Agent J66:
Glad you are back safely. While you were in India, I hope you had a chance to
visit one of that country\'s seven racetracks, where, apparently, racing is
restricted to India breds. I myself avoided Aqueduct and the ersatz NYRA winter
product, but did not find it necessary to travel quite so far to avoid the
depressing parade of NY bred slow rats and alarming number of winners sent out
by new super trainer Joseph Parker.
One day in the near future, armed with the most modern technology, I will try
once again to locate the Woodbridge off track facility where you have been
known to make the occasional wager and you can tell me if it is possible to
find decent bagels in Bangalore, a tasty hunk of pizza in the Punjab region.
Let\'s set the record straight about Rachel and Zennie: I think my major
objection was to those who wanted to see them meet in a match race. And you are
correct sir, I must say that I never found the odds on either one of
these Amazons to be appealing. Zennie cost me a decent P4 when she blew by Gio
Ponti on the mattress in the BC Classic. But you know I am not argumentative
and will concede to you that, although Zennie came within a Mike Smith
miscalculation of winning two consecutive BC Classics, and nearly retired
undefeated, she was horribly mismanaged by Moss/Shirreffs.
Now to Gormley. I have made the case that he is an improving colt that is bred
to get 10 furlongs. This is a subjective judgment from someone who has watched
horses from up close and from afar for the last forty or so years. As at my
advanced age I am still working 40-50 hours per week, one might correctly
surmise that I have been wrong far more times than I have been right. I can not
get it out of my mind that the Cal runners have dominated 3YO stakes over the
last few years.
So this year I am enjoying the fact that there is a runner in the Derby that I
really fancy, rather than where in recent years the best I could do was narrow
my selection down to a posse of four or five or six Derby entrants I would use
in a multiple race wager. Of course the alternative is to sit back, not commit
to any particular runner, and to snipe at the selections of others. Believe me
the temptation has been strong to let go with both barrels on some of the other
oft discussed contenders.
Frank D says Practical Joke\'s sheet is \"pretty\"; I have conceded that Gormley\'s
sheet is \"homely\". You called PJ \"Goliath\"; my contention is that David will be
waiting at the eighth pole with his slingshot. The great thing is that we will
have to wait less than a week for the answer.
So I am glad that you have returned from your travels and hope that you will
rejoin the dialogue. While you may have traveled halfway across the globe
seeking enlightenment, I do not think you traveled nearly as far as Frank did
this winter, first heading for Florida (where apparently he was named Mayor of
Corona Beach) to seek enlightenment from everyone\'s favorite Thoro-Buddha,
Uncle Bill, then heading to Ohio, where he hoped to book Art Schlichter\'s
action. I am beginning to realize that all of these travels were basically an
attempt to escape the \"World\'s Worst Dog\", an aged Jack Russell terrier who
Frank has apparently mistaken for Cujo.
Hope to see you at the Spaaaah this summer.
