In the Spotlight

Tweet It's one of those rare weekends in WNY and Southern Ontario, when the racing world actually focuses on our neck of the woods. There was actually a full page in the Buffalo News sports section devoted to racing today. I can't remember (other than Derby Day) when that's happened. The main reason is that it's Prince of Wales Day at Fort Erie with a seven horse field of Canadian-bred three year olds. The $500K second jewel of Canada's triple crown will be run over the dirt and Plate winner Not Bourbon (7-5 ML) will surely be the favorite when they reach the post sometime around 4:49pm. There's actually plenty going on around here this weekend, as the Yankees have been in Toronto for a weekend series, the second leg of the Big Apple Triple was run yesterday down the thruway in Canandaigua, and the 25th annual Taste of Buffalo is in full force. Congrats to Tin Cup Chalice, love that name, for hitting the second leg of OTB's Big Apple Triple at Finger Lakes. He now goes after a $250K bonus at Saratoga on August 20th in the Albany Stakes.

It rained pretty hard yesterday afternoon and looks like we had some rain last night so the Fort Erie track may be a bit damp today based on what my driveway looks like this morning. It is a good day to play "beat the favorite" as it is NB's first time on the dirt in nine outings and I just like playing against the polytrack to dirt angle. So I'm taking a flyer in this one. Pewter, out of the James Bond barn, should be a big number at the window today, has good off track pedigree (should it stay muddy) and has some very good works on his tab over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga. Bond is a good trainer and wouldn't put him in here unless he thought he had something. He, like rival Harlem Rocker, failed miserably on the polytrack in his last outing, the Plate Trial. Both he and the Rocker (Coa coming in for the ride) are well rested and should be in great shape entering today. So, I'm going with an $007 exacta box with those two (Pewter/Rocker) and $007 win/place on Pewter today. I'll be watching with martini in hand, shaken not stirred.