Weekend Express

Tweet Best line from the movie "The Express" that the Space Gal and I had a chance to see over the weekend via an early showing on Saturday: "If you have a thoroughbred, you don't leave it locked in the barn." ~ Syracuse Coach Ben Schwartzwalder

The movie, by the way, was excellent, as sports movies go. Of course, I'm biased, being from Syracuse and graduating from Elmira (where Ernie played his high school ball), but I recommend it very highly. Dennis Quaid had a terrific performance as Coach Ben.

Well, La Chica Rica, put up a fight for most of the race, but died in the stretch finishing last in her try against some very tough competition. On the wagering front, I played a $1 exacta box with All Giving, her rival and sheepishly played a $3 exacta box of All Giving (7-1) and Spectacular Malibu, (7/2) returning $115 and saving a day where I was getting murdered at Belmont. I kept having the place and show horses in my exactas, so I was sniffing it all day. I really (and I mean really really) liked Munnings along with Cribnote in the Champagne, who blew the final turn in the Hopeful, but still finished second. Unfortunately for my wallet, a very solid Vineyard Haven blew them both away in the stretch.

I was all over the place on Saturday (actually hunkered down on the couch with Tanner Jones (TJ), my dog) playing the NTRA/TVG handicapping challenge and the Belmont card. I finished with $42.60 in the contest (picked 3 winners of 10 races at Keeneland and Oak Tree). I chalked it up to experience, and at least finished with a postive ROI. Gotta keep trying. Keeneland was next to impossible for me where I only hit 1 of 6 races (Winward Islands), Oak Tree was a little nicer to me hitting 2 winners of 4 races (Tizfiz and Queen of the Catsle). I also checked in on Woodbine (ESPN showed both big races) and actually hit a $2 show bet on 35-1 Spice Route, paying $15.50 (he actually came in second). So it was a fun day overall keeping pace with about five tracks at once (a record for me), whilst having a nice game of fetch with TJ.

Handride has an interesting post up at the Blood-Horse (who is sponsoring a TBA blog for the month of October!) about the NTRA (or any lottery winner) buying TVG and changing the structure to accomodate the race tracks, ADWs and the like. I was just thinking the other day, after I read that the MLB channel is about to commence operations on 1/1/09, that all of the "major" sports (NFL, NHL, NBA and now MLB) have their own channels that command their own viewership. Patrick may be on to something here. I know the NTRA Marketing Report had a section on NTRA Films (ala NFL Films) which I think would be fantastic and would keep folks like me (who are a little short on history) even more into the game and educate us on past horses, trainers and races.

OK, off to Toronto for a bizness meeting, too bad Woodbine is dark today...shoot.