Super Saturday: Tape Delayed Live Blog

Tweet When the NTRA website crashed today in the middle of the TVG/NTRA tournament, I just had to laugh to myself. Those folks would have to tape delay a live blog. Which got me to thinkin'....if the very talented Michigan blogger guy can do a live blog in real time, I certainly could do one in tape delay (ala the NTRA).....

9:15am: I'm in Rollie Pollies with the Space Gal and Space Kid. The tumbling exercises are fantastic, not to mention the big blowup slide.

10:30am: Great Pumpkin Farm, Clarence. Kettle Corn - check. Horse drawn carriage ride - check. Kiddie Train ride - check.

1:00pm: Petsmart. Pick up Tanner Jones. Looks like he was fru-frued. Apologize to my dog. Licks hand. All is well.

1:05pm: Check phone. Belmont off the turf in a couple races. Start wondering what time I have to make changes in Equibase Handicapping Challenge. Looks like one of my selections scratched. Drive fast.

1:20pm: Get home. Make change on Equibase site. Eat lunch.

2:25pm: Space Kid Nap Time = TVG.

3:23pm: Getting ready for the G1 Vosburgh. Sitting this one out. The Godolphins always tough off the layoff. I have longshot Wall Street Wonder in the Equibase contest. Girolamo runs away with it. Looks sharp in doing so.

3:45pm: Finalizing my lone Belmont wager of the day, a $24 Pick 4: 2,5,7/1,4/7,9,10,11/2. Singled Blame in the Gold Cup, feeling pretty good about it. Only Fly Down worries me. First leg, the G1 Flower Bowl, coming up in 15 minutes. Val at Foolish Pleasure tweets out that she likes Changing Skies. I think about a backup ticket. Nah, I'm staying with my gut.

4:02pm: Ave!!!! 10-1!!!! Javier!!! Much rejoicing in the Space Camp. But it's only the first leg. Settle down soldier. Changing Skies a game second. Thinking a lot of tickets just bit the dust. First good move in Equibase tourney. Feel pretty good about the next leg with both Unrivaled Belle and Life at Ten.

4:19pm: Receive email that NTRA website can't handle the traffic and the contest is postponed and will be rescheduled. I know of one handicapper who had the two $20 winners at MTH who can't be too happy.

4:35pm: Life at Ten pulls away to win the G1 Beldame. No crazy fractions today, just a solid stalking trip and solid victory. See ya in Louisville Life @ 10. Two down, two to go. Next race is wide open.

4:37pm: Space Kid's up. Diaper change. Have a potato chip. See the horsies?

5:12pm: Had to interrupt a mean game of Play-doh to watch the Joe Hirsch. Space Kid's rooting for Paddy (likes the Irish name). Winchester closes late and we're live to Blame and a $300++ will pay. Woo hoo. What could go wrong? Hmm...should I hedge? I only have $24 into it...let me play some farm animals and give it some thought.

5:30pm: Decide to hedge on Fly Down and Rail Trip only. With $2 bet on Hold Me Back just in case. Think to myself....only Haynesfield can beat me....nah...never happen.

5:51pm: WTF. Thinking of tweeting "Man, this game is humbling." Decide to cook spaghetti and meatballs instead. Holla! I love spaghetti and meatballs!

6:00pm: Send Space Gal picture of Space Kid covered in spaghetti and meatballs. She's out with girlfriends seeing the Facebook movie, didn't you see my status report?

6:11pm: Lookin at Lucky splashes home emphatically in the Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park. He looms large in the Classic. Second choice?

6:25pm: Bath time. Only thing that makes me forget a bad beat is the Space Kid's smile when he's in the tub.

7:01pm: Space Kid safely in bed, stories read, bottle in hand...Totally forgot about the Hawthorne Gold Cup. Decide to watch the race replay before the Lady's Secret on ESPN between football games. In the Knight Sky's contest I play Redding Colliery over 3 horses in a $10 trifecta. He wires it and I hit the tri (cyberbucks, folks) and a $5 saver exacta. Think I might have won this week's contest...make note to self to check it out later.

7:12pm: Flip from TVG to ESPN. Larry Collmus is going to call the race for ESPN. Wonder if he's there or in studio? Hmmm...I need to know these things. I play a $1 tri: Zenyatta/Switch/3 other horses for $3 and to get my OTH PP's for free.

7:16pm: Zenyatta last of 5 fillies and mares after a half in 48 and 3. Shocker.

7:17pm: The 3yo filly Switch gave a valiant try, but the big Z does her usual late close and beats her by a half length at the wire. The $1 trifecta pays $3.40, I make 40 cents. LOL. Mrs. Moss tells Jeannine Edwards that Z won because it was Sting and her best friend Margie's birthday. Who knew?

7:20pm: The Big Z is doing her thing in the winner's circle. Super cool. 19 for 19. Lucky, Quality, Blame all await her arrival in Louisville. Should be special.

7:25pm: I've already handicapped the next two races for the TVG/NTRA contest (see 4:19), so thinking about dipping my toes in the late Pick 3 at Hollywood. What the hell....it's only money. Rally caps.

7:30pm: Pick 3 crafted: 3,8,9/2,7/4,6,7 for $18. The 9 in the first leg was my contest pick (Bejarano and first time lasix) and went with Twirling Candy and Richard's Kid in the middle leg and three in the finale.

7:56pm: Second stakes win for Godolphin with my #9 Hibaayeb (GB). Ok, off to a good start. Goodwood on deck. My three horses complete the tri that pays $167 for 2 bucks. Oh, so that's how this is going to go, eh.

8:28pm: Can't figure out why folks are backing the sprinter Crown of Thorns? Am I missing something. Race unfolds and Twirling Candy goes a little early.....and Richard's Kid slips by on the inside and wins at 7-1. Is there another horse on the planet that is dismissed more. He didn't beat me today. Live to 3 horses paying $365 (the 4 - Mr. Katz), $178 (the 6 - Yodelin Dan, my contest pick) and $117 (the 7 - favorite When We Met).

8:32pm: On knees....oh racing gods can you let me hit one today....puh-lease. Thoughts of hedging reappear. I swat them away. Only the #3 scares me. Go big or go home. The #3 is no Haynesfield.

9:01pm: Oh yeah, Yodelin Dan with the late close blows by When We Met and we are in the black, baby.

9:15pm: Hey, I should do a tape delay live blog. Nah, that's a dumb idea.