Swaps Stuff (Live)

- Four minutes to go until the Swaps, enough time for TVG to switch to the Meadowlands for live coverage of the second. C'mon, give us a break. And that's nothing against the Meadowlands; in fact, I'll be checking out the Meadowlands Pace later on tonight. But they've been hyping the Swaps big time, G. Stevens is doing his thing, there's four minutes to post, and they switch to another race?

I have to say that as much as I want to bet against Tiago, I'm not getting warm and fuzzy about any of these. I like that grass horse in the 9th that I mentioned, so I'm going to use a couple or three horses, including the favorite, with Top Gone.

- OK, well, I'm always open-minded, so I ended up doubling up my double bet with Tiago. The race just seemed well within his reach once I really examined the past performances. A great ride by Mike Smith, who saved ground, and conserved his mount until his quick burst up the rail. Todd Schrmmppff pointed out that Tiago gave runner-up Albertus Maximus ten pounds, not at all insignificant, and the type of spread we don't seem to see horses concede these days.

Top Gone opened at 5-1. The double is paying forty bucks, so this would be a nice hit for your humble blogger...

Dollar Mountain is the favorite at 5-2 for R. Mandella. He has one race, but it was on the Cushion Track. I haven't followed Hollywood nearly as closely as I did Keeneland, but I have the impression that grass form doesn't translate to this surface as readily as it did in Keeneland. Am I wrong? Nothing in Dollar Mountain's pedigree that looks particularly scary..

The Head Chef has announced that dinner (BBQ'd steak and fish) is just about ready, so if you don't hear from me for awhile, it's not (necessarily) that I'm brooding over losing.

- Well, no brooding (and a great dinner), but no double either, as Top Gone checked in second at 8-1. He had a slight stumble coming out of the gate, but showed the affinity for the turf that his pedigree indicates, negotiating his way between and inside horses to get the place spot. He shouldn't be long in winning. Winner Polonius was also making his debut; he's by Broken Vow, out of a Red Ransom mare, and he's a half to two turf stakes winners.