Holiday Blather

Tweet Some say he was the worst Derby favorite in recent memory in 2006. The former Illinois Derby winner is entered in tomorrow's Wadsworth Memorial Handicap down the thruway in Canandaigua at Finger Lakes Race Track. Sweetnorthernsaint, becomes the second Derby entrant in the last three years to run at the track located in wine country in western New York, was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in tomorrow's $65K race. Funny Cide ran his career finale there on the 4th of July in 2007. It's still a track that I haven't been to yet, literally less than 75 miles away, but it's in the works for later this summer.

Another local bit of good news (for those who haven't obtained their passports or enhanced licenses and are devoid of an ADW account) for western New Yorkers is that the WROTB will start handling bets on Fort Erie, just in time for the prestigious Prince of Wales Stakes set for next weekend. I was in the Ridge Lea location yesterday to enter a weekly free contest on the Belmont card (picked 3 of 8 winners, 2 seconds killed me, didn't qualify) that they move around the different branches around the metro Buffalo area. Lockport Transit location's contest next Wednesday is on the radar where I'll be accompanied by my handicapping pal G squared.

Speaking of contests, still hanging in the Monmouth Survival at the Shore, currently sitting in 140th with $501.60, with 495 active players remaining. I wasn't aware of the grant of an additional life preserver, until reading it at Red Rock or Bust, so that was a bonus as I was flying naked. The contest is a brilliant marketing tool, as I have downloaded the PP's daily, I am starting to know the jockey colony and I make a daily play on a track that I normally wouldn't play in favor of the NYRA tracks.

Off to see the much ballyhooed movie, The Hangover....