To me, there are 3 major year round racing circuits in the US of A: California,
Kentucky and New York (alphabetical order).
Each September, two of those circuits (California and Kentucky) offer Racing
which I would only bet if you put the proverbial gun to my head.
This September in NY, I think 6 or 7 graded stakes races were not run this year
as NYRA tries to tread water until the VLT gelt begins to roll in. As such, NY
racing fans were treated to what have become the staples of NYRA racing: NYB slow
rats, Rudy Rod racing, turf sprints.
Down by the shore, Monmouth is wrapping up its elite meet. Never has such a
cheap, poorly bred bunch of equines had so much purse money thrown at them; what
a disappointment. This was the meet that was going to make us forget Saratoga and
Keeneland?
Just so the glass half full gang, my pals Covel and Silver Charm, dont accuse me
of being a crepe hanger, I will note that the best 5 weeks of racing in the year
begins Saturday at Belmont and at Polywood and next week with the opening of Fall
Keeneland. To say that I am fresh fit and dangerous (to my own bankroll) after a
month of relative pari- mutuel inactivity is an understatement.
Speaking of RudyRod racing, Silver and I joked earlier in the year about Rudy
hypothetically coming close to upsetting the BC Classic with a 20K claim. Not
likely to happen, but if RudyRod\'s Temecula Creek runs big in Saturday\'s Vosburgh,
does he head for the BC Sprint? (RR claimed TC for 7.5K in March).