Redo the Rereadthefootnotes footnotes

When Rereadthefootnotes went postward as the overwhelming 17-to-20 choice in the eighth race on Monday at Saratoga Race Course, bettors were counting on the Read the Footnotes (who else?!!) colt to replicate his fast win in a first-level New York-bred allowance race on June 20 at Belmont Park.

I made the mistake of singling Rereadthefootnotes in the pick four on a very small play trying to turn 17-to-20 into at least 2-to-1. I coasted through the first two legs, albeit with short prices, but the ticket became worthless in the amount of time it took jockey Alan Garcia to pull Rereadthefootnotes out of the race around the eighth pole.

Except he didn't pull up Rereadthefootnotes, and the horse managed to regroup and save third by a head over Benlayla. Garcia apparently struggled with the Rereadthefootnotes trying to get it to change leads.

Multitude and his backers benefited most from Rereadthefootnotes' sudden deceleration. The Fusaichi Pegasus gelding had tracked Rereadthefootnotes throughout the whole race, and the pair appeared headed for a protracted duel through the stretch, but when Garcia hit the brakes, Multitude kept going and won by seven easy lengths. Overextended overtook Rereadthefootnotes to finish second and complete a 57-to-1 exacta--second choice with fifth choice in the field of eight.

The comments in the chart on the race say, "Multitude pressed the pace from outside, opened clear advantage in midstretch and drew off late. Overextended trailed after being pinched back at the start, moved between horses on the turn and closed late to gain the place. Rereadthefootnotes dueled along the rail for a half and weakened."

First, the note on Multitude makes it sound like he dueled his foe into submission before drawing off to win like Secretariat. Second, the note on Rereadthefootnotes makes no mention that jockey did everything but take his mount out of the race. The fact that Rereadthefootnotes was able to save third is a testament to his grittiness (yes, even in statebred N2X/$25k company). The note on Overextended makes it sound like he overcame Rereadthefootnotes.

This chart underscores the importance of watching races live, checking replays, and keeping notes.

I don't want the above to come off as sour grapes since I singled Rereadthefootnotes because just as the chart callers left something off in footnoting the race, so, too, did I make a mistake in betting on Rereadthefootnotes at odds on.

Here's a horse who runs a big number in the slop in his first race in nine months, then gets seven weeks off before showing up at odds on while figuring to face pace pressure. This was definitely a horse to play against at that price, and the winner was worth every penny at 16-to-5.

We'll get'em next time, though, armed with information that most people won't find in the program, but I again, I suspect the value will be in betting against Multitude versus betting on Rereadthefootnotes.