Notes - March 16

- The Fair Grounds will reopen, according to its owner Churchill Downs, but when that will happen is unknown; the company is expected to make an announcement about the 2006-07 season by April 15. Churchill has found insurance coverage for the track, and one can only imagine at what cost.

"We're presently working on plans to open Fair Grounds for racing once we can guarantee we'll have a workforce in place and that there is a desire for racing in the area," [CFO Mike] Miller told shareholders. [Thoroughbred Times]

While increased business at New Orleans OTBs indicates that there is the desire, the workforce is another question. 200 more employees are needed to conduct a meet. [Louisville Courier-Journal]

A study released earlier this week concluded that by September 2008, the city’s population could reach 272,000, which is only 56% of the pre-Katrina count. The current population is estimated at about 155,000 and could increase to 198,000 by September, the study says. [Shreveport Times]

- The bill before the Kentucky House of Representatives to authorize a referendum on casino gambling does not specify locations, nor that the parlors would be located at racetracks. It also does not spell out any revenue split for the racing industry. In any event, the measure is not expected to pass before the House adjourns on March 28. If a bill is not passed during this session, supporters of casino gambling will not be able to get another constitutional referendum on the ballot until 2008. [Daily Racing Form]

- Not every trainer thinks that Gulfstream’s Derby prep series sucks. While Todd Pletcher has skipped town, and Frank Brothers intends to send First Samurai (does anyone still think he’s a Derby horse?) to the Blue Grass, Kiaran McLaughlin is keeping Flashy Bull right where he is.

“…the timing of the races down here is excellent if you're looking to get a horse to the Kentucky Derby, and I really didn't want to disrupt his schedule."
…..
"A lot of people say you can't win the Derby running in a prep five weeks out. But that's because very few horses have tried it, since traditionally most of the final preps have been carded three weeks before the Derby.” [The Downey Profile]

McLaughlin nearly won the Derby last year with Closing Argument. He had intended to run him in the Florida Derby five weeks out, and switched to the Blue Grass only after the horse hurt his foot.

Back to Basics

- Went to the Meadowlands last night. I wouldn’t say I’ve been a slump lately; it’s more like a lull. In fact, I’ve done very little betting and handicapping at all the last few weeks, as I’ve felt in need of a break from more than just blogging. I haven’t used my phone account for several weeks. So I resolved to keep it simple, resist the lure of simulcasting (there were 11 tracks available, and it’s no easy task for me to ignore them), and stick to the live harness racing (though I brought along the pp’s for Evangeline in case I couldn’t totally resist). Kinda like a light jog as I try to work myself back up to speed for the spring classic season.

I find that it’s a great tonic to bet harness races when I’m in a slump or in a daze like I am now, because it gets me back to what I consider the basics of handicapping and betting - FCPT (form, class, pace, and tote). One can really go nuts with all the too-much-information available these days, and it’s easy to stray from those crucial fundamentals in favor of some esoteric trainer stats, trip or bias factors, and the like. While those tools can certainly provide the needed edge at times, it’s the times that I start to depend too much on them and stray from the fundamentals that I get myself in trouble and off track. At the trotters, with all the races at a mile, FCPT is all you got, so I find that it can be an excellent handicapping exercise for me. Even if I don't end up winning, as was the case last night.

And you never know what to expect at a night at any track or any breed, especially when you’re actually concentrating on the live races! In the 7th, there was a horse named Night Sounds, listed at 10-1. And rightly so - he had run at the same 20K claiming level in his last, finishing 5th at a whopping 67-1; and that was a typical PP line (and odds) for his races at the Big M. But he was claimed out of that last race, and reappeared here with top driver Brian Sears. 10-1? Try 7-5 at post time, and talk about getting bet on the nose - with a minute to go, he had $4000 bet on him to win, but only $91 in the show pool, what a riot. You know I had that one on top; yes me, Mr. Must-Have-Value; that all goes down the drain when I see a betting move like that, I can’t help it. You gotta love this game, eh? No matter that he went off stride while making a big move in the stretch and finished last!

I also found a new favorite horse to follow, a four-year old pacing mare named Vysoke Tatry. I saw in the pp’s that in her last race, the final of a conditional stakes series, she had won despite breaking stride, and the comment line said simply Amazing Mile. The race analysis in the program read:

Words cannot describe that amazing recovery. Just go watch the replay for entertainment.

So off I went to the replay machines, where, of course, people were already there watching the race. And I gotta tell you, harness race or not, words truly cannot describe that performance. She had already raced outside and without cover after breaking from the dreaded ten post. She was 5th when she went off stride as they were about to go into the last turn, dropped all the way back two lengths behind the last horse before regaining her gait, and was out of the race for all practical purposes. But not only did she somehow rally to win, she did so by two lengths! It’s like if Afleet Alex had actually fallen in the Preakness, gotten up, dusted himself off, waved to the crowd “I’m alright,” and proceeded to blow by the field.

No break last night for Vysoke Tatry, a daughter of Dragon’s Lair, but still an extremely impressive and late wide rally to get up by a neck, though I suppose that wasn’t exactly what those who backed her at 2-5 had in mind!

I’m just a sucker for dead closers like that; you may have noticed that as I’ve bounced onto and off of Derby pretenders like Itsallboutthechase, Hesanoldsalt, and Jazil. All of those have since been discredited by awful performances, and I have no patience for that in my Derby hopefuls. You'll recall that even Giacomo never ran a truly bad race; he always at least showed a little rally in his preps. Nick Zito, however, says to give Hesanoldsalt another shot when he goes in the Gotham on Saturday against Keyed Entry, Achilles of Troy, and Sweetnorthernsaint, noting that he wouldn't be the first horse based at Gulfstream Park who didn't fare well at Tampa.

What Zito likes about Hesanoldsalt is that he has run well against good company. In his debut, he finished third behind Lawyer Ron, who has won several stakes and will be favored in the Rebel on Saturday at Oaklawn. In winning an allowance race at Gulfstream on Jan. 15, Hesanoldsalt beat Sunriver, who has since come back to win an allowance at Gulfstream and is being pointed to the Florida Derby. [Daily Racing Form]

- Skagway, who I mentioned yesterday, was dead on the board at 6.60-1 in the 8th at Gulfstream on Wednesday, and ran that way, finishing 6th. The hazards of trying to handicap in advance; I never would have bet him at the track. Winner Remarkable News looks like a nice one for Angel Penna Jr.

- Before my vacation, I’d noted how Pletcher was doing so incredibly well with layoff horses, and I noticed that he did it again while I was away. When English Channel won the Canadian Turf Handicap at the Gulf on Saturday, it was his first start since Breeders Cup Day on October 29, a layoff of 133 days.

A Baffert Four Bagger

- The Santa Catalina on Saturday may have the feel of a spring intrasquad baseball game, with Bob Baffert planning to send four horses postward. All of them worked out at Santa Anita this morning; Point Determined got a half in 47.80 (6/30), Point of Impact went five in 1:00.60 (8/31), Bob and John a half in 48.60 (15/30), and Sky Diving a half in 47.40 (4/30). I imagine that Bob and John will be favored, but given the hype surrounding Point of Impact, it will be interesting to see how he’s treated by the bettors come post time.

A.P. Warrior is expected to give it another shot; another disappointing performance for him, and we’ll have to start dialing 1-800-NO-DERBY to vote him out. Refinery is also probable for Richard Mandella. According to the Downey Profile, he worked an unrecorded three furlongs on Tuesday.

Hard to decide which of the preps other than the Tampa Bay Derby is the most interesting, but I imagine that much attention will be focused on Oaklawn, where Private Vow will make his first start of the year against Lawyer Ron and Steppenwolfer. Dan Peitz seems extremely confident that the latter will improve with each stretch out in distance; and not only is the Rebel a mile and a sixteenth as opposed to the mile of the Southwest, but he’ll get a longer stretch as well since the mile races there finish at the sixteenth pole. Music School will be entered in the Rebel, but trainer Neil Howard says that he’s “50-50 at best” to run. [Arkansas Democrat Gazette]

- Speaking of unrecorded workouts, our filly Christening (Vicar) breezed a half at Belmont this morning that was not recorded by the crack clockers there. Bill Turner caught her in 48 3/5, which would be the 13th best of 44 at the distance. She’s a possibility to debut in a seven furlong race on April 2.

- Strong Contender worked five furlongs in 59.80 (2/9) at Gulfstream. John Ward has him pointed for the Lane’s End at Turfway on the 18th. That will be his first race around two turns, and should give him a chance to pick up some graded earnings while avoiding the top colts in the division.

- ESPN will show all four preps, but only two, the Rebel and the Santa Catalina, will be presented live. Jerry Bailey will make his debut in the broadcast booth. The telecast will be from 6:00 - 7:30 Eastern time.

Just One Race

- Got some feedback on my May Madness post on the Derby, and I stand somewhere in between the sentiments expressed. No, I don’t at all hate the Derby; I think I made it clear that despite tiring a bit of all the hype, I’m all in for the ride, and I agree with Kentucky Joe that it’s the greatest two minutes in sports and the ultimate achievement for horsemen. But I also agree with Green Mtn Punter in that I do think that the mad rush to get there with horses that are just not ready nor suited does cause long-term damage to the handicap division; and with Walter that racing luck fat too often has more to do with the outcome rather than the true relative abilities of the horses.

I do want to clarify though, my saying that it’s “just one race.” I certainly didn’t mean to imply that it shouldn’t receive more attention than other stakes races (though I do think that the fact that it’s almost all we talk about for several months gives the general public the impression that it’s the culmination of the season, whereas in fact it would be more accurate to say that it’s the beginning). I say “just one race” with two things in mind:

Firstly, to the connections who rush their horses for the race as if there’s no other. Yes, as Kentucky Joe said, it may be the icing on the cake, but to compromise a promising horse just for it’s sake is a disservice to the horse and the sport. You gotta think that the owners of Greeley’s Galaxy and Wilko have to regret running their horses despite their inexperience and physical problems respectively, and now seeing them both flounder on the track. (Though apparently not enough to prevent Wilko from going to Dubai, you gotta be f$%@^& kidding me!!!)

And secondly, from a betting standpoint. Being the Derby, I think that many of us just take it too seriously, feeling that we have to make the perfect bet and perhaps the biggest one too; both in proportion to all the time we spend on it. And really, it’s probably the least suited race of the year for perfection or for sizeable wagers. And I’m as guilty as anyone. Everyone wants to say they had the Derby winner - it's probably the biggest ego trip of the year. I gave out Smarty Jones to everyone I knew, but didn't cash on the race; yet, I felt as if I'd won a million bucks. No one wants to look or feel stupid. Yet the logistics of a race with 20 horses, the unfamiliar distance, and the inconsistencies of most young horses make it just a crap shoot more often than not. So I’m saying that in analyzing and betting the race this year, I’m going to try and say ‘hey, it’s just one race,’ have some fun with it, and go for a score, and if I end up looking bad with a 30-1 shot, so what? It’s certainly better than overanalyzing and looking stupid with the 5-2 favorite that runs up the track.

- The first draft of regulations for Florida’s slot machine operators in Broward County are out for discussion, and the four pari-mutuels are not happy about provisions that would ban “comps,” require poker tables to be removed, and bar electronic transfer of funds either in or out of the racinos.

Operators said it would be a security disaster, forcing gamblers to walk in and out with large amount of money -- and big bulls-eyes on their backs.

"If someone hits a jackpot, why wouldn't it make sense for them to be able to transfer that electronically?" [Gulfstream attorney Marc] Dunbar said. [Sun-Sentinal]

Well, in Florida, there’s an easy answer to that. Just carry a gun, and if you feel at all threatened while walking to your car, just shoot first.

Wednesday Morning Notes - March 15

- Besides using the Racing Form’s Formulator to look up race charts and historical trainer information when handicapping a race, I also find it useful to check on recent trainer performance at tracks that I’m not following every day, or if I’d been away on a tropical island somewhere. Taking a look at Wednesday’s 8th race at Gulfstream, a NW2 turf allowance, I noted that Shug McGaughey, trainer of Skagway (Seeking the Gold), has just three wins at the meeting, out of 20 starters for a 15% win percentage. But a closer look at his overall stats show that those three wins have all come this month, and in his last seven starters. In addition, they were all on the turf (out of five grass races). One of those was Pine Island (Arch), a first-time starter who paid a very un-Shug like $59.80! I can’t believe she was that price. You know I would have thrown her out like a shot; she was 10-1 morning line, no way! She’s a half to Chili Cat, who won for Shug at Saratoga at 2-5 last summer. Her dam is a half-sister to Shug’s BC Distaff winner Pleasant Home.

Skagway (Seeking the Gold) is making his first start since October, but another of those turf winners, Cologne, was coming off an even longer layoff. Most of Skagway’s races have been on the dirt, and he’s run creditably in finishing in the money his last eight (of nine career) races, winning twice and chasing horses like Ice Wynnd Fire, Wachmon, and War Front. Two of those races were on the turf, and one of those was a third to subsequent winners Whale and Port Chester. His dam, Magic of Life (Seattle Slew), was a G1 winner in England, and he has a full sister, Enthused who is a graded winner in the UK as well. So yes, he should have no problem with the turf.

He’ll have to contend with morning line favorite Remarkable News, a Venezuelan-bred by Chiyat (Woodman) trained by Angel Penna Jr., enjoying a productive meeting with a 11-3-2-2 record. This colt has two wins a second and a third in four career starts, and he beat Port Chester last fall. He had a little trouble in her last, settling for third in his four year-old debut, and looks to rebound.

- David Hofmans will announce on Thursday whether Balance will start again before the Kentucky Oaks. That would be a good seven weeks off, which does seem like a lot, but it’s the same layoff as the one prior to her win in the Las Virgenes. I still haven’t seen a Beyer for her win on Sunday; nor any mention whatsoever that any race at Churchill other than the Oaks is being considered. If she was trained by Wayne Lukas, you can bet that she’d be prepping for the Santa Anita Derby right now.

Notes - Mar 14

Bloodhorse reports on a bill proposed in the NY Senate that would raise the maximum fine that can be imposed on rules violators. Incredibly, the current maximum of $5,000 was imposed in 1953 and hasn’t changed since then. The proposal notes that a $5,000 fine in 1953 would be worth $38,500 today after accounting for inflation.

"Further, with the advent of cell phones, video cameras and other telecommunications technology, banning a trainer from the race course grounds no longer effectively punishes or removes such a individual from participating in the conduct of horse racing or advising his or her employees on how to prepare a horse prior to a race. While the Board might be able to subpoena telephone records of a sanctioned individual to determine if such person was improperly in communication with his or her racing staff at the track, such an enforcement tactic is both expensive and impinges on individual civil liberties."

That enforcement tactic is also ridiculous and just plain inpractical; would they subpoena the trainers’ emails and Blackberrys as well? Besides, that’s not even the point to me; just the fact that the trainers’ horses continue to run while nominally under the care of an assistant, or even a brother, as was the case with Richard Dutrow, makes the suspensions little more than a brief vacation. And the new proposed maximum of $20,000 seems like not much more of a deterrent when you’re talking about high-profile trainers like Dutrow, Pletcher, and Lake. The idea that was floated in Kentucky last year to suspend the horses, which seemed a bit comical to me at first, is making more and more sense.

May Madness in March

- I dissed Benchmark as a potential Derby sire yesterday and it wasn't only Walter that got a little offended until I explained that I was really just joking. Hordes of the sire’s disciples have taken to the streets in Buellton, CA, where he stands at stud, to demand an apology after the post was reprinted in newspapers in Denmark. As I’d mentioned, I really took the week on the beach off from thoughts of the sport of kings, but with one exception. I did think about just how utterly insane the whole Kentucky Derby thing is. Here we are still more than seven weeks away from the race and I feel like I’ve been writing about it for months…..and that’s likely because I have been. I thought about how millions – in one case 16 of them – are spent on young horses with really this one race in mind, and how utterly careless and stupidly some of them are handled (and named), as if the first Saturday in May is the final racing day of all eternity.

The thought crossed my mind that I would make this blog Derby-free – the anti-Derby site. I could easily still spend hours and hours on other subjects both on and off the track, or just on handicapping, though I’d likely lose most of my readers. It’s not at all because I’m opposed to or turned off by the race – I admit that I’m as caught up about it as anyone - but rather because there are so many wonderful resources out there on the web, what can I possibly add, really? Besides the usual – the comprehensive Triple Crown sections in the Daily Racing Form, in Bloodhorse, and Thoroughbred Times; plus Haskin (who mentions no less than 34 prospects in bold type in his latest incoherent column), and the Form’s Watchmaker and Privman.

Then you have the Kentucky Derby site itself, and one could spend hours and hours there. Links to the most recent prep replays are available right on the front page; and click on any contender and watch their three most recent races; get a detailed pedigree review, bios of the owner and breeder, and a veritable gallery of photographs of the subject horse. Not to mention all the archival material, previews of upcoming preps, top twenty selections, a countdown to post time (53 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes and 33..32..31..30 seconds at this writing) and even videos of Anna Nicole Smith, yippee.

And if that’s STILL not enough, there’s always The Downey Profile; and consider that all the information you see there is for non-subscribers! Paying customers probably get 24 hour live webcam coverage of every contender for the race, and free samples of their poop. Then there’s also Cindy Pierson Dulay’s Horse-Races.net, Brisnet’s Road to the Triple Crown columns, and now, the Louisville Courier Journal’s Derby DataTrack database, in which you can actually narrow down your contenders using whatever Derby criteria floats your boat - dosage or number of preps, whether the horse raced at two, etc., Egads!

Even here in blogland, Jessica has her neatly organized Derby section going on over at Railbird. So what I can add to these resources I don’t really know, except for one thing. If there’s any fault I can find with all of this stuff - and I'm as guilty as anyone - it’s that they take this one race far, far too seriously. I mean, it’s just a horse race. One. Race. There may be a hard and fast rule that you can’t pick a Derby horse with only three lifetime starts, but there’s no rule I know of that you can’t just have some fun with this. Besides, I can’t do any worse than last year when I arrogantly predicted that Bellamy Road would be the lone speed and dominant winner.

So I’ll try and keep it a bit irreverent here, and not everything I say is to be taken too seriously as I search for some meaning and sense out of it all, and try to come up with something as clever and profitable as Giacomo. In the course of doing so, I’m allowed to use any excuse I want to look past the favorites, even if I kind of make them up. It could be the breeding, a perceived lack of conditioning, or even if I just don’t like the trainer or the horse’s name. And if I find out that the owner contributed to Bush-Cheney, he’s an automatic throwout, so Stevie Wonderboy (remember him?) saved me the trouble by getting hurt. I don’t think that criteria is in the Derby DataTrack, but remember, it’s just….one…..race. And a nearly impossible one to handicap at that; certainly not one to make your biggest bet of the year on, even if it’s a total ball spending weeks and months trying to figure it out.

Now. Where was I? Oh yeah, Benchmark (Alydar). He won seven out of 16 lifetime starts, including three stakes wins, all at age 6, and two of those at nine furlongs. Check out his record as a sire. He has ten stakes winners out of 211 foals (prior to this year’s two-year olds), and though his progeny’s average winning distance is only 6 1/2 furlongs, he’s sired A To The Z, who has won two stakes at a mile and an eighth; Proposed, the winner of the El Encino at a mile and a sixteenth earlier this year; Silent Sighs, winner of the Santa Anita Oaks, also at a mile and a sixteenth. He’s also sired sprint stakes winners Dontsellmeshort and Red Warrior.

So is he your typical Derby sire, if there is such a thing? Probably not. Does that mean that Brother Derek can’t win it this year? Certainly not. However, search as I may, his stud farm, River Edge Farm, doesn’t have a website, and what's up with that these days? So I can bet against him on that basis alone if I want to! Look, the horse has done nothing wrong around two turns, and we may get a decent price on him in the SA Derby if one or two of Baffert’s crew come out of this weekend’s San Felipe impressively; if so, I could be all over him in that race. But four weeks after that, I’ll be looking to beat him, and I don’t really have to have a good reason, other than I want to; and because he’ll be too short of a price, which in the 20-horse stampede that is the Kentucky Derby, is perhaps the most valid reason of all.

- Haskin babbles something about Corinthian possibly not getting distracted by other horses in the Derby as he’s been in his races thus far because he could be too busy being distracted by the 150,000 people in the stands. What the hell is the guy talking about? But he makes perfect sense when he concludes that: The truth is, no one really knows what to expect from Corinthian on Derby Day, but there is no question about his talent, and that in the end could very well overcome his other issues.

- Dan Hendricks said that he had Brother Derek at about 90% for the Santa Catalina, and Alex Solis commented: “If he was only 90 percent, that’s mighty exciting.” [Downey Profile]

Hendricks explains the horse’s name in the Thoroughbred Times:

"Derek is a Mormon who went on a mission to Iraq, and anyone who goes on these missions is termed a brother."

Let’s hope that this Derek isn’t planning a mission there any time soon.

Number One With a Bullet!

- No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That was Highland Cat, our very own Highland Cat, who this morning worked a half in :47.81, the fastest of 11 at the distance over the Belmont training track. Even in the heady days of August in Saratoga with the encouraging words from the trainer and still intact the promise of a horse who'd yet to make his first start, he never flashed all that much speed in his workouts. This prompted me to ask: Are you sure they timed the right horse??? Well, as we've seen, maybe not. Another partner quipped: Downhill and WITH the WIND??? The suddenly fleet gelding is still on target for a 60K claimer at the Big A on Sunday.

- Dan Hendricks is almost there with Brother Derek, now the undisputed favorite for the Kentucky Derby. One more prep, the April 8 Santa Anita Derby, and it’s on to the Land of YUM! "He'll go back to the track (today) and breeze eight days from now," the trainer said yesterday. "He could go a half-mile." [NY Daily News] And a fine Derby favorite he would be, with the heartwarming story of his trainer soldiering on, undaunted by the motorcycle accident that paralyzed him from the waist down; certainly much better so than Bluegrass Cat, with his uncharismatic superstar conditioner. I’m officially opposed to Bluegrass Cat; my new motto is Anybody But Bluegrass Cat (ABBC). The horse is boring too. If Pletcher has to win, let it at least be with the dynamic Keyed Entry (who worked a bullet, of 38, five furlongs in 59 flat yesterday).

Of course, all of us know that a son of Benchmark isn’t winning the Derby, so the Anyone But will have to be someone other than Brother Derek. Cause to Believe (Maria’s Mon) impressed with his last-to-first win at Golden Gate on Saturday, and Russell Baze said: "There's more horse than he showed today." [NY Post] He's slated for the Illinois Derby as his final prep.

- David Hofmans may send Balance directly to the Kentucky Oaks without another prep. "We'll let her tell us…..She was so full of herself today. We might have to run her before [the Oaks].” [LA Times] Jockey Victor Espinoza explained the wide trip:

"I knew she was wide down the backstretch…..but she was doing it so comfortably. I would much rather lose ground with her than maybe get her upset weaving in and out of traffic. She's such an awesome filly, it really doesn't make a difference (losing ground)." [Whittier Daily News]

- Barbaro worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Palm Meadows this morning (2/30)

Tough Week

Yeah, rough week.


You can’t say I didn’t exercise; here you see me sitting up....


....And here I'm practically jogging (notice that I'm carrying weights too!).


This is the only picture of the Head Chef she wouldn’t get pissed at me for posting.


This is the only “clothing optional” beach on the island. It wasn’t a pretty picture for the most part, but it sure was at 7:30 in the morning.

OK, you get the point, Antigua is a pretty nice place....

I didn’t think much about horse racing. I read the Saturday Form on the plane ride down, took a look at all the stakes, and that was it for a week. I watched a few of the races when I got back this weekend, so for me it’s like they were just run. But since it’s all old news to you, I won’t rehash....except for one thing. Walter commented on a column that Haskin wrote last week in which he was dismissive of both of last Saturday’s preps in favor of a maiden winner and Strong Contender’s latest fabulous workout, what else is new for the latter. I gotta tell you that I don’t really read this guy’s Derby columns anymore; I skim through them for any useful information. But I find that if I read the whole thing, I come away with acute sensory overload. This horse won his maiden race impressively and that horse had a great workout and another horse rallied nicely for 4th despite being wide and galloped out nicely and how about the horses that came back nicely at the end but that really usually sometimes means that the leader came back to them and maybe this other horse bounced and maybe he didn’t like the track and he deserves another shot and wow, check out the fluid stride on this one.

I gotta agree with Walter’s incredulous reaction to Haskin's dissing of Brother Derek’s perfectly professional win in the Santa Catalina. His 102 Beyer, down from a 108 in his prior effort, is perfect - no need for more than that here - and the colt seems to be gaining confidence as Dan Hendricks seeks to hold the form on a horse who has been in training pretty much straight through since last September. And I also want to mention Corinthian. Haskin correctly predicted that the speed guys would be critical (he got a 96). But man, you gotta be excited about this colt - he has just a universe of talent. He obviously is very immature and has a lot to learn, and there’s not much time left now for education. But he fires every single time despite acting up before his races, as he did again last week; that 96 fig continues a pattern of improvement every race; and the final three furlongs were run in :36 4/5, which is nothing to sneeze at, especially since he pulled himself up after striking the front, and zig-zagged more than the Bush Administration explaining the reasons for war. It’s hard to believe that he could compose himself to run before 140,000 people on Derby day, but the possibilities are just endless for this classically-bred colt.

- John Servis had to be thrilled after Round Pond’s exciting win over Happy Ticket in the Azeri Breeders Cup, but it’s been all downhill from there. Jolted and Jostled ran 6th in Saturday’s finale, and Rockport Harbor was very disappointing in Sunday’s Razorback, running 5th at 2-5. ouch. It was a fast pace he set, but it was an 80-1 shot in Chippewa Trail who softened him up; when you saw Stewart Elliot whipping and driving on the turn, it certainly wasn’t encouraging. The handicap division is wide open with this race as well as the disappointing efforts of Giacomo and High Limit last week. Nice to read that Bellamy Road is back in training (which I know is old news for you).

And as far as Balance goes, I think that Walter seriously understated her performance in winning the Santa Anita Oaks in his comments. She was a freaking monster! The race chart says she was four wide around the first turn, but I think she was closer to Walter’s estimate of six deep – Trevor Denman’s remark that she was “forced a bit wide” also vastly minimized her plight. She was five wide around the second turn and drew off to win with a final sixteenth of 6.32. If Haskin writes this week that the most impressive three-year old this weekend was a filly, I certainly wouldn’t argue. I wonder what her Derby futures odds look like?

Back From Paradise

I'll have to post some pictures from the idyllic Caribbean island nation of Antigua just to rub it in a bit. Had a great week and really relaxed, except for when I was getting scores of Rangers games. Hey, see that you got some use out of the space during the week; thanks to Walter for sitting in and to all that read and participated. All I had to do to catch up was to read my own blog. I even learned right here the news about my filly Christening's sparkling 5th best of 55 workout. Possibilities for her debut are a seven furlong race written for April 2, or a six furlong affair on April 12. Highland Cat is slated to return to action next Sunday, the 19th, in a 60-50K maiden claimer at a mile.

Have some more catching up to do and will be back a bit later.

Break Time

- Well, it’s vacation time, again. Yeah, I know, I was just away, but a real vacation this time.. The Head Chef and I are off for a week, and this time with no kids, and no laptop. I must say that I’m rather blogged out at this point; blog burnout if you will. So the break comes at a good time; I can relax and recharge for the run-up to the Triple Crown, and they’ll be no distractions. Other than the job and the kids. And the New York Rangers’ first playoff appearance in nine years. And the new Morrissey album.

- Wouldn’t you know it, Pletcher did it again in the 8th at Gulfstream on Friday as Morning Raider (Giant’s Causeway) won in his first start since June 21 at Delaware; that’s around a 250 day layoff. 5-1 third choice in the morning line, he paid $7.80 as the post time favorite. This is a nicely bred four year-old winning in only his third start; he’s by Giant’s Causeway, out of an Unbridled half sister to Super Derby winner Arch, and his third dam is the great filly Althea (which makes his 4th dam the blue hen Courtly Dee).

In the 9th, Dubai Escapade (Awesome Again) was 1-5 off her huge return to the races last month. Though she held off second choice Grecian Lover by 3/4's of a length, the chart notes that she was fully extended to prevail in 1:36.07. Dubai Escapade is a half-sister to Madcap Escapade.

- That’s it for me. As always, thanks so much for reading, and see you in a week or so. Please check out my blogging colleagues at the TBA; their individual links are listed over on the right. And feel free to email me with questions, suggestions, comments, links, or whatever.

Fountain of Youth

- You know it’s Derby fever time when a horse like Beacon Shine (Montbrook), one of four Nick Zito three-year olds on Saturday’s Gulfstream card, is lumped in as a “Derby prospect.” Not that he’s not a nice young horse, but does a maiden win, a five furlong June juvenile stakes win with a 69 Beyer against four horses, and a riderless jaunt in which he “beat” four horses really make this horse a prospect? Why don’t we wait to see how he fares in the Swale Stakes tomorrow before we label him as such?

Zito also has Superfly (Fusaichi Pegasus), his full brother to Andromeda’s Hero, facing Sunriver (Saint Ballado), Pletcher’s full brother to Ashado, in an entry-level allowance, and two entrants in the Fountain of Youth. Hemingway’s Key (Notebook) looks to rebound from a poor effort in the Holy Bull; he may not have liked the slop, an excuse every horse that ran poorly can use. But Great Point (Point Given) will probably attract the most attention of any of Zito’s quartet off his fast closing second in the Holy Bull.

That race continued a pattern of improvement for the colt, and for the first crop of Point Given in general. But I think that too much is being made of his number 12 post position in the Holy Bull. Yeah, that post sucks, but Jeremy Rose somehow managed to steer him directly to the rail before the turn, so he actually saved far more ground that most of the others. And, just as one can use the slop to excuse a poor performance, we can also use it to explain an unexpectedly good one. Still, he was almost 20 lengths back at one point, and will obviously be in a far better position breaking from the rail.

What to do about the Fountain of Youth? First Samurai (Giant’s Causeway) is an imposing presence, even if he hasn’t yet been two turns. His Beyers tower over the field, and his three-year old debut in the Hutcheson was excellent. But there are some intriguing horses here that have done far more towards being labeled “prospects” than Beacon Shine, so why not take a shot. Itsallboutthechase (Devil His Due) deserves another chance after being ridiculously wide in the Holy Bull, and he may not have liked the slop. My Golden Song (Unbridled’s Song) is trained by Todd Pletcher, and, well, he’s trained by Todd Pletcher. Flashy Bull was a close second to Bluegrass Cat in the Remsen, and ran quite creditably for 4th in the Holy Bull.

I like a couple of horses coming out of an allowance race last month – Corinthian and Jazil. Corinthian (Pulpit) has a bit of an aura around him; he’s been pounded at the windows every start, even in the one he didn’t make, when he acted up at the gate before the Aventura. In fact, he’s been a bit of a bad actor, according to his trainer Jimmy Jerkins. "We've had our hands full with him (pre-race behavior), but he has so much talent he' worth the trouble." [Lowell Sun] He got off last in his debut, but rallied for second, and is two-for-two since then, holding off Jazil in that allowance effort.

I do really like Jazil (Seeking the Gold) a lot...as a prospect, not necessarily in this race or in the Derby; but the Derby isn't the only race in the world, right? I do like him in this race enough to take a shot though. I wrote in detail about his royal pedigree in this post, which I've linked to several times now, but hey, as I said, I like this horse. I’ve also conceded that he’s just the kind of Derby horse that gets me suckered – a beautifully bred dead closer. Besides the second to Corinthian, his 4th start, he shows a fast-closing two turn win, and a nose loss, once again from far back, to Steppenwolfer, who moved up in the Derby rankings with his second in the Southwest. His debut race looks ugly on paper, but his trainer Kiaran McLaughlin says to take a closer look.

McLaughlin believes Jazil was some 30 lengths off the early pace in the 5 1/2-furlong race before he came on to finish sixth, beaten 15 3/4 lengths by Noonmark, who went on to win again and who will likely be favored in Saturday's Swale Stakes at Gulfstream. The past performance chart had him 13 lengths off the lead at the first call.

"I promise you he was 35 lengths out of it at the three-eighths pole," McLaughlin said. "He was in a different area code. Then he came flying and he galloped out past them all except the winner. The chart makes it look like he ran even." [Daily Racing Form]

So I’ll take a shot with Jazil, and use Corinthian and probably a couple of others underneath.

- Here’s something I haven’t seen in years, literally. Dick Downey of The Downey Profile likes Jazil too, though for second behind McLaughlin’s other entry Flashy Bull. Check this out:

Something that caught our eye is JAZIL's speed/track variant combo of 102 in the race where he broke his maiden on Dec. 7. While he only earned a Beyer of 78 in that race, it came on an absolutely dead Aqueduct track. This speed/track variant total is among the highest in the field.

Whoa, I haven’t read anybody mention those old Form numbers (just to the left of the top three finishers) in a decade at least! Do you guys even know what they are? I’ll get into that another time as this post is too long and time too short, but suffice to say that they served me, and many other handicappers quite well until Andy Beyer came along with his speed figures...which, as we know, are supposed to already take the absolutely dead track into account.

Bandini, Beyer, and the Big Cap

- I haven’t mentioned Bandini’s smashing comeback the other day, even though I correctly said he would win and should at least brag about that (though I missed the cold exacta by a neck and a nose). It seems I’m almost speechless at the way Pletcher has been bringing horses back to win off long layoffs, even those whose previous year ended in disaster. Besides Bandini, he’s won at Gulfstream with Firejack (254 days), Ghostly Apparition (225), Tompest (158), Ready to Please (242), Monarch Lane (278), Keyed Entry (181), and Bluegrass Cat (84); as well as off slightly shorter layoffs with India, Harlington, and Wait A While.

If Bandini has HRTV, he can check out some possible future competition in the handicap division when the Santa Anita Handicap is run at Santa Anita on Saturday. I’m having a hard time getting past High Limit (Maria's Mon). Some question his ability to get the mile and a quarter based on last year’s failures, but I think he’s a different horse now and that should all go out the window. He showed a new dimension in the Strub, passing horses in the stretch for the first time in achieving a lifetime best Beyer of 111. Brad Free in the Form (sub. only) discusses that fig in light of the fact that Bob and John, who ran nearly the identical time on the same track earlier in the card that day, only got a 93. Andy Beyer says “I am confident that our numbers are right,” and the last time I dared to question his numbers, I was dead wrong.

"Even though their final times were almost identical, I cannot believe that Bob and John came close to running a figure like High Limit's 111……[Bob and John's] previous races had been 92, 93, and 85. Okay, maybe he improved, but what about runner-up Hawkinsville? His previous best was an 80. If you accept a giant figure for Bob and John, then Hawkinsville ranks among the nation's leading 3-year-olds."
…..
"On Feb. 4, I concluded that the track was much slower for the last three races - when High Limit won the Strub - than it was for the first three races on the card, when Bob and John ran.”

Beyer is backed up by track superintendent Steve Wood, who told the Form, "Around 3:15, the moisture rises and the track becomes wet and gets dead, and people say, 'He changed it.' "

High Limit may or may not find himself on the lead. "If there is speed, I want to get the same trip," Frankel said. "If there is no speed, he can go to the lead..” [DRF] Lava Man came off the pace in winning the Millions race, but the early fraction were ridiculous and the race totally fell apart; I think he’ll be closer to the pace early here. Spellbinder has speed but can sit just off the pace as well.

Whatever happens, I don’t know that they’ll be a fast enough pace to set the race up for Giacomo. As much as I’d like to see him achieve success, his overall record strongly indicates that he’s usually good for a piece of the purse, but will only win if the race falls apart. Whatsmore, John Sherriffs doesn’t expect him to even be at his peak. "Will he be near his peak performance after one race? I don't think so.” He’s going to take money on the second-race-back theory, and if so, I’d look to leave him out of the exactas, and see if I could get a decent price using High Limit with someone else. The problem is…who? It’s not really a stellar field. Lava Man will likely be third choice and won't generate value, and besides, he still has to show me that he's regained his top form from last year. Spellbinder is on the improve for sure, and is a possibility if he can get the extra furlong. Frankel’s other entry, Marenostrum, looks like a longshot possibility. I’m even almost tempted to say….Wilko?

News and Notes - March 2

- NYRA officially got their “bailout,” actually a loan with a 4% interest rate. But in some election-year posturing, the bill drew opposition from Democrats in the State Senate who called the loan a waste of taxpayer funds.

Democrats noted NYRA already owes the state $60 million and hasn't paid tens of millions of dollars in employee pension obligations, state taxes, property taxes or franchise fees. [Albany Times-Union]

But, as is unfortunately the case even with respect to more profound issues on which I agree with them, the Democrats offered no alternate plan. And what choice, really, was there? To let NYRA go into bankruptcy? No politician of either party would want that because, as Bennett Liebman of Albany Law School pointed out, that would have given the state less control over the group's financial decisions. [Newsday]

- Fasig-Tipton COO Boyd Browning on the $16 million Forestry colt:

"The two major buyers in the world got hooked up in an emotional bidding situation, and sometimes logic doesn't prevail…..An auction bid is not always a rational decision, but sometimes an emotional decision. Both people involved in the auction want to own the best horses in the world." [AP]

Enough said.

- TVG will be sitting on the sidelines on Saturday, as will the networks and ESPN, as Magna’s HRTV gets exclusivity on, as their press release put it, a pair of important Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) prep races Saturday, along with the Santa Anita Handicap.

What a card at Gulfstream that day; no claiming races, and six graded stakes races, including the Fountain of Youth. The good news about that race is that with the exception of Flashy Bull, all of the serious Derby presented by Yum! Brands contenders drew into the first seven posts, ensuring that it should be a fair race with no excuses, at least those dealing with post position.

A great-looking card at Santa Anita as well, with four graded stakes, and the other Derby presented by Yum! Brands prep, the Santa Catalina, which doesn’t look nearly as contentious as the FOY. Brother Derek figures to be a prohibitive favorite and Latent Heat the second choice.

- Magna is playing hardball with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Association over the splits for VLT revenue. Though the FHBPA claims that the national average is around 10%, Gulfstream is holding the line at a paltry 4%, leading to a walkout by the horsemen from the latest negotiating session.

Wednesday Night Notes - March 1

- So what exactly did happen to Discreet Cat, the son of the now-record setting sire Forestry, who was purchased and whisked off by Godolphin after his maiden win at Saratoga that earned a 106 Beyer? All the available intelligence said that he was in the Middle East; in fact, the Downey Profile received a message on December 22 that read: "With regard to your enquiry, we can confirm that Discreet Cat is currently in Dubai with the rest of the Godolphin horses. There are no specific race plans for him at this time."

Hmmm, he’s not in this article from the Form about Godolphin’s “heavy artillery” at Dubai. (In fact, none of their five Derby nominees will run in Thursday night’s Al Bastakiya, a prep for the UAE Derby, including Henny Hughes.) And a search of “Discreet Cat” on the Dubai International Racing Carnival blog turns up the result: Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.

Well, let’s see, maybe under here...

They must have spent a lot of money on the colt, but at least they didn’t get stuck with a $16 million two-year old. Remember that Discreet Cat was reported to have had shin problems before and after his maiden win, and it seems as if all is not well.

- Lawyer Ron’s trainer says that trainers shipping in to Oaklawn for the Rebel better be ready. “Those guys shipping in here, they might be in for a surprise because this track is a very dead racetrack,” [Bob] Holthus said. “Horses better be pretty damn fit.” [Arkansas Democrat Gazette]

Paying to Play in Pennsylvania

- The march to slots in Pennsylvania marches on like a steamroller, but one stubborn gambling opponent is still fighting on. Rep. Paul Clymer has introduced a bill for repeal of the law, known as Act 71, which at this point seems about as useful as a bill in Congress prohibiting wars of choice in the middle east. But even Clymer realizes that his cause has long been lost, and the move is really intended to force changes in the law such as a repeal of the provision that allows elected officials to own up to 1% of a casino, a law that is so self-serving and subject to conflict that you have to wonder how it was possibly could have been approved in the first place.

However, some legislators are still trying to gain an edge; one Republican amendment would allow “discounted” rates on rooms and food for public officials, currently prohibited by law.

"This proposed change certainly opens the door to public officials receiving travel, meals, rooms and entertainment for as little as a nominal fee of $1. We are concerned," said Christopher Craig, an aide to Sen. Vincent Fumo, D-Philadelphia, and one of the authors of Act 71. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

While a legitimate matter of concern, the issue seems trivial in light of the exposé published by the Philadelphia Inquirer last weekend which revealed that slots license-seekers donated more than $1 million to politicians over the last two years, including over $175,000 donated to Gov Ed Rendell. He was the biggest beneficiary of gambling money, drawing checks from seven groups that are now up for a slots license.

[House Minority Leader Bill] DeWeese received at least $68,971 in the last two years. House Speaker John M. Perzel (R., Phila.) raked in $56,500, and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer (R., Blair), who was opposed to gambling, received $10,300.

Even Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann, who along the campaign trail has criticized gambling, received a $100,000 check last year from [slots applicant Maggie] Magerko.

Rendell, Jubelirer, Perzel and DeWeese do not have a vote on who gets a license. But they all have appointments to the gaming board, which will make the final decision.

The prospect of competing against applicants perceived as being well-connected via their donations has discouraged at least one prospective applicant from even bothering.

Jack Kalins, president of Mountain Laurel Resort & Spa and Split Rock Resort, isn't convinced that money and politics can be divorced from the decision making.
.....
Kalins said he believed his venues in the Poconos didn't have a chance against politically connected applicants from the southwestern part of the state.

"Everyone we talked to said: 'Jack, don't waste your money. Give it to the church..'"

Act 71 actually prohibits such donations from slots applicants; but since applications weren’t actually due until this past December, the loophole was bigger than the oval at Philly Park. Now that the applications are all filed, I guess they’ll have to make do without such contributions, right? Well, not so fast. Another proposed amendment would allow contributions from casino executives to resume, as long as the giver is from outside the state. I guess this flow of money is as addictive as the gambling itself.

Bandini is Back

- Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus) sure landed in a tough allowance spot at Gulfstream on Wednesday. Many considered him to be the most physically impressive horse going into the Derby last year; he was the 6.80 to 1 third choice and finished 19th and that was it until now. And who would doubt that Pletcher could have him ready. He brought Monarch Lane back off a similar layoff earlier in the meet and he won by six; Keyed Entry hadn’t raced since July before the first of his two spectacular wins this year.

At 3-1 in the morning line, he’s second choice to Silver Wagon (Wagon Limit), forever known as the winner of the Hopeful. That was back in 2003, and since then he’s won once – an allowance race at Gulfstream last year. On first glance he looks like the type who just doesn’t like to win, but he really has been running in tough company – four Grade 1’s just last year – and doing so quite competitively. However his last effort in the Kenny Noe was a bit disappointing, losing at 4-5 to a couple of slugs in Mister Fotis and Storm Surge. So maybe he really doesn't like to win.

Wanderin Boy (Seeking the Gold) has run triple digit Beyers in the second race of his cycles, and he comes off a reasonably good second in his first race since last March. That was a long layoff, and for some reason I get the feeling he may need another race this time. Record Buster has been gone since running last in an allowance at Saratoga. Do you think maybe it wasn’t a great idea to run him in a Grade 1 in his 4th career start? Still, he could give Wanderin Boy a tussle up front.

So it’s all Bandini, with Dark Cheetah coming along for the exacta. It would seem from his form that he doesn’t want to go this long, but that was before Dutrow took over and he switched to the dirt. He’s coming off a win at six furlongs in which he closed after a poor start, and there would seem to be no reason, at least pedigree-wise, why this son of Storm Cat out of a half-sister to Bernstein and Caress couldn’t get this one mile distance.

- Strong Contender is fast becoming one of the more intriguing of the cast of characters; not too much unlike Bandini was last year, though the latter had a bit more experience. John Ward told the Albany Times-Union :

"I think he has made kind of a buzz down here,'' Ward said from Florida. "We saw a great, big, strong dynamic horse who ran very big. He is on the Derby trail. If you looked at his eyes after that race, you saw no tired glaze.''

Look for him to take his share of action in Pool Two this weekend.

$16 million!!!!

Reason and logic went right out the window at Calder today when a two-year old colt sold for $16 million, the highest price ever at a public auction. For that money, this horse should not only win the Triple Crown, but he should present the trophies to himself and make the acceptance speeches on behalf of his filthy rich Coolmore owners, who should really be forced to cough up some money to help the refugees from Darfur, I mean, please.

The colt is by Forestry, and he worked two furlongs in 4/5ths of a second in the under tack show. He's out of an Unbridled mare who is a half sister to recent Gulfstream graduate Burmilla, who I wrote about in this post, when I referred to her as "expensive" due to her $850,000 purchase price. Ha, a mere bag of shells indeed. Walter called to say that he's posted at 8-1 in the 2007 Derby future pool.

Kickback On Polytrack Grumbling

- I was watching some races from Turfway the other night, and the kickback seemed even thicker than usual. The people who had claimed that "The most obvious advantage to Polytrack is no kickback" must have also believed that the government of Dubai should be running our ports. I’ve seen some posters on the Derby List speculate that there could conceivably be adverse long-term health effects on the horses that breathe in the synthetic material. Perhaps in a few years, we could see Lawyer Ron, who didn’t care for the surface himself, represent his comrades in a class-action suit against the manufacturers. But that's all just speculation.

Now comes word in Bloodhorse that my observation was prescient - the kickback was more pronounced, and in fact, track officials were summoned into a meeting with jockeys after the 8th race on Saturday. .…The jockeys who called the meeting told officials the track seemed different than it had several days before.

"Some of the fiber was sitting on top of the surface, and it got colder, so it was flying a little more than normal," Elliston said. "The surface was a little looser. We asked them if the surface was unsafe, and they said it wasn't. They were just providing feedback." [Bloodhorse]

Track president Bob Elliston speculated that the cold weather makes the surface looser, “but we haven't definitely determined what needs to be done."

The incident comes after some recent grumbling about the surface. Railbird linked to an article in the Guardian UK containing complaints that Polytrack made it harder to pick winners, reducing betting "to the level of a lottery, almost," and citing a reduction in winning favorite percentage from 36% to 30% at one race meeting there.

And then there was Andy Beyer’s column in which he complained that the lack of a track bias and more uniformity will deprive bettors of many of those edges [that] come from detecting differences in racetracks. [Washington Post] Patrick at Pulling Hair partially countered those complaints by pointing out that: good speed will still kill in racing, and cheap speed will set up for stalkers, and ludicrous speed will be used on ships in Spaceballs and set up for closers.

Beyer wrote that the sameness of Polytrack will deprive the game of its subtleties and make it too predictable, comparing it to that usual whipping boy, harness racing. In response to that, I’ll say that despite the fact that the trotters race the same distance every time, discerning bettors can still get plenty of juice from variable factors such as post positions, different pace scenarios, driver changes, track sizes (half mile to mile configurations), class moves, and, of course, our old friend the tote board. That being the case, I don’t need to list for you readers all the variables that would still make thoroughbred racing the fascinating and potentially profitable game that it is, even if track biases are reduced. As Patrick said, bettors don't get kicks out of cheap speed going gate to wire, and the reduction in breakdowns and the incredible 80% increase in total handle at Turfway shows that whatever its faults, Polytrack has been fantastic for the horses and the bettors. And what else can you ask for?

Notes - Feb 27

- It was a useful prep for Lawyer Ron, and that’s high praise for his trainer Bob Holthus. The Beyer of 95 indicates that the colt took a step back from his breakthrough in the Risen Star, likely just what he wanted with two more preps left to crank him up. This time he rocketed right to the front, where John McGee had a real handful. The trainer explained: “If he had been going a mile and a sixteenth, a mile and an eighth, we probably couldn’t have done that. But going a mile into that [first] turn, we kind of took advantage of that post position.” [Arkansas Democrat Gazette] More importantly, he showed that can fight off a challenge. He also came back a little tired. "That was the first time in his last three races that he came back and was blowing.” [DRF]. It was his first race in six weeks and he needed it. I’d look for him to be really tough in the Rebel, where he may face some interesting new faces like Keyed Entry, Private Vow, and perhaps even Strong Contender. I really don’t know if Lawyer Ron will get a mile and a quarter, I have my doubts; but I think he’s going to make a lot of noise at least up until then.

Dan Peitz, trainer of Steppenwolfer, was understandably pretty happy. “I am not only happy, I am thrilled....Going a mile, I didn’t know if we could handle everything. Our horse wants to run farther.”

- John Ward is even more optimistic.....smug?......about Strong Contender than we thought. "I could probably run him just once more before the Derby, but I have to make sure we have some graded money..” That would make the Derby his 4th career start. Ward said of his allowance win that “he was more seasoned than expected for only the second start of his career.” [Daily Racing Form] And the really good news is that he’s leaning towards the Gotham as his next start.

- It’s hardly a surprise to read that the Jockeys’ Guild is planning to file a suit against Wayne Gertmenian and his Matrix Capital. The Guild’s counsel Barry Broad said he has never seen a more corrupt union management team than the Guild's former managers.

"I've never seen anything this crazy...It was done in such a straight-forward manner. In unions, I've seen some specific accusations of corruption, usually over one specific matter or one person, but this occurred on so many levels. The degree of this, in my experience, is totally unprecedented." [Thoroughbred Times]

What is surprising is that it took this long to decide to file suit; what’s even more surprising is that there have been no criminal charges filed (though the FBI is investigating); and what’s most surprising of all is that Pepperdine University STILL has his phony bio posted as fact on its website, chief detente negotiator in Moscow and all! Hello?