11/21 Playing within your limits is important to perspective. Every bet is important and every bet has a goal. Working closely with DRF Bets customers I realize that people start their wagering days from many different places. Some have huge bankrolls and many have small bankrolls. Goals vary depending upon daily circumstances. One thing that remains constant is the passion. Whether a bet is for $2 or $200 you want to win. My goal on 11/21 was to build a bankroll. I was committed to doing whatever it would take to move the chains forward. Any loss that put me on the precipice of busting would be catastrophic, so I played from race to race with very specific goals. Bankroll: $20 Focus: Everywhere... Goal: Move the chains and get the bankroll to $100. Handle should be at least that of starting bankroll. Aqueduct race 1 State bred MSW off the turf. Normally a pass but I wanted to move the bankroll and begin to work handle. 8-Tough Temper (7-2) showed speed sprinting on turf last out and has dirt pedigree for a good trainer. $2 to show on 8. She set the pace through top stretch. Battled to mid-stretch and then tired and faded holding distant 3rd. Show paid $4.40. Profit of $2.40.  Bankroll: $22.40 Gulfstream Park West race 1 The favorite looks vulnerable as she switches from turf to dirt. $2 to show on 7-Close Connection (15-1) who has consistent dirt form. She went to the front and never looked back against a weak field. With a light bankroll the goal is to get to $30 so the win bet didn't cross my mind. With a bigger bankroll it would have been an option along with multiple win exotics as she was a usable longshot. The vulnerable favorite was off the board. Show paid $6.40. Profit $4.40. Bankroll: $26.80. Aqueduct race 2 7-Mordi's Miracle looked good here but I was not confident he could win. That said with the drop in class and the cutback he should have been able to finish at least 2nd so the play was $2 to place on 7. He got bet down to even money and basically aired. Place paid $3.20. Profit $1.20.  Bankroll: $28. The immediate goal was still $30. Gulfstream Park West race 2 This was really a tough race because nobody in here liked to win. However 2-Krista's Persona was first time Robert Dibona and had some class which I thought would help her be competitive. Her best race would win this event. She was 4th choice in the show pool and 7-2 in the win pool when I wagered $2 to show. She went off the favorite at 2-1 and basically had every chance, but when she didn't get the lead she flattened out late and finished 4th. Loss of $2. Bankroll: $26. The goal was still $30. Churchill Downs race 2 7-Chance of Reign (9-1) cuts back from turf route to dirt sprint. $2 to show. Raced midpack with little impact. Bankroll: $24 Aqueduct race 3 Although he was 0-14 in his career, Jacob's Here made a lot of sense to me. I bet $2 to win and place. With bigger bankroll this would be prime play based on my trip notes but I needed to play to the situation and the bankroll. At 4-1 he out-gutted the other MTO for the win. Win profit $8.80 and place $1.90. Bankroll: $34.70. The new goal was $40. Laurel race 4 14-Whisky Rock was cutting back from 7F to 5.5F. I didn’t see outside post as negative and the main competition seemed to come from turf sprinters. With the best dirt form he figured to be in contention. However with his 1-15 lifetime record I was not that confident that he could win. On ability he fit well and with the goal being to get the bankroll to $40 the play was $2 to show on the 14. When I placed the bet he was 9-2. In a minute he went from 5-2 to 7-2 and finally went off at 3-1. As the 2nd choice he finished a clear 2nd. Paid $3.20. Bankroll: $35.90. Gulfstream Park West race 4 Why was 10-Lori's Store 47-1? I played a super 2-5-7-9/2-5-7-9/2-5-7-9/10 for 10 cents ($2.40 wager) and also played $2 on Lori's Store to show. This was her home state of Florida and she fit well in this Grade 3 affair. I thought she could easily finish ITM and at over 40-1 I wanted her covered in the 3rd and 4th spot. With a $2.40 superfecta option I was within the budget of the bankroll. She closed stoutly and I thought she got 2nd but she actually got 4th. Came in 2/5/7/10. She went off at 45-1. Profit of $57.98. Bankroll: $93.88. The goal is to get to $100. Aqueduct race 5 9-Lord of Love stretched out and was the longest shot on the board at 18-1. The two turns could have been an issue but the price made him usable. $2 to show. He was more forwardly placed early than I thought and although he had an OK trip he was unable to close into a relatively slow pace. The value was the front-running Macagone at 3-1. Loss of $2. Bankroll: $91.88. Laurel race 6 3-Star Black looked like value at 8-1 so I put $2 to show on this closer who was moving up in class. The goal of $100 for the bankroll was in reach and I'm just looking to move the chains. This is an impulsive play done with quick handicapping. I may have rushed this decision. She had a good trip but was unable to close into a slow pace and finished 6th. Bankroll: $89.88. Laurel race 7 6-El Oh El has shown an insane closing kick at times. He figured to be far out of it but with his late run I felt he was a good bet to finish in the money, so I bet $4 to show on 6. He had a wide trip and  was a clear 3rd. The show payoff was $5.60 for a total profit of $7.20. Bankroll: $97.08. Aqueduct race 8 I only needed $3 to reach my goal for the day. Lubash was 2-1 and always showed up, but this was a yielding surface and that could be a factor. Slip By and English Minister were both coming off good efforts over a yielding surface at Laurel. $2 to show on English Minister (13-1). Had a good trip but just wasn't good enough as he pressed pace but faded to 7th. Bankroll: $95.08 Churchill Downs race 7 Bombo Genesis stretched out to 2 turns and was doing something for the 1st time as the favorite. Why did I play $2 win-place on this 2-1 favorite? She broke poorly and was rank. The 1st clear cut bad decision of the day. It's no coincidence that it came after lunch and also while my wife was trying to get on the computer. I'm pressing to get to the goal. Loss of $4. Bankroll: $91.08 Parx race 9 A lot of stretch-outs but 7-Graves Island (9-2) looked like he might want the distance more. $2 to win and place. For some reason when the race went off I watched the 6 horse, who finished last.  I assumed a loss of $4 but, still being distracted from the lunch and wife, didn’t realize I had actually won. Bankroll: $87.08 Woodbine race 7 The rail horse 1-Just Reno took early money but drifted up to 3-1, which made him value.  $3 to win and place. I am now chasing like a madman. I feel the pressure. Just Reno got stuck on the rail and when clear couldn't catch the leaders and finished 3rd. Loss of $6. Bankroll: $81.08. I checked my balance and found out that my horse won the 9th race at Parx, paying $11.80 to win and $4.80 to place. As I mentioned I was looking at the 6 horse but I had bet the 7 horse. So I hit my goal in the Parx race but after the Woodbine race the bankroll dropped back under $100.  Bankroll: $97.68 The goal is still $100. Laurel race 10 Tried to get over the top with a $2 show bet on Slew's Love (5-1) in the nightcap. Never made an impact. Loss of $2. Bankroll: $95.68 Churchill Downs race 9. The race looked like it set up well for 3-Bagg O'Day, who I thought should be able to rate and then make his run. $2 to win and place. He ran behind lightning fast pace and won. Win profit $4.80 and $2.60. Bankroll goal reached: $105.08. Breakdown Starting bankroll: $20 Wagered $50.40 Ending bankroll: $105.80 +$85.80 ROI: +$1.69/$1.00 W-Pl-Sh wagers: Wagered: $48 +$27.10 ROI: +0.56/$1.00 Win bets: $11 3-5 (60%) +$18.40 Place bets: 4-6 (66%)  +5.50 Show bets: $24 4-11 (36%) +1.20 Exotic wagers 1-1 (100%) $2.40 +59.98 Playing within your limits is important. Every bet is important and every bet has a goal. To heighten the impact of each decision I started play with a $20 bankroll and made sure I had race-to-race goals. The bankroll is your lifeblood, so in order to sustain it you need to consider using all pools to keep it pumping. Often this is overlooked. I did things I normally would not do such as make 11 show bets, and despite the lousy 36% hit rate, I still showed an overall profit and the timing of the wagers helped me to stay afloat and keep my confidence. I set very realistic goals and tried to advance from point to point. When an opportunity presented itself I stayed within the boundaries of my bankroll. One mistake or overbet and I would put myself in a bust position, which needed to be avoided. This exercise is not over. I am used to playing with a bigger bankroll and my current goal is to continue to grow this bankroll, adjusting the maximum play to 5%. The breakdown of the 2nd $100, if I can achieve that goal, will possibly be different as I am not as close to my own goal line but still have a ways to go to get to midfield. Let’s call that $500.