Rolling through Farch

Tweet You know Farch, the time of year when February and March kinda blend together here on the East Coast. The Space Gal and I. after a few cocktails, thought we could create a new holiday to be celebrated every February 29th honoring Farch. We figured we could throw a bash to benefit some charitable organization. The key word there was "after a few cocktails." We did help organize a party last year, but the organizers freaked out when I had the inset ad put in a local rag, as they thought too many people would show up. She was wrong and the party sucked. Maybe we'll resurrect it in another 3 years. Anyways, I thought I'd share after watching the prep races and the weather drop 30 degrees yesterday after a quick thaw. Happy Farch.

It sure was nice watching the sunshine at Gulfstream and Santa Anita today thinking it sure would be nice being there to enjoy it. I'll bet Quality Road moves up on a few lists this week, even though he's not nominated to the Triple Crown (why wouldn't his connections nominate him.., isn't that puzzling?). He had one lone solitary vote in the Paulick Derby Index through week two, which appears to have been a vote during week one as none of the pollsters listed QR in last week's top ten. Hmm. No sight him of over at the experts at kentuckyderby.com which features four writers. I did note that Beethoven was charging late and will need to watch it again to see if we can make more of this as the race was shortened to a mile...

On the other coast, the chalk was the story as the big grapefruit, The Pamplemousse, romped home over east coast shipper Take the Points, thwarting Garret Gomez from taking his fifth victory of the day. Shouldn't the grapefruit be running in Florida? Anyways, the big question will be whether he can handle the real stuff come Derby Day. He can handle the Pro-Ride without question as he put this field away pretty handily. It appears he and Pioneerof the Nile are not on a collision course as the P will probably point to the SA Derby and PotN is slated to go in the San Felipe (G2) in two weeks. Ah, how the synth plays a factor in reading this Derby puzzle.

Kobe screwed me last night with his beautiful 10-31 shooting performance.....I was sitting with 10 straight wins in ESPN's Streak for the Cash ($1M if you select 27 straight)...my Lakers selection ended my best skein to date. Geoff Ogilvy picked me back up this afternoon with 2 wins....one good thing about this contest is you can pick 4 games/day on the weekends and maybe 3 during the week. It's damn hard though...oh well. That's why they call it gambling.

Bobby Unser gets it..

Tweet "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet."
~ 3 time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser

It's the first really big weekend of Kentucky Derby preps and it's time to start separating the haves with the have nots.

I've been staying away from the handicapping in the blog (mainly cuz I'm mediocre at best) but I decided to jump back in this weekend with both feet. My horseplaying has been relegated to Sunday afternoon on Aqueduct since tax season started so it's time to start sharpening the pencil again.

The Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream tomorrow is big puzzle. There's all kinds of talent in this one. The race has been shortened this year to a mile, but nonetheless has attracted a number of Derby hopefuls. The four horses I like the best in this one are all stuck in the outer posts, which we all know is the kiss of death at GP, unless you're Big Brown. I'm going to stay away from the favorite in post 12 This One's For Phil, who had the freakish Beyer figure last time out. I like the undefeated Taqarub (can't believe I didn't put this one in my RtR stable) with the Garcia/McLaughlin connection in his first route race. I will be keyboxing him with Break Water Edison, Capt. Candyman Can, and Quality Road in an exacta play. BWE has run against some excellent competition and I'm looking for him to return to the form he showed at the Big A in November. I think Quality Road will stretch out nicely and is first time lasix with Johnny V in the irons. Capt. Candyman Can (5-1) will probably get bet down below his morning line, but should hit the board.

The Sham is being run at Santa Anita and the Big Grapefruit is the 9-5 morning line favorite. I'm taking a stand against The P in this one and going with Pletcher's shipper Take the Points who draws Gomez for the mount for the first time. He passed going on the dirt to run on the synth at SA..i know, i know...stay away, stay far away! But Pletcher knows what he's doing so he must know something about this horse....I'll box a tri also with Mr. Hot Stuff and the first two in case the Big P thwarts my thought process.

Interesting that Dick Powell has jumped on the Dunkirk bandwagon. He knows his stuff so maybe we need to keep a close eye on this one. I'm not there yet, let's see him against some true competition, but as Mr. Unser says...opportunity is also an ingredient for success.

Enjoy the races...and please take a minute and vote on the best handicapping book on the sidebar, it's neck and neck right now...thanks to all who have participated thus far...

Under the Radar

Tweet So it's been over eight months since the Congressional hearings where our sport was called into the principal's office...but it seems as though with all of the global happenings over the past few months (i.e. economic meltdown, ponzi schemes, elections, inaugurations, etc.) we've been under the radar on Capitol Hill and got away with nothing less than detention. I guess they must have more important things to worry about these days than horse racing. Anyone else wonder what really was accomplished by the hearings? I understand there's been some movement related to the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance and the banning of steroids in certain states...but really was anything really accomplished??

How smart was it that Rick Dutrow came down with the flu a la Ferris Bueller the day of the hearings, looking back wasn't that convenient? Ask Miguel Tejada if you're wondering. One thing I thought that would come out of the hearings was a movement towards a national office with a commissioner to end (or unify) the disjointed collection of racing commissions (is there really 39 different jurisdictions or some crazy number like that?) and provide the much-needed leadership our sport cries out for...

Check out this week's Paulick Derby Index, where we have the following five TBA bloggers: Handride, Foolish Pleasure, Superfectablog, Gathering the Wind, and Left at the Gate as expert panelists in the UPI Coaches Poll-like index that is creating a nice buzz leading up to the Run for the Roses.

In case you're wondering how Dutrow took a page out of Ferris' book....it never gets old...

Did You Know...

Tweet - That 62 years ago today (1947 for those of you without calculators or strong SAT Math scores) the Thoroughbred Racing Associations approved the use of lip tatoos as a method of identifying thoroughbred racehorses.

- That 30 years ago today at Waterford Park (now known as Mountaineer) trainer J.C. Williams saddled eight winners in twelve entries (and he owned seven of the eight winners!). How amazing is that.

- That according to novareinna.com: the origin of "Fat Tuesday" is believed to have come from the ancient Pagan custom of parading a fat ox through the town streets. Such Pagan holidays were filled with excessive eating, drinking and general bawdiness prior to a period of fasting. Since the modern day Carvinal Season is sandwiched between Christmas and Lent, with Christmas Day being December 25 on the Gregorian Calendar as set by the Roman Catholic Church, this means that other Holy Days are "floating" in nature. Easter always falls on a Sunday, but it can be any Sunday from March 23 through April 25, its actual date being the Sunday which follows the first Full Moon after the Spring Equinox. Mardi Gras is always 47 days prior to this alloted Sunday (the 40 days of Lent plus seven Sundays)." Got Beads?

Happy Fat Tuesday!

And if you're just checking back in, please vote on the poll above the TBA Standing on the left hand side for the best handicapping book out there....

My Top Five Cappin' Books

Tweet It's about that time where I pull out my Betting the Kentucky Derby book to refresh myself in some of the betting ideosyncracies that are aligned with the Derby. Last year I started a spreadsheet on each of the horses in the starting gate and various statistics outlined in the book. It helped me hit the Big Brown-Eight Belles exacta ($154.50) and I think I'll probably be putting it together again this spring.

So while we're on the topic of racing books here are my Top Five favorite books that have helped me understand some of the finer points of handicapping:

1 - Exotic Betting by Steven Crist. In my humble opinion, the best of the best. His chapters on multirace betting are legendary and his ABC system for these wagers has proven profitable for Mr. Crist, especially in the past year if you've been following his blog. Aside from the multirace techniques his wagering strategies to maximize bankroll in exacta and trifecta betting was most valuable to me. I've read this book over and over to refresh myself when I fall back into some of my bad betting habits.

2 - Bet with the Best 2: Longshots by various authors. This book has a number of chapters by various different racing authors. My favorite chapters are by Steve Davidowitz on Trainer and Track Specific Angles, Tom Brohamer on the Turn Back Play and finally Laurn Stich on Hidden Turf Angles and Sires. I read this book over the summer and learned a lot from a wide array of turf writers.

3 - Betting the Kentucky Derby by Dean Keppler. For the reasons stated above. Interesting chapters on how preps, pedigree, beyer speed figures and post positions have historically figured into the puzzle that is selecting the Derby champ.

4 - Betting Synthetic Surfaces by Bill Finley. His statistical analysis on synthetic tracks helped inspire me to do my own study prior to the Breeders Cup on the Oak Tree meet preceding the big weekend. Interesting chapters on the Dirt to Synth and Turf to Synth angles as well as some analysis of the top sires for synthetic runners has been extremely helpful when handicapping the fake stuff.

5 - Expert Handicapping by Dave Litfin. I really enjoyed this NY-based writer's book, which is another one I read again from time to time to sharpen my skills. He introduced me on how to read Tomlinson figures and how to properly evaluate a favorite for vulnerability. An excellent read with real life examples.

While these are just a few of the numerous excellent books on the topic, here are a few more in my library that earn an honorable mention (HM):

HM - Handicapping Contest Handbook by Noel Michaels. The must read chapter for any handicapping contestant is on strategy, and it is a good one. This book has some value to purchase and while most of it is common sense it definitely helped me when I attended my first real-time contest in Vegas. Unfortunately for me I didn't follow the strategy...

HM - Handicapping 101 by Brad Free. A must read for the novice handicapper. Aptly named, it has a thorough discussion of the four tenets of handicapping - form, class, speed and pace highlight a book steeped with real life examples of how to read past performances. The second book I ever read on the topic.

HM - Six Secrets of Successful Bettors by Scartoni and Fornatale. The authors interviewed more than two dozen professional players and identified six secrets that all of these successful players have in common. Beyer, Free, Crist, Davidowitz, Friedman, Serling and several anonymous pros are all featured in this engaging book. Best chapter: The Never-Ending Quest for Value (Secret: They only bet when they have an edge.)

HM - Speed to Spare by Joe Cardello. Read this one over the summer and picked up a few tips on identifying Beyer Tops, Beyer Bouncers and Patterns and Cycles when evaluating the ever present speed figs.

HM - Betting on Horse Racing (for Dummies) by Richard Eng. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the first book I ever read on betting the ponies. For the first time bettor or track goer, it handles all the basics with ease. While the Saratoga Resident gave me my first lesson during the summer of 2004 on the fly, I picked this one up shortly after my first foray to better understand the game.

I'm sure I've missed a few good ones, let me know where I missed the boat....

[Update: I put up a poll on the left hand column based on the comments received..please let me know your thoughts!]

Wasn't me...

Tweet Seriously, how could this one slip past The Jockey Club? Hilarious. Adolescent humor at its best. I should have submitted it to mibredclaimer's race call contest. You've probably seen this before...but tonight was the first time I came across it...

courtesy: hifiami

Ramblings of the Sleep Deprived

Tweet I'm getting more sleep than the Space Gal, but man, I forgot how hard this is. The nocturnal Space Kid is testing our wits, but we're hanging in there, so pardon tonight's sleep deprived ramblings...

The popularity of the Kentucky Derby proves it is our one shining moment of the year and that we have to make the most of it. For comparison sake this past weekend's Daytona 500 (NASCAR's signature event) drew a 9.2 overnight rating, wherein last year's Derby drew a 9.5. This is comparable to NBA Finals and World Series games that draw in the 10.0 range. (Source: USA Today)

Don't think the small guys can't take on the big boys. Check out how PA-based and Space Gal favorite convenience store Sheetz (she once suggested we put Sheetz carpet in our game room) took Subway to the cleaners in court over their ingenious (nary I say original) $4 dollar footlong sale. Good thing because they have some paper towel dispensers that need some work. What does this have to do with horse racing? Nothing.

Speaking of funny (with hat tip to CanGamble's twitter post) this is one of the most hilarious racing posts I've read in a long time. It can't be too far behind based on BMO's impending debt call next month.

My first trek to Keeneland is in the works and looks like we could pull a Keeneland-Churchill Daily Double (closing day at KEE and opening day at CD) in late April, with a trip to Old Friends. Coming off my 24th tax season, that will be a nice reward! And you thought I was kidding about the Space Kid's track debut...

OK, I'll stop rambling and leave with you with two of my favorite Pittsburg Phil maxims:

"Cut your bets when in a losing streak and increase them when running in a spasm of good luck."

"Double your wagers when you have the bookmakers' money in hand."

Can Racing Generate America's Next Great Hero?

Tweet I'm thinking the timing is right.

A-Rod (I refuse to call him A-Fraud) is campaigning for forgiveness for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Michael Phelps has potentially lost millions for his recent appearance with that piece of equipment that rhymes with "wrong". The NFL is a daily police blotter, this week alone, Marshawn Lynch, Ahmad Bradshaw and Super Bowl winning kicker Jeff Reed were in the news for being on the wrong side of the law (and the law won). Lest we forget to mention what Michael Vick has done to his fans. How 'bout the Plaxico fiasco? Basketball is not exactly unscathed, I've run out of fingers to count the number of paternity suits currently pending. The closest we can come to the Great American Hero out of the four majors is Lebron James, and we'll see what the King does to his hometown Cleveland when the Big Apple comes a callin'.

So with all of the bad news out there in sports lately, isn't the timing perfect for a horse to capture a nation and propel our sport back on the front pages? The question we face annually, is whether there is a horse out there that can corral the Triple Crown, one of the most challenging feats out there over a timeframe from May 2nd to June 6th. When I googled "Triple Crown Hero", the horses who show up, first and foremost, are Secretariat, Affirmed and Seattle Slew. Horses that did the trick back in the 70's. So who is it? Old Fashioned? Not sure he can go the mile and a quarter, especially if he gets hooked into another speed duel up front (highly likely) in Louisville. What about one of the SoCal horses (The Pamplemousse, Pioneerof the Nile or Chocolate Candy)?

How about a jockey? When I googled hero above, the only jock that showed up was Stevie Cauthen. That's right, the 1977 Sportsman of the Year who has four SI covers under his belt. Can you believe it's been 32 years? With the new Animal Planet series bringing jockeys to the forefront of reality television, is there any chance a jockey can capture the hero role this year? Garret Gomez will most likely be on Pioneerofthe Nile for Bob Baffert, can the two time Eclipse winner grab the spotlight by winning his first Derby? Last year Desormeaux and Big Brown had it within reach, only to pull up short, but the major sports weren't on the downer they are mired in the controversy they are in today.

The Vacancy light is ON, I just hope, for our sports sake, there's a horse or jock out there that flips the switch. Whaddya think?

Presidential Handicapping

Tweet Not too often you can find handicappers being quoted in the Huffington Post, but last November, both Ray Paulick and noted horseplayer Mike Maloney (think he tires of being called a "whale"?) were asked if "handicappers can forecast the outcome of the presidential election better than polls?" Of course each came back with a hell yeah...now we know who to check in with in 2012...of course it's illegal to bet on a US Presidential election...

The $250K Southwest Stakes (G3) goes today at Oaklawn over 8 furlongs on the dirt with a couple Derby hopefuls Old Fashioned and Silver City looking to pave the way to Louisville. Both horses were part of the Derby Futures Pool #1 and ended up at 7-1 and 35-1, respectively. Silver City stretches out for the first time going longer than 6 1/2 furlongs and will most likely set the pace. Old Fashioned with NY riding leader Dominguez aboard, ran some monster races as a 2yo, we'll see how he does coming off a 2 1/2 month layoff. He's sure to be bet down in this one. If you're looking for a longshot, Loch Dubh has won three in a row and has attracted Jon Court (he of Jockeys fame) from the Left Coast to come in to ride.

Happy President's Day everyone...

Nothing better than Chocolate on V-Day

Tweet I have the best wife ever. She knows the way to my heart....she gave me the commemorative Kentucky Derby 135 glasses (see inset) and this year's super cool Kentucky Festival poster for the big day this year. Add in a little April trip to Keeneland after tax season and wah-lah...wife of the year honors are hers.

How good is it that EquiSpace R2R stable homeboy Chocolate Candy wins on Valentine's Day at Golden Gate Fields in the El Camino (G3) at 9 furlongs! He's a son of Candy Ride out of Seattle Slew mare Crownette who padded his graded stakes earnings in his shot at a starting gate on the First Saturday in May. I've had the watch on him ever since his 3rd place showing in the Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood where he closed late after being four wide on the turn to finish only 1 1/2 lengths behind Pioneerof the Nile and 1/2 length behind I Want Revenge. The last time a Derby threat emerged from this race was 1996 winner Cavonnier, who finished second in that year's Derby to Grindstone. Of course, Candy's future odds have dipped to 28-1, wherein they were north of 50-1 yesterday.

Speaking of futures, we'll take a look later this afternoon before 6pm to see if anything whets my taste. It's probably too early and risky at this juncture, but a couple $2 fliers may be in order. Big Drama, Candy and West Side Bernie are sentimental picks that if they stay upwards to 40-1 or so, it may be worth a shot.

Only watched three races live yesterday due to work and visiting in-laws, but was able to see the Sam F. Davis and watched by Public Handicapper selection AP Cardinal go out in fast fractions only to back up in the stretch. Ugh. It was one of those races I wished I had watched some earlier races, as they showed General Quarters last two races on TVG, both my father-in-law and I both said, wow that horse was closing fast at a shorter distance. Sometimes it pays to do your homework. I liked Cardinal's pedigree and the way he looked to be moving forward in his training. Oh well, he's not the first AP colt that's burned me.

Took a tough beat in the Hallandale Beach with Lime Rickey, who was closing fast but ran out of track. Lastly my Santa Maria Handicap selection Visit finished sixth as the favorite. She had never run on the fake stuff (rookie mistake), I was a little too trusting in Frankel's instincts, although Gomez looked to get boxed in and couldn't rally from the back of the pack.

Today it's off to frame shop to pick up a copy of the super cool lifesize poster collage of Curlin, sent to me by big Curlin Libby, who presented a similar copy to the Jacksons. It includes two blog posts, one by Kevin of Aspiring Horseplayer and yours truly, numerous action pictures of Curlin, tons of fans signatures and notes from Curlin fans. I have a special spot for it on the wall in my office that's been bare for a couple weeks....thanks again Libby for including me in that special tribute.

Tragedy

Tweet When a plane crashes into a home 6.3 miles from one's residence, it can certainly shake you. The Space Gal and I were both up with the Space Kid when the news hit that a commuter plane crashed in Clarence, a quaint burg just east of us. It's not everyday you see people you know on the national news. SG used to work in the local media so she was exchanging text messages with the reporter that was live on the scene (who was almost brought to tears after interviewing the brother of one of the victims). It's all very sad. I was on Facebook earlier in the evening and knew from the Turk's status that he was traveling, but his message said he was in Detroit, so I did breathe a big sigh of relief. If you have a minute today, say a prayer for the 49 that perished in Western New York last night and for the firefighters that moved quickly to control the crash scene and make sure no others lost their lives.

Futurama

Tweet Derby Future Pool #1 opens up tomorrow and runs through Sunday. The past performances are now available and can be found here. Betting into the first pool is risky as so much can happen between now and the First Saturday in May, injuries, non-qualifiers, etc. Last year's Pool #1 did not include Big Brown, thus the All Other 3yo category was the winning bet at 3-1. He also was excluded from Pool #2 and the All Other category paid 6-1 (not bad)....he was included in Pool #3 and ended up being the favorite and paid out at 3-1. This year's Pool #2 will be the weekend of March 12-15 and Pool #3 is slated for April 2-5.

In a new twist, during the second pool wagering, a Derby Exacta Future will be offered at a $2 minimum bet. I give them credit for trying to come up with a new idea to try and generate some early betting interests on the Road to the Roses.

Looking at the morning lines, there are some interesting lines to start out... Old Fashioned and Capt. Candyman Can the morning line favorites at 10-1. All Other 3yos starts out at 5-2 and will be a line to watch. Filly Stardom Bound is included in the Future Pool at 12-1. I'll take a peek at the odds sometime Sunday afternoon before the pools close to see if anything interests me. I'm a Chocolate Candy (50-1) and Big Drama (30-1) fan, but either would be purely a sentimental selection.

Speaking of the Road to the Roses, the TBA has a league set up, join up with the info you can find here. As of tonight, there are 25 entrants in our league, including yours truly. Join today.

Streaking

Tweet My man Ramon is on fire. The dude is lighting it up at the Big A and making the jockey race one for second place as he has the title all but locked up (165 48-27-21). He leads the next best jock CC Lopez by 23 wins and Rajiv by a half mil in earnings. After doing a little work on Sunday morning, I decided to dive into a little AQU only to watch Dominguez light it up all day long with three winners (Maven, Social Quest and Westside Flyer) and a show. While most of his compadres headed south a few weeks ago, he is shining on the inner track thriving in the cold weather. His showing Sunday was coming off a FIVE win Saturday, including riding Derby hopeful Haynesfield in the Whirlaway. A man of few words he described the victory this way: "The horse was much the best." He followed back to back wins on Saturday with three wins in a row two races later. Simply fabulous. The man can ride. He had a very good Saratoga meet (5th on the jockey board), look for him to continue to shine in his New York State of mind.

You can say he has been streaking.....which isn't such a bad thing...you can bring your green hat...

Surfing Efficiently

Tweet Handride's post about the TBA homepage got me thinking about my surfing habits when looking for horse racing news and tidbits (horse porn as the Space Gal puts it) and I guess it's pretty similar to most folks. I do head to the homepage to read the TBA blogs first, then usually jog around to Paulick, raceday360, equidaily, and then usually to the Albany Law School Racing and Gaming site (registration required) to see any new articles. This usually saves me from going directly to the Thoroughbred Times, Blood-horse or DRF sites to search around for articles or the like. My favorite mainstream bloggers are Steve Crist (DRF), Vic Zast and John Pricci (Horseracing Insider) and Dick Powell (Handicapping Insights), so I am usually searching for their articles. I use DRF for my horse watches and enter any of the free contests whether it's Equibase, DRF, TVG or BrisNet. The TBA homepage is great because of the Free PP's and looking posts from non-TBA bloggers by just cursing over the blogs to see if any are those I like to read. If there are any sites I am missing that are must-reads, please comment and let me know what I'm missing.

Nice to see I'm not the only racing blogger who follows Top Chef. Of course, I'm already out of our handicapping pool (went with my namesake Eugene, who failed terribly), but the Space Gal has Alan's favorite, Stefan, in the pool and is looking good based on the past two weeks. She only has to survive Hosea and Fabio to scoop a nice sized pot.

We watched Jockeys on Friday night and thought it was pretty well done. There is a lot of reality TV watching at the Space Station (hat tip to TDH for that moniker) and this one is on the rotation for sure. Other than the dubbed calls everyone is chiding, the plot was interesting in both episodes. Hopefully they cool it with the spills (now that they hooked the viewers) in future episodes.

A new Public Handicapper contest period started Saturday and we hit 2 of 4 winners (Look up Player - EquiSpace) resulting in profits of $9.60, and currently sitting chilly in 75th place. We picked Diamond Tycoon ($9.00, Leparoux on the turf) and Cowboy Cal ($8.60, Pletcher/Valesquez) and had the other two winners 2nd (Honest Man) and 3rd (Friesen Fire), so we were sniffin it. We finished the Winter of Discontent period in the black ($9.80), so maybe we can build on that.

I also played a quick Equibase (thanks to Facebook friend Craig Walker) free handicapping contest on 8 races at the Fair Grounds and finished with $38.60 good for 116th out of 1,000 or so, with 2 winners and 2 placers. So, overall not a bad handicapping weekend, trying to stay sharp as the big preps enter the picture over the next three months. Playing a little Aqueduct today, an apprentice rider Amanda Casey had a nice win in the 4th on Ed's Princess....

Have a great week.

Not Those Jockeys

Tweet Sorry to those Jim Palmer fans out there that thought the new reality show was about underwear models...wrong Jockeys! It's all about the seven Left Coast jockeys who will be premiering in Animal Planet's new reality show tonight (channel 282 on DirecTV) at 9pm where the first two episodes will be played. Robert from They're in the Gate has written a nice review (he's says watching it on HD is the bomb) on the opening episode, check his site out if you want to get a sneak peak at what's to come. I've got Orville on notice and am looking forward to hunkering down in the Space Den, Space Kid in tow (starting him young) to watch the opening two episodes. I also hear there is some romance, hopefully not of the Leah-Hosea Top Chef variety. It scares me a little betting on either Sutherland or Smith knowing they are an "item" and the distractions that can result. Ask Tim from The Apprentice 5, a prime example of a reality show dude whose stock faltered once a chick got into his head....stay tuned.

Other writeups all around the TBA on Jockeys can be found at Post Parade, Triple Dead Heat, Amateur Capper, Owning Racehorses, Superfecta and Mary Forney, to name a few.....Enjoy. Here's a little preview from the Fast Track Love episode provided courtesy of the Animal Planet:

Arbitrary Inference

Tweet - I may be making an arbitrary inference here, but did someone forget to hit the spacebar when they registered Pioneerof the Nile at the Jockey Club? It's driving me crazy every time I see it and I don't think I can stand it through the whole Road to the Roses Derby trail. There, it's off my chest. Whew. He starts next in the Robert B. Lewis this weekend at Santa Anita if you'll be rooting against him with me. Not that I want to start a bargument about the spelling of a horse's name, but I just can't let it go.

- I'm bummed about Saratoga Sinner, who I hear is off the Derby trail, probably the first of many that will become infected with the injury bug. The 12-1 winner of the Holy Bull looked good to me on paper, with improving Beyers through his first few races, the red hot Julien Leparoux (he's becoming a fav of mine) aboard and a nice post position (4) last Saturday. Unfortunately my other three picks fell by the wayside, but I'm back to black numbers in the DRF contest.

- Speaking of The Jockey Club, neither Wilford Brimley (or Dinny Phipps for that matter) have shown up on my doorstep with briefcase in tow (or disguised with baby balloons), but then again, I've been laying low for a few days after learning that I could be a marked man. Can't touch this.

- I really enjoyed this Jay Cronley article in ESPN.com today. He provides a nice racing tip regarding fast works by firsters: "Each time I pick up a book or begin an article about horse racing, all I ask for is some insight, some foresight, one negotiable angle that might work more than half the time. Well, here's one: fast works, very fast works in general, and rocket-style works on a maiden first-time starter in particular. I have come to consider very fast works on young horses to be well worth avoiding. In the first place, works are usually done against air. In the next place, some are so fast as to qualify for a bounce. And almost always fast works are over-bet. Two things matter with a first-time starter, breeding, and trainer percentages with maidens. All you need from a maiden work is something good. Something too good is unworkable hindsight." I have fallen for those bullets, more than once.

- Ed DeRosa, news editor of the Thoroughbred Times, at the Thoroughbred Racing Association of North America annual meeting in Sin City makes an interesting observation in today's column: "The irony of this year’s conference being in Las Vegas is that participants will be unable to support the pari-mutuel pools at several major American racing circuits during their stay because of a disagreement between TrackNet Media and Las Vegas race books regarding signal fees."

- Anyone have anything to report (or point me towards a relevant post) on the Save the Belmont Train public hearing? Been out of the loop for a few days and could use a good compass.

- And, the biggest loser of office pools struck again on Sunday sitting chilly with the numbers 3,0 and needing an Arizona stop on the last drive to pass go and collect.....

When Can I Take Him to the Track?

Tweet As I sat in my favorite chair in the Space Den on Friday night handicapping for Saturday's contest races, I had just finished the first of four races and selected Saratoga Sinner (hope it's not a sign based on the name....or the kid could be lucky) in the Holy Bull (G3), when the Space Gal proclaimed that her water broke. My response was "are you freakin' kidding me???" Did you know that only 15% of all pregnant ladies' water breaks naturally? (Had to get a DYK in there although I am totally going with hearsay on this one).

After 19 hours of labor (my sense of humor lost luster by hour 9 when she looked me square in the eyes and said "pretend it's 7pm after a hard day of work when you're not funny to me anymore" and "could you please just not talk") we were blesssed with a healthy baby boy on the last day of January 2009 at 4:10pm. SG and baby are both doing great. Thanks to all those who gave us shoutouts on Facebook.

So when I asked her when I could take the Space Kid to the track, I received a full dose of lazer eyes. I responded to the long stretch of dead silence with the following line: "Kids love ponies." That brought a huge smile to her face. After a long night and day, I kissed her and told her she did a great job. Life is the best sometimes.