Blog Standings and Musings

- Steve Haskin on Bloodhorse.com has this handy list of the 3 year old Triple Crown casualty list:

Declan's Moon, Bellamy Road, Bandini, Rockport Harbor, Giacomo, Wilko, Consolidator, Roman Ruler, Greater Good, Coin Silver, Noble Causeway, Uncle Denny, Defer, Sweet Catomine, Scipion, Monarch Lane, Fusaichi Samurai, Fusaichi Rock Star, Harlington, Dearest Mon, and Patriot Act.

Fusaichi Samurai, I think, is the only one (I'm thinking maybe Defer has run?) who has made it back to the races (or is even really close to doing so, if they're not already retired), but he finished last. Roman Ruler was supposed to run today, but scratched at Belmont. Perhaps Bob Baffert knew that Zito’s 4 yo Commentator would make his return from his last in January with a hand ridden, 16 length victory in 1:20.23, getting the final furlong in 12.07! Haskin has Roman Ruler now starting in the Dwyer on the 4th of July, where he could meet Oratory, as well as Flower Alley.

- Damn, now Eddington, who finally had started to fulfill his promise in winning the Gulfstream Park Handicap and Pimlico Special, has been retired after sustaining a soft tissue injury in his right front leg during a workout on June 24 at Belmont Park.

"He was a Grade 1 winner on the dirt and a Grade 2 winner on the turf," [Mark] Hennig said. "I think he could have been a Grade 1 winner on the turf, too if we had pursued it." [Thoroughbred Times]

The son of Unbridled will host mares at Claiborne Farm. He’d been working for the Suburban, also to be run on the 4th, and with the retirement of Ghostzapper was amongst the top contenders for year-end older horse awards.

In fact, Eddington is currently ranked #2 in the Older Horse division of the Blog Standings that are newly listed in the right-hand sidebar. Thanks to Patrick, the proprietor of Pulling Hair and Betting Horses for putting this together. It’s strictly a points system based on top three finishes in graded races (and mere appearances in grade 1s and 2s), with higher totals for higher-graded races, and double the grade 1 totals for the Breeders Cup races, which is appropriate for racing’s championship day. The rankings will be carried by other blogs as well, as the miniscule horse racing blogosphere unites in the cause of bringing some much needed order to our sport, displaying it in a way that people are accustomed to from looking at professional sports standings every day. Patrick wrote over at Pulling Hair: Horse racing doesn't have standings. The fans leave it up to the talking heads at DRF, TVG, or Eclipse voters to decide the matter. Personally, I wouldn't trust those people to mow my lawn. So I came up with a score card.

And check out Your Average Horseplayer, a new racing blog with news along with comment from proprietor Ruben Bailey, with particular attention to carryovers and handicapping contests along with doses of pop culture and common sense. He also checks out the booming poker scene, noticing the vast number of blogs devoted to the subject as opposed to the small number of racing blogs. I think there may be more blogs on fine dining at Denny's then there are on the ponies. Personally, I detest poker and I bristle when I see it on TVG. I find the participants to be unappealing and pretentious and I dunno, I just really don't get off on watching these characters basically lie to and deceive each other; that's the essence of the game, isn't it, the same as so many reality TV shows? I frankly find it uncomfortable to watch. (Perhaps I need to lighten up about this.) But Mr. Bailey looks at the proliferation of poker blogs and wonders if the blogosphere could be a way of spreading the word of our far more interesting sport.

- I'm trapped in the basement as the Head Chef is hosting a book club meeting. It's one of those all-women things, and they pick more "cultured" selections. No Bret Easton-Ellis here. I'm sure it's going to be unbearable, so I'm staying here. There's TEN of them! Fortunately, we have a bathroom down here, so I should be able to hold out for the entire time without even having to go upstairs and have to say hello. I already showered, I have provisions, and I'm in it for the long haul, perhaps for the entire ten race card from Evangeline, welcome back!