Mo-verload

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Anybody else having a bad case of Mo-verload? Yeah, me too. It's been covered ad nauseum. So grab your barf bag, I'm about to give my plugged Buffalo Nickel's worth. It's probably half the opinion that my pal and fellow blogger Chris aka "Tencent" could put out there, but in case you were wondering where the Space Camp stands...here goes...

It was a hot summer Travers Day in the year 2010...no, I probably don't want to go all the way back to the beginning, but I do have a short story to share. The Saratoga Resident, my pop and I were sitting in the Turf Terrace (compliments of a fitty for my boy Manny - oops) watching a 2-year old named Uncle Mo destroy a $60k maiden field by about 14-1/2 lengths.

We were immediately on the bat-phone to our pal, Moe back in Buffalo. Moe, you see, is a non-racing fan, but he enjoys a good cigar and can quote Churchill even on a bad day. "We've got a Derby horse for ya, Moe," we screamed into the cellular telephone, "and he's got your name (sans the "e")!"  For then next few months through his BC Juvie win and through the winter we'd see Moe and tell him Mo's the real deal. Well, you know how that ended, and our hopes for Buffalo Moe to become a hooked racing fan went astray with the scratch on Derby eve of our man, Mo.

So what does that have to do with Uncle Mo pointing towards the Breeders' Cup Classic? Well, nothing really. I just though I'd share.

Fast forward five months and we have a nostril loss in the G1 King's Bishop and a monstrous Beyer Speed Figure (BSF) in the G2 Kelso, a one turn mile.The Mo Hype machine is revving up again. Get Moe back on the horn, his horse is back in the national spotlight. You probably think by now I've done a little too much National Vodka Day celebrating, especially after you read why I think this is a good thing, but really, I've only had one John Daly, so far.

So here are my five reasons why Uncle Mo going in the Classic is okay by me.

1) Mo Got Game. Not just because he's got the big BSF (that sounds kinda dirty doesn't it?). Not because he's the defending Juvie champ. He's got that second gear. We've all seen it. Not many horses have it. Mo's got it.
2) Sporting Move. As much as you can loathe the connections, having Mo in the Classic is good for the sport. It's kind of like how Jess Jackson was viewed before he pulled Rachel out of the Classic. He gave the poly a whirl with Curlin, he bought Rach and ran her in a Classic and against older males. He did what was good for the sport. Mo has sex appeal for that national TV audience. We'll get an extra couple of fractions out of the Nielsens having him run in the Classic versus the Dirt Mile.
3) Mike Repole is a Quote Machine. Yeah, he'd be there anyway with Stay Thirsty, but you know Mo's like his favorite kid. He won't say it out loud (or maybe he will), but Repole loves Mo. I mean he looooves him. The media has to be salivating over the fact that Repole will have a mic in his hand in Louisville. Bring on the entourage, just make sure you make your reservations early.
4) Pletcher has a lot to prove. It can't hurt the ratings that the five-time Eclipse winning trainer will have to pull off quite a feat to get a bottom under Mo before the Classic. A 7-furlong race followed by a one turn mile against lesser foes in the slop aren't exactly stellar workouts. On the other hand he'll be coming in third off the long layoff and he has a win over the Churchill strip and can handle the slop on the off chance it's a sloppy track. Pletcher has some TV appeal to the public, most non-racing fans, Moe excluded, know who he is.
5) BC Marketing Campaign around Mo v. Havre de Grace. You gotta go with the girl you bring to the dance. Why not hype the two horses that have the most appeal to fans to drive ratings, attendance and the like. The BC folks must be licking their chops.

Small print alert: P.S. There's some money to be made betting against him.

What's really not to like about it? It could be Classic Mo Time. Hey Moe, whaddya think?

Shake Rattle & Roll

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So what's shakin' in your 'hood?

Some mundane thoughts as we inch closer towards Travers weekend....with some random Buffalo stuff thrown in for good measure....

- I'm warming to Ruler On Ice this weekend with a no-name long shot coming in second. That's my story and I'm sticking to it (maybe).

- What's with The Factor not coming East for a date with Mo in the King's Bishop? Bawk to the Bawk.

- The Bills should trade for Tebow? According to my pal, The Kick is Good...yes. I'd like to have whatever he's smoking. He loves the Bills more than Ralph Wilson, so I'll give him a pass this time.

- The Toga Party is heating up and 4 (count em, 4) points are up for grabs this weekend. Pick 'ems for the Travers and the King's Bishop and previously submitted selections for Travers Day attendance and the $2 trifecta.  Who will make the late move this weekend as we hit the quarter pole? It just can't be the Space Gal, who is hovering around the lead...I'd never hear the end of it...

- Congrats to Tencentcielo, the only contestant to select Royal Delta (out of 19) in last weekend's Alabama.

- The local columnists have already written off the Bills after two preseason games. Thanks for coming.

- Still haven't read the McKinsey Report....better get to it...may even have to dust off the old Jockey Club Form 990 post and update it for all the dough they're stowing away. Heard on Byk's show they spent upwards of $2M on the report. Dat's a lot of bread, Fred.

- No 3:59 attempt on Travers Day, but a surgical strike next Wednesday (8/31) with the Saratoga Resident may be in the cards to crack the magic number. Only downside is it could be quota day for the NYS Troopers being the last day of the month.

- This week's Post Time features for TBN will be a Travers advance (Friday or Saturday paper) and post-race commentary (Sunday paper) and the Friday Sports, Ink blog will take a look at the King's Bishop - for you locals who are following along at home.

- Disappointed that I didn't get to a Bisons game this year. Took the Space Kid to see Winnie the Pooh instead. Just don't think he's ready to sit still just yet at the ballpark. He does like "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" so there is hope.  This for a kid at 2 1/2 who has been to four race tracks already.

- Started reading Kenny Mayne's book. Utter hilariousness. I'm only on the C's (he reviews various sports from A to Z), but he already has me peeing my pants.

- I can't bring myself to listen to podcasts. Am I alone here? I'd rather read an article any day than listen to a podcast. Am I missing something?

- I've been in the black for the Saratoga meet for the last two meets. The 2011 meeting: not so much. There's still time (said the optimist who has a big hole to dig out of).

- Congrats to TBA'er Joe Nevills, who has hooked onto a staff writer's job at The Thoroughbred Times. The Michigan-bred Claimer has taken his talents to Lexington. I read his print article last night on the Oklahoma racing scene...good stuff.  Way to go, Joe.

That's all I have.....thanks for reading.

SOS: Who's Going to Save Our Season?

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So after six months, which horse is going to step forward and save this thoroughbred racing season? The fact that ESPN spent a solid 10 minutes on LAST year's Horse of the Year in its Hollywood Gold Cup broadcast and spent little time on the eight horses about to tackle the first Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the Classic division says a lot.

The Triple Crown season did in its biggest potential star in Animal Kingdom, who I am going to bet we've seen his last race. In addition, no clear-cut leader emerged to capture star status.

Who is going to capture our fancy by year's end or is this going to be one of the most lackluster years in recent times with parity being the biggest winner in racing circa 2011? Who has the best chance you ask? We'll tell you what needs to happen for one of these six horses to emerge.....otherwise you're going to hear a whole lotta Goldikova in November at Churchill as that will be the biggest story....

1. One of the Dudes. They've split the two big West Coast races of the year, so if one can snag the Pacific Classic and snag the BC Classic, we'll here mosre Dude references than you'd care to hear. Would be an entertaining horse either way and if Game On Dude emerges, the Chantal factor will also be a good thing for the sport.

2. Shack Attack. The best chance for a star coming out of the 3-year old division would be Shackleford, the Preakness champion. Wins in the Haskell and a return trip to Belmont in the Jockey Club Gold Cup could give him some star power heading into the Classic.

3. Havre de Grace. Think of the Zenyatta stuff ESPN could (and will) roll out if she continues to win during her 2011 campaign and tries the boys in the Classic. Best kept secret outside of inner racing circles...she's done nothing but win....where she goes from the Delaware Handicap should she win, will be telling...

4. Uncle Mo. He doesn't belong on this list but what if he wins the King's Bishop and goes on to win the BC Sprint or Dirt Mile, or does Repole and Pletcher swing for the fences by going to the JCGC? Intriguing to say the least and he does have name recognition.

5. TBD. Is there a horse out there that can still emerge and become a compelling mainstream story? The way this season has gone, it's totally possible.

Wood Day

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We're in a joyous mood this bright sunny Saturday morning in Buffalo, thanks to the guy to the left (Nathan Gerbe) who scored two goals last night for the Sabres in a playoff-clinching OT thriller against the Flyers.  Check out the awesomeness of his spin-o-rama goal in the third period in the clip at the end of the post.

It's Wood Day, unfortunately tax season has prevented me from attending the big day at the Big A.  But that doesn't mean we don't have opinions and such. We took a quick stab at the Guaranteed $500K Pick Four last night and came up with the following:

G3 Comely:  3-Her Smile (3-1) is my top choice with David Cohen up for trainer Leigh Delacour. Looking for her to continue to improve third off the layoff after two races at Tampa (one on the turf). Beaten last out by Wyomia, who goes later today in the Ashford at Keeneland.  Also using the NY-bred Hushion horse 5-Ava K. who tries graded company for the first time and the Pletcher horse 2-R Holiday Mood, winner of two straight.

G3 BayShore: 3-JJ's Lucky Train has done little wrong during his 3-year old campaign, has been at Aqueduct before and the place horse in his last outing won the non-graded $75K Private Terms at Laurel. We'll also include the Vindication colt 7-Vengeful Wildcat and 8-Royal Currier looking for a price. I'm throwing out Royal Currier's Hutcheson based on his horrible start and looking at past races at Aqueduct he was only beaten by a good colt, Fort Hughes in the Jimmy Winkfield.

G1 Carter: Best race on the card. What's not to like about 7-Apriority? Comes out of an optional race at Gulfstream for trainer David Fawkes and owner Donald Dizney. Going a little deeper in here with two more horses, the Pletcher/Dominguez 1-Calibrachoa, who shows a win over the main track and two Grade 3 victories to his credit. He'll be looking for his fifth straight for Repole Stables.  We'll throw in 10-Morning Line, Zito's classy horse, still looking for his first Grade 1 victory. Still debating on 3-Laysh Laysh Laysh and 4-Kensei, but most likely will use neither. [UPDATE: Calibrachoa has been scratched due to soreness in his feet...so thinking LLL]

G1 Wood: Free square. Uncle Mo. You can see my analysis on this race at my Sports, Ink blog at The Buffalo News here.

Well, you know Triple Crown season has arrived when the following occur: (1) Claims of a weak 3-year old crop; (2) Defections due to injury (see To Honor and Serve and Premier Pegasus) and (3) no major TV coverage of a huge prep weekend. Three big preps today and I'll have to go to TVG for the Wood and Illinois Derby and HRTV or TwinSpiresTV for the Santa Anita Derby. Ugh.

On a positive television note, the Black-Eyed Susan, one of my favorite days will be televised for the first time by the NBC-owned Versus channel. This is an excellent development, several years ago I put up a poll on the site as to who would do a great job covering horse racing, and Versus was at or near the top. It will be interesting to see how they do with racing coverage, if it's anything like how they cover the NHL, it should be decent.

Speaking of the NHL...here's a look at that Gerbe goal (and about five replays!)....Enjoy the weekend!

Show Me The $$

Tweet Sometimes on the big racing days, I just sit back and make show bets all afternoon to pass the time and take in some great racing. I usually play my own little show pool and keep letting it ride. For some reason yesterday, I just played it straight each time probably because I was just trying to beat the bridgejumpers on Pluck in the 7th....but a funny thing happened...

I made show bets at Tampa Bay Downs on Races 7-9 before the Hillsborough and Tampa Bay Derby and all three I made bets on ended up winning their respective races. Lil Bit O' Fun ($10.80 $5.40 $6.80) won the 7th, with the 3-10 favorite Pluck missing the board. Then we liked the closing style of Pay The Man who upset the field at 20-1 ($42.40 $17 $8.80). So when I backed it up with a show bet on Denomination ($26.20 $9 $5.60), I was wondering if I should head over to Wegmans to grab a lottery ticket. Of course, the multirace player in me was dying that I wasn't making a killing.

The rest of the day I just sat back and watched until the San Felipe where I boxed Awesome Patriot, Premier Pegasus and Comma to the Top in an exacta and made a last minute adjustment and through Jaycito in underneath to make it a pretty good day for laying off the wagering button. While Premier Pegasus was impressive (96 Beyer), I thought Comma to the Top ran a good race and put to bed thoughts he can only run on synthetics. I'll keep my eye on him in the next race.

I can't seem to find my Derby horse (rooting interest only). I'm leaning toward Santiva, looks like he'll try the Blue Grass at Keeneland next. I guess I could make a case for Soldat if he comes up big in the Florida Derby. Right now it looks like Mo's to lose. Wonder how many will show up at the Big A to take him on in the Wood? Wouldn't it be something if the first Triple Crown hopeful in the last few years drew the rail for the Derby? At least it would make for some interesting storylines.

Next weekend brings the Rebel Stakes from Oaklawn, and am interested to see what Astrology, Sway Away and Alternation bring to the table and whether or not the Southwest Stakes winner Archarcharch is a flash in the pan.

Made two futures bets. Win bet on 31-1 Silver Medallion (who dropped dramatically from 60-1 in the last twenty minutes before Futures Pool 2 closed). I also made a silly exacta bet key-boxing Uncle Mo with Soldat and All Others. You're welcome for the donation.

Say a prayer for our racing brethren in Japan - international TBAer Kate Hunter had this report yesterday on the safety of US horses in Japan.

Nice tribute by the Sabres lifting their sticks in the air, after defeating Ottawa tonight, to the #7 Rick Martin banner in the rafters, who died of an apparent heart attack in his car today. Our firm does the accounting for the Sabres Alumni Association so I've had the opportunity to meet him several times, he always seemed like a class guy. RIP.

As they sit in the last playoff spot tied with New York, it looks like those Ranger tickets I have for the 30th could end up being a huge game in the hunt to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

I'm not too disappointed in the Cuse's draw in the tourney. If they should get by first round opponent Larry Bird's alma mater Indiana State, they will have a tough second round game against Cincinnati-based Xavier in Cleveland on Sunday. I think they match up well with North Carolina and you have to face a #1 at some point so being in Ohio State's bracket doesn't faze me. Should be a fun few weeks.

Going Postal, Volume 2

Tweet In early December of last year I rolled out the first edition of Space Mail, so based on the level of emails I've received over the last quarter we have enough for a quick blog post to answer a few of your questions. There's been a lot of fodder to chew on over the last three months so here goes....

Q: So your first Space Bag talked about Top Chef All-Stars, who did you end up with in your gambling pool and are you still alive? My guess is you went down in flames (no pun intended). ~Nick from Saratoga.
A: Sorry, Nick, we're alive and kicking with bad ass Richard Blais. That nitrogen-toting chef has been lighting up the quickfires and he only needs to outlast Carla to reach paydirt for the Space Gal and I. Know when you have a problem? When you gamble on a reality TV cooking show.

Q: Rachel/Curlin foal or Zenyatta/Bernardini foal, who will be the better racehorse? ~Carl from Altoona.
A: I'm no pedigree consultant so this is purely from a fan perspective. If you look in the top right corner, you'll see Bernardini (winning the Travers) is my profile pic...so you can guess who I'm leaning towards. Zendini, of course.

Q: What do you think of NBC picking up the Belmont? ~Hammerin Hank from Vegas.
A: To be honest, even with the very good Breeders' Cup production by ESPN, I think NBC will do a better job. Plus, they may even show the Manhattan, one of the faux pas that ABC always screwed up and would usually have horseplayers pulling their hair out because the race would be in limbo.

Q: Carmelo as a Knick? ~Lola in Manhattan
A: Good to see Melo in Orange and Blue again.

Q: Have you participated in the players boycott in California? ~Willie the Whale from Windsor
A: Well, indirectly I guess, I've really just focused on the East Coast tracks (Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Fair Grounds) over the past two months. I really haven't followed what's going on out west. Do they have a Derby contender out there? Ahh, I'm just kidding...I like Runflatout to be the west coast surprise horse. But to answer your question truthfully, no I haven't been boycotting, just ignoring.

Q: Who's your Derby horse? ~Flo from Ft. Erie
A: I really liked the way Santiva ran last weekend. I would like to see To Honor and Serve do well. We're probably a couple weeks away from adopting.

Q: Paulick or Equidaily? ~Todd from Alaska
A: Boxers.

Q: TVG or HRTV? ~Matt from Seattle
A: Briefs.

Q: How do you think your RTTR stable will fare this year compared to prior years? ~Skeeter from the South Side
A: I screwed up like I usually do by not doing my homework and reviewing the races and loaded up on horses that will run against each other. I even left Uncle Mo out of my initial stable. I'm just looking to post a respectable score this year and not embarrass myself.

Q: Speaking of Uncle Mo, what do you think of his current tentative racing schedule? ~Vinnie from Tim Hortons
A: Vinnie Vinnie Vinnie. Pletcher knows what he's doing. He's not going to lose his favorite during Derby week like last year. He'll coast in the Timely Writer and finish a disappointing second in the Wood. But he'll be in prime condition on Derby Day, which is what it's all about. That, and the draw, of course. PS I love the Fruit Explosion muffins at Hortons.

Q: I heard about your Futures is a sucker bet article....so are you a sucker? ~Tootsie from Chi Town
A: Yep. $4 on Santiva at 37-1 and $4 on To Honor and Serve at 10-1 (only to show my Derby Dozen No. 1 some love and some good karma going into the weekend).

Q: I heard you went to Aqueduct in January this year instead of Gulfstream, are you nuts?? ~Fred from Watts
A: Umm...yeah pretty much.

Q: Who's your favorite Jersey Shore character? Does Space Gal watch it? ~Jim from Stalkerville
A: I'm mesmerized by Pauly D's hair and yes the Space Gal makes me watch it. They definitely need an episode where they go to Monmouth for the races...tell me that wouldn't be must see TV?

Q: When's the next Space Invasion? ~Martha from Mozambique
A: I'll be taking my talents to Louisville...unless I can steal away for the Wood.

Q: When are you going to end this space mail bag? ~Porky from Warner Bros.
A: I thought you'd never ask. That's all folks.

Keep those cards, letters and emails comin'.

Sunday Slippers

Tweet Today is definitely a prop the feet up on the couch type of Sunday. Thanks to the NFL for not starting until 3pm today! That way we can continue our Tampa experiment.....

- I decided to play Tampa Bay Downs this weekend, for no apparent reason other than the TVG Bonanza contest. Of course, in the "I Never Read the Rules" department, I skimmed them and made all 10 of my $20 WP wagers on Saturday, thinking I had 10 more to make today. I did fairly well winning $498 on $400 wagered, with 4 winners and a second and some decent price horses. I played along as well and hit two moderate Pick 3's. We're playing again today before the football games start up. Lots of low level claimers, but the track seemed to be playing fair and the answers are always somewhere in those past performances.

- The 6th Race at Tampa is extremely interesting today, where three of the five remaining entries in the $24,500 Allowance are stakes horses, including You Go West Girl, Keertana and Romacaca. I'll be siding with Romacaca with Daniel Centeno up. She finished 4th in the Beverly D at Arlington last summer and I think she'll go wire to wire here.

- Other stuff going on...I'm again a willing participant in the Wireplayers.com Derby Dozen and the only person to select To Honor and Serve as his #1 horse over Uncle Mo. I have good vibes about this horse and look forward to his next race. Of course, it's way too early in the game to be selecting Derby horses, but what I like about participating it makes me do my homework on pedigree and statistics about the top contenders. I was a big Bernardini fan, so he has some decent pedigree, his dam Pilfer won 3 of 11 starts. Trainer Bill Mott will be looking to add to his new found Triple Crown trail success after training last year's Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer.

- I wrote a quick recap of the Eclipse Awards earlier in the week for The Buffalo News....which you can find here.

- Buffalo Raceway opened a week ago Friday and the first race winner paid over $100! Not a bad way to start a meeting!

- My Ice Ice Baby post from the 2009 Belmont Stakes has been getting some mongo hits, based on a photo I took of Jeannine Edwards in the paddock...Word to your Mother!

Enjoy Championship Sunday, and put on those slippers!

Total Eclipse of the...

Tweet Top 10 Things That Won’t Happen Monday Night

Pletcher! Zenyatta! Blame! Claiborne Farm! It’s the Eclipse Awards from the Fountainebleau Miami Beach Hotel! The excitement is killing me! Ok….it’s time for one of my Top Ten Lists for things that definitely won’t happen Monday night, but we wish they would so it would liven up the annual yawner that is the Eclipse Awards….

10 – LeBron James accidently stops by looking for his 2010 MVP award, even though Kobe beat him by a nose. Take your talents to a different awards ceremony LBJ….

9 – The PlayersBoycott.org group pickets the event, racing press asks…”and who are you again?”

8 – Calvin Borel storms the stage looking for Castellano….he’s informed that Javier is not a finalist and bursts a vein in his forehead.

7 – DRF/NTRA Handicapper of the Year and Canadian Brian Troop steals the show, thanks Andy Beyer for all he knows about handicapping (this one actually may happen).

6 – Dominguez rides six winners at the Big A and catches last minute flight from JFK to collect his Eclipse for Outstanding Jockey.

5 – Todd Pletcher wins his fifth Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and thanks his fake twitter account for his new found popularity.

4 – Emcee Kenny Rice tells a number of really funny jokes.

3 – Jess Jackson shows up tipsy and mentions the phrase “always a bridesmaid, eh Jerry?” to Moss causing a free-for-all in the Fountainebleau lobby. Seth Hancock comes to Moss' defense.

2 – Mike Repole announces Uncle Mo’s retirement saying he’s way too valuable at stud to run in the Kentucky Derby……and finally the #1 thing that definitely won’t happen on Monday night….

1 – Blame wins Horse of the Year and a nation rejoices…TVG cuts to Ruidoso Downs.

Got Woof?

Tweet It's Breeders' Cup draw day in Louisville and 168 horses have obtained a spot in the starting gates for the two-day world championships. Some notes and quotes about the draw:

BC Classic

- Lookin at Lucky (6-1 ML) drew the outside post (12) in the Classic, the complete opposite of his horrid rail draw in the Derby. Although this was the cause of his second place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita when he was in gate 13, I don't seem to think this will be as much trouble with the extra eighth of a mile. Even his trainer Bob Baffert seemed somewhat relieved: "It’s not that horrible, it’s not the end of the world. I’m just glad he’s out of the one-hole."

- Quality Road (5-1 ML) drew the rail, not the best place to be, but I think the fact that Paddy O'Prado is inside of him and Haynesfield will probably shoot to the lead from the three hole shouldn't be too much of an issue for the Road. If the track is souped up on Saturday (probably not says the conspiracy theorist in me) look out for this one who has been flying under the radar since his loss to Blame at the wire in the Whitney. Remember the Saratoga track was deep and tiring for most of the summer. If the track resembles anything like Gulfstream's speedway in the earlier races on Saturday, I'll be taking note with my bankroll.

- Zenyatta (8-5 ML favorite) drew the eight hole and the BC hype machine is rolling. Her every move being glorified. It seems like everyone in Louisville wants her to win. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but let's not go overboard. There's still a race to be won. Owner Jerry Moss liked the draw: “That is excellent. Eight is our lucky number. We’re very happy to be here. If we didn’t think she was up to the task, we wouldn’t have brought her.”

BC Juvie

- Boys at Tosconova (5-2 ML) drew the two hole and has Ramon Dominguez aboard. Rick Dutrow has rested him since closing day at Saratoga where he won the Hopeful (G1). Will he be ready to roll? Dutrow thinks so: “He showed in the Hopeful he can sit behind horses and rate. He’s done everything we’ve asked and he’s ready. I’ve absolutely loved this horse from the first time I laid eyes on him. If Uncle Mo shows up with his best game we are going to be in for one hell of a show.”

- The Todd Squad Stay Thirsty (8-1) and Uncle Mo (7-5 ML favorite) will be right next to each other in the six and seven spots, respectively. Respect the "other Pletcher horse," which in this case is Stay Thirsty, with Javier Castellano aboard. The Bernardini colt finished secon to Boys at Tosconova by just under two lengths. I think I need to review the Turk's prep course for this race.

- The two SoCal horses have to be respected also, Jaycito (8-1 ML) and JP's Gusto (10-1 ML), who finished 1-2 in the Norfolk (G1) at Hollywood Park's Oak Tree meet. JP's trainer David Hofmans on the draw of the four spot: “We’re OK with it. I would have preferred the outside, but I’m just glad we’re not in the 1 or the 2.”

That's all for now....appears most of the trainers are woofing up their horses in the pre-race hype. I'll be hunkering down with the past performances for the next two nights and we'll post some picks later in the week. Also, keep an eye over on the Handicappers' Corner over at ThoroFan where most of the races will have a handicap by one of our TBA bloggers. So be sure to head over there and check it out.

Genie in a Bottle

Tweet So a genie is released from the bottle and gives you three wishes for the Breeders' Cup. What are your three wishes?

Mine (aside from them all coming home safe) are below:

1. Zenyatta wins the Classic (hopefully at 4-1), sews up Horse of the Year and drives attendance, TV ratings and makes headlines across America.

2. No rain at Churchill Downs either day...the last two Derbys have been super soakers. Let's not make the handicapping any more difficult than it already is and have some good weather to boost the attendance figures upwards to 80,000 under the Twin Spires.

3. A superstar like Uncle Mo or Stay Thirsty emerges from the Juvie and gives us some Triple Crown hopes for 2011. I still think Lookin at Lucky with the right post on Derby day might have had a shot at it.

What say you blog reader?