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Itsmyluckyday wins Woodward at Saratoga

By WTOP Staff

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — Itsmyluckyday dueled with Moreno from the gate into deep stretch, surging in the shadow of the wire to win the Grade 1 $600,000 Woodward by a half-length Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Ridden by Paco Lopez, the 4-year-old Itsmyluckyday ran 1 1/8 miles on the main track in 1:48.84 and paid $7.70, $3.70 and $3 as the 5-2 second choice in a field of nine older horses.

Lopez also won the Grade 2 Prioress aboard Stonetastic in the Grade 2 $300,000 Prioress for 3-year-old fillies.

“It’s what racing’s all about,” winning trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said. “You could play this stretch drive to anybody, whether they’re a racetrack fan or not, and they’re going to recognize something special just happened.”

Moreno, the front-running winner of the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 2, returned $4.20 and $4. Prayer For Relief paid $6 to show.

New York-bred Zivo had his six-race win streak snapped, finishing fourth. Stephanoatsee, Last Gunfighter, Long River, Romansh and Norumbega completed the order of finish.

Trained by Plesa for Trilogy Stable and his wife, Laurie Plesa, Itsmyluckyday finished second behind Moreno in the Whitney. Fitted with blinkers for the first time, he outran Moreno to the wire and survived a claim of foul by jockey Junior Alvarado for interference in the stretch.

Second in the Preakness last year before being injured, Itsmyluckyday earned his first Grade 1 victory and increased his career purse winnings to $1,662,600.

Also, Wise Dan won the Grade 2 $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap, and Palace won the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego for older sprinters.

Wise Dan held off long-shot Optimizer by a nose. Ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the two-time reigning Horse of the Year returned to racing 15 weeks after emergency colic surgery. Favored at 4-5 in a field of nine older horses, Wise Dan ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.08 — 0.17 seconds off the main turf course record.

“He showed today why he is the two-time Horse of the Year,” trainer Charles LoPresti said. “He’ll be way tougher next time.”

Bred and owned by Morton Fink, Wise Dan raced to his third victory in three starts this year and paid $3.60, $3.10 and $2.20. Wise Dan has 22 victories in 30 lifetime starts, and the $150,000 winner’s share pushed his career earnings to $6,952,920.

Optimizer returned $14.60 and $8.20, and Five Iron paid $4.70 to show. Sayaad, Bio Pro, North Star Boy, Sky Blazer, Boisterous and Paris Vegas completed the order of finish.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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