Enough Already (Oy Gevalt)

- OK, I’m now officially sick of the crying over Giacomo’s Derby win; get over it and move on to the next race. A relentlessly bitter Paul Moran of Newsday won’t let up:

The horseplayer's mind does not comprehend the logic or illogic necessary to reach a conscious decision to place any wager that included Giacomo on Saturday. Handicapping involves assessment of probability based on past performance. Horseplayers are risk-takers. Gamblers can be found in casinos, standing close to spinning wheels and betting on numbers.
…..
Here's another way to pick up a quick $864,253 on Derby day: the stupidity method.

"You play some stupid numbers with some stupid names and that's what it was," Jim Richie, who shared the windfall with a partner in New Jersey, told The Associated Press.

Perfect. [Newsday]

As Jay Hovdey says in the Racing Form (subscription):

Those who didn't hit at 50-1 can at least laugh in the aftermath. Save the bitter tears for real tragedies, like a war without end, or the next album by Bjork. After all, it's only horses running in a circle. [Daily Racing Form]

OK, I could think of a hundred people other than Bjork that I would have used, and I’d probably elaborate on the war without end to emphasize the fact that it was initiated under false pretenses, but you get the point.

- Broward County officials who are ticked off about the failure of the Florida legislature to approve slots are talking about writing their own rules, but it’s likely an effort to spur the courts to force the legislature to reconvene to reach agreement before the July 1 deadline. There are differing opinions as to whether the county can legally take that initiative, but A state attorney general's opinion …..earlier this year concluded that the amendment required legislative action before it could take effect. [Miami Herald]

Michael Mayo of the Sun-Sentinal writes that the state’s failure to follow the will of the people as dictated by not one, but two referendums has more profound implications than just the revenues and benefits for the pari-mutuels slots would bring.

We voted for slot machines. The Legislature denied us.

So the issue is not simply about slots anymore. Now this becomes the latest sad chapter in the schism between elected and electorate, one more blow to the credibility of the voting process in Florida.

Now it gets harder to argue against those who have given in to cynicism and apathy, tougher to rebut the sentiments expressed by those such as Vonda Lambdin of Plantation, who sent me this e-mail: "All you ever hear is, `Make a difference, vote; you can't complain if you don't vote.' So tell me, isn't this a perfect example of why people feel their vote doesn't count? ... What's the point in making the effort?"

Or as slots proponent "Casino" Stan Wertheimer of Hollywood put it, "And we're supposed to be showing Iraq what a democracy is? Oy gevalt ." [Sun-Sentinal]

- Ron Ellis says that Don’t Get Mad, out of consideration for the Preakness, is a possibility for the Peter Pan at Belmont, a race sometimes used as a prep for the Belmont. At one turn, and 9 furlongs, he should absolutely love the route, and a big win would probably make him one of the choices for the Belmont. Ellis also says that Declan’s Moon, whose stock may have risen with the good performances by the California horses, is about three weeks away from returning to tack walking. [Bloodhorse]

- Bandini to undergo surgery for bone chip in ankle. [Thoroughbred Times]