Gulfstream Friday (Updated with Nyra)

In the 4th, Ancient Sunlight (4-1) is back after just three weeks, and that in itself seems significant. Trainer Bill Turner, who lit up the tote with Platinumplus ($53.20) last week, has found it difficult to keep this one on the track; just one of his first six races is not followed by a layoff line. The only exception though resulted in a narrow loss at Belmont last summer. Here, he returns to the grass and drops in class from his previous tries on the green. Two races back, in maiden special company, he lost by just 3 1/2 lengths to the impressive Dynamoor, who we mentioned the other day after his second straight subsequent win. Love the two workouts since the most recent race; looks ready to go with Prado aboard. Perfect Boom (3-1) should benefit from his inside post after a wide journey last time out; likely favorite for Tagg has settled for minor awards two tries this level.

In the 9th, Ermine Slippers (5-1) is another one who has raced infrequently; her latest layoff is three months. She always seems to give a good account of herself though, and should definitely like the return to turf after her last effort on the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park, for trainer Christophe Clement. Daughter of El Prado may also appreciate her reunion with jockey Joe Bravo, who rode her to her two best career efforts, which came after the addition of blinkers. Gets a nice post in a tough field with other main contenders drawn outside. Siren Seranade (3-1) has been beaten as the favorite in her last three, and switches to Castellano today.

- Quite an evening at the Guggenheim Museum last night. For it's 50th anniversary, it staged a three hour performance art piece featuring video artist Danny Perez, and Brooklyn's much-beloved indie art-rockers Animal Collective. Hard to exactly describe, you had to be there on the ramps which ascend up and around the building's massive circular tower; but video projections and light shows were accompanied by an original score composed by the band (which appeared and "performed" in costume, though the music was recorded). The tower was completely wired for sound, and the music literally seemed to swirl around the building. The sound board was visible to the public, and a computer screen showing the potential paths of the music looked like one of those maps of Los Angeles' highways from those old Johnny Carson routines. It all provided for an eerie and captivating effect. Time Out NY suggested that you BYOLSD; don't know if that was quite necessary, though a bong hit or two certainly wouldn't have hurt.

Of course, then I had to go and ruin it all by catching the second half of the Rangers losing to the Penguins while being outshot 24-1 over the third period and overtime!

This is the video for the song Brother Sport, from Animal Collective's 2009 release [Merriweather] Post Pavilion, which you've surely heard of if you checked out any top ten album lists from last year.



UPDATE




Helen Mirren as Nyra, an evil queen of the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, where the birds are actually brainwashed into becoming soldiers...that from the new film Legend of the Guardians. And, you know, it's animated, so that's not really Helen Mirren. More in the comments section.