Monday Morning Armchairing

Tweet After spending a nice day away from handicapping in the Finger Lakes (who knew there is such a thing as a Garlic Festival) celebrating my anniversary with the Space Gal, lots of goings on over the first weekend in August:

- With Week 2 of Saratoga coming to a close today, Johnny V leads the jockey colony with 16 wins and earnings in excess of $1.4M. Shockingly (not really) his main trainer Todd Pletcher leads the trainers with wins at 6, with Contessa, Dutrow and Asmussen one behind.

- Big Brown should run in the Mass Cap on September 20th at Suffolk Downs. It would be a great thing for a second tier track and would generate a ton of interest in a huge market such as Boston to our sport. As much as it will pain me to not see him again (first time was the Belmont), it would be best for the sport and the horse not to run him back in three weeks. My opinion.

- Solution to when you get aggravated with the TVG hosts: 1) mute button, 2) twinspires.com live video.

- Kudos to bloggers Teresa of Brooklyn Backstretch and Jessica of Railbird for their appearance on Capital OTB's Call to the Post this morning, hosted by Equidaily's Seth Merrow. They answered a myriad of questions on the internet, blogging and its impact on generating interest in the sport. Nice work.

- Now that I've discovered the Capital OTB channel's streaming site, I'm a happy guy. Ah, the internet, never ceases to amaze me. P.S. Dale Romans' young son, Jake, filling in on the Siro's handicapping show had the crowd roaring today picking his father's horse Precious Beans in the fifth with the quip "Hey, I had a tip on him."

- Wish I could be a fly on the wall in the Packers locker room today for when Aaron Rodgers says "hey" to Brett Favre. "So, how's your summer been?"

- Music Note to the Travers? I vote no. The Alabama will be by far the best race of the meet and will rocket either her or Proud Spell to the front of the class for 3yo filly of the year honors. Hope they stay the course.

- Third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown yesterday at Woodbine won by Marlang (one of only two graded turf winners in the race) wherein James Bond's Solitaire, a maiden, was the post time favorite. Has to be a first that a maiden was the favorite in that race. Ouch.

- Hit the Grand Slam on Friday ($38.20) and Saturday ($20.50) at the Spa after my post last week. It's a bet I forgot all about on opening day, but have taken a liking to.

- Channing Hill had a great ride on Stalingrad in the Fourstardave yesterday, I'm starting to like this 20 year old more and more each day and am starting to keep a closer eye on his mounts.

- (Update) Marylou Whitney Stables keeps 'em right on coming. Following up on the Luv Gov who ran Saturday, today's fifth features Ninth Client. You go girl. (Update 2: Won in a dead heat at around 9-1!)