Big Brown to Lose Belmont Stakes

This Saturday’s 140th Belmont Stakes is no foregone conclusion. It’s no walk in the park for the almighty Big Brown, nor it is a single in you’re pick four. It’s the test of a champion. The race that determines greatness, not an adjective we can concede to Big Brown just yet. Recent history has told us Derby-Preakness winners are no lock in the Belmont, why should this year be any different?

Four years ago, I, a fourteen year old kid, and puppy dog horseplayer was following my first Triple Crown in full. By the time the Belmont rolled around Smarty Jones appeared to be a lock; not only to go on and complete the first Triple Crown in 26 years but to cement his aura of an immortal. I fed into the media exposure he was getting; got sucked in by his dashing Preakness win and was ready to pound the Pennsylvanian bred colt at the windows. At .15 on a dollar. I questioned his sprinter/miler pedigree in the days following his Arkansas Derby win weighing his Derby chances and thought it was enough to throw him out. He beat me in the Derby so by the time the Belmont came around I thought he wasn’t going to beat me again.

Silly me.

That sprinter/miler pedigree came back to haunt Smarty Jones in the stretch of the Belmont and you know the rest. Birdstone, superbly last talented than Smarty Jones, relied on stamina and pedigree - the two most important factors in the Belmont Stakes and paid $74 to win.

Along with the obvious talent both Smarty Jones and Big Brown possess, there are some significant similarities. Big Brown’s pedigree is not one that screams distance but was enough to overcome in the Derby and Preakness. The Belmont Stakes contested at a mile and a half is a different story. The same proved to be true for ol’ Smarty. Yet another similarity that each displayed so gallantly in their Derby and Preakness wins was there push-button speed. Each, especially in the Preakness, showed an amazing turn of foot to just stalk the pace and zoom away from the crowd in the stretch. The Belmont is a much more tricky scenario.

With the added distance and more time Big Brown will have to lay and stalk the pace, the less there is in the tank for the time Kent Desormeaux picks to say go. In other words, unless Big Brown proves himself to be a freak, his move in the Belmont will be less distinct than his Preakness run where in just a few strides he widened his lead until he could ease up for the task on Saturday in Elmont.

Oh yeah, from what I’m hearing Big Brown may or may not have had some type of quarter crack between the Preakness and this point. Maybe somebody can fill me in.

I made a pact with myself you could say four years ago that I’d never let such a situation by again; where a under laid Triple Crown favorite in the Belmont meant over laid prices throughout the rest of the field. This conclusion wasn’t exactly a tough one to make walking back to our seats in ‘04 with the tote board lighting up like the Fourth of July. If you think its too much to root against a Triple Crown to back another possible contender that’s understandable; but with gas prices more than 4 bucks a gallon call me the greedy sort.

I don’t know if there’s a necessarily a $74 horse in this year’s Belmont but I do know one thing. If Big Brown loses, dinner is on me.

Back At Big Sandy

The Saratoga summer session is officially over and Belmont is to re-open in hours.

For myself, it has been a long time coming.

This year’s close of the Saratoga meet means no more working at the track, for nearly minimum wage, until, well, ever.

No more stamping hands. No more checking hands. No more smiling. No more tips. (Not that there were in the first place.)

I am no longer a NYRA employee, nor do I intent to be in the near future.

Upon completing my first ever full Saratoga meet - in Saratoga, I am no longer too mentally spent or overwhelmed from being in the middle of a working vacation, to sit down and post. For much of the meet, unfortunately, world-class racing took a backseat to work. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Too tired to look at tomorrow’s entries, too long until the opening bell for the 9th race goes off, too many days after Travers. Been there done that.

Now I can get back to my home-track and focus on the Form that got far too little attention in that upstate town that was more then a treat to reside in, albeit for seven weeks.

My Saratoga experience is now complete. The first sentence I have written with a smile in quiet a while.

Day Nine Picks

Brian 51-19 $160.00/+$54.00

For some reason blogger wasn’t posting my picks yesterday even though I posted them myself. Hopefully these show up. Anyway I had another solid day, 4 winners, including the steeplechase exacta. I don’t want to mention my overall success in fear of jinxing my future picks but there I just did so I’m sure the racing gods have put the kibosh on today’s picks. Enjoy.

Race One: 1. Freedom Isnt Free 2. Raw Cat 3. Ocean Forest/Unbridled Danger

Race Two: 1. Caravel 2. Unbridled Trip 3. Rebounded

Race Three: 1. Royal Moment 2. Maddy’s Lion 3. Shaky Town

Race Four: 1. Predate 2. Cherokee Time/Wild Logic

Race Five: 1. Tsunamic 2. Brushed Prince 3. Dubliner

Race Six: 1. Adriano 2. Celestial Court 3. Manitowish Waters

Race Seven: 1. Broadway Producer 2. Niagara Causeway 3. Bon Marie

Race Eight: 1. Miss Macy Sue 2. Burmilla 3. Indian Flare

Race Nine: 1. In for a Dime 2. Tuff Muffin 3. Fort Carillon

Day Eight Picks

Brian 42-15 $129.90/+$41.90

Race One (Steeplechase): 1. Rum Squall 2. Baby League 3. Gigger

Race Two: 1. Spanish Coin 2. Malka 3. Sunday Elegance/Constance

Race Three: 1. Gold and Roses 2. Yankee Mon 3. Starcastic

Race Four: 1. Impressionism 2. Beautiful Lil 3. A. P. Test

Race Five: 1. Classic Example 2. Sugarless 3. Docstar

Race Six: 1. Stockholder 2. Irish Majesty 3. He’s a Pioneer

Race Seven: 1. Dynaglider 2. Cosmic Kris 3. Tiverton

Race Eight: 1. Shakespeare 2. Art Master 3. Rousing Victory

Race Nine: 1. Inside Info 2. Wave the Baton 3. Storm N Lightning

Day Seven Picks

Back with picks after a day of much needed rest after a strong first few days before the drought set in. I was just way too tired to do my picks over the weekend, although I did pick some of the stakes action. Those picks I made are listed below. I hope this week I’m now conditioned to get through a full week of racing.

Brian 32-12 $102.4/+$36.40

Diana: 1. Makderah 2. Mauralakana 3. Magnificent Song

Vanderbilt: 1. Benny the Bull 2. Abraaj 3. Commentator

Go for Wand: 1. Ermine 2. Ginger Punch 3. Teammate

Whitney: 1. Lawyer Ron 2. Dry Martini 3. Magna Graduate

Jim Dandy: 1. Street Sense 2. Sightseeing 3. Tiz Wonderful

Today’s Picks

Race One: 1. Rumspringa 2. The Village Vicar 3. Sweet Grass Creek

Race Two: 1. Double Or Nothing 2. Greenwood Boy/Southern Soprano 3. Cross the Atlantic

Race Three: 1. Cuaba 2. Veneti 3. Trendy Lady

Race Four: 1. Beau Dare 2. St. Hildegard 3. Unspoken Word

Race Five: 1. Tools for the Job 2. Elusive Schemes 3. Georgetown

Race Six: 1. Pegase Jam 2. Wild Quake 3. Mt. Orient

Race Seven: 1. Kaishu 2. Surf Academy 3. Brave Emperor

Race Eight: 1. Mama Theresa 2. Lauren’s Tizzy 3. Shady Lane

Race Nine: 1. A True Pussycat 2. Amansara 3. Rich Fantasy

Race Ten: 1. Enchantal 2. Tears I Cry 3. Lady Carlock

One Down, Five to Go

Week One is in the books at the Spa. As much as it pains me to say this, there’s still five weeks to go. For anyone who has or will attend the races this summer, the Saratoga season is a godsend. So why am I so feverishly counting down the days until the Belmont Championship meet, even as I’m in attendance at Saratoga everyday? Ah yes, that’s because while all you normal folk are allowed to discuss the upcoming race’s pace scenario in great detail, I’m checking the fat guy with a Funny Cide shirt, for his clubhouse stamp.

Now repeat for seven hours.

My new ushering gig is the definition of draining, both physically and mentally. Standing while not doing anything is tiresome and doing something a computer could possibly accomplish isn’t exactly satisfying work. The only way I’ve found to keep the time moving somewhat is to include slightly bizarre sayings into my routine, once I’ve checked someone’s hand. So if your coming into the clubhouse and while getting your hand checked your told “giddy up” you’ve found my spot.

Unless I’m on break, I do not get to see the races, and sometimes it’s pretty tough to hear Tom Durkin’s call. The race call is bittersweet when I’m able to listen in. For one, at least I can keep up with the action but it quickly reminds me that I am in the best track in the country, nor can I bet or even watch more then one live race a day on a TV set.

I cannot discuss anything in regards to how the race will play out and so on which I’ve found out is half the fun of going to the track. The other half being winning - hard to do - without betting.

After my break, as the time passes it becomes increasingly difficult to press on and do the job especially knowing closing time is in the very near future. A few minutes before I was to officially allowed to pack up Sunday, I waved a guy on along with his kid. He stuck out in hand in confusion and asked “how can you tell?” with an invisible stamp. I replied “I’m slackin that’s how”.

The worst part of this first week was looking ahead. I congratulated myself when I was didn’t completely lose my mind when I realized I’d be doing this for the rest of the summer. If I were to get moved into reserved seats sometime, I suppose going through this stop at the clubhouse exchange would have paid off, but until then there’s five more weeks left.

Five more weeks.

Day Three Picks

Fortunately yesterday Queens Full kicked home for us in the fourth avoiding a minor slip since we only had one other winner on the card, Twisted Tale in the second. We were in the red just a bit yesterday but still maintain a positive return of $24.70 after Wednesday’s four-bagger, not to mention a $556 pick 3 (although that doesn’t count towards my total earnings). Today is another great tough card. Good luck.

Brian 19-6 $62.70/+$24.70

Race One: 1. Truman’s Gold 2. Sami’s Dancer/Spirit of Gulch 3. Subtitles

Race Two: 1. Yukon Gold Rush 2. Revealer 3. Tribolet

Race Three: 1. Nar 2. Like Now 3. First Word

Race Four: 1. Sequoia Queen 2. Scarlet Love 3. Lady in Command

Race Six: 1. Sabellina 2. Rahy’s Appeal 3. Iron Goddess

Race Seven: 1. Gun Sleuth 2. Jersey Bond 3. More Angels

Race Eight: 1. Good Mood 2. Red Birkin 3. Rutherienne

Race Nine: 1. Bella Attrice 2. Luck 3. Silver Elegance

Opening Day - On The Job And At The Track

The easiest part of my brand new usher position at Saratoga can be summing day one up with one word.

Disaster.

Instead of lucking out and receiving a spot in reserved seats, where I would have just shown patrons to their seats and collected tips after pick 4 hits, I got thrown to the wolves in one of the clubhouse/grandstand exchange stations. There we had a small group, some who were stamping hands to grandstand goers so they could get back into the clubhouse free of charge, and others checking those stamps with a lamp. I had the pleasure of participating in some of the hand stamping.

That morning after we got all set, we quickly swept through the backyard, escorting those who came to the free breakfast program earlier, out so they could re-enter through one of the admission gates (so the track can squeeze every last buck out of you). Not much doing there; many had left already at the specified time. By the time I got to my station a “reliever” had swooped in and told me it was my lunch break. The doors hadn’t even had been opened, yet I was on lunch. Once I got back from that non-satisfying lunch, it was stamping hands while the 30,000 or so attendants never stopped coming.

Among some of the more outgoing fans, one came through politely asking if he could get a stamp on his other hand as well because, according to him, then he wouldn’t have to remember which hand when he was drunk. If Saratoga is a suit and tie crowd, I fear for Alan’s life when he takes his trip out to Del Mar this week. Then not too much further on another unsuspecting fan came up to me for a stamp with his friends among him. I gave him his stamp, told him to have a nice day, thus he replied “thanks dear”. “Dear!” he yelled as he laughed with his friends as he passed by, but not quickly enough. “Dear!?, who you callin’ dear?” I said back, jokingly, while I wasn’t joking in my thought process when those words came out of my mouth. Without engaging in attempting to fulfill a job for which I‘m being paid for, its 1-5 I make fun of him back, this time not in a joking manner. I may look like the Pringles guy with the bowtie, but that was too much of a low-blow to let it slide.

I was stranded at my station as the crowd roared “there off at Saratoga!” along with track announcer Tom Durkin as the first race began; hopefully the first time in a long time that I will not be able to see the opening race at Saratoga live - on TV or at the track. There was not doubt in my mind that a jockey got thrown from his mount or that a horse fell when I initially heard a huge collective gasp from the crowd, into the stretch run. Then I heard Durkin stamp those thoughts correct when he mentioned that Massoud had fallen and later unfortunately had to be euthanized. This marked the second time in three years that the opening race of the meet had at least one horse fall. That’s just about as bad an omen is if Elliot Spitzer got a ticket from his own state police . During the races I could hear the race call somewhat and was relieved when I got my first winner in the third, Lord Snowdown, paying $15.20 in doing so. My second and third place finishers flip-flopped into a triple paying close to $400. I finally got a break and got a chance to see the fourth race which my pick won again. Egypt Lane was a bit late to come into the picture, but was able to close for the win. Another decent payoff this time, $14.60. My best bet would have been to quit the job then and there and never return from that break, but I later did, ready to keel over.

It began to settle down somewhat, when I listened into another Durkin call for the fifth, won by - you guessed it - my pick, Warn. He paid a okay mutual at $11.60, topping off a $556 pick 3, one I would have had straight had I played. Boy, was I in the right place yesterday, finally on hand for an opening day I seldom got to bet in years past, but - oh yea - I was in uniform. Just my luck.

My hot streak finally came to a close in the sixth, but I got back on track in the seventh with favorite Hangingbyathread. At this point, despite hours of handicapping this tough as it gets card, I did not care who won what or where the ATM machine was if anyone asked; I was ready to go home. My body ached for hours of standing. I’d take a half marathon run over that torture any day now.

We were all set and ready to head out just before the Schuylerville, which I saw on my way back to the other side of the track and even though I was rooting for Subtle Alley once I watched Lady Chace pack up her bags, I couldn’t have been less enthused and quickly got out of there like it was a Thursday at Aqueduct on the inner track, not opening day at Saratoga. I got to see the final race at home; the results for the day were swell, but overall the day was like going through a 6 hour plus bad beat

Saratoga Day Two Picks

No time to write today; came home last night exhausted and ended up taking a nap which shortly turned into last night’s sleep. Here are my abbreviated picks for today.

Race One: 1. Orchid Princess 2. Gryffindor/Jazzitupgeorge 3. Irish Actor

Race Two: 1. Twisted Tale 2. Cozy Mesa 3. Ellie’s Buddha

Race Three: 1. Gold Like U/Waytotheleft 2. Stolen Star 3. Baby Gray

Race Four: 1. Queens Full 2. Stage Dream 3. She’s My Sunshine

Race Five: 1. Champchu 2. Taking the Redeye 3. Optimistic Steve

Race Six: 1. Copy That 2. Harlanquin 3. Star Studded

Race Seven: 1. Lemon Drop Gal 2. Haddie Be Good 3. Truly Blushed

Race Eight: 1. Fed Watcher 2. Ready’s Image 3. The Roundhouse

Race Nine: 1. Them There Eyes 2. Storm Dixie 3. Daring Dreamer

Wednesday's Pick Four

As the number of hours, until the starting gate doors swing open during race one tomorrow to get the meet started, slowly decrease the excitement and anticipation boils upon horseplayers from near and afar. Starting off the meet with a relatively small bankroll I unfortunately will have to stay away from high investment wagers such as the pick four, one I’d very much like to dive into before I miss out on a big score. So for the entire meet, here on Triple Crown Racing I’ll unveil my own pick four play each day, early or late whichever my preference, in the hopes of parlaying my thoughts into some major fake cash. Today, I’ll go with the late pick four which starts with race seven.

Race Seven: Tough spot to get the bet started off but either Hangingbyathread is the best horse in the race or he gets stuck racing from post twelve. In any event, I’ll single Hangingbyathread on my main ticket and throw in Winaway, Stately Pegasus, Gold Pageantry, and Highly Spoken as backups since it’s anyone’s race if Hangingbyathread falters.

A-Hangingbyathread
B-Stately Pegasus, Highly Spoken
C-Winaway, Gold Pageantry

Race Eight: I feel good about Incriminate here because I believe he’s got the talent and when coupled with Blue Sky God, who’s no slouch himself, they are probably as good a single you can find on the Opening Day card filled with contentious fields just oozing with a handful of contenders. I’d feel like an idiot if Garifine won or Mr. Rowdy picked up the pieces so I’ll toss ‘em in as B and C horses.

A-Incriminate/Blue Sky God
B-Mr. Rowdy
C-Garifine

Race Nine: Have a feeling the wise guys with be out in full force betting the Plecther entry even though they’d be 10-1 each if they were trained by anyone else. Since I’m a wise guy myself I like them but According to Plan and Subtle Aly may go off at overlaid prices so I wont forget about those two.

A-Pletcher Entry, According to Plan
B-Subtle Aly

Race Ten: I wont lose an ounce of sleep if I got this far and was beat by favorite, Court and Spark, here; even if I did like her this is a field where you just cannot take the favorite. I’ll just Papa's Kara, Behrdine, American Dream'a, Kitty Nip and Turning Leaves in some different variations.

A-Behrdine, Turning Leaves
B-Papa’s Kara, American Dream’a, Kitty, Turning Leaves

Below are my bets for the pick four, for example: my AABA ticket is using my A horses in the first, second, and final leg with my B horses in the third. Using a $3 base wager for that particular bet the cost of that ticket comes out to $6. Today’s total play is $94. Good Luck.

AAAA=$4=$16
ABAA=$4=$12
AABA=$3=$6
AAAB=$3=$18
CAAA=$2=$16
ACAA=$2=$8
BBBB=$1=$6
CBBB=$1=$6
BCBB=$1=$6

Saratoga Day One Picks

Brian 0-0 $0.00/+-$0.00

Above are the stats I will provide of my picks throughout the meet. The first number will be the number of races I’ve picked then the number of winners. To the right will be the total amount of money my winners have payed on a $2 wager and finally the last statistic determines whether I am in the black or the red based of those earnings based on a $2 wager on all of my picks.

Race One: 1.Massoud 2. Westmoreland 3. Si O No

Massoud got chalk players (including myself) off to a good start last meet after he won the first race on Opening Day. Graham Motion has gone through a similar schedule to do the same in 07. Westmoreland had a nice stay at the Fair Grounds this winter and ran into top allowance company at Churchill; one of the many that may jump at the chance to go against horses that aren’t overmatching. Si O No hasn’t won in a while but has raced extremely well of late. He’s got a tough outside post to overcome.

Race Two: 1. Immortal Eyes 2. Shotten Heimer 3. Bold Trust

Rich Violette is poised for a big meet with two year olds, Phantom Income and Fed Watcher, winners downstate, not to mention Immortal Eyes. Immortal Eyes was the only horse that challenged the impressive Fed Watcher on the clubhouse turn and in the stretch before understandably losing ground in the final furlong. Shotten Heimer ran nicely at big odds in his debut at Churchill, while Aldebaran wouldn’t surprise many if he was among the leaders of first crop sires. Jamie Sanders let her presence known in day two of the Saratoga meet last year when Teuflesberg was nosed out in the Sanford; maybe this year it’s day one. Bold Trust improved in his last start; he made the lead easily then turned back a challenger but could not hold back another late. Asmussen has been an absolute monster this year with juvenile runners so far.

Race Three: 1. Lord Snowdon 2. Grand Champion 3. Brillant Son

Lord Snowdon has been recently been finishing up well in his races. He probably wasn’t ready for New Yrok competition first time around, outside of Aqueduct within the last year. Grand Champion is a speedy grinder with talent although he may have to show more speed today to secure a nice spot not far from the leaders. Brillant Son showed some potential last year as a three year old facing elders all year, now he’s finally an elder himself.

Race Four: 1. Egypt Lane 2. Sister Desiree/Holy Trouble 3. Motor City Mama/Dressed to Win

Egypt Lane showed his affinity for turf racing last time out finishing up well facing elders. Today she gets a subtle class drop for Bill Badgett who secures Edgar Prado far from a regular basis. Sister Desiree has good early speed and the Babae stakes may have been a furlong too long for her liking on June 8th. Contessa may be setting up for a big meet. Holy Trouble is the other half of the entry. Trainer Linda Rice is the queen of turf sprints; she won one on opening day last season, going for the repeat here.

Race Five: 1. Warn 2. All Versus 3. Rocket Legs

Warn raced greenly in his debut on the turf, switching leads over and over through the stretch. That experience will do him some good as Calvin Borel receives a second mount on him. All Versus was schooled in his debut racing wide throughout; trainer Christophe Clement is tremendous with getting an improved race off of a first time start. Rocket Legs hung two back, looked like he would improve with some more condition, but instead may have bounced a bit thus setting up a nice try today.

Race Six: 1. Explosive Count 2. Bizzy Trick 3. Calculator

Explosive Count, the nine year old, going for Scott Lake has numbers that would trounce this field. He will come back to this field a bit and has to contend with post twelve but if he had valid early speed it shouldn’t be too much of a factor. Throw out the favorite and your guess is as good as mine. Bizzy Trick has raced successfully in these ranks and was 3 to 4 last time down at Belmont, but hasn’t won but could get a slice yet again. Calculator has exhausted his state bred options, he’s always had some talent - he was a close fourth in the a stake at Aqueduct this winter - and will need a beneficial pace senario.

Race Seven: 1. Hangingbyathread 2. Highly Spoken 3. Stately Pegasus

Hangingbyathread may very well be the best horse in the field and he will have to prove going starting in post twelve. Trainer Phil Serpe thought enough of him to throw him into open company in his last start so chances are with a clean trip this ridgling turns out to be much the best. Highly Spoken showed improved speed last out and may be better for it this time. Stately Pegasus took a while to finally break his maiden; consistently runs well but isn’t the type to stack up the wins.

Race Eight: 1. Incriminate/Blue Sky God 2. Mr. Rowdy 3. Irish Ace

When going through these quality allowance optional claimers a tactic I use at Saratoga is look beyond this race and attempt to engage on what type of future each particularly horse has. Star Dabbler was among many talented colts in a similar race on Opening Day here last year, which he won, and subsequently ran third in the King’s Bishop. Here I think Incriminate could be that horse. He won a loaded maiden race here on Travers day last year, first out and quickly was placed into stakes company. Eoin Harty has the ability to win off long layoffs, while there is no doubting Incriminate’s raw talent. Blue Sky God completes the Maktoum family entry. Mr. Rowdy beat elders first asking going six furlongs at Churchill but has ran into some trouble since. The cutback is sure to help. Irish Ace gets a couple passes for his attempts in the Hopeful and an allowance race on Polytrack; another guy with a nice talent base.

Race Nine: 1. New York City Girl/Lady Chace 2. According to Plan 3. Blitzing

Neither of Todd Pletcher’s gals in the Schlerville broke their maidens with gaudy numbers first time out by neither had Cotton Blossom who captured the Opening Day feature last year. Expecting improvement from those two because if there in Pletcher’s barn there sure to have talent. According to Plan couldn’t have ran a better debut then she did on June 29th, but duplicating those types of efforts are rare for juveniles. Blitzing staked from the outside in her first run for the money which she’ll have to do again yet again from the outside.

Race Ten: 1. Behrdine 2. Kitty Nip 3. Turning Leaves

In a extremely contentious state-bred field, Behrdine gets the slight edge off of her races last year where she showed early speed, a trait you couldn’t find in any other filly in this bunch. Kitty Nip rallied impressively in her maiden graduation two back; she has been consistently improving her beyer numbers and wouldn’t surprise if she ran a career best yet again today. Turning Leaves, the least experienced runner in here by far, got up in time in her six furlong debut. The added distance today should be a positive. If you intend to bet this race make sure you get a nice price; not a field you want to settle for chalk.

Open House

I just recently got in from the Open House held at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame previewing the coming Saratoga meet. The five speakers were Kyle Brownell, handicapper for the Post-Star out of Glens Falls, Calvin Borel, regular rider of Street Sense (who’ll see here Sunday), Charlie Hayward, president of NYRA, Richard Violette, trainer of stakes horses Dream Again and High Finance and PJ Campo, the racing secretary at NYRA.

Before questions were taken, videos of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness were shown, while Borel spoke over them as the same went with the most recent races of Dream Rush and High Finance careers, while Violette gave his insights.

To put an end to many handicapping debates that arouse out of the Preakness, Borel stated that Street Sense was not pulling up once he got the lead rather that Curlin just ran a spectacular race to fight back with Street Sense, after he was initially passed in the stretch. Hard to believe, because trainer Carl Natzger had speculated, at one time, that Street Sense had a tendency to switch over to cruise control once he made the lead after rallying through the field. Violette thought that you would never see anything it again. From that point on it was all questions from the audience (about 150 people), whom anyone was no less fifteen years old than me until a younger teen sat next to me later on.

Hayward initially ducked questions about the franchise, but later on became more candid, when he threw a few quick shots at former Governor Pataki admitting “he had his own agenda” for allowing the state of the franchise to reach this point. The crowd was extremely supportive of Hayward and there was a real sense that these visitors did not want their beloved racetrack to go to a foreign investment and were currently happy with the state of things.

Hayward was asked about Govenor Spitzer’s interest in shutting down and selling Aqueduct, mainly because the size of the area could realistically be worth a billion dollars. Hayward was unsupportive of the idea, he vaguely mentioned that Belmont cannot be winterized at this moment because of the grandstand (he did not go any deeper into that aspect) and added shutting down Aqueduct would face a number of obstacles from the horsemen all the way down to the Ozone Park community to go along with the closing and sale. He added that it would take NYRA, pending an extension, 8-10 years to brace for such a closing. The idea was originally just thrown out there to me once Spitzer heard “one billon dollars” without thinking of the racing and other aspects the project would entail. While an afternoon at Aqueduct is far from a glorious outing, to us horseplayers it, serves a much needed purpose, that being heat, once the down jackets come out at Belmont during the Fall Championship meet.

Violette was pressed into having to name a few of his babies whom he thought we should know and to look out for during the meet and he, first tentatively, served up, Banking Holiday, by Harlan’s Holiday, Song’s Image by Songandaprayer both unraced. Remember those names - you heard them hear first - and you didn’t if they end up last in a field out twelve at 3-5. He also spoke about his two impressive winners downstate, Fed Watcher and Phantom Income, who will step up into the stakes ranks here starting with Fed Watcher in the Sanford on Thursday and Phantom Income later on in the Adirondack. Immortal Eyes, another baby, goes for Violette on Wednesday in the second race and although he’s “a bit of a fat guy” he’s got a big shot after a third place finish to Fed Watcher in his debut. Assuming he was fat going into his debut he surly picked up some fitness in the race and can improve second time if, indeed, his physique was in question at any point.

Borel was asked about Street Sense’s recent workout, a five furlong scorcher in 57.40 seconds at Churchill, and Borel responded that he’s never seen him in such good form. Whether he brings that current form to Saratoga with him, will be seen in the Jim Dandy, where he could get stuck with a sluggish pace senario with an expected short field.

Brownell and Campo were left out somewhat in the discussion; Campo spoke on how tough it is to get enough horses into distance races and the fields in state-bred races are always easy to fill.

A very nice showing from the museum and NYRA for their support of the event, and if your in the capital region look out for a recap on tomorrow’s channel 9 news since station representatives were in attendance. The opening day card is a dozy so my analysis and picks are still in the works.

We're Not In Kansas Anymore

Err… well Long Island that is. I am currently sitting about ten blocks away from Saratoga Race Course and will be on hand for opening day Wednesday - red vest and all. I got up here yesterday in time to check out the open house at the track, where the grounds were mostly filled with concessions and games for kids. There were four races, two steeplechases and two flats, none of which I saw because I was listening to a handicapping seminar featuring Nick Kling of the Saratogian and another local handicapper (whose name I didn’t catch). Not much was said in terms of importance I thought, they talked about trainers who point the to Saratoga meet and those who don’t, but nothing that you couldn’t find out in the Form the day of the race. Obviously the trainer is an important factor going through the pp’s but I’m not the type to bet a horse supremely on a particular trainer pattern or such. We got out of there a bit prematurely, even though the seminar had already gone on for an hour and was still not close to coming to a final halt when we left. Now there are only 47 hours left to the first post, but thankfully the entries have been out since Saturday and Thursday’s entries will come out tomorrow. I’m in the middle of digesting the Opening Day card with the Schuylerville, for two year old fillies, the feature. Be back sometime soon with my analysis of the card.