Marcus and Rosewood:
Your concern is flattering. Ms. Richiebee usually does not even notice my
absence for 36 or so hours.
Marcus, I was not named to the greatness committee, which is OK because I mingle
with my peers or no one, and since I have no peers, I mingle with no one. I do
not know if there was much greatness on display at Monmouth Park yesterday, but
I will concede that Curlin put a nice finish on one of the most admirable 3YO
campaigns in recent years, that Rick Dutrow did a great job getting Kip Deville
to relax, and that English Channel is one of the greatest turf horses to race in
New York and New Jersey in recent years.
All plans for a live visit to Monmouth Friday and an intense day in Living Room
Downs on Saturday began to unravel Thursday afternoon when I was told my
presence would be required in Manhattan on Friday night at 6PM for a work-
related project which would likely last until the early morning hours on
Saturday. So instead of being at Monmouth Friday, I ended up at the OTB on
Third Avenue in midtown Manhattan.
(I started going to the Third Ave OTB branch last Spring. The first day I was
ever in there, I caught a fellow trying to walk out of the branch with my
briefcase and umbrella. After my initial inclination to pummel this man
subsided, we reached an understanding and I now buy him a tall Budweiser in a
paper bag each time I visit this branch and he \"watches\" my things while I
wager.)
Friday\'s festivities got off to a fun start, as I was alive with Maryfield (now
4/5 lifetime on wet tracks) and Nownownow (part of a cast of thousands spread
which was an anti- Prussian vote)(NNN\'s performance visually quite impressive,
wide both turns and behind the entire field at the quarter pole). I ended up
with a $5 P3 onto Discreet Cat and $2 P3s onto Wanderin Boy and Gotcha Gold.
Corinthian ran by all of the above as if they were tied to a post, and the
thought of throwing myself under a taxi was running through my mind as I
contemplated how one could leave the winner of the Met Mile out of a race
called the BC Dirt Mile.
Out of work Saturday morning at about 7AM. Get totally soaked in an awful
Manhattan rainstorm walking 3 blocks to get my car. Still pretty soaked after
the 25 minute drive home. Ms. Richiebee asks if it is raining hard outside,
earning a dirty look. Wet clothes off, dry bed in, next thing I know I am waking
up and its 10 minutes to post for the Turf Mile.
I really only got a chance to make 2 bets on the day-- a win bet on Kip, and a
3x3x3x4 Pick 4 which had Kip, Ginger and Curlin. In the John Deere Turf I got
greedy and tossed DT AND English Channel and paid the price.
Slept through the 2 Juvie races which I would not have bet anyway. Slept
through the F/M Turf, where I certainly would have bet against the \"first time
out of California\" filly but could not have come up with Lahoudad.
I slept through the Sprint, which my \"Biggest Bet Against\", Midnight Lute,
apparently dominated. Wonder if Baffert will try him in the NYRA Mile
(didn\'t he win this race with El Corredor?) and eventually try to stretch him
back to 2 turns.
A few bucks lighter, sitting here wondering how life is unfair that the NY Bred
Showcase Day at Belmont last Saturday was held on a perfect Fall day and for
the most part the BC races one week later were run in a virtual monsoon.
I was getting a bit depressed, a big let down after the big event, when I
checked my email and saw a message concerning Emirates to Dubai, the overhyped
and overbet Godolphin horse who is the only animal on my DRF watch list.
ETD as you recall showed a great turn of foot in (what else) a 5-1/2 furlong
turf race at the Spa. He was stretched to a mile at Belmont where he was
inexplicably under restraint in a race which featured very slow fractions.
ETD is entered in an identical spot on Wednesday, and that is what is great
about Racing-- although there can only be the occasional \"BIG\" day, there is
usually something compelling enough on the average day to keep one interested.
If you have read this far you are either bored or aggravated, but I needed the
necessary BC closure; as a woman I work with says each night on her way out the
door, \"To be Continued\".
