Lots of Support for Wood

A dismal 3-0 loss at home to the out-of-it Atlanta Thrashers has left the Rangers' playoff hopes in ruins, dependent now on events out of their control. And even if they get the help that they need to regain control of their own fate, the chances of them beating a fired-up Devils squad surely seems questionable after this performance. They look like a team that may have run out of gas after being all out to hang on for much of the season. All those blocked shots and hits (both of which means that they don't have the puck) surely has to take its toll at some point.

Still, I'll be at the Garden for the finale on Saturday afternoon, and therefore not at the Big (But Not Big Enough) A for the Wood. Wrote last week that I wouldn't go anyway given what promises to be claustrophobic conditions there. However, between the admission charge for the Equestris level which could provide a safe haven, and what looks like a fine supporting card, might have changed my mind.

A couple of readers complained about the fact that the big day of the spring meeting includes three $7500 claimers. But, compared to what we've been seeing around here lately as the winter drags on and on and on like the budget talks, those three claiming events actually seem pretty damn good - full fields and extremely competitive (at least according to the morning line, haven't scoped them out yet).

Also, I tend to cringe when I hear NYRA advertise four graded stakes!, because that often means a parade of short fields and short odds. But on Saturday, the three supporting stakes races - the Comely, Bay Shore, and Carter - all look like extremely lively wagering propositions. I should be home by 4, definitely looking forward to checking those out.

As far as the Wood goes, looks like another public workout for Uncle Mo (1-5) after the Timely Writer, in which he earned a Beyer of 89 which is surely good enough to win this race as well. One might think that they would want to actually try and seek out some better competition to give him a stiff race for his conditioning, and to gain some hard racing experience. Of course, it's not the connection's fault if the horse is so great they can't find any competition even if they wanted some. Maybe if they had declared for in the Florida Derby instead, all those horses would have come up here to avoid him. (Besides, that race didn't turn out to be so great anyway.)

But still, this just seems fucking crazy, the idea that you can prepare a horse for the Kentucky Derby like this. Maybe it's just the case that he's so totally superior in talent that he will indeed be able to just waltz in and dominate 19 horses at a distance he's never run, in what will likely be his first race against meaningful competition since the Breeders Cup last fall. Unless everything falls his way - never a guarantee in the Derby - I think he'll have to be that much better to win. I'll be betting that he's not.