Blue Monday

- Light posting today; I’m in a bad mood on a crappy Monday, and that was even before our Vicar filly drew a bid of only $35,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Timonium sale, below the established reserve. So, we’ve only sold 1 out of the 4 horses, and I feel left at the gate again. I can’t imagine how gloomy this Monday would be if I hadn’t had an extremely successful betting day yesterday.

Wayne Lukas sounds these days like he’s auditioning for a gig at the Jockey Club, so bizarre are some of the things coming out of his mouth. On Going Wild: "Like all trainers, I tried to do things with him that weren't in his best interest…..The more I train them, the more I know nothing about a horse." [Baltimore Sun] That last part of his statement seems to be more and more apparent of late. And he should probably speak for himself regarding doing things not in the horse’s best interest; he’s certainly not alone in that regard, but I can’t think of any other trainer that would have run this horse back in the Derby, no less the Preakness.

- Differences in opinion already surfacing regarding the Belmont. Bill Handleman laments in the Asbury Park Press:

As things stand, don't look for them to be setting any attendance records at Belmont Park in three weeks.

This is what it has come to. A star has emerged, but the supporting cast is so weak we are looking at a decided absence of drama. So much for the general if vague notion that this year's 3-year-old division was better than most recent groups.

But Rich Bozich, looking forward to a rematch of the Derby and Preakness victors, writes that he can get excited about a Belmont Stakes without a live Triple Crown opportunity. [Courier-Journal]

- Ramon “The Windmill” Dominguez will not face any action by the Pimlico stewards.

The stewards agreed Dominguez wasn't at fault.

"He hit him one time," Passmore said. "How many horses do you hit left-handed and they don't move?" [Washington Post]