Arlington - Saturday

[NoCarolinaTony]

Not that distance I guess for her.

Nice try though.

NCT

[Silver Charm]

Good ride by Kent here. Looked like Rosinka wanted to get off the rail half way around the turn and Kent would have none of it. Kept his spot and made a similar off the turn sweep as in the Sheepshead Bay Hdcp.

Know this is a redboard boast (not a selection) but guys this one was easy.

[Michael D.]

yep, she just didn\'t get the final 1/16. she bore out in the Tam race going 9f over the off, which was a warning sign. the winner had the top 2 measured though, and probably could have won going shorter.

the Frenchmen certainly know how to win this race.

[Silver Charm]

Four straight strong numbers. Shipped everywhere. Rested and shortened up for todays stretch out. Weak American competition. Drops six lbs off last.

Not supposed to be this easy is it?

[NoCarolinaTony]

I decided to beat the americans period in the Million. Went with three on top (which is a stretch). lets see.

NCT

[Michael D.]

NoCarolinaTony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I decided to beat the americans period in the
> Million. Went with three on top (which is a
> stretch). lets see.
>
> NCT


a stretch yes. this is going to stretch your wallet.

great hit at 13-1.

[Silver Charm]

Nice one.

No excuses on the one. He had a mile and quarter to get out and never did.

[NoCarolinaTony]

Nice way to spend $100 bucks....I still don\'t know whose 4th...i could have the super....NCT

[NoCarolinaTony]

Nope didn\'t include the Old gray, but I can\'t complain with that last minute decision.  Spirit one ran against some of Euro\'s best decided it for me. Al ittle improvement off his last puts him in the race. Why not stab at the value.

NCT

[jimbo66]

Yes Chuckles the Clown impersonator,

It was easy, after the race.

Before the race, you had to accept 2-1 on the 3rd fastest horse, who figured to lost ground on both turns, whereas both the faster horses had enough tactical speed to not lose ground.

Taking 2-1 in those situations is an \"easy\" way to be in the poor house, over the long run.

But it worked today, so congrats.

[Silver Charm]

Jimbo I put it up last night.

The mare has an explosive kick at a mile and quarter. The quote \"two fastest\" had never won at the distance.

Bet the horse with the lowest number every time and you will be busted quicker than anybody

[jimbo66]

Silver Charm,

Sorry, missed that post last night.  

I thought 2-1 was \"light\" for the mare, but obviously I was wrong.  I thought Precious Kitten would be closer to even money and Mauralakana closer to 3-1.

Kent gave the mare a good ride, as she figured to be further back.

[richiebee]

Who would have thought that the PGA would have more weather problems than the
SPA?

Actually was a good day of racing in Living Room Downs between the Arlington
action and a surprisingly bettable and foul weather free Saratoga card. One of
the ESPN commentators hit the nail on the head with regards to European v.
American turf racing: \"Their bench is better than our starters\".

I hope the Breeders Cup/Santa Anita people try to aggressively recruit and
accommodate the Euros for this year\'s (and next year\'s) BC turf races at Santa
Anita. I remember reading an article by DRF\'s Alan Shuback written after it was
announced that SA would be the site of the BC for 08/09; Shuback seemed to
think that the European stables would not be seen in full force at the SoCal
venue. (Longer ship? Climate?). I hope Shuback is wrong.

At this point I will make my periodic comment that BC should look into running
an entire BC card (or maybe just the BC turf races)in Europe. I know there are
logistical problems (time difference, etc) but how can a series of races be
called \"World Championships\" when they have never been run outside of North
America?  

As to Saratoga today, no Graded Stake, BUT only 2/11 races carded for NYBs and
NO turf sprints. And not coincidentally, today you had a day of NY racing which
reminded me in the slightest way of NY racing of olden times-- a day where one
could see some runners who might have a future impact locally or nationally:

ETERNAL STAR (Trombetta) and BOLD START (McPeek)(4th race) looked good prepping
for the Forego (maybe a moot point if Midnight Lute ships in).

ARIEGE (Frankel)(7th race) now a stakes winner on synthetic and turf. From the
same race, SEA CHANTER (Pletcher), who won 2 stakes on turf as a 2YO, was very
rank under Dominguez in her first start since November; the rider made
absolutely no effort to take a hold of her. I will look for her next start,
presumably under Johnny V.

NAUTICAL STORM(8th race)(DW Lukas/Overbrook) impressive breaking his maiden in
a race where Frank Lyons on TVG pointed out that the first, second and fourth
place finishers were all sired by Storm Cat. Nautical Storm comes out of the
Joppa Flats maiden race from the first Saturday of the meet, which The Guru
Jerry Brown identified pre race as a very strong maiden race; it may pay to
watch for others coming out of this 14 runner maiden dash (race 6, 7/26/08).
Also out of yesterday\'s 8th, fourth place finisher BET THE LIMIT, from
Shug/Phipps and out of Educated Risk. BTL ran the prototypical slow early/fast
late Shug first time out race. (Someone on one of the message boards made the
comment that it is almost as if Shug instructs riders on first timers to take a
hold of them immediately at the start).

Knowing Lukas, NAUTICAL STORM could be headed for the Kings Bishop, where he
might encounter....

...FOREST COMMAND (9th race) (Ward/Oxley) an effortless 7 furlongs in 1:21.89.

Do not know how many of the above mentioned have subsequently been purchased by
the Maktoums.

A runner which I did not mention which really reminded me of old school
Saratoga racing raced in the NYB maiden turf race. This would be SEEKING NO
MORE,a Dynaformer gelding out of Barry Schwartz\'s good mare Seeking Regina.
SNM raced over the jumps at Colonial on April 12th, 12 days later on the flat at
Pimlico; back over the jumps on May 17th; on the flat at Belmont on June 7th;
and then over jumps on July 6th (Pha) and July 20 (Saratoga). SNM was a well
beaten 7th on Saturday, but seeing his PPs reminded me of the olden days at
Saratoga, when there were more jump races being run and more marathon turf
races being carded. At least once per meet it seemed like Sheppard or Voss or
Paul Fout or Janet Eliot would put one over at a price going from flat to jumps
or vice versa.


Political Note-- I am not disappointed any more when politicians cheat on their
spouses; I am very disappointed with the quality of person that they choose to
cheat with. (It seems like the wicked Marylou Whitney has cornered the market
on Spitzer themed racehorse names).

As Samuel Clemens said (paraphrasing): I didn\'t have time to write a short
post, so I wrote a long one instead.

[NoCarolinaTony]

Richie,

see attached article. It\'s one you should have and could have written a few weeks back when I saw you at the spa.

Steeling from Jeff Foxworthy...it Might be aqueduct (at the spa if)


http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19899919&BRD=1170&PAG=461&dept_id=31001&rfi=6
 

NC Tony

[richiebee]

Don Antonio:

Good article. You do not need the Hubble Telescope to see that the quality of
Racing is in the toilet.

We the (wagering) people are really the only ones who have the power to change
these trends, by changing our wagering habits, through \"boycotts\" or \"buycotts\"
or whatever, but we probably will not.

It is the dichotomy I have discussed here and elsewhere, and pretty extensively.
While the quality of Racing has sunk to new lows, the opportunities to wager
have expanded--intertrack wagering and internet wagering, etc. Wagering
basically available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.
Wagering menus have expanded--pick 3, pick 4, pick 6, dollar wagers, ten cent
wagers, etc. As bettors we are pacified, so to speak,by all the options we have
available to us.

While the quality of Racing is nowhere near what it was even 10 years ago, it
is much easier to make a buck playing the races now than then due to expanded
wagering menus.

Add to this the amount of handicapping information available to us now as
opposed to then, the existence of lines of communication provided by message
boards such as this one. A lot of what was once \"inside information\" has
been \"outed.\"

Most racetracks and off track wagering sites are much more user friendly than
they used to be, including Saratoga, though most of them have a long way to go
in terms of customer service.

So as a horseplayer, I am content. As a racing fan, I am disgusted. The
important question is how long Racing can exist without further improvement of
the breed, without the cultivation of a new generation of fans.

A lot of the folks who are in a position to implement change can not do so
without damaging themselves commercially. The two Steves -- Crist and Byk-- for
example-- can not say what they really feel about the quality of Racing due to
the fact that they need to appease their sponsors.

What would it do for sales of DRF, TGs or the Rags if Crist, Brown or Friedman
advocated horseplayers wagering less until the Racing powers that be were more
responsive to us?

The bottom line as always--- the lack of centralized leadership.