What Would the Commish Do?

Tweet "Does all of this excitement "save" racing and bring us back to our glory days? I don't think so—because racing doesn't need a savior."
~ The NTRA CEO in his latest post Thoughts from 35,000 feet

My retort: Nope, we need just a commissioner, with some backbone and who has authority to make decisions for the well being of the sport. Why Hollywood Park for the next accreditation, a facility that most likely will be condos this time next year?? Does that make sense?

In addition to my comment, 15 other brave souls also commented. What would the over/under on a blog post by NBA commissioner David Stern be during the NBA Finals? Certainly more than the 16 generated by racing's CEO during Triple Crown season. But I digress. The two main chords that were struck here are: (1) Why the heck did the NTRA accredit Hollywood Park with all the turmoil and unknown that track is currently facing and; (2) Do we need a commissioner with authority?

Here are some of the better comments that touched on the Hollywood Park issue:

"I agree with other posters, why spend the time and resources accrediting Hollywood Park when its days are numbered? According to what I understand for accreditation, Hollywood Park spent $15,000 and the NTRA spent an additional $15,000 to perform the site inspection and other essentials. Why? Isn't that simply throwing away $30,000? Where was the NTRA or anyone else for that matter when the Inglewood City Council held public meetings to decide whether to pass the environmental impact report for the development? The minutes even show that the city council specifically said that the leadership of horse racing should have been present. It's likely that in a year the track will be a rubble pile much like Bay Meadows is now." ~Concerned in CA

"I'm very concerned about the future of Santa Anita given the track is about ready to be auctioned. What are the chances that racing will continue there after 2009 if ownership changes? It's already bad enough that we are going to lose Hollywood Park. " ~John Tucker

Concerned in CA's comment was right on point. She gets it. Why weren't racing's leaders at the public hearing? Makes no sense to me. What is our sport's position on losing a prestigious track such as Hollywood Park? Perplexing that only a grass roots effort is being put forth to save the track. (There is a website which outlines the issues and what you can do to help at savehollywoodpark.com.)

My commissioner comment also received some traction with others:

"Alex, my friend, as much as I respect and deeply admire you, you are the candy-man incarnate. Gene the Machine is spot-on: only one thing will save this sport, and it's the same thing that saved baseball after the Black Sox scandal; saved football from the AFL and basketball from the ABA; saved hockey from itself; and helped propel the PGA Tour to heights unimagined -- a Commissioner! As of this writing, only two "major" sports remain without a Commissioner -- horse racing and tennis, and both are on their proverbial death-beds. Jeez, Alex, how much more history do you need? Or, as my Dad liked to put it, "Whadda need, a building to fall on you, or wot (sic)?" And, please, don't tell me it can't be done. Don't give me all the "too many independent jurisdictions ..." and "too much state involvement" song-and-dance. With giants like Bob Lewis and Jim McKay before their deaths ... and more recently Gary Stevens, Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, Andy Beyer, and others all on public record crying-out for a Commissioner, why does our game's (arguably) most powerful and influential figure -- YOU -- continue to dodge the concept like the plague? Where is that blog?" ~Octave-the-in Rave

"When I hear talk about "saving the sport", it usually strikes me as very self-serving. I'm a fan, in no way connected with the industry........if you're serving yourself instead of me, don't ask me to save you. If the sport were to become truly motivated by what was good for the public, then the public would become motivated to support it." ~Screamingbird

"I cannot agree with your statement that racing doesn't need to be saved. It does; from its leadership that continues to remain apathetic towards its customer and unyielding to work together for the benefit of all. Horse racing's future is anything but rosy. Betting is everything in this game and the average age of the bettor is getting older and older. Perhaps you were serendipitous in finding a twenty something who knew about horse racing. Most young people have no idea and no interest in the sport because at some point the sport stopped trying to get their attention. Horse racing gave up a long time ago on its customer and became too self-absorbed. Now we're feeling the effects of that. Horse racing will always exist, what form though depends on what actions and what lengths the leadership is willing to take." ~Concerned in CA

"This sport needs a central authority, central marketing, international connections, modern track facilities to draw a younger audience, art events, music, so much could be done! One successful Triple Crown season cannot do enough for the sport - we can learn from the NBA how it is done. One Michael Jordan was not enough to make the NBA what it is today, either." ~Angelika Hala

"Thanks for wanting our input: 1. Get a Commisioner (sic): racetracks are like teams, they need to co-ordinate the rules. Get a commissioner and "they will come." ~Rachel A. (for real!)

Hmm...even though there were only a couple handfuls of commenters, the theme was ringing loud and clear. Do you think Roger Goodell would squander money on a track that could go dark, or would he be out fighting for the track to survive? Bud Selig suspended Manny 50 games for drugs....how powerful an example is that? So, what would a real commish do...go accredit a track being turned into mixed-use development or go to the meeting to try and prevent its demise?

Join Me and 50,000 of My Closest Friends...

Tweet Well at least now we know it will be quite roomy for me and 50,000 of my closest friends on June 6th.

Pros:
- It should be comfortable moving around spacious Belmont Park
- Betting lines should be scarce (and the Belmont could end up being a pretty good betting race)
- Beer lines should be manageable and if it rains...
- The trains won't be jammed
- Meeting up with friends and acquaintances (JB! The Puma! Saratoga Rez!) won't be impossible
- There's still a terrific undercard with $1M guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4 and all-stakes Pick 6 wagers)
- I'm driving in from Altoona, PA and google maps says 5 hours, I'll be shooting for a 4:59 (naturally)
- The Luv Gov's got a shot now (check out this post I discovered today from Newsday.com last August that linked right here)
- I'm not even going to say it (and jinx the waterworks situation)

Cons:
- Not much history to be made unless Calvin gets his jockey triple.
- TV ratings and our chance to capture some of the public that was becoming enamored with Rachel Alexandra is slowly slipping away.
- We'll have to read a million posts about where Rachel should run next (did you know that there's a filly triple crown?)
- If you made your attendance guess in the office pool before the announcement and you thought she was coming, thanks for the donation - you just lost.

Last three Belmont Stakes Day attendance figs:
2006 - 45,037 (Jazil)
2007 - 46,870 (Rags to Riches)
2008 - 95,476 (Da'Tara)

I wish I could understand why a city with 19 million people can't fill this joint every year...

Godzilla v. Rodan

Tweet I just can't get into the whole Zenyatta-Rachel thing. Sorry, but Godzilla v. Rodan was a more anticipated matchup in my eyes. It's pretty much old news so I won't repeat it....but I can't help but say that I could care less. If you don't wanna go face the champ on her home turf, so be it. The Saratoga Resident was over for dinner tonight, and his comment was that Zenyatta wasn't even the Police's best song (touche).

Folks, there are bigger fish to fry. If the great Alexandra is all she's hyped up to be (and I'm the first to admit that I think she's fantastic), then let's take on all comers in the big ones. Let Big Z run in the Victoria's Secret or whatever those races are at Santa Anita. The Belmont, Travers/Haskell, JCGC and Classic beckon Rachel Alexandra. Missy, let's make history. Let's go down in the annals. Fuhgettaboutit facing the faux dirt champ. Personally, I'd travel far distances to see her in the Belmont and Travers (already booked in the Batchellor B&B for the big weekend in the Spa) if she can pull it off physically. Hell, I'd even suggest skipping the Classic and run in it next year at Churchill. Racing would be better for it. Who needs a cat fight, when you can make history. Some say she's only won two grade I's, but there is a path to achieve greatness, and going out to Santa Anita to face Zenyatta isn't gonna do it. Sure, it'd be a nice race some Sunday on TVG with like a couple thousand watching, but beating the boys in the Belmont to become the first filly to win two Classics and then winning the Travers or Haskell and JCGC will cement her legacy.

And that is the kind of electricity that could spark racing in this country. People are talking about her in the general masses. And those people don't have a clue who Zenyatta is. But they sure as hell know who Rachel Alexandra is. I hope her name becomes legend. Fingers crossed.

Holiday Nuggets

Tweet I spent Sunday afternoon at Fort Erie Race Track under beautiful skies and awesome spring weather in Western New York/Southern Ontario. I walked away from a great day at the track (a day at the track is better than any day at the office), albeit a few dollars lighter, but enjoyed the sunshine and the bridge traffic wasn't all too bad (better than the 30-60 minute delays projected on the boards above the highway). I did learn by the end of the day to notice whatever ride apprentice jock Melanie Pinto was on. She was fantastic all day riding mid-to high priced horses. I will be watching her progress closely as the meet progresses. I played mostly Pick 3's all day and ended up with two bad beats that pretty much closed down the day. My 5-1 in the second lost a photo to a 5-2, and when my back ends held up it made it all the worse. The second bad beat was actually quite humorous as a man in the paddock asked me what I thought about a certain race and I told him I liked the longest shot (17-1) in the field going with first time lasix and good route pedigree. I told him I also liked Pinto's horse (at 6-1) who had been tearing them up all day. So don't I reverse those two in my trifecta play and the longshot takes second and Pinto's third, with an easy single on top....ugh. Anyways, there was a decent crowd on hand and it was comfortable moving around and enjoying the outdoors.

Gotta love the all Central New York lax final today in Foxborough, let's go Orrrr-ange! Hopefully it's a good day all around for SU...rooting for Carmelo and the Nuggets will take down Kobe and the Lake Show.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Rene Douglas, looks like it might be 10 days or so to see if his situation will improve from his horrific fall on Saturday. The horse that fell on top of him was euthanized on Sunday. I watched some late afternoon action from Hollywood on TVG when I got home. I really enjoyed their all-access afternoon, wherein jockeys, trainers and even the starter were miked for sound and Simon Bray was roving around interviewing connections. This is something I'd definitely love to see more of. Every jock interviewed mentioned Douglas and that he was in their prayers. Impressive win by Monterrey Jazz in the Laz Barrera breaking a track record in the process.

I'm definitely going to take some handicapping lessons from the Turk, I've enjoyed reading his approach to the game. I, too often, end up straying from my handicapping and make bad wagers. I feel I can handicap decently, I just don't structure the wagers correctly most times. Starting today, we're retooling.

Just missed the Helio-Danica exacta (she finished third) at the Brickyard. Now there's some real "horsepower." (that was the Saratoga Resident's line, I just stole it).

I think the Met Mile field today is fantastic. I'm leaning towards My Pal Charlie (I think he'll like the distance) and old fav Smooth Air. Regardless, it should be a super race to watch.

The Space Gal and I survived the first two days of the Monmouth Survival at the Shore. Space Gal (bankroll $27.80) had a win (Kiawah Cat) and a show (My Magic Moment) and I had two placings (Abuela and La Rocca) to jump my bankroll to $61.00. 954 players were eliminated after the first two days, almost a quarter of the field, and 3,272 have "survived."

Enjoy the rest of your holiday, I hope you're having great weather like we are enjoying in our little corner of the world.

Did You Know...

Tweet It's a holiday weekend filled with weddings, picnics and maybe a quick trip up to Ft. Erie this afternoon to see the ponies. So we've brought back a DYK for your holiday viewing pleasure:

- That 32 years ago today, a young 2yo colt named Affirmed won his maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park at odds of 12-1 (odds he certainly would never see again!).

- That 104 years ago today and very appropriately after the recent Preakness victory, Harry Payne Whitney's Tanya became the second filly to win the Belmont Stakes. A feat unmatched until Rags to Riches overturned the mighty Curlin at the wire in 2007. In 1915, he also won the Kentucky Derby with the filly, Regret.

- That 18 years ago tomorrow, Jockey Steve Cauthen won his fourth European derby (specifically, the Derby Italiano). Cauthen also won the Epsom Derby twice, the Irish Derby and the French Derby, in addition to his Kentucky Derby win with the aforementioned, Affirmed during his illustrious career.

- That 11 years ago tomorrow, Jockey Eddie Maple announced his retirement at Belmont Park. Maple ended his career with nearly 4,400 career victories and earnings north of $105M.

I won't jinx myself (yep, just did), but after day one, I'm sitting in 58th place (over 4,200 entries) in the TBA Sponsor Monmouth Survival at the Shore contest with a bankroll of $44.20, thanks to Get Serious' ($19.20) win at 8-1 in the 9th. We've got a long way to go. The Space Gal also had a decent day with 2 of her 3 hitting the board, no life preserver necessary.

The Old Adage

Tweet You've heard the old adage, "Never argue with people who buy ink by the barrel," attributed to both Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. Well, it looks like we've lost another turf writer (hat tip to Paulick), but this time it appears to be of his own doing. Another one bites the dust in the print media. Life in the digital age moves on.

The Saratoga Resident was in town last night to share some laughs and cocktails (the perfect exacta) after prepping with a 4:10 from Saratoga to Buffalo for a 3:59 later this summer when the rubber hits the road. He was passing through on his way to the Indy 500 this weekend. I told him to put $10 across the board on Helio, and a $5 Helio-Danica exacta box. His response: That's why you are #1....and always will be.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend...

Things That Make Me Go Hmm...

Tweet I wasn't that big of a C&C Music Factory fan, but for some reason that song was in my head today, and after searching the lyrics I remembered why I wasn't a big fan (I'll spare you all the link)...but certain things do make me go hmm when it comes to racing:

- The guy at my neighborhood corner newstand adds a quarter to the stated DRF price...

- NYRA has started to reach out to racing bloggers with media reports and press releases....

- The NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance slipping in a visit to Delaware Park before reviewing Belmont Park. This after following the Triple Crown trail with two of its first three accreditation reviews being Churchill and Pimlico...

- The quinella bet has always made me go hmm...

- After the Derby, the ALL button makes me go hmm....

- Mike Smith pitching Chantal to ride Mine That Bird in the Belmont definitely makes me go hmm...

- The first time a turf horse tries the poly makes me go hmm...

- Seeing a tail bunched and tied up in the post parade makes me go hmm...

- Only betting Canadian money at Fort Erie (they no longer will be taking USD at the windows) this year makes me go hmm...

- Seeing Javier and/or Julien on a longshot on the turf always makes me go hmm...

- Zenyatta vs. Rachel (in either Classic) makes me really go hmm....

It's Good to be King

Tweet Sometimes it's good to be King (see burger dude) and sometimes it's good to be the Queen (see Rachel Alexandra). Unfortunately the only one wearing a crown this year, will be the burger guy in the picture. While I was glad to see some history with the filly winning the Preakness for the first time in a coon's age (85 years is a damn long time), I still long to see a Triple Crown winner. If the filly skips the Belmont, we're looking at a half empty grandstand in Elmont in three weeks and a boatload of lost revenue. NYRA was openly rooting for the Bird in Baltimore (would've been the best Bird in Baltimore since Cal Ripken, I know being a life-long Oriole fan) to keep their Triple Crown hopes and big attendance figures alive. Makes one think how close to a TC winner we really were in Brownie last year.

The Preakness was an exciting race and hopefully it generated some interest from the casual fan. I was at a party with about 13 non-racing fans, some of which actually ran out to the neighborhood OTB to make a few wagers before the race. I conveniently loaned them the rolled up PP's in my back pocket. The party-goers were inquisitive about the filly, the Jackson purchase, Borel's decision and the historical significance of the event. The girls all were rooting for Rachel, the guys just wanted to cash tickets. I think a new fan or two was generated within our ranks, but I think the Derby upset, the SI cover and the big payouts had a lot to do with the excitement in the room. Anyways, everyone seemed to enjoy the race and the NBC coverage, which is geared toward the casual fan, not the racing fan or purist (we already have them hooked).

At least if I go to New York, it'll be easy to get around and most likely the plumbing will be in working order. Typical New York luck though, they just can't catch a break, and the filly will probably ditch em too. Even if she shows up for the rematch, I wonder if they'll generate more than the 50,000 or so that usually shows up when a TC is not at stake. We'll see what real drawing power she has if that occurs, both attendance wise and ratings wise. Selfishly, I hope she ends up in the Travers for a huge matchup with Quality Road, who I think will give her a decent test. That, my friends, could end up being the best race of the year.

Speaking of ratings, which have been discussed ad nauseum, I thought I'd blow my town's horn a little. We've been in the news enough lately, as the circus arrived in town on Sunday night. Anyways, here are the city rankings for the Preakness (courtesy: Art Wilson, Pasadena Star-News) and Buffalo was ranked #6 for viewership during the race portion. Talkin' Proud, baby.

An interesting side note to the chart above is that none of the Top 10 television markets (NYC, Chicago, etc.) cracked the top 1o for either the Derby or the Preakness. The largest market cracking the top 10 was Tampa, Florida.

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renenwed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.” ~ JRR Tolkien

Girl Power

Tweet Congrats Rachel Alexandra on a job well done. Hal Wiggins did you right. She looked awesome in the paddock, incredible in the parade and unbeatable on the track. Not much luck involved at all. Just went out and won a horse race. Not a filly race. Not a stallion race. Not a gelding race. Just a good old fashioned classic horse race.

And that's why they call it horse racing. And why I love this sport. You go girl.

Superstitious Saturday

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Before my high school basketball games my mom would always do a chicken dinner for me (15 game winning streak, all five starters went on to play college ball, '81 Onondaga County league champs) as I was very superstitious not to change my ways during the streak on the way to a school record winning percentage, winning streak and cracking the NYS rankings. Of course my pregame routine also included listening to Styx and Journey on the 8-track, but that's a story for another time and place. In college, well, I can't say what I did before each game to get the nerves out, but let's say it was like clockwork. So when I heard that Ahmad Zayat was pooped on by a bird pre-Derby, (said to be good luck)...hell, after publicly punting PoTN I was spooked into using him.

Why is this relevant? Well, of course, it's not, but it makes a nice intro to discussing the lucky 13 post for Rachel Alexandra. It goes beyond all of my superstitious being to jump on number 13, but hell, she's damn good. Heck, I rocked my newborn daughter in 2003 through two Syracuse Final Four games that led to a title (no way I was letting go of that kid, sometimes the little things help). Personally, I think it's the best possible outcome for her. Just like Big Brown used in last year's Derby to swoop to a perfect tactical position into the first turn, I think this will serve RA well. It will also avoid the potential bumping and jostling she could endure with a middle post position. The other thing that benefits her is the 5 lb handicap the boys will be spotting her this afternoon. She will be carrying 121 lbs to the boys' 126. This is like giving Tiger Woods shots.

For more on supersitions, make sure you stay away from the dandelions (see third from bottom).

I still haven't decided my play yet and probably won't post it (bad luck!), but I'll tell y'all who I'm leaning towards: I think Musket Man will hit the board, PoTN should be there, too. I love Big Drama, but that could just be sentimental, as he'll be forced to take the early lead. I really like that he's got Johnny V in the irons. Could this be Gomez' day in the sun? Let's say I'll have these three in my mix come late afternoon along with the filly. I'm live in the Susan/Preakness double after Payton D'Oro finished off a winning P4 ticket for me w/MM, PoTN, RA and FF.

I gotta give props to the NTRA for not rubber stamping Pimlico with full accreditation via this week's Safety & Integrity Alliance review. While I correctly predicted an announcement this week, I was semi-shocked at the provisional accreditation. I am willing to admit when I'm wrong. I am still a little curious about Tommy Thompson's law firm, Akin Gump, (compensated?) involvement as an "observer." What, pray tell, does this mean and how does this make him independent? It appears Pimlico's shortcomings were documentation-related and not "safety-related," and they will have to adhere to a specified timetable (30 days) to cure the violations per the definition in the Code. Per the DRF article on the provisional accreditation, "Pimlico would need to "advocate" for changes to Maryland's racing laws regarding the characteristics of regulation whips and press the Maryland racing commission to begin conducting out-of-competition testing and to freeze postrace samples within the next 30 days." It was very interesting to me that the whips "issue" was completely left out of the NTRA post. Anyways, I'm satisfied that this isn't just a total PR gig.

While the big race is in Baltimore on Saturday, a fine little sprint will be taking place at Churchill Downs, the Matt Winn. I had put Cash Refund in my watch list after watching him romp on the Derby Trial Stakes undercard during my Churchill visit. He will be facing Capt. Candyman Can and three others going 7 furlongs under the twin spires. Keep an eye on this one.

Happy Preakness Day and good luck everyone!

Black Eyed Susan Day

Tweet I couldn't resist. After David Cassidy took last year's Black Eyed Susan (BES)Stakes (G2) with Sweet Vendetta, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Ahh, PhotoShop.

With this year's suspension of the Pimlico Special (G1), a race won by some great horses like War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Citation, Cigar and the like, the daily double is switched to the BES/Preakness and away from the usual Special/Preakness double. Could it be the first time it goes filly/filly in the double? By the way, the bet is a $2 minimum this year, so load up the ole ADW.

With the exodus of Ashland (G1) upset winner Hooh Why, I am going three deep in the BES/Preak double with Casanova Move, Don't Forget Gil and Payton D'Oro. Casanova Move is the morning line favorite at 5-2 and looks to be improving with every race for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, with two grade 2 placings in his last two races. The distance looks not to be a problem for this Langfuhr filly. And seeing David Cassidy was a real casanova in the day.....hmm. Don't Forget Gil with Rajeeeeeev (1) in the irons, is my second choice. The NY-bred won the Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa in March, and has never missed hitting the board. Finally, Payton D'Oro, who has been drilling some nice works for trainer Larry Jones (maybe the Jones double with Friesen Fire?) and is coming in off three consecutive wins. This is obviously a big step up in class for the Medaglia D'Oro filly, but looks to be ready to roll.

I've been struggling with my Preakness selections for a couple of days now....and still haven't decided who to throw in the mix, but leaning towards Rachel Alexandra, Friesen Fire, Pioneerof the Nile and Musket Man in the double and playing some exotics which I'll finalize tonight. (Update: BES/Preakness Double Will Pays here courtesy twitterer EJXD)

I'll be watching on....umm....ladies and gentlemen....the NTRA (*crickets*). Good luck with ESPN360. Looks like it'll be TwinSpires TV for me at the kitchen table and if they broadcast in the HD like they did on Oaks Day...well then, you have your winner. Good luck everyone.

Handi-sitting

Tweet Me and the Space Kid (not pictured) are hangin' together today. Since he decided to take a mid-morning nap as I was expaining to him the turn-back angle, I figured I could sneak in a quick blog since we're mid-Preakness week and things seemed to have settled down out there on the interweb. I figured I could teach him some good 3 letter combinations today, you know, ADW, TVG, OTB....not that boring ABC stuff. He seems to be content eating, sleeping and pooping though. I guess those lessons can wait for another day.

We'll be downloading today's Belmont card and playing a little Grand Slam on races 5-8, that I can handicap during Space Kid's nap time and we can enjoy the races together this afternoon, while we do some bonding. Too bad Fort Erie runs on Sunday-Tuesday, we could have completed his racetrack trifecta of Keeneland/Churchill/? within his first six months. Thinking it through though, however, it's gotta be Saratoga (cuz the Space Gal would kill me if I took him to Finger Lakes today). Speaking of the Grand Slam, I played it Sunday along with a Pick 3 on the first three legs and actually hit the P3 and lost the GS, that's a first. How does that happen? I had decent priced winner Cugatcha ($24.40) in the middle leg on a backup $4 P3 ticket and my two selections for the GS missed the board, go figure.

Congrats to Bella Cavello Stables for the repeat stakes win in the Hancock County last night by La Chica Rica at Mountaineer. She had a six length lead at the top of the stretch and held off Hadavision at the wire by a length to take the $45K first prize money, pushing her over the half million mark with her 13th career win in 39 starts.

Some preliminary Preakness thoughts...

Rachel Alexandra - one of my respected handicapping pals GG ($33K Derby trifecta winner in 05 with Giacomo) thinks she's a mortal lock. He never goes out on a limb like that. He didn't play the Derby this year saying it was a tossup. So I will take note and probably play against her anyway.

Papa Clem - I think he's gotta be tired and due for a clunker.

General Quarters - his on again/off again pattern says he could be ready to fire.

Friesen Fire - fool me once, shame on me....of course, he'll be a pretty nice price and Saez didn't burn him out 2 weeks ago...considering.

Mine That Bird - might get the right pace scenario again, don't think he'll win, but could hit the board late....

Musket Man - Gotta respect him...

Pioneerof the Nile - Impressed me at Churchill, will take a lot of money on Saturday...in the mix.

There always seems to be a surprise horse to complete the Preakness exacta (at least in three of the last four years) like Scrappy T (2005), Bernardini/Sweetnorthernsaint (2006) and Macho Again (2007) so who could it be this year? I'd say Terrain or Big Drama are the longshots worth noting. Interestingly, Terrain's last real dirt race, he faced Drama (who won) and finished 5th as the favorite in the Delta Jackpot. Terrain (4th), the Sky Mesa colt, will join Mine That Bird (12th) as the only two BC Juvenile runners in the Preakness.

Ok, Space Kid is stirring...back to baby-cappin...

La Chica Attempts to Fend Off Seconditis

Tweet Bella Cavello Stables' La Chica Rica (9-5 ML favorite) will try for the repeat tomorrow night at the Mountain in the $75K Hancock County Stakes in a 5 furlong sprint in Race 9. The Western New York based stable sends her out for her third start off the layoff, after two straight placings, one at Mountaineer in her 2008 debut and then at Charles Town, both under the lights. Mike Farrell has a nice piece up at DRF.com, so she's starting to garner the respect she deserves in her 6yo season. She'll face some tough foes as Michael Trombetta (23% w/shippers) ships in What Time It Is (2-1) and Daniel Smithwick ships in Hadavision (8-1) after two strong showings on the poly at Keeneland with Julien Leparoux and Shaun Bridgmohan aboard. Chica looks to top the half million mark in career earnings, currently sitting on $482,682. The race is scheduled to go off at 10:20pm. Good luck Chica.

When I wrote on Derby Night that "I have to believe Garret Gomez was completely shocked when Borel breezed by his inside in the stretch..." I didn't know he would use almost the same description in his well-written and must-read blog entry On to Pimlico at NTRA.com. Gomez wrote:

"Yeah, I got a little butterfly in my stomach on that one, but then I took a peek to the inside just to kind of check and see what was going on around me and I caught a glimpse of a horse to the inside of me and went to riding. I knew by the body position that it was Calvin and the first thing that flashed through my mind was, "Who's he on again?" and then I was like, "Mine That Bird or whatever his name was… how is that horse coming by me?!" It just didn't make sense. He went by me so fast that it was unbelievable, almost unexplainable. It was just a shock."

Maybe lost in all this hyperbole and collusion stuff surrounding the filly, is the fact that Pioneerof the Nile handled the dirt pretty well (much better than I expected) and he could be very difficult to beat come Saturday. On Derby day, I singled him in second in the exotics and underneath in third on several tri tickets, but come this weekend, I'm thinking he has what it takes after that showing. Gomez is hungry for a Classic win, this may be his best chance yet.

Horse Racing Nation, a site I happened upon last month and frequent often, has some early Preakness morning line odds posted here. Check it out.

Backpedaling

Tweet Brett Favre couldn't have done it any better than Ahmed Zayat, Mark Allen and Marylou Whitney (who me?). It didn't take more than a backlash of internet frenzy after word got out that some backroom collusion to keep the greatest filly since sliced bread, out of the Preakness. Those three backpedaled quicker than Favre with an onrushing Reggie White in his prime bearing down on him. I really like Paulick's take on it, especially that ole' Joe Hirsch would've smelled it out and taken care of the idiocy before the rest of the media ever got wind of it. Good stuff, indeed. I was wondering why my Luv Gov post from last August was piling up hits today.

Personally, I think it's a huge mistake running her back in two weeks, when she was being pointed (properly I might add) to Belmont Day already. With the change in scenery and run back in two weeks after a dynamite (and potentially draining) performance in the Oaks, she's vulnerable, in my humble opinion.

Does anyone else find it ironic that the NTRA's Safety and Integrity Alliance first charter accredited member has a training accident (safety) resulting in a euthanization during Derby week and has a tote board problem with Derby/Oaks Double payoffs where incorrect payoff were made? I'd bet dollars to donuts that Pimlico receives the third accrediation this week sometime. Anyone wanna take that bet?

I decided to try horse ownership, thus EquiSpace Ventures LLC has acquired a share of the 2yo filly Higher Authority, who Patrick visited over the weekend down in Maryland. I'm pretty excited about my first foray into ownership and really like the way Frank at That's Amore Stables has kept the partners in the loop with everything going on. She's looking great in the photos and I look forward to meeting her in the coming months down in Baltimore.

Speaking of Baltimore, what is with Michael Phelps? That boy badly needs some famous people lessons.

Transistor Times

Tweet I was driving home from Niagara Falls last night with one of my partners and he was lamenting the lack of local radio coverage of the NBA Playoffs here in Buffalo. It was in the 3rd quarter of the Cavs-Hawks game when we left the party and I told him to throw on 1100 WWWE in Cleveland, thinking that the game would probably be on there and it was. He looked at me funny and said "how the hell did you know that?" I explained that in my early days growing up in Syracuse I would have a transistor radio under my pillow (when I was suppposed to be sleeping, mothers' day confession, sorry mom) listening to the weekly Monday Night Football game or sports talk radio nightly. One of my favorite shows was Pete Franklin's in Cleveland on the 50,000 watt (3WE) station. He was quite the character, searching him today I found out he had passed away in 2004. I also became a Cavs fan and couldn't wait for Bingo Smith to score, just to hear the announcer's call, "Smith shoots....BINGO!" It's stayed with me all these years and I remember waking up in the morning with a dead battery after falling asleep at halftime of the MNF or Cavs game. Good memories.

I think I became attached to the transistor by hanging out with my grandfather, who listened nightly to Harry Kalas (RIP) and the Phillies. We'd sit out on his porch and listen to the games together and talk baseball strategy. I miss the transistor under my pillow or listening on the porch with my grandfather, when times were basic and we weren't so in touch, the transistor times.

What does this have to do with racing? Well, for one, there is a great medium out there to capture a full three hours on the radio daily during the work week called At the Races with Steve Byk on Sirius radio during drive time. If you don't have Sirius, you can listen to all of the broadcasts in the archives (which I do in my leisure). On Friday, his guest during the first hour was one of my favorite handicappers from the NY Post, John DaSilva. This week should have some great broadcasts with the lead up to the Preakness, which is becoming more exciting and controversial with every moment.

It's great that Byk maintains the connection between radio and racing, made famous by the colorful Harvey Pack, who used the call the races from teletype charts on WNBC as depicted in his book "The Horse Be With You." One of my favorite parts of the book is where handicapper Dave Litfin tells Pack that he and his high school friend, Michael Kipness (aka The Wizard) would sneak a transistor radio with an earphone into class so they could tune into Pack's show and see how their bets had done. On one occassion a closer they had bet on won and they both simultaneously yelled "Yes!" causing a frisk job next time they came to class!

I'll leave you with one of Harvey's rules:

Rule #7: "If you hear a tip from one person, maybe make a small bet; if you hear the same tip from three or more people, book it."

Buffalo -- Gateway to Fort Erie

Tweet The Daily Show's J-Stew (pictured in NYC with his UB BULLS cap) was here at the University of Buffalo last November for an appearance on campus and lovingly called Buffalo, the "Gateway to Fort Erie." Nice.

Last week there were some posts about the Top 10 TV markets, I was hoping Buffalo might sneak in. To no avail, but I became curious to where the 49th largest TV market fared in viewership for the Run to the Roses and whether the fact I had four TV sets on for the Derby in the Space Station made any impact. I had trouble finding the data (meaning after five minutes I gave up) and lo and behold, Alan Pergament (Buffalo News TV critic) posted an article in today's B-lo (that's slang for Buffalo in these parts) News stating we were the 15th ranked market. It's not quite Pittsburgh, but not bad considering the size of our viewing area (about 1 million people in the metropolitan area). With four tracks within a 75 mile radius (Ft. Erie, Buffalo Raceway, Batavia Downs and Finger Lakes) and six within 90, if you include Woodbine and Presque Isle Downs. Per Pergament, "Channel 2 averaged a 13.2 rating for the final hour of coverage, which is about 30 percent higher than the coverage the two-minute race had in the top markets in the country." I'd say we held own when it came down to ratings. Of course, we are primarily a football and hockey town, but I was pleasantly surprised by the results, nonetheless.

Ok, you can now go back to your regularly scheduled surfing endeavors. Don't forget to check in at the TBA homepage for the latest posts on the Rachel Alexandra controversial jockey and trainer moves which are lighting up the blogosphere. While you're at it, check out some of our new sponsors, Uberhorse.com (Filly & Mare division) and Monmouth Park Survival at the Shore (Turf division).

Frank the Tank

Tweet And I thought the best impersonator named Frank, was Caliendo. I was watching TVG this afternoon (muted of course since Carothers was on --kidding) and I caught a glimpse of an interview with Frank Mirahmadi, track announcer at Turf Paradise. They were discussing his call last Sunday of the $50,000 Hasta La Vista Stakes, a turf marathon that went well over 3 minutes. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a gem. If you have, carry on.

(Hat tip to luisbelosi on youtube: "He used nearly two dozen voice impressions during the 1 7/8-mile turf marathon: Marv Albert, Tony Calo, Mark Johnson, Richard Grunder, Michael Wrona, Larry Collmus, Keith Jones, Dick Stockton, Jack Buck, Hank Stram, Phil Georgeff, Dave Johnson, Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, Andy Rooney, D. Wayne Lukas, Mike Battaglia, Vic Stauffer, Rodney Dangerfield, Trevor Denman, and Ed Burgart.") Whew, and at the end he makes a nice tribute to the late Luke Kruytbosch who passed away last year. In staying with Keith's fun friday theme, this one's a beaut...just wondering why he didn't work in the Terminator when it is the Hasta La Vista!

Jesstification

Tweet Random questions while mind-blowing events continue to transpire in the racing world.....

So, Jess can I have a little Rachel to go with that expensive wine?

Some folks have gone as far as projecting the path for Rach's Horse of the Year honors. Huh? Whoa Nellie...there's a big one in two weeks (or in five weeks)she's gonna have to win first, and it won't be a walk in the park. Hell, I don't even think she'd even win the Ladies Classic at this point....remember that horse....what's her name? Police song? Oh yeah...the mighty Zenyatta...let's not lose focus. Remember she's never ran on the Pro-Ride, as my pal Ernie has already pointed out to me once. Now don't everyone get their panties in a bunch or knickers twisted (actually googled Twisted Knickers and it's a band and a fashion blog - cool), I think she's fabulous and winning the Kentucky Oaks is great and all....but there's a reason why they run the races....I'm just sayin...

If we have another big announcement in the racing world, I'm gonna need some oxygen. Think Mine That Bird's connections are loving the fact that the media will be distracted away from their horse so they can get back to bizness...by the way my daughter's birthday is August 8th, ya think I played it last Saturday? Umm, that would be a big fat no.

While I feel for the former trainer Wiggins, I think we'll at least get to see what she's made of under Asmussen via the Triple Crown route (fingers crossed), you gotta believe she'll be the Preakness morning line favorite, 5/2 maybe?

How many people are glad it's JJ and not IEAH (standing up, raising hand) who reportedly had a shot at her earlier in the year, but couldn't close the deal?

So you think racing gets the shaft by television....how about NBC not programming the Ovechkin-Crosby (Caps/Pens) monster superstar matchup on Saturday, instead showing the PGA's made for TV 5th major, the TPC? I'm surprised they didn't move it over to Bravo, the NBC Universal owned network and home of the Kentucky Oaks? Hey NHL, get in line.....

Hull Hath No Fury...

Tweet While in Louisville two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to witness a Holy Bull colt, Hull, romp in the Derby Trial Stakes (G3) and I'm excited that his connections have decided to give it a go in the Preakness Stakes (G1) a week from Saturday. While he's yet to try a route race, he has won his first three races at three different tracks (Fair Grounds, Turfway Park and Churchill). I was pretty impressed with the way he pulled away from some quality competition (Silver City, Santana Six) in the Derby Trial, so if he can get the distance he might be a factor in Baltimore. His Beyers aren't the most impressive (97/86/92), but we know that really doesn't mean that much (see Mine That Bird). He's an impressive looking colt and his daddy won some big races in his day, so maybe he'll be one to keep an eye on the tote board. His broodmare sire, Chimes Band, was more of a sprinter (won the King's Bishop).


On the other hand, it looks like an quick early pace may be less likely, now that Withers (G3) winner Mr. Fantasy will pass on the Preakness and point to the Met Mile on May 25th.


Love the caption on this week's SI Cover (!!!) of Mine That Bird of "Derby Long-Shot Winner Energizes Horse Racing." If he can repeat, maybe he is the hero we so desparately need? The fact that he's a gelding means he could be around for awhile should he continue to move forward. Still tons of chatter around my office, three days post Derby...maybe that caption was right? Fingers crossed.


I was playing a little Belmont on Sunday (sloppy track - had plenty of practice on the weekend) and was having a decent day (recouping the debacle that was the 2009 KD) when I happened across a filly named Wittenberg Miss in the 7th, a first time starter. Sharp works, sired by Smart Strike (Mine That Bird's broodmare sire) and Fortunate Prospect as the broodmare sire (Musket Man's broodmare sire), so I got excited and started keying around her. She led for a while but tired for third in the stretch behind a Stephen Got Even filly. This one went into the watch list. To boot, we had just met Fortunate Prospect (see inset) last week at Old Friends and he was definitely one of our favorite stallions we visited. He had a good weekend with Musket Man finishing third, I'm sure they were very excited about that in Georgetown on Saturday.

Dogs Living with Cats

Tweet In the moments just after the shocking result of Kentucky Derby 135, I was reminded of the infamous Ghostbusters scene (see video below for refresher) where Bill Murray describes the supernatural events that could lead to a "disaster of Biblical proportions" wherein "dogs are living with cats" among other things. The aftermath of KD 135 has me feeling the same. It's not the chunk of change that was squandered, or the hours of analysis and handicapping the race, but trying to figure out what this means to racing?

Is it a good thing? I think we have a couple weeks to find out for sure (should the connections of Mine That Bird decide to keep its Triple Crown hopes alive). But my initial reaction is that it is a good thing. How funny is it that the breeder (from nearby Lexington) didn't even show up for the Derby?

Of course, the journalists are dragging up the muck on the connections (and I'm sure some bloggers will jump on that bandwagon)....but what does a corrupt owner have to do with horse racing? I'm sick and tired of hearing about that kind of crap...didn't we have to live with the Iavarone stock broker BS during the last TC season? I think the Preakness could feature a tremendous gate of horses, not to mention it should present excellent wagering opportunities. I'd rather read about that. What is the over/under on horses in the gate in Baltimore -- 10?? Especially since the Derby winner will be looked at in some circles as a fluke and will surely not be a "beaten down at the windows" kind of favorite.

Just having Calvin Borel (and all his histrionics) around makes it interesting. Ever see Tiger Woods do his patented fist pump? Calvin takes it to the next level and some. Good for him. It's not a show, it's real unbridled emotion (just like Tiger). As they'll be saying here in TO-land come September, get yer popcorn ready....CB's gonna be around for the next five weeks, one way or another (Rachel is running on Belmont Day).

Speaking of Rachel Alexandra, the talk of fillies running against colts/geldings/horses (you know - those with junk) is starting to resurface within Racing Blogger Nation. A funny aside to this discussion....my 9 year old son and I were watching the Humana Distaff two races before the Derby on ESPN in HD and I was telling him it was a race for fillies and mares..."for girls only." He nodded his head and we watched the race pulling for different numbers (his always seems to change in the middle of the race, based on whoever is leading) and we watched the #3 Informed Decision win over the #6 Temple Street in an exciting stretch run. After the race we watched Julien Leparoux take off his helmet in the winner's circle and my son looked at me inquisitively and said..."Dad...that's not a girl...that's a boy?" I chuckled and explained to him it was the horses that had to be female, not the jockeys....but found it interesting that a young boy wouldn't differentiate between the horses....a horse is a horse, of course.

An interesting take on the whole ESPN and television thing located at SI.com by racing columnist Tim Layden, explains a lot of what I had been wondering... (hat tip to the Saratoga Resident)

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2009 Kentucky Derby...dogs living with cats....

The Birdman Cometh (and the Birdman Taketh Away)

Tweet We can chalk that one up to to the Anything Can Happen in The Kentucky Derby scenario. If you told anyone in Racing Blogger Nation last week that a) the favorite would scratch in the morning, b) the post-time favorite would get stepped on out of the gate and lose half a hoof, c) the second choice would stumble out of the gate and d) a 50-1 shot would win by over 6 lengths, they would have had you committed.

From a handicapping perspective (and I'm grasping at straws here) the only way you could picked the winner is that you actually watched his previous races (and your sister is the trainer's neighbor), you bet his pedigree (sired by Belmont winner Birdstone, grandsire is Derby winner Grindstone) or 8 is your favorite number. I wouldn't have had Mine That Bird in a million years. Actually my quote was "slowest of the slow" in my Gremlin post. I did have one trifecta bet where I singled PoTN in the 2nd hole and had Musket Man in the 3 hole with four others, unfortunately I didn't have MTB as one of my top four horses on that ticket. I was actually excited for a moment thinking it might have been Dunkirk coming up the rail, but to no avail...so I wasn't too disappointed in my handicapping, but it still came up empty. Four synthetic wins, never won on dirt, lowest speed figures in the field, highest dosage index in the field (not that it means anything), and finished last in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Go figure.

Some pundits are saying that the mud and the distance were the two equalizers on Saturday, I'll wait and see how he does in the Preakness before making that assessment, which should be a tremendous betting opportunity, by the way. The Birdman could be the highest priced Derby winner in Baltimore since Giacomo (6-1) in 2005. Yesterday, he ran a 105 beyer, compared to Giacomo's 100 in 2005.

At least, MTB has a feel-good story (was Canada's champion 2yo last year), unfortunately General Quarters wasn't the one we were hoping would hit paydirt here at Space Camp. Finishing 10th and not handling the mud very well, 75 year old trainer Tom McCarthy said "He came back to the barn choking in mud. One eye was completely packed shut and his one nostril was completely shut with mud. He coughed twice and it popped out." (Buffalo News)

Looks like the Sheikh will have to go back to his piggy bank as both Regal Ransom (faded to 8th after threatening in the early stages) and Desert Party (14th, never a factor) failed to get the Sheikh into the Churchill winner's circle. Can't say I'm disappointed. Where does the Sheikh party on Friday night Derby Eve though, I need to know these types of things? With his harem?

Todd Pletcher (0 for 24 in the Derby) was able to stay out of last place, although Atomic Rain threatened to keep his caboose streak alive. I wonder if Dunkirk will run back in the Preakness? (Update: Nope, injured left hind hoof....see here)

I would think that absolutely fabulous ride by Calvin Borel may have catapulted him into Hall of Fame consideration. He has absolutely mastered that ride and the overhead shot of him saving ground and picking off horses in the stretch in the inside lane was incredible. I have to believe Garret Gomez was completely shocked when Borel breezed by his inside in the stretch, unfortunately the monkey is still on his back, but he rode an excellent race on the Nile.

Pletcher commented on the winning connections by saying "I salute Calvin for his terrific ride. It's an amazing story. It just shows you how special this race is. Anything can happen."

And it did.

Dreaming of The Rose Ceremony

Tweet "There's only one thing I take my hat off for..."

~ the ugly dude in Urban Cowboy.

Nice prelim to the big event today as Rachel Alexandra took it to six other overmatched fillies in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) winning emphatically by over 20 lengths. Now a nice photo finish would be a great way to end the weekend tomorrow around 6pm. It is too bad that RA's connections picked the wrong race, at least it looks that way now, doesn't it? Just sayin'. Should set up a nice hyped up Ladies Classic down the road with the powerful Zenyatta, God willing. I don't think the court of public opinion will sway the connections to try the fellahs...oh well we can only wonder. Speaking of Zenyatta, I rushed home from work to catch her race on the undercard only to be disappointed in her scratch, but I'm sure it must have been in her best interests.

Well, it's our Christmas Eve. Our Super Bowl. The Big Dance. First Saturday in May. The Run for the Roses.

I can't tell you how many phone calls, emails, and texts I received today asking who I like tomorrow. It's a 20 horse race, and an incredible puzzle to figure out with a potential wet track and two horses that are trying to defy the "Derby rules" in Dunkirk (no 2yo campaign) and Friesan Fire (seven week layoff). I decided to play mainly trifecta tickets keying mostly on Friesan Fire, Dunkirk, Papa Clem and I Want Revenge (Update: IWR has scratched) in the top two spots. I like their speed numbers, their pedigrees and their wet Tomlinsons. I leaned heavily on the Average Winning Distances (AWD) of the parents. I think it has to be a solid number to go the mile and a quarter. These are the four I think can win the Derby. I worked the tickets around them.

I used a mix of horses in the three hole including Musket Man, Hold Me Back, Regal Ransom, General Quarters, Chocolate Candy, Pioneerof the Nile, Summer Bird and Desert Party.

My thought process is that the track will probably come up wet and that typically there is a surprise horse in the tri somewhere, so I looked to some of the deep closers and late runners to catch 3rd. I threw out PoTN on top as I just don't think he can win. I've put most of my eggs in FF's basket (included a $3 Future Wager at 19-1 - woo hoo) and if he comes through it will be a good day at the Space Station. Ya gotta bring home the gal you took to the dance...

There's also a chance Regal Ransom wires the thing, so I keyed him on top of an exacta with the main players and HMB, GQ, CC, PoTN, SB and DP (to complete the Dubai Exacta).

Larry Jones used the same training techniques with Hard Spun as he did with Friesan Fire, and if someone had pinned Borel and Street Sense on the rail, he would have had his first Derby winner. Let's hope the hat comes off in the winner circle tomorrow...

Good luck everyone and enjoy the Derby.