Nowhere to Go

Given my proximity to the place, I go to Aqueduct almost reflexively on any weekend day on which I have an opportunity to spend at least a couple of hours. But nowadays, I get there, look around at the options, and wonder why I bothered. All of my favorite haunting places from over the years are either gone or negatively altered. The first floor clubhouse is overcrowded and brimming with that old OTB parlor vibe. The room on the second floor in the back off the Man O'War room is now an office for Genting. Seriously, still? What's the deal with that? They can't find any room on their side? Couldn't NYRA extract some improvements in the surrounding areas in exchange? And the Manhattan Terrace on the third floor has been taken over by the dingy and depressing desk cubby things as pictured in this post.

I haven't found a comfortable place to settle, at least without paying $13.99 for a table in the Equestris restaurant, buffet meal included; not a terrible deal I suppose. But best I can find for free thus far is front side of the third floor outside the restaurant. That represents full circle, because it's where we used to hang out in the old days when it was just the third floor clubhouse, before Equestris was built (though with frequent trips to the staircases in the back).

The most frequent question I'm asked on the subject of the Big A these days is why couldn't somebody have done something, even a bare minimum, to try and make the racing side more inviting. And I can't really answer. NYRA has other priorities as we know, and presumably is still waiting for the cash spigot to open (don't know what the timetable of the required payments from slots money is). And Genting? Guess they don't really care despite professing to do so. The only improvements they've contributed thus far on the track side are the ones related to the concession stands that they now run. We're told that they'll be a lavish simulcast facility, but no sign of that yet. Might be better to just play from home until that time.

The second floor of the casino is now open, and there's a passageway open from the track. But you can't actually go in unless you've signed up for some kind of rewards program related to the slots, so not sure why they bothered.....except for the concession stand accessible before you get to the friendly security folks who tell you that you can't come in. It was pretty damn empty up there on the slots floor. So, as I mentioned recently, expect those win per machine numbers to adjust downward rather precipitously.

The local racing sucked again - virtually unplayable - so bet strictly out of town races on Saturday. Two more winners for the Toddster at Gulfstream, giving him four in a row and nine of 18 at the meet going into Sunday (with some solid contenders entered for that day). In the 5th, Unbridled's Ocean ($4) got up with a desperate late rally as Johnny V finally found room after an eventful trip on the inside. Three-year old son of Unbridled's Song is a half to the turf sprint stakes winner West Ocean, and is out of a Belong To Me mare who's a half-sister to Sun King, who's been virtually invisible as a freshman sire this year.

And in the 8th, Pletcher's first-timer Dan and Sheila ($8.40) took money and got the job done for owner Ahmed Zayat after a wide trip. Two-year old is by More Than Ready out of the stakes winning Sheila's Prospect (Not For Love). Thought I was gonna nail a nice exacta with Twin, but he hung after a similarly wide trip, so no luck there. That's the third first-time two-year old winner at the meet for the Toddster, from five starters.