Golf Claps

Tweet I was having a bad day yesterday, so what do I usually do in this situation? Attend a mindless movie that will make me laugh at anything. So I convinced the Space Gal that we should go see Paul Blart - Mall Cop. If Kevin James (see dance move #1) can't pick up my mood, who can? Was pretty funny at spots, but at the end of the picture (and the house was packed) it received a rousing round of applause. Now, mind you, this movie has absolutely no potential to receive an Oscar or a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award, for that matter, but the spontaneous show of hands started my wheels turning. Me, I couldn't even get myself to give it a golf clap. At least it took me to a better place than I was. Which brings us to today's topic: the golf clap. Is it the sarcastic applause as defined at Wikipedia, or the gentle applause (non-rousing version) in the first paragraph. I tend to use the golf clap more in the "way to go" positive mindset and not in the sarcastic sense. If I don't like something, I just don't clap. There you have it. So today, we'll give out a few golf claps and a few rousing applauses.

Golf Clap: For my college English professors Dr. Peter Schwartz and Dr. Gary LaPointe, both engaging academians, for teaching me creative writing and providing me with a waiver from having to take Handride's upcoming online video tutorial on basic feature-writing and opinion-writing methods. (ok sometimes I use the sarcastic version..tongue in cheek)

Rousing Applause: For Sully and his awesome piloting skills. Space Gal told me over coffee this morning, "if I ever hear "brace for impact," I sure hope Sully is at the helm."

Golf Clap: For The Lost in the Fog movie. I watched it (well, most of it, as there were some technical difficulties around the sixty minute mark) and really enjoyed the documentary chronicling this horse's incredible win streak ending on 2005 Breeders Cup Day at Belmont. I was at his King's Bishop victory at the Spa on that glorious Travers Day, and loved the fact that this horse won at multiple tracks away from his home base in NoCal. The passion shown in this film by the Fog's late owner was something to behold. I was moved at how they didn't rush this horse into the Derby and took the horse's interests to heart before entering him. Great race footage and personalities in abundance throughout the film.

Rousing Applause: For Valerie at Foolish Pleasure, who's hit the Top 60 in the DRF Winter of our Discontent Handicapping Contest. Go Val. Keep it up.

Golf Clap: For the New York State Racing & Wagering Board (don't worry I'm not going soft) for getting all of the industry stakeholders together on Thursday to discuss enforcement and implementation of the new Tote Standards Rule discussed in my post earlier in the week. It is my understanding that all three tote companies (United Tote, Amtote and Scientific Games), a majority of the state's thoroughbred and harness track operators, the various OTB factions and three monitoring companies met to discuss how this rule will be implemented. The rule went into effect on January 1. The regulators in this scenario have the horseplayers best interests at heart by protecting their wagers through a thorough monitoring process. Think of it this way, in the Casino business there are all kinds of cameras protecting the house from any misappopriations or illegal activity. This type of oversight that the NYSRWB is attempting to enforce is only protecting the integrity of the paramutuel pools and in turn, the horseplayer's money. For that, they get a golf clap from this side of the state.

Rousing Applause: For the 150-200 brave souls who turned out in subzero temperatures to the Save Fort Erie Racetrack Rally, unfortunately no word yet on the fate of the track. CanGamble writes a nice recap on the rally here. Buffalo News coverage of the event: zip, zero, zilch (in that order).

In closing, I made a solid attempt this week to turn the Saratoga Resident into the Buffalo Resident (again), to no avail, I guess Buffalo Resident just doesn't have the same ring to it...

Movie Deals

Tweet John Corey's Lost in the Fog movie is available on DVD, so if you have a few sheckles (sp?) left for a stocking stuffer head on over to their website to order it. If you hop over to the TBA website grab the discount code at the top of the page and get 10% off! Patrick had a nice post about the DVD earlier this month and Brooklyn also posted about it not once, but twice. I remember seeing LITF (the horse) for the first time on Travers Day in 2005, when he won the King's Bishop in such impressive fashion by about 5 lengths to capture his ninth straight win. I was immediately a fan of this horse. Not to mention he helped me win my first Pick Four. :)

I'm looking forward to receiving my copy in the mail. Hopefully I'll like it as much as I did fellow TBA'ers First Saturday in May which I received last May and wrote about here. You can also grab the coupon code ($2 off) for this terrific movie at the TBA website as well.

Here is the trailer for the Lost in the Fog movie to whet your appetite.

Another Marquee Day at the Spa

Tweet My first live Travers was in 2005, when Todd Pletcher's Flower Alley (inset) beat the Boss' Bellamy Road and my favorite horse of 2005, Roman Ruler, who rounded out the trifecta. Flower Alley now stands at Three Chimneys. The Hopeful was also run on that day (now run on the last Sunday of the meet) and First Samurai went out and beat Henny Hughes, who ended up having a pretty decent career as a sprinter, neither went on through the Derby trail. It was the day that really turned me into a huge racing fan. I hit my first pick-four which included Flower Alley, First Samurai, Leroidesnimux (BRZ- in the Fourstardave) and the only Spa appearance of the great sprinter Lost in the Fog who won the King's Bishop handily. Looking back on it we saw some true champions that day, and it was definitely the day I became hooked on the sport. Great memories.

After taking a couple days off to enjoy this beautiful WNY weather (my 3 wood is back in form) it's back to the actual Form to see what we have cooking on Travers Day, circa 2008. Ace handicapper JB has commented on his in-depth thoughts on the race and likes Harlem Rocker, as does Kevin over at The Aspiring Horse Player. Power Cap likes Mambo in Seattle as his Play of the Day, as does the DRF's Dave Litfin. The HR Maven likes the fact that Tyler Baze made the cross country trip for one mount, the lovable Tres Borrachos. The Puma has been uncharacteristically quiet maybe we'll hear from him later. John DaSilva of the NY Post and Steve Crist of the DRF both like Pyro. The race is basically wide open and has a tremendous amount of opportunity for value. It's going to be one of those races that you'll have to keep an eye on the tote board to see if any of these horses creeps up on the board. Five of the last seven winners have had Beyers in excess of 110 for this race. The last three also won the Jim Dandy, Flower Alley (110 -Travers, 112 Dandy), Bernardini (116 -T, 114 - JD) and Street Sense (108 - T, 105 - JD). Here's where the Saratoga Resident would say "Beyer Smeyer." Macho Again, looking to make it four in a row for the Dandy/Travers double, had a 102 in the Dandy, Pyro a 101. The Three Drunks had a 101 and Colonel John a 99 in the Swaps, also at the 1 1/8 distance. As the Travers stretches out to a mile and a quarter, this should favor the closers. I'm not going out on a line again on Tale of Ekati (which means he will win), but I think Pyro, Colonel John and Macho Again will round out my trifecta box. I don't think Mambo in Seattle has faced these caliber (i know i'm stretching it here) of horses, and my two Derby future horses Cool Coal Man and Court Vision, are just too slow. The Zito spoiler just might be Amped, who looks like he might like the extra distance, and could end up second or third and might be worth throwing in some exotic tickets. Of course, we'll be rooting for the Adena Springs' owned Rocker, who I have in my Toga handicapping tourney. Looks like a nice day so attendance should not be hindered by the weather.

Other the other stakes today I favor, Indyanne in the Victory Ride, Russell Baze also making the one mount trip from the left coast, might be worth a single in pick three and pick four plays. I like Operation Red Dawn in the Baruch (G2) with the red hot Ramon Dominguez up. In the King's Bishop, talented J be K may be tested by Lantana Mob (Dominguez again), Golden Spikes (who seems to be doing well in the sprints) and Larry Jones' Kodiak Kowboy, winner of the G2 Amsterdam, Gabe Saez trying to win his second straight Saturday Grade 1. I'm going with KK (coupled with Lantana Mob) for the upset.

Speaking of making the cross country trip for one mount, it was certainly worth it for Raf Bejarano yesterday, winning the thrilling Personal Ensign (G1) on champion filly Ginger Punch by a "snot bubble" over Lemon Drop Mom (who I told the Space Gal before the race, "if anyone will pull the upset that horse will"). That race is up there with the Alabama, for the race of the meet, so far. Maybe today will produce another thrilling finish at the wire.