Putrid Picks

- My picks were putrid this past weekend, as was any other handicapping and wagering I did (which fortunately, wasn't that much). Ugh, sorry. At least I can blame Walter for one of them. I was at least right about Evening Attire not winning the Queens County at Aqueduct, though he once again ran his heart out; his poor start may have cost him the race. I was kicking myself a bit though, about not having the winner Philanthropist. This Phipps colt had pp’s that reminded me a bit of those of Happy Hunting, an allowance winner on Thursday, and even of Pleasant Home. All three are four–year olds who improved late in the year for Shug McGaughey. Happy Hunting actually never started until he was four.

And, of course, he’s impeccably bred in the Phipps way. Philanthropist is by Kris S. out of Hidden Reserve (Mr. Prospector) a graded-placed performer for the Phipps barn, and a half to Phipps stars Educated Risk and Inside Information, the dam of Smuggler, an outside possibility for an Eclipse as top three-year old filly. Hidden Reserve is also the dam of Defer. I scoffed at him as a Derby candidate this past spring, but chances are that he’ll be winning stakes races late in 2006. Perhaps the Classic at 45-1?

In the Native Diver at Hollywood, I knew I was dead with my longshot Courtly Jazz when Simon Bray on TVG picked him as a single in the Pick Four. Nothing against Bray, but how many times do you see these guys correctly single 14-1 shots? For the winner, the 2004 Chilean Horse of the Year Trotamondo, that’s two wins in as many U.S. starts; could be a nice one for Laura De Seroux, who said, hopefully, "I think he is the best thing we've had on our hands on since Azeri.” [LA Times]

- Trainer Richard Violette, Jr. is red hot over the inner track, and in particular with two-year olds. On Saturday, Violette sent out juvenile winner Trailing Twelve ($12.40). His prior race had been a second place finish in a sprint at the Meadowlands; here he stretched out to 1 1/16. He’s a son of first year sire Five Star Day (Carson City), who stands for $15,000 in 2006, up from $10,000. Ten of Five Star Day's 21 starters have won (62 in the crop), with one stakes winner (Within Reason). The fact that he was strictly a sprinter has not kept the mares away – he was bred to 141 in 2005.

So, wouldn’t you know it, on Sunday, Violette sent out another juvenile winner, Hundred Year Flood, a Giant’s Causeway colt out of stakes winner High Heeled Hope, who was also stretching out after finishing second in a sprint at the Meadowlands, and for the same owner, Klaravich Stable, as well. You may say oh good, what good does this do now? Alas, I missed it too, so you’re only getting the red-boarding version here. This one paid $8.50. We obviously won't let him get away with another one of these so quietly. Violette also had two runner-ups on Sunday's card, including two-year old Borrowing Base, who ran second at 6-1 to an even money Pletcher colt. His three year old filly Popular Delusions ran second in the Twist Afleet stakes to 32-1 bombshell Grecian Wings. The preceding weekend, Violette sent out two-year old winners Laptop Computer and Spenny.

News and Notes - Dec 12

- Anyone who still has doubts as to just how messed up the racing industry is in New York just needs to read this article in the NY Times today. It seems that Yonkers Raceway is collecting millions of dollars from the state’s OTBs, even though it hasn’t conducted any racing since June. In an effort to generate more betting revenue, the OTBs made a deal with the state legislature in 2003 whereby they could broadcast more out-of-state thoroughbred races and less from Yonkers, which had been running mind-numbingly dull races around its half-mile harness track. In return, according to the Times, the track would continue to receive the same monies it had before. Almost immediately, Yonkers began to run fewer races. It was not hard to see why. It was going to be paid the same amount no matter how many races it ran.

Or, even if it doesn’t run any races at all, which has been the case since Yonkers shut down in order to facilitate the construction of a slots parlor.

Recriminations were immediate. Off Track Betting officials set their sights on State Senator Nicholas A. Spano, a Westchester Republican who some see as the protector of the race track's interests.

Racing "is the only industry in which we allow this nonsensical thing to go on," said State Senator John D. Sabini, the ranking Democrat on the Senate's racing committee. "I am stupefied that Yonkers would do this, and I would suspect Nick Spano had his hand in it."
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Lawsuits have ensued involving various racing interests in the state seeking relief from the Off Track Betting payments to Yonkers.

In response to critics like Mr. Sabini, Mr. Spano said he had no regrets about protecting the raceway, one of Yonkers's largest employers. "I will continue to work as hard as I can to make sure the track remains economically viable," he said. "I am proud of the fact that they think I am the protector of Yonkers Raceway, because in fact I am."

Sounds like that “I am God” speech from that Alec Baldwin movie some years ago. Jerry Bossert in the NY Daily News sums up with facts and figures just how the country’s only OTB that competes with the hand that feeds it has contributed to NYRA’s dire financial straits.

In 1994, the New York Racing Association handled $708 million in bets that were made at the track. Ten years later, only $460 million was bet on-track as more gamblers prefer to bet from home on the phone with OTB or on the Internet.

The difference is huge as NYRA gets 9.4% of a bet made at Aqueduct, Belmont or Saratoga and only 2.2% of a bet made off-track at an OTB or a simulcasting shop.
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The NYRA is going broke and NYCOTB is losing money. It's time now for the state to step in and either buy or pass legislation to take NYCOTB away from New York City, include it in the deal with the NYRA franchise and get a bigger price than it ever dreamed of.

- A lawyer for Wayne Gertmenian claims that the checks that he cashed on the day that he was removed from his position as head of the Jockeys Guild represent severance pay that was owed to him, according to Liz Mullen in SportsBusiness Journal (hat tip to Robert Colton).

“Dr. Gertmenian has never done anything wrong or illegal in connection with his work for the Guild,” said [attorney Mark] Werksman, who has been featured in Los Angeles magazine as one of the top white collar criminal defense attorneys in the city.

Also in the article, Guild attorney Barry Broad claims that Dr. G made off with some valuable memorabilia, including Bill Shoemaker’s boots and a bust of Eddie Arcaro. “We would like our money back…..We would also like Willie Shoemaker’s boots and Eddie Arcaro’s head back.”

It seems that Gertmenian is spending more of his disposable income on fancy legal help these days, after utilizing the hilarious Lloyd Ownbey during his stint at the Guild. And he hasn’t even been criminally indicted as of yet; are we feeling guilty, Dr. G? We previously mentioned attorney Mitchell Egers, who seems to have an affinity for defending accused sex perverts. Werksman is apparently drawn to representing accused terrorists. While we’re certainly not accusing Gertmenian of being either of the above, his actions as head of the Guild, if proven to be true, were a perversion of the trust placed in him to help safeguard the health and savings of its members, and would, again if proven, amount to nothing less than a financial terror attack on the group’s funds. So, for attorneys and client, the shoes certainly seems to fit (even the Shoe's boot).

Saturday Morning Notes - Dec 10

- NYRA staves off imminent doom, at least through early February. In what amounts to a state bailout, or a partial one anyway, a state authority agreed to pay $5 million for a parcel of land near Aqueduct. But according to the Albany Times-Union’s James Odato, who does an excellent job covering the NYRA situation in the state capital, the deal appears to be a case of a public authority purchasing land the state already owns -- a fiscal gimmick recalling a strategy used by the Cuomo administration.

It also continues to muddle the issue of who owns the racing sites NYRA runs under state franchise. Gov. George Pataki contends the state owns the Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga tracks. NYRA, which holds the deeds and pays taxes, says it owns the tracks.
.........
The Port Authority deal calls for NYRA to invest $5 million into track facilities once the VLT proceeds begin rolling in, to enhance the value of the franchise...

- Derby winner Giacomo is preparing for his comeback, working a half in a pokey :52.80. Keep an eye on the progression of his works as his return race approaches; you may recall that a couple of weeks before the Derby, he had a workout so slow that it wasn’t even recorded. He subsequently improved his work times, capped by a sparkling 7 furlongs in 1:23 and change, and then won the Derby. How impressive that win actually was is still a matter of dispute, as is the horse himself. He ran OK in the Preakness, but to me it didn't really affirm his Derby win or show that it was anything but a horse just picking up the pieces of a field that was devastated from an absurd pace. How he does upon his return should be one of the more interesting stories of early 2006, and here's hoping that he runs well, even if I don't bet on him. He's a Derby winner, and one that made a big splash because of the big exotics payoffs he sparked, so he's known to the general public much more than most. He could generate a lot of interest and publicity if he becomes a contender in the handicap division and in the picture for the Classic next fall.

Noble Causeway has also been working towards his return. Another interesting story given his mysterious summer at Saratoga, where he was scratched before one race and then pulled up in another. He worked a half in :49.60 at Palm Meadows.

- Florida legislators constructed the slots bill there in a manner that accommodates an expected move to place a referendum to repeal the law on the November 2006 ballot.

Rather than dedicating revenues from slot machines to a specific program, the bill requires the money to go into a general account that cannot be used for long-term projects -- which would have to be cut back if the repeal effort succeeds. [Miami Herald]

I can’t imagine how they could possibly repeal the law at that point. Indeed, a lobbyist for Hollywood Greyhound already declared, just minutes after the agreement was announced, that construction workers could begin work as soon as Monday to make room for the electronic games. Assuming that the racinos are all up and running by next November and major construction on casinos is either finished or well under way, it would really be something if voters approved pulling the plug on it all.

- One of the more controversial of many such casino-related issues in Pennsylvania is the intention of investor group Chance Enterpirses to build a casino near the site of the historic Gettysburg battlefield. Opponents feel that it’s inappropriate for a casino to be near such an important historical site and that it exploits the soldiers who died there (in addition to the usual ‘social ills’ complaints).

Chance announced on Friday that they have changed the casino’s name from Gettysburg Gaming Resort and Spas to Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa. Nice try, but that’s not going to do much to satisfy the critics.

“That was one of three demands that our group had made,” said Susan Star Paddock, chairperson of No Casino Gettysburg. “that there be no casino in Gettysburg, that there would be no casino in Adams County, and that there would be no casino anywhere that exploited the name Gettysburg.

“So we’re happy that they’ve changed the name,” she said. “Now they just need to change the location.” [Gettysburg Times]

All About The Action!

This is my final picture of Afleet Alex, ain’t it a beaut? It was his last appearance before an audience on a racetrack in New York, if not anywhere, and while I missed his head, I got a decent portion of Angel Cordero’s. Still no announcement of a stud deal for him. The last I read of it was Chuck Zacney telling the Times "We pretty much turned everybody down because we planned to race him next year. Now we have to start from ground zero." I wonder if his not-that-fashionable pedigree is keeping the price down?

As much as I admired Afleet Alex, I never really grew that attached to him personally, despite the best efforts of my friend Jerry from Philly and the colt’s amazing efforts in the Preakness and Belmont. I was thinking about why not; after all, what was there not to love? He was fast and tough, and he was getting better and better. He was firing bullets in his morning workouts in the fall even with whatever it is that’s bothering him. But when I thought back to horses I’ve grown emotionally attached to in the past such as Temperance Hill, Alysheba, Cavaet, Genuine Risk, Dance Spell, Waya, Foolish Pleasure, Smarty Jones, and Saratoga Stan to name a few, I realized that I scored big bets on all of those, in most cases more than once! I never managed to cash on Alex. So there it is, despite all my lofty words, I’m just another degenerate gambler at heart.

So let’s gamble. The Queens County Handicap is the feature at the Big A today. I don’t like the morning line favorite Evening Attire. I know, he’s a sentimental favorite type, a tough old 7 year old gelding who will be making his 46th start, 12 of those wins. And despite the perfect trip he enjoyed in the Stuyvesant, one that I will hold against him here, you had to admire his game rally in that race to get up for his first win since August, 2004. But since, as I now realize, it’s all about the gambling, fuck that stuff. His figs have dropped off precipitously since the end of 2004, he’s unlikely to get such a dream trip from the five hole, and besides, Trapped Again seems to simply be faster than anyone in the field. In fact, I expect that he will be the favorite come post time. If you throw out his race at Keeneland, he shows two wins and a necked-out second, all in stakes, and all with triple digit figs (including a 109).

But I don’t think they’ll be much value there, so check out the feature at Hollywood, the Grade 3 Native Diver at a mile and a sixteenth. Bob Baffert, 9 for 30 at the meet, sends out the morning line favorite Preachinatthebar. He hasn’t won a stakes since he took the San Felipe in March, 2004, but he’s been getting closer and he always runs well. Trotamondo was a fast closing second to Preachinatthebar in his U.S. debut, and could improve here. The versatile McCann’s Mojave bounced back with a win in the Cal Cup, his second two turn win in two tries for his career. He’d been facing some tough company in sprints prior to his last, and perhaps he’s more suited for distance.

But let’s try a longshot, Courtly Jazz, 15-1 in the morning line. Four of his last five have been on the turf, including a tough 4th at a mile and a half in his last, the G3 CF Burke. Prior to that was a gritty win on the dirt at this distance at Fairplex, and he’s actually two for two at this nine furlong distance, and three for five lifetime on dirt. He’s shown slow but steady improvement throughout his career for trainer Gary Mandella, has worked steadily for this, and could be primed for an upset.

And take a look at the comments section here; our friend Walter discusses Disturbing, 12-1 in the first division of the My Charmer stakes at Turfway. I watched the replay of the race at Churchill he refers to, and it’s every bit as impressive as he says. Nice to see that Davidowitz is still picking horses and not just playing poker.

Guild Finances in Shambles

- The Jockeys Guild has released the results of its initial investigation into the finances of the organization, and as expected, it ain’t good. Among other things, it found that nearly $2.1 million was spent using funds that were earmarked for other purposes during former Guild president Dr. Wayne Gertmenian's tenure. Funds that were supposed to be held in savings accounts for riders are gone. A reserve account for anticipated health claims stands at $6,029, down from more than $860,000 in April 2004, and some jockeys were allowed to continue their coverage despite not paying their premiums.

Then there’s the outrageous matter of the $217,000 in checks made out to Gertmenian and Hiss on the day they were removed. I still can’t get over the fact that they had the balls and the sheer arrogance and stupidity to do such a thing!

The Guild's new leadership was able to obtain a temporary restraining order stopping payment on four checks totaling $104,000 made out to Gertmenian's management company, Matrix Capital Associates, said Haire. Two other checks totaling about $113,000 cleared the bank, and these checks were made out to Gertmenian for approximately $69,000 and to Albert Fiss for $44,000, he said. [Bloodhorse]

A police and FBI investigation into the checks continues. Mitchell Egers, an attorney for Dr. G, said that his client did nothing irresponsible. [LA Times]

What kind of attorney, you may ask, would agree to represent this guy, considering all the incriminating evidence, not to mention the outright admissions of sleaze that came out at the Congressional hearings? A Google search of "Mitchell Egers" reveals a sampling of some past clients:

Melvin Teitelbaum, an attorney who was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Iranian immigrant boy. (charges dismissed)

Rabbi Israel Grunwald, accused of fondling a 15-year-old on a 1995 plane flight from Australia….[he] had the charge against him dropped after agreeing to perform 500 hours of community service and to seek counseling.

And actor Scott Bairstow, who pleaded guilty to charges that he had sex with a 12-year-old girl and later asked her to keep quiet about it.

Yeah, that seems about right.

Slots Agreement Pleases No One

- The agreement in the Florida legislature on slots in Broward County features a flat 50% tax rate which is one of the highest in the country. The House and Senate split their difference on the number of machines per facility right down the middle, settling on 1500.

It is estimated the tax will raise at least $100 million for schools, which is far less than the $300 million to $500 million the pari-mutuels pledged to provide under an early plan that was based on a low rate and let each facility have at least 3,000 machines. [Sun-Sentinal]

The tax rate is far higher than the 35% advocated by the parimutuels, who claimed that a significantly higher rate would discourage them from building the extravagent gambling palaces that some had planned. Pompano Park harness was one of those with lofty aspirations, and the stock of their parent company reacted poorly in trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Thursday.

"Obviously, the four operators would have liked to have seen more, but the hope is that one day more machines will be allowed," said Brian McGill, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group.
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"While we are encouraged that an agreement has been reached, the high tax rate (as expected) will likely limit investment dollars in the facilities," Deutsche Bank analyst Marc Falcone said in a report. [Reuters]

Nobody seemed particularly happy with the bill. Slots opponent Governot Bush said "I just don't think this is right for our state ... The fact that there's going to be a bunch of slot machines in Broward County doesn't warm my heart." [AP] Broward Senator Steve Geller, a key supporter of slots, complained "This is a terrible bill. I think it's setting them up for failure.....I believe they're doing this so the governor can lead the repeal (campaign) and say, 'See? Look what you have instead of those nice facilities you were promised.'" [Sun-Sentinal]

You can be sure that a repeal effort will soon be underway; gambling opponents are persistent if nothing else. Perhaps relentless is a more appropriate word. In Arkansas, opponents filed a lawsuit to block the installation of electronic “games of skill” at Oaklawn Park; and I previously mentioned the repeal effort soon to be underway in Pennsylvania.

- The U.S. House and Senate are working on tax relief bills for Gulf Coast businesses devastated by Hurricane Katrina. But inserted into the House version, at the behest of conservative Republican representatives, is a clause that would deny tax breaks to casinos and racetracks, as well as to massage parlors, liquor stores, country clubs, and tanning facilities.

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., led the effort to carve those businesses out of the bill. He said Congress should not allow "our constituents' hard-earned tax dollars, in these kinds of record deficits, to subsidize the rebuilding of a massage parlor, a liquor store or a casino." [AP]

In deciding for the rest of us which businesses are too immoral to get help, the religious right has targeted a casino industry that employed about 50,000 people in Louisiana and Mississippi and generated more than $770 million a year in tax revenue. [LA Times]

Odds And Ends - Dec 8

- Wilko (Awesome Again), perhaps the most overhyped three-wins-in-16 starts horse in history, makes his comeback on Saturday when he faces six 3-year-old rivals in the $50,000 Larkspur Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

"He had a bone chip removed from an ankle and we gave him plenty of time," said [trainer Criag Dollase]. "The quarter cracks that bothered him all year are healed up now and his feet have grown out. He's like a fresh, new, shiny penny. We're excited." [Bloodhorse]

He’s another three year-old that one could wonder whether he could have made an impact on the division in the fall if his connections didn’t persist in running him in the Derby despite the relentless foot problems that his trainer refers to. It will be his first start since being eased in the Preakness, beating only Galloping Grocer and Going Wild.

- Kiaran McLaughlin sent out two year old colt Jazil (Seeking the Gold) to win the 6th at Aqueduct on Wednesday at .55-to-1 with an exciting closing surge inside the 8th pole; the colt had closed strongly to just miss in his prior start and stretched out to a mile and a sixteenth here. This colt has an outstanding pedigree – he traces directly back to foundation mare Best In Show, his third dam. Broodmare of the Year in 1982, Best In Show won just five races and $53,000. But it’s staggering to see the names of all the stakes winners that have descended from her and her daughters. Actually, Best In show herself foaled just four of them (including Jazil’s second dam Blush With Pride), but according to this piece by noted pedigree expert Rommy Faversham written in September of 2003, her daughters and their descendants were, at that time, responsible for 53 stakes winners out of 494 foals, for a percentage of 11%. These include Aldeberan, Chimes of Freedom, Spinning World, Domedriver, Yagli, El Gran Senor, and Strong Hope, to name a few. Amazing to think that a single mare could be responsible for a virtual entire chapter of racing history.

Jazil’s sire, Seeking the Gold, is worth a mention too. Earlier in the year, I posted of his steadily declining stud fee, which had gone from $250,000 in 2001 to $125,000 this year; I also noted that he finished out of the top 100 on the general sires list for 2004. However, they’ll be no further reduction in his fee for 2006, as he’s enjoyed a resurgent year with 11 stakes winners, including Distaff winner Pleasant Home, and a spot in tenth place on the sires list thus far. He now has 71 stakes winners in his career out of 721 foals, and with a little rounding up, that’s good for the magic 10% that qualifies a sire as being amongst the very elite of his profession. Imagine, if you have a young horse by Seeking the Gold, you have a ten percent chance of having a stakes winner on your hands. That's much better odds than you get on a lot of things in this game. Of course, you'll have to pay for it - his yearlings had an average sale price of $273,000 this year.

- Hollywood Park raised their purses, but that didn’t avert a dismal card featuring seven claiming races drawn for Friday’s 8 race card.

Friday's program drew 55 entries, including one five-horse field and four races with six entrants. The largest field is the eighth race, a maiden claimer for 2-year-olds that drew 12 entrants. Half of the races are for maidens. [Daily Racing Form]

Studio Racing at Gulfstream?

- With the declining live crowds in many locales and the technology to make it possible, racing has long been headed towards the concept of it being strictly a “studio sport,” in which the races are conducted in an empty, silent plant, while fans bet and watch the races at simulcast centers, on TV, their computers, cellphones, and IPODs.

Now, it appears that that day may have actually arrived. With the construction at Gulfstream lagging behind schedule, and the meet slated to begin just four weeks from today, the Sun-Sentinal reports of a possible Plan B if the plant is not ready to host people.

One contingency plan for Gulfstream could come in the next few days when the track is expected to sign an agreement to simulcast its races to Calder for the first time in 35 years. If the two sides agree to a deal, Savin was asked if the races could be run at Gulfstream for a few weeks while all wagering takes place at Calder. This would allow Gulfstream time to prepare for its first big day of racing, the Jan. 28 Sunshine Millions that is televised nationally.

"We hope it doesn't get to that point," Savin said. "We hope it doesn't get to that level of contingency."

That does not sound like a man who is convinced that it will be anything but exactly that level of contingency. It would certainly be weird, though last year’s meet during which the horses and riders left the noise of the crowd at the top of the stretch and raced into silence at the finish line was bizarre enough. I’m just glad I’m not holding plane tickets to fly down for the historic opening day. Here's the latest photo from the Gulfstream website:



Doesn't look too promising; the Sentinal reports that the building is "empty." But I imagine it will be quite impressive upon completion.

This also raises the “tree falls in the forest” question of: Would Tom Durkin Vic Stauffer actually call the races over the P.A. at the track (if there is one), or just for the simulcast patrons? Aren’t you glad that I come up with incisive questions like that?

Meanwhile, little progress thus far in the Florida legislature’s efforts to agree on regulations for slots at Gulfstream and the other Broward County pari-mutuels. The Senate moved from a 45% tax rate to a sliding scale starting at a 35% rate which could encourage Hollywood Greyhound Pompano Park harness to proceed with their lavish construction plans, but would then move up to 55% as profits increase. This prompted Senate President Tom Lee to speculate that the committee's action moves the two chambers even farther apart [Sun-Sentinal], and to announce that he won’t support that bill because it "leaves tens of millions of dollars on the table." [Palm Beach Post]

- In Pennsylvania, Republican State Rep. Paul Clymer is leading a move to repeal the slots law there. Fat chance, say many. Indeed, the state is already addicted to the slot money months before they become a reality.

About two dozen bills are pending in the Legislature to reduce property taxes, and a lot of them count on using up to $1 billion in new revenue that [Governor] Rendell says will be generated by a 34 percent state tax on slots revenue. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Clymer is encouraged by the recent repeal of a legislative pay raise which was, like the slots bill, passed on a vote in the middle of the night. "My legislation would repeal this misguided slots law and restore the social values that have made Pennsylvania the state we love to call home." Lofty words indeed. But a gambling proponent, Sen. Robert Tomlinson, scoffs at the chances of repeal, and feels that Clymer has a dependency problem of his own. "You talk about a psychological addiction. The guy doesn't want to give up." [Bucks County Courier Times]

- NYRA hasn’t given up their quest to sell the land near Aqueduct that could net it $20 million and bridge the gap until their slots arrive, and in a bit of a surprise, CEO Charles Hayward's appeal to the state’s oversight board on Tuesday apparently didn't fall on deaf ears.

A spokesman for Gov. George Pataki did not rule out allowing NYRA to sell 80 parcels near Aqueduct or deferring $32 million in tax and fee payments for a year -- NYRA's preferred solution to its serious cash-flow problems.

But, according to Hayward, new and different options are being pursued. He declined to provide specifics.

"It was a productive meeting with no conclusions. We did reaffirm to them that time is short. We truly think we are going to run out of money by the end of the month," he said. "We need either the land sale or some sort of commensurate solution." [Albany Times-Union]

Not surprisingly, NYRA’s announcement of their 2006 stakes schedule included a $4 million cut in purses and nine eliminated races.

Among the cuts in grade I stakes, The Jockey Club Gold Cup purse was reduced from $1 million to $750,000, and the Beldame, Flower Bowl, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, and Met Mile were all cut from $750,000 to $600,000. The Coaching Club American Oaks saw its purse reduced to $300,000 from $500,000.

The eliminated stakes are the Astarita, Valley Stream, Cowdin, Huntington, Lawrence Realization, Saratoga Breeders' Cup, Belmont Breeders' Cup, and Meadowbrook Steeplechase. [Bloodhorse]

They've also made some major changes to the stakes schedule, most notably moving the Woodward from its longtime home at Belmont to Saratoga, to be run on the final weekend. Labor Day weekend will feature three other Grade 1s in addition to the Woodward - the Hopeful, back to its traditional spot on closing day, the Forego, and the Spinaway. These moves should address the anti-climactic atmosphere there this past year on the final weekend. The entire 2006 Saratoga stakes schedule is listed here. Check it out and start making your plans, because the deadline for seat applications is December 23.

A Look Ahead

- Mike Watchmaker in the Form, in taking a look at the 2006 handicap division without Afleet Alex, brings up some names from the recent past that he considers to be possible dark horses. These are some names you may want to add to your watch lists to check on their progress. Or as in the case of Bandini, the lack of progress. What happened to this one? He was the third choice in the Kentucky Derby at 6.80 to 1; he had ankle surgery following his 19th place finish, and hasn’t had a recorded workout since then. With his breeding (Fusaichi Pegasus out of a half-sister to successful sire Stormy Atlantic) and a dominating win in a Grade 1 (Blue Grass), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this one turn up in the breeding shed without running another race.

Greeley’s Galaxy had four published workouts in November. The Illinois Derby winner subsequently ran 11th in the Derby, and then 7th in the Preakness two weeks later in his last appearance to date. He was perhaps this year’s poster boy for young, lightly-raced horses being rushed unnecessarily into Triple Crown races. If you think that his Illinois Derby win was for real, then imagine what kind of factor he could have been in the depleted three-year old division later on in the year if handled with a little patience. Owner B. Wayne Hughes even spent $200,000 to supplement him for the Derby, what a waste.

I mentioned Rockport Harbor the other day; he’s working out at Oaklawn where the workouts are not yet being recorded. He breezed a half-mile in : 50 on Saturday morning, according to trainer John Servis. [Arkansas Democrat Gazette]

We’re still waiting for Wilko to replicate his Juvenile win; this horse was full of excuses during his three-year old season, and had an ankle chip removed. He is training very well now, though, and is scheduled to make his comeback in the Malibu on opening day at Santa Anita. Buzzards Bay is also expected to appear that day, though in the grassy Sir Beaufort, according to an interview with trainer Ron Ellis in the Form last month.

And then there’s the Kentucky Derby winner himself, Giacomo, not seen since the Belmont Stakes. He had his first recorded workout on November 24, and is being pointed by John Shirreffs to the San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 14 with the hope of getting a two-turn prep race in advance. [DRF]

The Derby favorite, Bellamy Road, hasn’t been heard from since his second in the Travers. Sorry Afleet Alex fans, and no offense intended, but my own most scintillating racing moment of 2005 was standing in an empty Aqueduct grandstand watching his 17 1/2 length romp in the Wood Memorial in 1:47, with Javier Castellano blowing kisses to the crowd. For one brief moment, it appeared as if the game had found the superhorse that could vault the sport back into the national consciousness. For some reason, despite his acrobatics and human interest stories, I felt that Afleet Alex was a cut below that status.

- Then there are all the horses who will not compete in the 2006 handicap division and have instead been moved to the breeding shed. Many of those are already listed in the Stallion Register. Interestingly, Borrego is amongst those; I don’t recall reading about him being retired. Do you? But he already has his own stud page, saying that he’s standing at Wintergreen Stallion Station for a private fee. Other prominent names here include Saint Liam ($50,000 fee), Eddington ($20,000), Roses In May (TBA), Offlee Wild ($15,000), Roman Ruler ($30,000), Consolidator ($20,000), and of course, the reigning Horse of the Year Ghostzapper ($200,000), who, according to the Adena website, is The fastest horse since the advent of Speed Figures. And a Full brother to opening day Saratoga winner ARISTOCRAT. There’s a selling point for ya.

Slots in Sunshine State Special Session

- The Florida legislature meets in special session this week, and slots in Broward County is one of two major topics, along with the state’s Medicaid program, that will be discussed. However, according to the Miami Herald, the betting crowd is laying odds against Tallahassee coming through with a deal by the end of the session.

Parimutuel lobbyists and many legislators are speculating that election-year politics, anti-gambling idealists and the competing interests of the gaming industry will prompt legislative leaders to pack the bill with so many divisive elements they will adjourn again with the issue unresolved.

''Some people are gunning for stalemate,'' said Sen. Bill Posey, a Rockledge Republican and one of the Senate negotiators on the deal.

The motives of the competing groups are different, but the goal is to sabotage the bill and wait for more industry-friendly regulations at the local level, delay the arrival of slot machines or legislate the industry ''into bankruptcy,'' Posey said.

The pessimism regarding an agreement comes despite the fact that the House and Governor Bush have finally ceded to the Senate’s demand that the slots be the Class III “Las Vegas” type machines that the voters of Broward County thought they were voting on all along. According to insiders in Bush's office and the legislature, attorneys for Bush and House Speaker Allan Bense are convinced that the parimutuels will win a lawsuit challenging what they call "slots lite" — the video slots. [Palm Beach Post]

The remaining major issues to be resolved are those of the tax rate on the machines, as well as the number of machines to be permitted in each pari-mutuel facility. The House is sticking to a 55% rate and a limit of 1000 machines, while the Senate, whose proposal allows for 2000 machines, is at 45%, a rate that the pari-mutuels still think is too high.

The tax rate is crucial to how far and how fast slot machines move into Broward County, local parimutuel officials said. They are ready to move quickly if a deal is struck in Tallahassee but if the tax rate is much higher than 35 percent, it would jeopardize their plans to build new facilities, they said.

A tax rate that approaches or exceeds 50 percent would be ''a disaster,'' said Dan Adkins of the Hollywood Greyhound track. ``You end up with slot barns that generate no economic benefit.''

With a lower tax rate, Hollywood Greyhound could set up a temporary slots operation within three months and have enough money to invest in its 90,000-square-foot, Mardi-Gras-themed gaming center in a year to 18 months, he said.

The same scenario would let Pompano Park harness track build a $150 million, 157,000-square-foot building to house slots, poker tables, simulcasting and restaurants, said general manager Dick Feinberg. Work could be finished in eight or nine months. [Miami Herald]

The pari-mutuels also point to the fact that even the 45% rate in the Senate bill is high by industry standards.

Across seven states that allowed slot machines in 2004, the average tax rate was 35 percent, according to legislative staff analysis. Only Rhode Island, at 61 percent, is higher than those proposed in Florida, though legislative staff have said that Rhode Island isn't comparable because its parimutuels don't own their machines. [St Petersburg Times]

Another little twist, as reported in the Herald piece, is the Indian tribes, who by law will be entitled to install their own Las Vegas-style machines once the pari-mutuels have them.

The governor wants to tax the revenue from the tribes's slots and to regulate the games. To get there, the governor would have to give the tribes something in return. Industry experts said his options are to offer the tribes a lower tax rate than the parimutuels would pay, and a key concession: the exclusive privilege of operating slot machines outside of Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

You can just picture Churchill Downs executives sweating over that, as they hope to eventually win the right to put slots at Calder; but exclusivity for the tribes would kill that for them, as well as for tracks in Tampa and elsewhere. If gambling opponents attempt to insert that into a final bill, you can expect a tidal wave of opposition in an attempt to scuttle it.

Of course, the Broward County tracks won the right in court earlier this year to implement their own rules, a strong incentive for the state legislators to get something done. And Bush and gambling opponents now actually want an agreement -- so that, once they have fulfilled their constitutional obligation to implement the will of the voters, they can then initiate a referendum to repeal the whole thing altogether. Despite the special session this week, it seems we're still a long ways from the finish line.

Sunday Night Notes - Dec 4

- When we last left Harlington (Unbridled), the $2.8 million dollar son of Serena’s Song was the even money favorite for the G3 Risen Star, and a rising star on the Kentucky Derby scene. I thought it was astounding that he was 6-5 that day, considering that it was his first stakes try, his first race on a fast track as his two wins came on sloppy tracks, and he had the ten post. He ran an even and wide 6th, and was then taken off the Derby trail. The original plan was to bring him back for the Travers, but instead his next appearance was in the 9th race on the inner track at Aqueduct on Sunday. Also in the field was Golden Man, who in the space of five months, has placed twice in graded stakes on consecutive days, and, most recently, twice for a $40,000 tag; and the steady Crown Point, in-the-money in several stakes this year.

So, while Harlington was the post-time favorite, he was a timid one at 5-2. He was anything but timid on the track though. After being forced to go four wide throughout the second turn, he switched leads in the stretch and swept by the leader Golden Man, winning off by five in a six second final sixteenth. This was a far more professional colt than the one we saw last winter, and I’d expect to see him in some stakes down at Gulfstream.

As you may recall, Scipion took the Risen Star, and using my new found toy, the Cal Racing replay page, I finally watched his debut at Saratoga last summer, and it was every bit as amazing as billed. I particularly liked the part when Tom Durkin noted that “Shipion” couldn’t keep up with the field.

- Our friend Walter pointed out on Saturday that Alfonzo, a three year old half brother to Halfbridled, was making his debut in the 7th that day at Hollywood. Alfonzo was bet to 5-2, but broke slowly and finished 8th. On Sunday at Hollywood, A.P. Surprise (Pulpit), a two year old half-sister to the same Halfbridled, was one half of an entry that ran 2-3 (with A.P. Surprise third) at 1-10, wow! Entrymate Toppsisme (Saint Ballado), a grandly bred colt whose third dam is the great turf mare Glowing Tribute, the dam of Derby winner Sea Hero, seemed to have things under control around the turn (or at least Vic Stauffer thought so), but was no match for 9-2 Pure Incentive (Fusaichi Pegasus). 1-10!

- Back to Aqueduct, the featured East View Stakes was for two year old NY-bred fillies at a mile and a sixteenth. This was, to me, an unbettable race as all nine entrants were stretching out to a two-turn route for the first time. So despite her field high Beyer (earned in the slop), I found it pretty amazing that Zippy Missy, one of three daughters of City Zip in the field, was sent off the 4-5 favorite. This is the type of favorite I’ll wait all day for; but in this case, unfortunately it was just a guessing game, with each horse trying something she never had before. The winner, Home and Away (Skip Away) ($22.20), was one of several coming off good tries at shorter one-turn distances.

City Zip (Carson City) is a half-brother to Ghostzapper standing in Kentucky for $15,000. This year’s two year olds are his first crop, and while he ranks 4th on the first-crop sire list, which is based on earnings, he leads his class with 19 winners.

Big A Day

- Made it to Aqueduct on Saturday, and there are no outward signs of the financial perils ahead (other than the meet-long closure of the grandstand). I’ve been hearing that some people expect that the track will not reopen as scheduled on Dec 28 after the Xmas break due to lack of cash. This anticipates that the state will prevent NYRA from selling the land near Aqueduct and take over operations; and that the Big A will reopen after a few weeks. I’ve also been told that horse owners are taking their purse monies out of their accounts immediately.

But NYRA chief Charles Hayward told the Racing Form that racing can continue even if they end up filing for bankruptcy. Earlier, he conceded to the New York Times that bankruptcy is the likely outcome.

There's nothing that has happened to date to indicate that anyone has an interest in changing their positions. I don't want to be inflammatory, but one way to be successful in business is to read the past performances. The past performances so far seem to be dictating what the outcome is going to be here."

But with all of the turmoil, it seemed like just another day at the races. There were no additional cutbacks in services, and the employees seemed their usual cheerful selves. The track even seems lively now, with the entire crowd of 3,825 "crammed" into the clubhouse. I’m just nowhere these days as far as my handicapping and betting goes. I don’t even have any good close call stories because I didn’t have any close calls, and haven’t had any of late that I can recall.

I also got distracted from my handicapping in the morning by a website called Cal Racing (http://www.calracing.com) that a friend called to my attention. If you go to this page and do the free registration, you can access the race replays page (with Internet Explorer 5 or higher and Windows Media player). Then if you go to the ‘Horse’ tab, you can type in any horse, and instantly get a list of its races going all the way back to last year, all available for viewing in their entirety!

This seems too good to be true! Are they allowed to do this? I know of at least one site that you have to pay for this stuff; and I believe they have something like it on You Bet, but only if you have an account. I feel like I’ve entered a new era of my handicapping life! In doing Saturday's races, there wasn't one race on the pp’s that I couldn't watch if I wanted to. I was so excited that I couldn’t concentrate on handicapping and instead starting watching races like Saint Liam battling Ghostzapper in the 2004 Woodward, and Afleet Alex somehow losing to Proud Accolade in the Champagne. I needed to get out of the house for sure.

I was down in the paddock for the 5th and eavesdropped on trainer Leah Gymarti’s instructions to Pablo Fragoso before he rode Fighting Speedy for Castle Village. “She’s got speed, but she shouldn't get mixed up in the pace....but not last either.” In other words, "please give her a perfect trip." I imagine that these instructions or ones quite similar are repeated hundreds of times throughout the country on each racing day. Fighting Speedy was actually further back then the trainer probably had in mind, but railled for the place at 33-1, giving the partners (of which I am not one) a big thrill.

I didn’t start betting until after that, and I was all wrong. I bet some Pick 3s and 4s based on singling Bank Audit in the 8th, who ran third in the Garland of Roses Handicap. This filly has been baffling me ever since I picked her in a stakes at Aqueuct last March, but it didn’t matter anyway, because my bets were also based on beating favorite Genuine True in the 7th, and she won by almost five. Both races were won by Channing Hill, and in a statistical oddity, he was among four riders, along with Elbar Coa, Pablo Fragoso, and Kyle Kaenel, who had two winners on the day. I also managed to lose in the two juvenile stakes on the Calder program.

Well, a few observations anyway. In the second, a two year old maiden filly affair, Pletcher had the 7-2 morning line favorite Coach Kent. You may recall during the summer that the trainer had a slump with these, but that’s not the case at the Big A. Coming into this race, he’d hit with four of them out of seven starters (and five out of eight if you go back to Belmont). Coach Kent is a $450,000 yearling by Forestry out of Reach the Top, a stakes winning Cozzene mare who is also the dam of graded turf stakes winner Changing World. However, she went off second choice at 4-1, and the hot money came in on another first timer, Concert Conductor for Dale Romans – 6-1 morning line, but the 5-2 favorite.....and the winner. The winner is by Storm Cat son Bernstein, out of a Halo mare.

The sixth was another two year old race, this one for colts, and again, Pletcher had the morning line favorite with a first time starter. This one was Throng (Silver Deputy), a $160,000 yearling purchase who is out of an Easy Goer half sister to stakes winners Jenkins Ferry and Vanlandingham. He wasn’t the only expensive colt in the race; Darley had an entry of a Storm Cat and a $550,000 Old Trieste colt; Clement had Hither Lane, a Mr. Greeley half-brother to Day Trader. However, none of these horses really got bet – the Pletcher horse was 6-1, and the Darley entry was around 8-1 when half of it ran off and had to be scratched; Hither Lane was second choice at 5-1. All the money went to the eventual winner, Laptop Computer (Notebook), 4th in his debut at 10-1. It’s probably more accurate to say that nobody else got bet, so the logical form horse kind of defaulted into the 6-5 favorite.

And in the ninth, Richard Dutrow had the morning line favorite in Frank’s Fuse, who, in a familiar scenario, won by four in his first start for the trainer, exceeding his previous high Beyer by 19 points at even money. Though that fig made him more than competitive in his first try against winners, he lagged at 7-1 before a late flurry of money made him 5.90 to 1, and he ran 4th. Sometimes you need to look no further than the tote board. However in this case, nothing would have helped as hopeless-looking longshot Fast Iz A Turtle swept by them all at 45-1. The comical look of shock on peoples’ faces as I headed to the exit made up for my selection finishing sixth on another futile afternoon at the Big A.

D-Day for NYRA

- Here’s how desperate things are at NYRA, now that the “band-aid” of their art sale was nixed.

"We probably have a little over $1 million in the bank," said NYRA president and CEO Charles E. Hayward. "D-day is the end of the month." [NY Daily News]

D-day might actually be next Tuesday, when Hayward meets with Carole Stone, the head of the oversight committee from which NYRA must get approval for everything, even a company meal at McDonald’s. Hayward will discuss with Ms. Stone the sale of unused land near Aqueduct that would bring in $20 million, possibly enough to get them through to casino time next fall.

I don’t think there’s any way that the oversight board will give NYRA the go-ahead on the sale. They’ve thwarted the association at every turn, opposing the art sale and land sale, refusing to entertain the notion of a bailout, admonishing them for contacting a bankruptcy firm, and not even giving the go-ahead to start the casino construction. If they do bar the land sale, NYRA would be down to two options according to Hayward. "One is shutting down, and that would be catastrophic, or we can enter Chapter 11 so we can still make payroll and purses. Racing still will go on. Our last resort will be to shut down." Perhaps he’s being a bit dramatic here. They could, as suggested to NYRA by the state, indeed raise the takeout (though nobody other than the OTB's wants to see that happen); and the ideas of getting a loan from their casino partner, or securitizing their TV contract with ABC seem like viable ones.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is not having a good week. He was rebuffed by Republican Senate candidate Jeanine Pirro after suggesting that she drop out of her already stumbling race against Sen. Clinton and run for attorney general instead. He was virtually laughed out of the room by Mayor Bloomberg after floating the idea that Mike run for governor, this after Gov Pataki refused to let him use a state helicopter to fly there. His choice to head the state Racing and Wagering board was rejected.

So, it was a very cranky-sounding Joe Bruno who today called for the NYRA franchise to be awarded in the next six months.

Bruno also issued a threat to NYRA not to put up any roadblocks to the request for proposals process that will choose a new franchise holder. "If they won't voluntarily understand that they need to go forward in a viable way to maintain the best racing in the country, if they don't willingly understand that we have to put an RFP together, then I think we have to try to pre-empt them,'' Bruno said.

But the legislature's top Republican lawmaker did not precisely spell out what he meant by "pre-empt'' NYRA. There has been growing speculation that, with NYRA's current financial crisis, the state might try to move in and take over the franchise through its state Racing and Wagering Board and a new oversight panel. [Bloodhorse]

Given the way that NYRA is being told ‘no’ to every cash-raising idea they’ve proposed, it seems to me that a state takeover could be exactly where we’re heading. Why they would possibly want to do so when they could easily either bail NYRA out or allow the land sale, one can only guess.

Afleet No More

- I can’t say I’m at all surprised at the news of the retirement of Afleet Alex, but that's not borne of the usual skepticism we all have about the motives of owners who will send their horses off to the riches of the breeding shed at the first sign of a hangnail or a hemorrhoid. These owners truly wanted to bring their horse back, and had already passed on plenty of multi-million dollar offers and shipped him to Gulfstream to prepare for a winter campaign. I have no reason to doubt head Cash is King partner Chuck Zacney when he said "We were really looking forward to racing Alex next year and to showing just how great a horse he was.” [Bloodhorse]

Speculation is that the condition that caused his retirement stems from the incident during the Preakness in which he stumbled and almost fell at the top of the stretch. But that’s just a guess, and the Philadelphia Daily News’ Dick Jerardi poses some questions to ponder.

Was it there all along and just not detected? Did the postoperative training cause it? Was it the jolt in the Preakness, as Ritchey thinks? Was it inevitable because of the stress of racing?

Jerardi does not here pose the question of whether Tim Ritchey’s unorthodox training methods throughout and following the triple crown campaign contributed to the problem. However, we’ll never know the precise answer. Instead, many will understandably point to the current fragility of the breed and the stress of the triple crown grind, and some, like the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bob Ford, will call for a change.

The Triple Crown series is supposed to be hard. It is supposed to be the great test of a racing champion. Back when horses were bred for endurance and raced heavily, it was still hard. Now, however, when breeding is all about speed rather than durability, when trainers are more inclined to dull pain rather than wait it out, when the richest prizes are still clustered within a brutal five-week period, now the series is a crippler that has to be altered.
……
One suggestion for altering the series is simple but would gain little hold among traditionalists: Make it for 4-year-olds instead of 3-year-olds.

What makes more sense would be lengthening the time between the races. That would offend many as well, but it would be more humane for the horses and it would extend the excitement of the Triple Crown chase over a longer period.

While many are designating the stumbling incident in the Preakness as Afleet Alex’s defining moment, I would disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not minimizing what he did, but I’ve seen that before, in 1987, when Alysheba clipped the heels of Bet Twice at a similar point in the race and also stumbled before recovering to win the Derby. But I had never seen any horse not named Secretariat handle the mile and a half of the Belmont with such ease and aplomb. The way he took off and literally sprinted away from the field after Jeremy Rose seemingly simply pushed the Go button, making the “test of champions” seem like a morning breeze, is the image of Afleet Alex that will remain etched in my mind. Even Secretariat didn’t get that last quarter in :24 2/5 (the fact that he went the first six furlongs in 1:09 4/5 may have had something to do with that), the fastest since Arts and Letters in 1969. It was a truly remarkable effort, especially since it was his 3rd race in five weeks.

Unfortunately, it was also his last. It would have been something special to see if he could have topped that.

Highland Cat Goes Fourth

- 4th place finish for Highland Cat, and the best I have to say is that he lost by single digits and earned us $1450. I’m at work and wasn’t able to go due to no more paid time off left this year, the result of all the time spent at Saratoga. In fact, I haven’t yet seen the race, but Tom Durkin noted that he was running awkwardly, and Matt Carrothers on TVG, who picked HC as a single starting off his Pick Four’s (sorry Matt), said that he never seemed comfortable. The Head Chef held the phone up to the TV and provided commentary such as "Ugh," "Oh no," "Sorry, honey," all sandwiched around a brief and screechy "CMON BABY" when he tried to rally. Another observer said that he didn’t seem to like the dirt kicked up in his face. Run him on the turf, I say. I’m kinda surprised that they let the winner go off at 7-2, given how unconscious Contessa has been lately; the horse was claimed again, this time by Frank LaBocetta. Thanks to all the well-wishers, and sorry if any of you lost...

Notes - Dec 1 (brief pre-Rangers game edition)

- Highland Cat is in tomorrow, but The Flying Dutchman is out. Sotheby’s has withdrawn NYRA’s paintings from their sale, and VP Bill Nader said that they will forge on to bigger game. "This was a Band-Aid, a small infusion of cash, relative to the big picture. What we really need is to try to get approval on the land sale.” [Albany Times-Union]

- Florida’s legislature meets next week in special session, and slots will be high on the agenda. At the behest of Governor Bush and other Republican leaders, a move to introduce legislation to enable a referendum to repeal slots in Broward County that they previously favored has been abandoned, for now anyway. [Governor] Bush "feels it's absolutely necessary that legislators implement the will of the voters before we go back and revisit the entire issue," according to Russell Schweiss, Bush's deputy press secretary. [Sun-Sentinal] What’s this? Someone named Bush changing course and admitting to be wrong?

- "I would characterize these allegations as chicken crap," said Thomas A. "Tad" Decker, chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, regarding the charges leveled against the head of Pennsylvania’s gambling board, Anne L. Neeb.

Neeb said yesterday that the report was an effort by some Louisiana officials to impugn her reputation because she alerted the FBI about her concerns over the awarding of three gambling licences while she was executive director of the board. [Philly Inquirer]

Highland Cat Field Analysis

- Highland Cat faces six in the second at the Big A on Friday in a 60K maiden claiming race at a mile and 70 yards. Norberto Arroyo, Jr rides, and he’s ridden 6 winners out of his last 28 starters for our trainer Bill Turner (21%). Here’s a rundown of the field:

1 – Market Turbulence (Richard Violette) – This horse was a 3-1 favorite in his first start, on the turf, at Saratoga, but ran 5th. After another futile (and well-bet) turf try, he moved to the dirt, dropped into a 50K affair at 6 furlongs, and ran a close second with a 60 Beyer. He moves up in class, and stretches out. His dam is a half to routing stakes winners Larida and millionaire Miss Oceana. Looks like the one to beat.

2 – Highland Cat – After his promising third in his debut, in which he threw a shoe prior to the start, he was a nowhere 7th against a tough field that included Remsen runner-up Flashy Bull. He’s worked very well for this, and Turner feels that he will run well. Hoping that the class drop and two turns will help. He’s the only one in the field dropping from maiden specials on the dirt.

3 – Arborist (George Weaver) – Up the track at 30-1 in his debut.

4 – On the Attack (Tom Albertrani) – Generally, I don’t bet first-timers in maiden claiming races. Actually, I generally don’t bet maiden claiming races. Albertrani is 15% with firsters, but doesn't have much of a record starting them in claiming races. Coa is 4 for 10 riding for him, watch the board.

5 – Don’s Topdog (Dominick Schettino) – Another first timer. Like On the Attack, he’s been working steadily since at least August, yet his connections waited for a claiming race on the inner track, so they can’t be that confident with him.

6 – Victorious Cat (Leah Gyarmati) – Dead on the board and track in two starts.

7 – Bandito Rojo (Gary Contessa) – Third start, and up the claiming ladder for the second time after very decent and wide runs at Keeneland and the Meadowlands; he earned a field high Beyer of 65 in the latter. More worrisome is the fact that he’s first off the claim for the red-hot Gary Contessa.

Honestly, if I was looking at this race from a neutral standpoint, I’d very likely be turning to the second at Calder; if I was forced to pick a winner, I'd have to lean towards the 1 horse. I rarely bet maiden claiming races unless I see a betting move or an obvious overlay. It looks like the top and bottom horses will vie for favoritism, and, unless one of the first-timers gets bet, I imagine Highland Cat could be third choice based on the drop in class, and the highly-regarded horses in his running lines (Great Point, the winner of his debut, was 7-1 against Private Vow at Churchill on Saturday). Again, the trainer, who wouldn’t say it if he didn’t believe it, feels that he’ll run well. Don’t know that his 5-1 morning line presents enough value though, so I’ll leave it up to you.

- Our Vicar filly, the only other remaining horse from the four we originally bought, is due at Turner's barn in the middle of the month. More on this one to come, I'm quite excited about her.

Notes and News - Nov 30

- Got a look at Private Vow’s win in the Kentucky Jockey Club on Saturday, in which he confirmed his status as one of the top two year-olds, and made one wonder how he might have fared in the Juvenile had his rein not broken. Shaun Bridgmohan was practically upright in the saddle trying to keep the colt under control around the first turn, and kept him under stout restraint as he stalked the slow pace (:48.4 to the half, as opposed to :47.1 for the girls in the Golden Rod) while well wide. He got to the top effortlessly and was ridden home to a 2 1/4 length win in his first test around two turns. Watching the race (thanks to the excellent Thoroughbred Daily News), one knew what Bridgmohan was saying when he commented "All I was was a passenger trying to keep him out of trouble.” [Louisville Courier-Journal] It would be nice to see Bridgmohan get a shot to stick with the colt should he make the classics next spring. So Private Vow and Bluegrass Cat have now both won around two turns, while Derby hopefuls such as Stevie Wonderboy, First Samurai, and Henny Hughes will have to wait until next year to pass that test.

Private Vow is the only stakes winner thus far amongst 12 winners for his sire Broken Vow (Unbridled), out of 38 starters and 92 foals in this crop. Broken Vow was unbeaten in four tries at 3, only one of them (the Sir Barton) being a stakes race. He blossomed at four, taking the Iselin and Ben Ali, and placing or showing in four other graded stakes, all of them at a distance.

- Not much rest for Japan Cup winner Alkaased, who is being wheeled right back on two weeks rest for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase. What are the chances of seeing a Grade 1 winner not trained by Richard Dutrow try that here these days?

- More turmoil in the world of expanded gambling in the state of Pennsylvania. Last September, Frank Fiel, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, resigned after press reports that he lied about his academic record. Friel had testified under oath that he had bachelor and masters degrees; it was later discovered that while he had attended two colleges, he had received a degree from neither. In an angry and tearful rebuff to the press, Governor Ed Rendell said, "I hope you understand what you did.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Now, Friel’s replacement, Anne L. Neeb, is facing a far more serious and possible criminal charge stemming from her time as the Executive Director of Louisiana’s Gaming Control Board. That state’s State Inspector General accuses her of collecting pay for hours she did not work, and of falsifying attendance records in an attempt to validate her pay.

Louisiana State Inspector General Sharon B. Robinson alleges in her report that Neeb missed work for 208.5 hours but was paid for the time. Neeb later submitted leave adjustments for 152 hours of the missed time.

"She came back later, after we started asking questions, and submitted a leave slip," Robinson said. "Those issues suggest potential payroll fraud, but we can't make that determination." [Philly Inquirer]

A state police commander said that Neeb may have been collecting paychecks from two states.

[Col. Henry] Whitehorn also said it appears that Neeb was absent the entire last month that she collected a salary and might have been paid both by Louisiana and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The Pennsylvania board hired Neeb July 7, two months before her resignation from the LGCB, as executive director, contingent on the results of a background check.

Whitehorn recommended that the district attorney's office in Baton Rouge investigate the issues for possible criminal acts. [Shreveport Times]

Neeb denied the charges categorically, claiming that she was owed leave time under the Family Medical Leave Act; and she also invoked a defense that we’re all-too-familiar with from Washington: Neeb also said she could not account for all her time because she was engaged in confidential meetings that required she not disclose the participants.

The Louisiana report also accuses the current head of that state’s Gaming Control Board of not working the hours required of him for his pay. Charles Gaudin is supposed to be in Baton Rouge four days a week.

Investigators concluded that Gaudin worked in Baton Rouge an average of two days a week for a 3-month period ending July 3.

They also found that Gaudin is being paid more money than allowed by law and that the gambling board's attorney and former executive director received full-time pay despite working fewer than 40 hours a week.

In a letter, Gaudin claims the investigation stemmed from an anonymous whistle-blower with "ulterior motives." He doesn't outline what those motives are. [2theadvocate.com (Baton Rouge)]

- Highland Cat faces six others in the second at Aqueduct on Friday.

- From time to time, we see a high-priced yearling or two-year old succeeding on the racetrack, but I imagine there are far more that we never hear from again, especially colts. Temescal Ridge brought $875,000 at the two-year old in training sale at Keeneland in 2003, and was unplaced in two starts on the track. But he's a half-brother to Belong to Me, so he'll get a shot at stud in California for $1500 a pop. Gonna take a lot of pops to break even on this one.

Time of the Season

- The days are getting shorter and it won’t be long until the first snow falls on the city. The malls are packed (especially the ones with discount stores), and the colored lights are starting to appear. This can all mean just one thing.

It’s almost time for the winter racing season! Yes, the horses are already starting to descend upon Gulfstream and Oaklawn, and the Fair Grounds meeting is already under way, albeit at Louisiana Downs. There’s always something on the horizon in the racing game. No doubt we’re in a bit of lull from now until Xmas, but Santa Anita swings right into action on the 26th, Gulfstream on Jan 4, and Oaklawn starts a Friday – Sunday schedule on Jan 20. The winter season melts seamlessly into the Triple Crown. After the Belmont, we look to the August meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar, then to the Breeders’ Cup, and we’ll be right back here this time next year.

Afleet Alex is amongst the 100 or so horses that have arrived at Gulfstream. This will be the first year at the Hallandale, Florida, track for trainer Tim Ritchey, who indicated Afleet Alex could run in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita Park on January 28. [Brisnet]

With the Fair Grounds meet running only until Jan 22, Oaklawn has experienced a flood of requests for stall space. Oaklawn has received requests to accommodate a record 3,000 horses, said [Terry] Wallace. The stable area has 1,500 stalls. [Daily Racing Form] John Servis is back after having experienced the worst luck there last year, at least with Rockport Harbor.

Rockport Harbor on Saturday breezed three furlongs in 36 seconds, said Servis. (Published works at the track are not yet available, with the meet not set to start until Jan. 20.)

"That was his first work back," said Servis. "I'm tickled to death." [DRF]

[Isn’t it surprising that trainers would have such a long period of time during which they can work their horses without the times being recorded?] Besides more horses, they’ll be more Instant Racing machines (with other yet-to-be-designated “electronic games of skill” on the way) and the track needs to make some room for them.

The addition, which will further encroach the lower paddock area, has already been roped off with signs saying, “Please pardon our construction, we’re building bigger purses !” [Arkansas Democrat Gazette]

- Steve Crist wrote a couple of weeks ago of the way large fields make handle explode, citing the recent Stars of Tomorrow card at Churchill. The handle over the comparable day from 2004 was up an astounding 36%.

The 2005 card attracted 126 starters, 29 more than the 97 that ran a year earlier. This works out to an average gain of 2.6 horses per race. The differences were spectacular when the difference in field size was well above or below that average.

Four of the 11 races, including both stakes, drew either five or six more starters than their 2004 counterparts. The respective handle increases on these races (the 2nd, 8th, 9th and 10th) were 148 percent, 56 percent, 99 percent, and 63 percent, compared to the total increase of 36 percent for the day.
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Bigger fields don't just create more permutations. They inflate the odds on contenders, create overlays on possible upsetters who get lost in the shuffle, and make customers feel like they are getting a lot more bang for their bucks. [Daily Racing Form]

Handle figures at Hoosier Park and Hollywood Park seem to bear that, and the converse, out. Bucking the general trend, the handle at the recently concluded meet at Hoosier was up 30%! Hoosier General Manager Rick Moore said the increase in average field size to 9.3 horses, which was up from 8.7 horses in 2004, helped bolster handle figures. [Thoroughbred Times] The average purses were up over 12%, pretty outstanding in a non-slots state.

On the other hand, Hollywood Park has shown dismal attendance and handle figures through the first month of their meet. The average ontrack attendance was 5,509, a drop of 15.5 percent. The average ontrack handle was $1,282,295, a drop of 9.4 percent, and the average all-sources handle was $7,972,033, a drop of 11.1 percent. [Daily Racing Form] No doubt that the lack of the turf racing that always attracts full and competitive fields is a big factor in the declines. With bettors able to peruse the country for the races that best challenge their intellect and knowledge, and reward them sufficiently for using them keenly, the home tracks can no longer take their own fans for granted. At the same time, a track like Hoosier, presenting large and competitive fields on Sunday and Monday nights with little else to choose from on TVG and in simulcast sites around the country, has the opportunity to flourish, even without slot machines.

Notes - Nov 29

- Liz Mullen reports in the subscription-only Sports Business Journal (thanks to Robert Colton for passing it along) that the Jockeys’ Guild used money from members’ savings accounts for their operating expenses, and that “there is not enough money in the operating account to pay back the roughly $440,000 owed to scores of jockeys.” As if that wouldn't be bad enough even if the expeditures were legitimate, one can only shudder to think what exactly qualified as “operating expenses” to one L. Wayne Gertmenian.

The article says that the Guild is $240,000 short, which is a bit more than the $217,000 in checks that Dr. G and Albert Fiss cashed while they were being removed from their positions. There is still no word about the police investigation into that affair.

The money owed to the jocks is savings accumulated by riders whose contributions from their mount fees have already covered their monthly health insurance premiums. Former manager John Giovanni explained to Mullen that the money was kept in individual accounts under his watch. “We never commingled funds….It was their money. That was the way it was supposed to be.”

- Highland Cat worked a snappy half mile in 49.24 seconds breezing at Belmont this morning, the 7th fastest of 44 works at the distance. In our last report from the barn, we were told:

[Bill Turner] told me that the 2 year old maiden race field that Highland Cat caught in his last start was as tough a field as there was this year. He then mentioned that when Seattle Slew broke his maiden, there were 5 horses that he beat that eventually were Stakes winners.

So, that means that he doesn’t think that Highland Cat is as good as Seattle Slew? Really? Shit! The winner of his last race, Flashy Bull, ran a real bang-up second to Bluegrass Cat in the Remsen. Highland Cat is slated to race over the inner track on Friday in a 60K maiden claiming affair at a mile and 70 yards.

Even better than Highland Cat was the work by Mum’s the Word, who got the half in :48.94. She’s the Real Quiet filly that we recently sold, and she’s been working up a storm for her debut.

- The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a constitutional challenge to New York State’s expanded gambling opens the doors for Indian tribes to pursue opening casinos, which can’t really be good news for horse racing in the state. "There's no place left to go," said Cornelius Murray, an Albany-based attorney who represented a coalition of anti-gambling groups in the case. "It's the proverbial end of the line." [Newsday]