BC Hangover

Tweet I can't seem to get motivated lately...call it Breeders' Cup hangover. The anticipation of some of the best races of the year build up to a crescendo, then come crashing down in a New York minute. Maybe it's because there are other things on my radar these days, but I can't seem to find my mojo...

Even the quadruple Pick Six carryover (which our three man syndicate hit four of six) at Aqueduct last Friday seemed anti-climatic in comparison to the big stage at Churchill the week before.

- It was nice to be at a jam-packed OTB (Buffalo Wehrle Drive) on Filly Friday where it was SRO. You can't beat a bucket of six beers for $10, either. We had a fun crew together to watch the races and pool some dough together while watching the fillies and mares get after it.

- Next up is Triple Crown season which has had me thinking the last few days about the results of the last few years. We really could have had a TC winner each of the last few years....think about this.....

* Curlin (2007) - a third in the Derby, Preakness win and nosed out by Rags in the Belmont...

* Big Brown (2008) - no foot issues after the Preakness and maybe he pulls it off at Big Sandy?
* Mine That Bird (2009) - don't laugh....think about this...Rachel doesn't get purchased by Jess Jackson and Calvin doesn't pull the trigger too early in New York......hmm....he really could have done it.

* Rachel Alexandra (2009) - Jess Jackson buys her before the Derby and she runs on Derby day and blows away the field (she did run very well in the slop) and she's looking at beating Summer Bird, Dunkirk and MTB in New York....possible?

* Lookin at Lucky (2010) - bad draw in the Derby...he was rolling in the slop after he was bounced around early...wins Preakness...and what might have been in the Belmont...maybe I'm reaching here...but one never knows.

* Going back before 2007, you had winners of the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 1997-1999 and 2002-2004.

Moral of the Story: It's still a real possibility and I'm guessing it will happen sooner rather than later. No need to change the format (and this is a change for me) or race spacing, the challenge of accomplishing it over the current five period is not impossible.

- Was thinking that Zenyatta could be the only horse that could be declared the Horse of the Decade without winning a single Horse of the Year vote. No easy feat.

- How about them Bills? Funny what low expectations can do for a person.

- How about those Orangemen? (and not the ones in shorts!)

- Now if only we could get the Braves back...

Revisiting Big Sandy

Tweet As many of you may know, I became obsessed with this great sport in August 2004 at the ripe age of 40, several months after watching Birdstone upend Smarty Jones's bid for the Triple Crown while on vacation with the Space Gal down in Key West. This year will mark my fifth consecutive Belmont Stakes and Belmont Day, which I feel has one of the top five cards in racing the year has to offer. So before we start our sojourn down to Big Sandy for the weekend's festivities, I thought I'd reminisce a little on my first four Belmonts and some of the memories I'll never forget.

2006: I had attended my first Derby to see Barbaro rock the racing world. Who can then forget the fateful moment at Pimlico after being reloaded after an early gate break that led to Bernardini's victory and the fate of a great colt. It was a motley crew assembled for the '06 Belmont that included the Derby runner up Bluegrass Cat and the fourth place finisher and deep closer Jazil, who stole the day for Fernando Jara's first (and currently last) Triple Crown ride. Derby show horse Steppenwolfer finished fourth and west coast stalwart Bob and John just didn't fire that day. Best memories of the day: 1) having the first bloody of the day at the Blarney Rock across for the Garden reading the Form in anticipation of a great day; 2) the Saratoga Resident had us in supreme box seats just past the finish line and with a great view of the winner's circle; 3) being way too close to the Toddster and posing in some pictures behind him for laughs and; 4) watching Gorella close like a freight train in the Just a Game

This is what too many Heineken 24 ouncers can do to a guy.












2007: My favorite Belmont to date. Seeing history is always special. Ranks up there with seeing a Stanley Cup celebration (even though we lost), a World Series home run (Joe Carter) and a Final Four buzzer shot (Keith Smart) to win a national championship. Rags to Riches became the first filly since 1905 to win the Belmont. Beating Horse of the Year, Curlin, made it all the more special. Again, the Saratoga Rez had us in tremendous seats (even better than 2006) down near the finish line and the place went crazy in the stretch drive. Memories from 07 include: 1) being in the box in front of the Imawildandcrazyguy owners who were having a good 'ole time; 2) seeing the Toddster's reaction four boxes over after winning his first TC race; 3) bloodies at the Blarney Rock (of course); 4) seeing Old Blackie (Better Talk Now) win the Manhattan with a powerful close; and 5) hanging in the Meat Packing District at Balthazar on Friday night with the boys ("A storm is coming")


Rags and Todd making their way from the paddock to the track. Johnny V up.












2008: Big Brown. 94,476 in the house. 95 degrees in the shade. Bathroom failures. Pregnant Space Gal. Empty bank account. But still had a whale of a time! While there was disappointment that we didn't get to see history, the card was terrific and thanks to the Toga Rez we had good seats just after the break and access to bathrooms that saved the Space Gal's day. 2008 Memories: 1) Benny the Bull winning the True North; 2) J Be K winning the Woody Stephens; 3) bringing the Space Gal to the Blarney for a Virgin Mary (do you see a pattern?); and 4) return trip to Balthazar on Friday and Da Marino on 49th for Saturday night's dinner and wine-inspired singalongs with the piano guy.

Jockey Shaq was in the house!













2009: Made the trip solo and roamed the vastness of Belmont Park all day long. Highlight of the day was meeting my pal Ernie and Dan Silver early in the morning and casually mentioning how much I liked Summer Bird. Was fortunate enough to attend the post-race press conference to see the joy of trainer Tim Ice and jockey Kent Desormeaux who achieved a tad of redemption after past Belmont failures. Memories include: 1) driving to Belmont for the first time and making it out of the war zone that was my parking lot after the day was over; 2) seeing blog comrades Alan H. and Robert from the TBA who I only see a few times each year; 3) getting my picture taken with Edgar Prado after his book signing and asking him if he reads my blog (he not too good with computer - umm, that's a negatory). 4) hanging with JB and the boys under their special tree for a few races and banging out a few show pool bets.

Bird is the word.















2010: ??????

We'll have some race thoughts up tomorrow evening before the Space Gal and I head out to Big Sandy.

North-South or East-West?

Tweet If you're lucky enough to be at Monmouth Park today, there's a Big Brown Bobblehead giveaway, which begs the question, will it bobble north/south or east/west? I need to know these things. I also debated writing back/front or side/side for those of you who may be direction inhibited.


Speaking of bobbleheads, I have a major collection of three. Todd Pletcher, Angel Cordero and Cal Ripken. There you have it. Not much else to say about that. Of course I got a late start on the racing game and my pals in Albany have always taken care of me that is when NYRA was giving away bobbleheads at the Spa. Hopefully with the new marketing team, they'll bring back the bobblehead. I would love a Johnny V one, and have been searching eBay for it.

Quickie post this morning as the Space Station is being prepared for massive arrivals of family for the Space Kid's christening tomorrow. The Saratoga Resident is in town to do his best Marlon Brando tomorrow. Today we'll play a little golf at heavily-trapped (90!) Niagara Falls Country Club. Yikes. So not much chance to handicap other than the Survival at the Shore races. The Monmouth Stakes looks like a monster race, I am leaning towards Proudinsky and Presious Passion (who I was on at the Sword Dancer when it was my turn for the big show pool bet where he finished fourth..ouch).

Have a great weekend everyone.

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

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?

Reports of my demise...

Tweet After reading his own obituary on June 2, 1897, Mark Twain uttered the famous quote, "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated." Over the past few days I have been mulling over the future of horse racing and where it stacks up against the mainstream sports and if there is any hope for it resurrecting itself in the near term. I had almost resolved myself (midsentence confession: after doing a google search for a Twain picture, I was pleasantly surprised by pictures of Shania popping up in quadruplicate...now back to our regularly scheduled sentence) to the fact that we are forever to be a tier two sport and that's that.

I was also thinking about the woeful ratings garnered by the most recent Breeders Cup reported by They're in the Gate and that they were dreadful in comparison with other "championships" in other sports. I did a little digging and was actually amazed at what I found. We're not all that bad when it comes to the Classics (especially the Kentucky Derby) when comparing television ratings to the other major sporting events. I obtained the overnight Nielsen ratings for several events that we all know and follow and compared them to the Triple Crown races and the BC. Here's a sampling of the results:



A couple of notable items stuck out above. This year's Belmont obviously had a Triple Crown at stake, thus the increased ratings over Rags to Riches 2007 victory over Curlin. The last Belmont Stakes with a TC possibility (Smarty Jones - 2004) had a 13.1 rating, so the ratings, were somewhat unfavorable compared to that year.

Regardless, the KD and Belmont obtained higher ratings than this year's final round of the Masters (which included Tiger Woods), the French Open Final (which featured Nadal/Federer), count 'em 3 BCS January 08 Bowl games (Orange, Fiesta and Sugar), the 2007 NBA Finals (on average) and the 2008 Final Four Saturday (average of the two semifinal games). That's quite impressive in my book. The Derby ended up behind the Daytona 500 (NASCAR's premiere event), but the Belmont topped it.

Of course, one can hypothesize that interest in horse racing wanes dramatically after the Triple Crown (based on the Breeders Cup numbers), but all the same, racing's majors rank right up there with some pretty big events. What is somewhat odd to me is the lower ratings generated by the Preakness, especially since we had a pretty big name in Big Brown who decimated the Derby field from post 20, as quite a compelling storyline. I still say if they spread out the races to generate more hype, ratings would also increase.

The other thing that drives popularity and ratings is the star factor. Golf, hockey, tennis, etc. all have athletes that compete year in and year out. Racing is faced with only a handful that come back after their 3yo campaigns to race as an older horse (many are geldings). This leads to less of a chance for the star factor. It's definitely important. Tiger drives golf ratings. His absence since the US Open has had a tremendous downward impact on PGA ratings. The final round of The Tour Championship (1.8) in September was down 45% from a 3.3 for last year's event, which Tiger Woods won. I will bet dollars to donuts that if Brown had run in the Classic, the numbers would have improved greatly as he was the drawing card this year, but unfortunately we'll never know.

So, it's not as bad as we may think it is. There's always hope....

Classic Disappointment

Tweet Well that sucks. Good bye showdown with Curlin, which would have been the first Kentucky Derby winner to face a Classic champion, EVER. Good bye dramatic buildup to Saturday evening's finale. Good bye ratings.

Already receiving the sarcastic e-mails and post
Belmont prediction of retirement from the Saratoga Resident.

Maybe the Euro invasion will pick it up a little.

I'll go back in my hole now.

MMQB

Tweet - After four straight days in the race book followed by a football-filled weekend, it's back to work and a normal schedule. Vegas sure can do funny things to you.

- I imagine I was the only one of the 45,000 plus patrons at the Carrier Dome watching the Monmouth Stakes during the second quarter of the rout that was taking place over my hometown Orangemen. Of course, my slingmobile went out just before post time, but I made a quick recovery and saw the race in its entirety on my two inch screen. I thought for sure Proudinsky would catch the Brown one in the stretch, but he held on gamely.

- I immediately was bombarded with emails and texts from my crew, half taking a stand against BB, half still on the proverbial bandwagon. I'll admit it, I played against him with an exacta box of the three older horses (and 2-3-4 finishers) and Kiss the Kid (who I also threw a $2WP on). The Puma quickly pointed out it was a weak field. The Saratoga Resident said he beat a bunch of older horses. The good doctor and NJ resident was present and fawning over the victory calling for a Curlin hookup at Oak Tree.

- My initial reaction was "a win is a win" and he held on in the stretch gamely against some decent turf horses. On second thought, however, Proudinsky and Shakis, 5 and 8, respectively, had raced just three weeks prior in the Bernard Baruch on Travers Day in a difficult and hard fought race, and that these probably aren't the best G1 turf horses in the land. Big Brown was pretty well rested and fresh from his Haskell victory early in August. So I agree that it was a fine effort, but I will go back to the drawing board to beat him in the Classic. Colonel John, Go Between, and Casino Drive should provide some decent competition for him on 25OCT on racing's remaining biggest day of the year.

- Tricky Dick overheard in the winner's circle: "Rev up the wienermobile Ivy, Californy is the place we wanna be."

- I watched the race replay last night after a day of NFL watching (yes, my Bills are 2-0, baby) and thought Larry Collmus' call was terrific. Being able to see the race more clearly was nice, the 2 inch screen just didn't do it justice. I guess the result was the best possible one for racing, as now the media ball is in Jess Jackson's court and whether we will get to see a BB-Curlin matchup in the Classic is anyone's guess. The IEAH connections will surely playback Jackson's quote about "you know where we are" regarding the Woodward, in similar fashion regarding the Classic. It would be good for racing and spark television ratings for Men's Day at the Breeders' Cup.

- Saw the new statue of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, unveiled on the SU quad to coincide with the premiere showing of "The Express" starring Dennis Quaid (who was honorary captain on Saturday - didn't help). Davis, who hailed from Elmira, NY (where I attended college) died of leukemia in 1963 after being selected by the Cleveland Browns after graduating from the Cuse. I used to see his mom every day (she was the lunch lady at the college) and ask her to tell me stories about the Elmira Express. Can't wait to see the movie.

- So while I was present with SpaceGal and her family and their fawning over State Penn's big win in the Loud House, ten minutes from our home back at UB Stadium, lightning struck with a visit from Hail Mary...watch this amazing finish:

Monday Morning Armchairing

Tweet After spending a nice day away from handicapping in the Finger Lakes (who knew there is such a thing as a Garlic Festival) celebrating my anniversary with the Space Gal, lots of goings on over the first weekend in August:

- With Week 2 of Saratoga coming to a close today, Johnny V leads the jockey colony with 16 wins and earnings in excess of $1.4M. Shockingly (not really) his main trainer Todd Pletcher leads the trainers with wins at 6, with Contessa, Dutrow and Asmussen one behind.

- Big Brown should run in the Mass Cap on September 20th at Suffolk Downs. It would be a great thing for a second tier track and would generate a ton of interest in a huge market such as Boston to our sport. As much as it will pain me to not see him again (first time was the Belmont), it would be best for the sport and the horse not to run him back in three weeks. My opinion.

- Solution to when you get aggravated with the TVG hosts: 1) mute button, 2) twinspires.com live video.

- Kudos to bloggers Teresa of Brooklyn Backstretch and Jessica of Railbird for their appearance on Capital OTB's Call to the Post this morning, hosted by Equidaily's Seth Merrow. They answered a myriad of questions on the internet, blogging and its impact on generating interest in the sport. Nice work.

- Now that I've discovered the Capital OTB channel's streaming site, I'm a happy guy. Ah, the internet, never ceases to amaze me. P.S. Dale Romans' young son, Jake, filling in on the Siro's handicapping show had the crowd roaring today picking his father's horse Precious Beans in the fifth with the quip "Hey, I had a tip on him."

- Wish I could be a fly on the wall in the Packers locker room today for when Aaron Rodgers says "hey" to Brett Favre. "So, how's your summer been?"

- Music Note to the Travers? I vote no. The Alabama will be by far the best race of the meet and will rocket either her or Proud Spell to the front of the class for 3yo filly of the year honors. Hope they stay the course.

- Third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown yesterday at Woodbine won by Marlang (one of only two graded turf winners in the race) wherein James Bond's Solitaire, a maiden, was the post time favorite. Has to be a first that a maiden was the favorite in that race. Ouch.

- Hit the Grand Slam on Friday ($38.20) and Saturday ($20.50) at the Spa after my post last week. It's a bet I forgot all about on opening day, but have taken a liking to.

- Channing Hill had a great ride on Stalingrad in the Fourstardave yesterday, I'm starting to like this 20 year old more and more each day and am starting to keep a closer eye on his mounts.

- (Update) Marylou Whitney Stables keeps 'em right on coming. Following up on the Luv Gov who ran Saturday, today's fifth features Ninth Client. You go girl. (Update 2: Won in a dead heat at around 9-1!)

Mid Year Bests and Worsts

Tweet Happy Canada Day for all our Canadian friends to the north!

Two weeks to Del Mar and three weeks to Toga and summer racing. Now that we've reached the midpoint of the 2008 racing year I've listed MY five best and worst moments in horse racing for the first half of 2008.


Best Moments in Racing - YTD 2008

1 – Big Brown Wins Kentucky Derby from Post #20
A ton of doubt existed if he could do it from the far post, and when trainer Dutrow grabbed it with glee at the Post Position Draw on 4th Street in Louisville, it was exactly where he wanted to be. A stunning performance by the big fellah was easily the best moment for me so far this year.

2 – Curlin Wins Dubai World Cup in Romp
The world champion lived up to expectations in overpowering an international field of horses in the world's richest race ($6M). His record setting 7 3/4 length victory at the Nad was not only after a five month layoff since his BC Classic win at Monmouth, but was drug-free to boot.

3 – Tiago Outduels Heatseeker at wire in Oaklawn Handicap
In maybe the year's best race between two terrific rivals, Tiago nipped Heatseeker by a head in the Oaklawn Handicap. They would duel again later in early June with Heatseeker avenging the loss. Unfortunately, Heatseeker has suffered a career ending injury and will be retired.

4 – Pyro’s visually stunning victory in the Louisiana Derby
At the time, one of the leading Derby contenders, Pyro, made a visually impressive move late to win the La Derby at the Fair Grounds by three lengths. In all kinds of traffic, Pyro, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, navigated the victory to put him over the $1M mark in career earnings. He recently won the Northern Dancer (G2) on Stephen Foster Day at Churchill. Unfortunately he disappointed his fans on Derby Day, but his performance on that day in early March, makes my top five.

5 – Proud Spell Upsets Indian Blessing in Louisiana Oaks
On the same day as Pyro's La Derby win, Proud Spell shocked BC Juvenile Filly champ Indian Blessing in the La Oaks (G2), with a time that was actually better than Pyro's in the La Derby. It was the second loss for Indian Blessing to Proud Spell, and a rematch in the Kentucky Oaks loomed. Unfortanately, Blessing was rested until Belmont Day and the rematch has still not occurred. Proud Spell went on to win the Ky Oaks, after flirting with entry in the Derby.

Honorable Mention: Big Brown's Florida Derby win from post 12, Student Council's Pimlico Special win in the slop, Sweet Vendetta's win in the Black-Eyed Susan for breeder David Cassidy.

Five Worst Moments in Horse Racing - 2008 YTD

1 – Eight Belles breaks down in gallop out after placing in Derby
Not much more needs to be said here.

2 – Congressional Hearings on June 19, 2008
The sport takes its shots on Capitol Hill with threats of governmental intervention if issues such as steroids/drug use, breakdowns, excessive whip use and centralization are not addressed. Worst moment #1 above, a big driver of the feds getting involved.

3 – Big Brown falters in Triple Crown bid
Whether it was the heat, the loose shoe, the bad ride, the faulty bathroom facilities, the starter or the quarter crack, the Triple Crown has still not been won in 30 years. While it drove up interest in the sport for a few weeks, it also showed the world the ugliness of the connections and the difficulty of the Test of the Champion in front of a huge NY crowd.

4 – Santa Anita track problems due to excessive SoCal rains early in year.
The $11M Cushion Track installed at Santa Anita last summer suffered major drainage problems in January and February, wherein 11 racing days and numerous revenues were lost. Just last week the track announced another overhaul of the surface to start this month with the Australian-based Pro-Ride surface replacing the current surface. With the Breeders' Cup scheduled for October, the installation schedule is very tight and they could be pushing the envelope with the timing.

5 – Jeremy Rose suspended for six month for abusive whip use at Delaware Park
With PETA already on the doorstep after the death of Eight Belles, comes an unfortunate incident wherein Rose struck his mount in the eye. Delaware Park officials immediately suspended Rose for six months. Another black eye.

Honorable Mention: Breeders' Cup moves all five ladies events to Friday and renames the Distaff, Einstein's owners fail to obtain NY license for Manhattan on Belmont Day, Preakness field weakest in years, Mother Goose gains only four runners, Pletcher finishes last in Derby for third straight year, Buffalo CPA starts racing blog :)

I'm sure I missed something feel free to chime in!

To Boo or Not to Boo...

Tweet I'm coming right out off the bat and saying I'm an anti-boo guy. Not a big fan of the boo. The boo originated in Ancient Greece. Playwrights would compete to determine whose tragedy was the best. The audience would either applaud to show its pleasure or shout or whistle to show its disapproval. The boo was born. Defined as an exclamation of contempt or disapproval, the boo has been used for centuries by crowds to deride a performer or athlete, especially by uttering a prolonged boo. In Ancient Rome during the gladiatorial games, where audience participation often determined whether a competitor lived or died, jeering was also en vogue.


Why am I bringing this up? Well, I've been meaning to write about the booing of Big Brown and/or jockey Desormeaux after pulling up at the Belmont. I actually didn't hear it as I was sitting too far away from the sections where the boos were emanating from. I read about it in the New York papers the next day and in various racing forums. It brought back bad memories for me. Not the memory of Bob Dylan being booed at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival bringing tears to his eyes, as I was only two, but various events that have taken place over the years. Being born near Philly, as a young child my grandfather took me to all kinds of Philadelphia sporting events, and man, those folks are the toughest fans I've ever been around. Some of us might even remember when Santa Claus was booed at halftime of an Eagles game...how bad is that! Those were two famous "booings" in the sixties. I think I was booed once or twice during my basketball career in the 70s and 80s, but I have a low frequency hearing problem, which is how I must have missed most of the booin (though my 33% college senior year FG percentage could have warranted a boo or two).


The day I decided I really was not a big fan of the boo was October 21, 1991. The site was Rich Stadium on a Monday Night. I was in my usual position in the seventh row in section 336 upper deck. Hall of Famer Jim Kelly threw three interceptions against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half and they trailed miserably at halftime. The boo birds (defined as "fans who boo the home team when the team loses or is playing badly") were out in full force and getting on Jimbo mercilessly. I remember shushing someone in my section saying, "A gunslinger keeps firing until his chamber is empty." Well, Jim self-fulfilled my prophecy and threw a then-MNF record five touchdowns in the second half to lead the Bills to a come from behind victory. Those same blow-hards were cheering him by the end of the game. I guess you had to participate in sport to understand that if you are giving it your best effort, good things don't always happen. It's not like he meant to throw those picks. The next time the boo birds surfaced at the Stadium was in January 1993 in the famous Bills playoff comeback game against the Oilers. The fans were letting backup QB Frank Reich have it (I'll admit that I called for his replacement at halftime in a friendly rest room conversation, sans booing) especially after throwing a pick early in the 3rd quarter to go down 35-3. We won that game too with the biggest comeback in a playoff game in NFL history. Boo birds silenced again.


I realize the counter argument is that one buys a ticket thus he/she has the freedom to cheer or boo whoever he/she wants under his/her constitutional rights. I 'm just sayin' what does this accomplish? Does it help your team do better through motivation? Does booing a horse make you feel better? Some say they were booing the connections. The connections got what they deserved, but no need to pile on folks...ask Shaq where that got him.


I'm just an anti-boo guy. What can I say.


Other definitions of boo not covered in this post can be found here.

The Day After...

Tweet There's lots of great commentary out there regarding the hearings. Steve Crist's article has a good take. Lots of folks were upset that horseplayers were not mentioned (ignored actually) within the hearings, but I echo the thought that the hearings were about horse safety.

Interestingly enough, information was requested from such groups as RCI, Churchill Downs, Magna and NYRA in the May 22nd letter from the Subcommittee, but none of these groups were invited as panelists. Magna went so far in their response (located here) that they "would very much look forward to the opportunity to testify...in June." Of the five entities that were requested to supply key information to the subcommittee, only The Jockey Club was asked to testify. The responses, posted on Wednesday, at the Committee on Energy and Commerce website, include vast statistical information at the various tracks, etc.

It looks like the Saratoga bobblehead giveaway has been shelved for a year (at least). Boo!!!!

Lots of reports out there regarding Curlin's status in New York. Of course, it's all hypothetical right now, as he would actually have to apply before being "banned." An attorney in Kentucky says "no problem" for Jess Jackson, while making the point that the receivership holds the 20% interest of Midnight Cry, and thus the court-appointed receiver needs to be the one that is licensed. We'll see.

Jersey-bound Big Brown (don't hold your breath that he'll actually show up) is the most recent star to avoid Saratoga. Over the past four years such greats as Afleet Alex (injury-retired), Rags to Riches (injury-retired), and Curlin (Haskell) have dashed my hopes of seeing all of them at the Spa. It seems to be an annual and more frequent occurrence. As Steve Asmussen most famously said, “I think Graveyard of Champions and the best horse I've ever had shouldn't go in the same sentence. That's how I've always felt about it. I didn't give it that nickname, but we're aware of what happens here.” Boo!

Adoro la cerveza.

The big race Saturday is the Colonial Turf Cup. Court Vision and Kentucky Bear try the grass for the first time, and Adriano returns to the turf as the 3-1 morning line favorite. I like a tri-box with Adriano (Prado), Nistle's Crunch (Albarado) and Boss Lafitte (Leparoux). My big worry is Sporting Art, as Javier is always tough on the lawn...so I may throw him underneath if I decide to play a wheel also. Good luck!

Random thoughts and musings

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* The chatter hasn’t died down nearly 48 hours since Big Brown’s troubled trip. Tim Layden has an excellent column today regarding five unanswered questions after Big Brown’s loss.

* Thought on this end is that Desormeaux rode an awful race. He exerted too much energy from the horse getting him to the outside after being boxed in and didn’t follow the trainer’s directions to get to the lead. He tried to dictate the race instead of letting the race come to him and react accordingly. His horse became “confused” and didn’t fire when asked, and then gave up.

* Da’Tara’s pedigree analysis shows that he is following his sire Tiznow’s path as a late bloomer, who improved considerably through the course of his three year old season. After three crops of 3yo’s Tiznow now has 12 stakes winners, including G1 winners Folklore, Colonel John and Tough Tiz’s Sis and graded winners Bear Now, Tizdejavu, Slew’s Tizzy, Well Armed and Tiz Wonderful. Of course, Tiznow won two Breeders’ Cup Classics. Da'Tara's dam, Torchera, was a three-time winner and twice stakes-placed in California-bred restricted company.

* For more in-depth pedigree analysis see Alfred Vanderbilt’s hilarious blog at The Rail, who attempts to delve into the Native Dancer line, the "Gray Ghost of Sagamore", who was owned and bred by his father. Interesting side note that every Belmont horse in the race on Saturday traces back to the Ghost.

* With all due respect to the tradition of the Triple Crown, the biggest change I would suggest in the current setup is the spacing between the races. Why not the first Saturdays in May, June and July giving the horses ample time to recover from minor injuries and the like? It’s just too darn difficult to run three classics in five weeks in today's environment. I don’t think they should change the distances or venues, just the timing.

* Bo Derek’s derby horse was Tale of Ekati, not sure there’s any other reason why she was in that horse’s stall before the race on Saturday.

* Never schedule an 8 ½ hour train ride when thunderstorms are threatening. A tree fell on the tracks somewhere around Poughkeepsie, delaying our return trip for an hour or two.

* Always bet $2 on the long shot in the classics, when they happen to come in you can confidently respond when asked how you did…“yeah, I had that.” Actually I read somewhere if you played $2 on every long shot over 50-1 on Breeders Cup Day, you typically come out ahead. Go figure.

* Next year I’ll buy my LIRR tickets on Friday night before the race, the lines were a zoo at Penn Station, even though the comedy factor was high. An elderly lady in front of me, commenting on the group of girls buying their tickets one by one instead of one punching it in for all of them and getting reimbursed later (thus keeping the line moving)… “and they’re not even blonde!”

* 43 days to Tom Durkin leading the crowd in unison: “And they’re off at Saratoga!”

* Kudos to my boys at Bella Cavello Stables, as two of their horses hit the board. Coal Valley ($8.20) won a $10K claimer on Thursday at Pimlico and M.E.’s Smile (last seen winning at Atlantic City in April) took second in the 2nd at Mountaineer on Saturday. Their ace mare La Chica Rica scratched out of the 4th at Mountaineer, a $41K turf sprint. They send out Gregson (6th at Monmouth) and Generalissimo (7th at Colonial Downs) on Wednesday. Good luck, gents.

Thump Thump

Tweet Well that didn't take very long. All he had to do is read the various blogs to see how he could turn the media's attention away from himself. Richard Dutrow, Big Brown's trainer, threw his boy Kent Desormeaux under the bus today. As reported in the DRF:

"It happened in the wrong race," Dutrow said. "It was a huge race, biggest race I've ever been in. I feel like a loser right now and I don't know why. Usually when I get beat I can handle it the right way, and I've handled this the right way, but I just feel like something's not right. I know it's not the combination that our stable has with the horse, me, [exercise rider] Michelle [Nevin], the groom. I know he went into this race unbelievable, so the rest Kent's got to answer."

Dutrow's plan was to get him to the front (similar to what Secretariat did in the '73 Belmont from the #1 post) so not to get boxed in. But Da'Tara fired harder and Big Brown was quickly boxed in by Tale of Ekati and Anak Nakal (see picture in post below...it was right in front of us!). Dutrow goes on to say, "Getting the horse from the gate to the first turn like that is not the way to play the game," Dutrow said. "A lot of people say that it really confuses the horse. I'm sure he didn't have [any] idea what the hell was going on going into the first turn the way [Desormeaux] was switching him all over the damn track. I don't know what he was doing. Did he tell you what he was doing?"

I received a good number of emails today from bettors who wheeled him in both the 2 and 3 hole and were cursing KD for pulling him up. Desormeaux's reaction: "For every superfecta player, for every show-bet player, they need to rest assured that the horse quit a quarter of a mile before I did." I think I read somewhere yesterday that the reason he pulled him up was because he was out of the money (5th place) because something was wrong.

Typical Dutrow though, even if the blame was warranted....

The Day in Pictures

Tweet Since the Lakeshore Limited didn't pull into the Buffalo-Depew station until 1.15am last night, I'm going to get a few pics up now and will post some afterthoughts on Da'Tara, Big Brown, Kent Desormeaux and the rest later. Here's some of the pictures we took on Belmont Day.

Shaq holding court in the paddock.

Joined some of the members of the TBA to say hello.

The windows weren't so bad......here buying some souvenir $2 win tickets for relatives, co-workers and friends that are now worth about 1/10th of a cent. I bet from my phone all day to avoid amateur hour at the windows.

The daunting stretch run of Belmont Park. Conquering that is the climax of "The Test of the Champion."

Gomez and Frankel being presented some bling for the Fly Emirates Just A Game victory by Ventura ($22). The Triple Crown trophy is the triangular one at the bottom!

Winning trainer Nick Zito in the paddock prior to the big race.

Bo Derek in Tale of Ekati's stall. Hey, I thought she was a 10 not a 7?

Big Brown's last circle in the paddock.



Thundering by us as they head to the clubhouse turn. Big Brown being boxed in by Da'Tara, Tale of Ekati and Anak Nakal. It only gets worse from here for the big fellah.



Hold the presses on that 12th billboard! More later....

Belmont Bomb

Tweet "And that's why they run the race," said the Saratoga Resident. The buzz yesterday at Belmont Park was like none other that I have ever felt, and I've been to a sporting event or two. The electricity, especially the roar generated when the horses were loading and sent off around 6:31 pm last evening, rivaled that of the 1987 NCAA Championship Game in the Superdome, Joe Carter's home run to win the World Series in 1993, Game Six of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals (no goal) and three AFC championship game victories by the Bills in the early 90's. And believe me there was some electricity in those joints. But Da'Tara ($79.00), the Tiznow colt, spoiled Big Brown's coronation and sent many shaking their heads to various planes, trains and automobiles. More on Da'Tara tomorrow.

It was a spectacular day at beautiful Belmont Park (sans the plumbing) where the heat and humidity at times were stifling, but it just didn't matter. We were there to have fun, and I think I smiled all day long. We started the day at the world famous Blarney Rock Tavern for our traditional bloody (is three years a tradition?) before catching the train out to the track. Where else but New York can you find a packed bar of handicappers at 11am? We just caught the 12:23 train as the Space Gal and I went full sprint and were greeted by cheers by a group of lads who appeared to just wake up from the Preakness infield. We just made it before the doors closed. These guys were hilarious! Someone forgot to tell them that Casino Drive had scratched and they led the train in a rousing "U-S-A" chant. Their leader, "budweiser hat guy" passed around a few cans of light beer out of his rite aid bag, and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

On to Belmont and here were some of the days highlights:

- Seeing Shaquille O'Neill in full silks in the paddock after race four, which delayed my visit with some of the fellow TBA bloggers, who were all very nice and welcoming to the both of us. My stakes picks went 2 for 6 on the main page, respectable for an initial showing, but certainly nothing to write home about.
- First score of the day, the trifecta in the sixth with Benny the Bull on top. Good times!
- Relaxing in the back, where fellow handicapper JB had a big winner with J Be K in the Woody Stephens. We had an excellent time enjoying a beer and a cigar, while toasting JB's win.
- Second score of the day, the exacta in the tenth with Dancing Forever and Out of Control. What a terrific race the Manhattan was and I heard ABC didn't show it because they had some special interest piece on Desormeaux. Ouch.
- The train ride back to Penn Station where we met a lovely woman named Yetta, who traveled 16 hours by car all the way from Huntsville, Alabama by herself to see Casino Drive. She really wanted Better Than Honour to pull off her own triple (dam of past two Belmont winners) and was somewhat disappointed in the scratch, but she seemed to have had a super time nonetheless.

The highlight of the day was being able to get down in the paddock before the Belmont. We were right in front of stalls 7-10, so we had great views of Zito, Pletcher, Bo Derek and of course, Tale of Ekati, Anak Nakal, Ready's Echo (what a specimen) and Ichabad. We took a ton of pictures, I had a pretty good one of Desormeaux on Brown as they circled for the last time before going out. That pic got me a "get out of jail free" card from the police captain from Boston who sat behind us in 2B for emailing it to him, not that I'll ever need it.

We capped off the day with an awesome dinner and a couple bottles of wine with the Toga Rez at Da Marino on 49th and met some real characters at the bar afterwards. Dennis the piano guy (not to be confused with budweiser hat guy) played all kinds of tunes that led to such lines from the Saratoga Resident as "thank you des moines" and "i'll be here all week." High comedy indeed. We played guess the waitresses' nationality and guess the check (within $5). Yes, Houston, we have a (gambling) problem. Of course, yours truly nailed them both with Russia and within $3.45 of the bill (no easy task), although there may be some debate over whether I really had Russia or the former Yugoslavia countries. Dennis was terrific on the piano playing Croce, Elton John, Billy Joel and whatever we wanted (i.e., theme from ice castles for our pal Patrick in Boston) as we sang along. The owner, Mossimo, did a few card tricks for us and we completed the night with Denny's rendition of American Pie. What a day. Being with great friends and loved ones is what it's all about and although we didn't see a Triple Crown, we had a blast and ended on a super note.

I'm gonna be a part of it....new york...

Tweet All safe in the Big Apple after the nine hour train ride that went smooth as can be....I think I completed most of my ten things to do (a couple folks e-mailed me an 11th, but not fit to print here and not attempted...). The funniest thing was sitting with a couple of friends at the Campbell Apartment last night and my pal told the Space Gal that the Hills is definitely scripted, started an all-out verbal war about reality television.....high comedy.

So while having an awesome omelet at Maxie's at 49th and 7th this morning and reading the Daily News, my horoscope caught my eye...

"If you've been researching prices (hmmm) and market values on a particular product, you just could get a bargain this weekend. Different things in life make different people happy. Whether you're spending money on something useful or frivolous (haha), if it makes you happy, that's all that matters. Don't worry about what others say or think. This is a decision you have to make."

Couldn't sum things up better and a nice way to start the day.

The big news is the scratch of Casino Drive for today's Belmont. Yep, he stepped on a rock. Oh well, he was out of my mix nonetheless, but now we'll see the prices of Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati come down as the probable second and third choices. My sentimental choice (is there a race for first?) is Ready's Echo, who I projected Thursday to complete the superfecta, is more and more intriguing (and Dick Powell is on that bandwagon also in yesterday's very funny post!). I've heard a ton of rumors regarding the quarter crack, who knows who to believe...maybe he'll pull a Willis Reed (this is New York) and hobble out and put away the championship in dramatic fashion...

"Reed stayed in the locker room when the teams went out for pregame practice. He was given shots of carbocaine and cortisone. His leg was supposed to be numbed and stay that way. And five minutes before the game began, he came shuffling out. He was dragging the right leg behind him. (Wilt) Chamberlain and Keith Erickson looked at each other and smiled. Then the game began and Willis may be the first guy ever to win for a team by merely showing up."

It should be a fun day handicapping, watching SIX graded stakes races (!) being with friends, and hopefully seeing history. Here's to a great day!

Picture courtesy: © Cindy Pierson Dulay

PETA's At It Again

Tweet PETA's Ingrid Newkirk, is at it again. These folks just don't give up. In a letter dated today to NYRA Steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. "on behalf of PETA's more than 2 million members and supporters-and concerned people everywhere" she urges him "to ensure that Big Brown is protected from legal and illegal drug abuse and that he is truly fit to run in Saturday's Belmont Stakes." Huh? Protected from legal drugs? What is she smoking? Hey, I'm a concerned person and I certainly don't need her representing me!

The letter continues that Eight Belles' death in the Kentucky Derby "has alerted the nation to the racing industry's "secrets"-massive drugging and daily catastrophic injuries." Man, when these folks bite down, they just don't release! Further, Ms. Newkirk, starts on Dicky Dutrow and his doping suspensions and urges that Baeza "can assure the public-that nothing illegal is done." Well, umm, that's his job isn't it?

The classic line however is this one: "Consider, too, that another breakdown at a Triple Crown race might very well finish off the horse racing industry." Memo to Ingrid: Congress is already involved. Settle down.

So, in her conclusion she "asks the stewards to act in the best interests of all and 1) put Big Brown under a 48-hour security watch before the Belmont Stakes, and 2) bring in one or more equine veterinarians unaffiliated with Belmont Park and Richard Dutrow to examine Big Brown and render an opinion on his fitness." Wow. Guess when the NY Racing and Wagering Board shot her letter down last week, she didn't get the message. My bet is that NYRA will state, we have policies and rules (and detention barns) that handle these issues, relax and enjoy the race.

Belmont 140

Tweet When my tickets arrived via the big brown delivery truck today via the Capital Region, I could only wonder if it was an omen for good things to come Saturday evening. History to be made, cocktails to be tipped, train rides to be enjoyed, weather forecast looking bright, hmmmm, could this be the year? I don't think I can read another article or analyze much more at this point. I've seen what I need to and I just don't think this field can touch Big Brown and his Triple Crown hopes. He's won from the outside, from a middle post in the Preakness and now in leg number 3 he will win from the inside post. Prado tried to trap him at Pimlico, but Edgar's on a different type of horse this race (not a speed favoring horse like Riley Tucker), so I don't think that will be his plan of action. Brown has shown that he can rate and accelerate when Desormeaux asks. This horse race is for second.

So the play here will be the trifecta as obviously at 2-5 or less there's not much value in betting him to win (other than for the souvenir). I think Denis of Cork, with five weeks rest, nice jockey change to Albarado, decent works, pedigree and dosage will be the place horse. Tale of Ekati (two wins over Big Sandy, five weeks rest, solid trainer and jockey) will battle his way for the show. I like Pletcher's Ready's Echo who should be closing late to round out the superfecta. We'll also play a five horse superfecta box by adding Casino Drive. I'm not convinced the Japanese horse will pull off the Better than Honour three-peat and am hoping he gets bet down heavily by the expected large Asian contingent, to improve DOC and TOE prices on the tote board.

I'm excited to see a lot of talented horses on the undercard such as Thor's Echo (BC Sprint winner in 2006) and fellow millionaire Benny the Bull in the True North (G2); the Just a Game (G1) features Lady of Venice, Bit of Whimsey, the ever dangerous Criminologist, Sharp Susan and Vacare. That race could be the best of the day. The Acorn (G1) kicks off the guaranteed Pick 4 has just a five horse field, with BC Juvenile Filly champ Indian Blessing making her return from a spring freshening. The Woody Stephens (G2) has J Be K and Majestic Warrior as the name entries. The opening act for the Belmont, the Manhattan (G1) after Einstein's defection as reported here yesterday, includes the ever present Better Talk Now (one of my favorites), and Shakis. Better Talk Now's rabbit Shake the Bank is also entered, but regular jock Tommy Turner (who I met down at GP a few years ago) gives up the ride to Jeremy Rose, you can bet the house he'll be out front at the first call.

Here's to a fun, exciting and safe Belmont. We'll be starting the wave down in Section 2B, so keep an eye open...(just kidding, i hate the wave). Best of luck to all.

Can Denis Pop the Cork on Big Brown?

Tweet So who has the best chance to pull the upset? Remember, this is the year that the Patriots were undefeated going into the Super Bowl looking unbeatable as the heavy favorites (sound familiar?). A lot of funny things can happen on the way to winning a triple crown. I imagine there are a few jockeys that may make things a tad difficult for Big Bad Team Brown on Saturday (see Edgar Prado). Trying to nail down the horse has the ability to defrock him of the bling on Belmont Day is the challenge.

The probable third or fourth choice in the betting will be Denis of Cork, the third place finisher from the Kentucky Derby, who rallied from last to get the show. He passed as many as ten tired horses during his late closing stretch run. While he still finished eight lengths behind Big Brown, he had a terrible post (#16) to overcome and made up quite a bit of ground late at the shorter 1 1/4 mile distance. Dick Powell really liked his chances in Louisville in his pre-Derby column and played him hard in the one and two holes. His trainer, David Carroll, has been part of a team (Shug McGaughey's) that has uprooted a potential TC champ in the 1989 Belmont. He also "has delivered two sharp workouts since the Derby, including five furlongs in 594/5 seconds last Monday" similar to the sharp works he showed prior to his third place finish in the Run for the Roses. My pre-Derby thoughts were as follows: "nice pedigree, dosage index, maybe underneath in exotics." I am going to give him serious consideration in both the exacta and trifecta (and any pooled superfecta plays) come Saturday, as he figures to land somewhere within the top four spots. Here's hoping his price stays north of 15 to 20-1. The next horse to start studying is Tale of Ekati....

Thanks to the fellow TBA'ers with track day advice and helping hints, I've only been to the last two which had crowds under 50,000. It looks like my annual Bloody Mary at the Blarney Rock across from the Garden will have to be a tad earlier than the past two years!