Ross Gallo found himself facing the possibility of early elimination from the 10 Days of Festivus Challenge Handicapping Contest after he “kind of forgot” to purchase two $5 lifelines when he entered the event, which ran from Dec. 6-24.
After his selection on the first day ran out of the money, the Jupiter, Fla., resident needed to pick a horse that hit the board (first, second or third) on Dec. 7 or be knocked out, since the next opportunity to buy lifelines wasn’t until the third day of action on Dec. 11.
Gallo might have forgotten to protect himself when he registered for the contest, but he remembered how to handicap when he picked 2-year-old colt Innately Good, a 44-1 shot making his second career start, to win the seventh race for maidens at a mile on the turf.
“His first race (on Sept. 28 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota) was a 5-furlong turf sprint, and he had a troubled trip (finishing fifth),” Gallo said. “He made a good middle move and finished well and galloped out past everybody. I thought, distance is what this horse wants.”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Rather than play it safe just to stay alive until he could buy more lifelines, Gallo decided to go with his instincts, even though he didn’t know Innately Good’s jockey Betty Jo Williams. “I thought the horse had a puncher’s chance, and I even gave it out to a couple of my friends,” Gallo said. “When I handicap, I look at the Daily Racing Form and I watch race replays, and I really liked the horse very much.”
So much that he made his usual $2 to win, $3 to place and $5 to show longshot play, atop of making Innately Good his contest selection. When Innately Good and Williams overtook 13-10 favorite Sky Masterson in deep stretch to post a ¾-length victory and paid $91.20 to win, $32.40 to place and $15.40 to show, Gallo collected a holiday bonus of $178.30 before the 10 Days of Festivus Challenge had even warmed up.
But after scorching all but the handful of rivals from a field of 1,067 players who also picked Innately Good, Gallo knew he was in a great position to go all the way. He was first in line to purchase two $10 lifelines on Dec. 11, and he bought another on Dec. 18 for $25 to ensure he’d be around to the finish.
“In this contest, you have to pick well and you also have to stay alive,” said Gallo, whose final bankroll figure of $232.40 was good for first-place money of $1,000. Bob Folk finished second with a bankroll of $195.40 to earn $500. Only 11 players were left at the end.
Gallo, who plans to compete in the “Live It Up Challenge” contest beginning Jan. 18 and the two-day, on-track High Rollers Handicapping Contest Feb. 14 and 15, was ecstatic about his victory. He picked winners the last two days: Gulfstream Park ship-in Havildar and Legitimize – who paid $13.40 to win despite having a maiden special weight score at Saratoga on his ledger – to keep Folk and his other pursuers safely behind.
“I wanted to win so bad. (On the last day) I felt safe, but I still wanted to pick a winner. I felt like a golfer who needed three putts to win, but I still wanted to make the 10-foot birdie putt,” Gallo said. “The $1,000 isn’t going to change my life, but I wanted to win just to say I did it.
“I’ve played this contest every year and I’ve had some chances, but I’ve never won. It’s very difficult playing against 1,000 other handicappers,” Gallo, 64, said. “I won a contest for the whole meet at Del Mar in the early 2000s that got me a National Horseplayers Championship spot, but I’ve never beaten this many people.”
Around the oval. Samy Camacho rode three winners today, vaulting atop the jockey standings with 26 victories, one more than Samuel Marin.
Camacho won the first race on Rock d’Oro, a 2-year-old colt owned by Amo Racing USA and trained by Jorge Delgado. Camacho added the fifth with Miuccia, a 3-year-old filly owned by JR Ranch and trained by Gustavo Delgado.
Camacho came through again in the seventh race aboard Zatip, a 5-year-old gelding owned and trained by Juan Arriagada. Zatip was claimed from the race by trainer Aldana Spieth for $8,000 for new owner Bruno Schickedanz.
Thoroughbred racing continues Wednesday, New Year’s Day, with a nine-race card beginning at 12:28 p.m. All North American racehorses celebrate their birthdays on Jan. 1 for record-keeping purposes, regardless of their actual birthdates.
Tampa Bay Downs is open every day for simulcast wagering, no-limits action and tournament play in The Silks Poker Room and golf fun and instruction at The Downs Golf Practice Facility.
