get hot as I see he now has upgraded to the latest sulky. A sulky is not the only angle I'll play but it is an important one. I make a little note in my program when a driver tries a new sulky on a horse who never used one before. I've caught a couple of nice priced horses in exotics by just paying attention to the post parade.
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Post by trackrat on Oct 8, 2011 22:26:27 GMT -5
Jim, I have been playing Pocono Downs lately because of the caliber of horses and drivers there, but particularly because the payouts are much higher than The Meadows . Matt Kakaley has one of the new bikes and he is driving circles around much older, veteran drivers. He really made a great career decision in leaving Northfield, particularly with the Burkes as his benefactors.
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Post by trackrat on Oct 9, 2011 10:17:30 GMT -5
I checked Deaton's stats at Hoosier and Indiana and although he has won over a $250,000 in purse money, his winning percentage is less than 6%, uncharacteristic for him. Perhaps Giss has some insight. Has Elliott been injured again this year?
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Post by jimhorseman on Oct 14, 2011 20:48:19 GMT -5
This may be the first friday I've had to miss wagering Northfield since I was on vacation in August. Just came home in time to watch the 8th race and I see Elliott Deaton and Memphis Glow drawing off in the stretch and I can't help but notice he is in a new bike - looks like his old harmon bike on my computer screen. I get a sick feeling in my stomach and check the earlier results. In the first 8 races Deaton has 5 starts - 3 wins, a second at 8-1 and off the board out of the 8 hole. Aaarrgghhh. I've been waiting weeks to catch Deaton on this angle and again things just don't work out. I guess I can watch the upcoming week to see if he keeps using the newer bike or reverts to the old wooden crate.
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Post by trackrat on Oct 15, 2011 7:05:23 GMT -5
I went to Northfield Friday night and Elliott Deaton was a completely different driver from the previous two occasions I have watched him and wagered on him. Last night, he actually looked interested in driving and the results showed.
On another subject, once again, I got stiffed by Zim and Torre in the last race, at 40-1. It was the only long shot in that race that I did not cover. I half-heartedly laughed all the way home, even though I lost money. The Northfield "racing" is incredibly bad right now.
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