This Glass Is Mostly Full

- With all the drama going on in Washington, on Wall Street, the campaign trail, and everywhere in between, I must admit that I'm not devoting my full attention to racing these days. So, sorry if the blog has been suck-y of late. Personally, I need a break from the track every now and then, and it often comes this time of the year. And by the way, I was not invited back to do the Breeders' Cup blog. While disappointing in some ways, it also comes as a bit of a relief. When considering the prospect, it seemed a bit too much like work in this particular year. I see they're using Nick Luck, who filed a few posts last year, and Jeremy Plonk, who seemed like a nice guy when I met him at the BC last year. He knows his stuff as well as anyone around and I think he's an excellent writer, though he takes it all a bit too seriously for my personal taste. I doubt you'll see anything quite like this over there this year, if you don't mind me being so immodest. But best of luck to those guys, hope they have fun.

We had family and friends over for holiday dinner tonight. The Head Chef's friend Eileen came bearing gifts. Only she could find stuff like this at thrift shops. This glass is the type of relic - I put it at around 1978-79 or so - that can snap me out of my funk, reminding me as it does of how much of a constant racing has been for so many years of my life.

The small type that cannot be made out in the photo are reproductions of entries for a day's races at Belmont. The horses are listed in the same exact style and typeface that we still see today in the Graded Handicap section of the Daily Racing Form. Could be from today's edition if I didn't look closer to see that the first race post was 1:30, and that the jockeys included (in the exact order of my personal preference) Angel Cordero Jr., Eddie Maple, Steve Cauthen, Jeffrey Fell, Jean Cruguet, Ruben Hernandez, Jacinto Vasquez, George Martens, and Angel Santiago. And also the late Mike Venezia, killed in an on-track accident at Belmont in 1988, and Jean-Luc Samyn, still at it today. The purses were lower (but not that much lower....more on that below), and even a few of the horses ring a bell - Caspar Milquetoast, Con Neddy, Chicago Pro, Windhover, and Home by Dawn. You know I must have cashed a few bets amongst these.

No matter how many things have changed over these last almost 30 years, the essence of the game, as represented here by the venerable Form, remains the same. I suspect that the sport will forge on no matter what transpires in the next few days / weeks / months. And there are actually worse ways to invest your money these days than Pick Threes at 26%.

- Regarding the purses, we have here on the glass a 20K claimer on the turf for $12,000; a six furlong allowance for $15,000, a state-bred maiden race, also for $15,000. Today, comparable races would be worth around 3-4 times more. Y'know, that doesn't seem nearly as inflated over 30 years as, say, salaries in pro sports, or purses for professional golf and tennis. Probably barely enough to keep up with the increases in expenses, if that. If baseball salaries had increased only 3-4x in the last 30 years, I'd guess that you'd see at least some top athletes retiring early for the riches of the broadcast booth. Maybe racing's problem keeping horses on the track is as $imple as that.

- King Mobay (8-1) goes in the 6th at Belmont on Wednesday. I'm looking back at my posts, and realize that I never wrote about Kasey K having claimed this one, for 20K out of his last race at Saratoga on Aug 30; must have slipped by when I was up there for the final weekend. Widest both turns is the comment line from that race, and the reason he faded to a distant 7th. Or at least we hope that's the reason. I think he's better suited to two turns, and that we could have some fun with him at the Big A, or down at Philly Park, where he's won a couple of times this year. He does like the slop though, and there is some rain in the forecast.

- UPDATE: DiscreetCat checks in this week with a Belmont pick with a West Coast angle. Interesting stuff.....though just take a look to see if the race is still on grass. Some pretty wacky storms passed through my neck of the woods last night.