Not Awesome

- Move over Brother Derek; how about Oh So Awesome for the biggest money burner around? I know this is a form of redboarding, but really man, how could this horse possibly be 4-5 in the 4th at the Gulf on Wednesday? (And I'd have written the same thing even if he'd won by five.) Purchased from France by Team Valor specifically for last year's Belmont, this son of Awesome Again has been no better than a no-shot third in his US debut. Dropping to allowance races for three of his last four tries, he has two 4ths, a fifth, and yesterday's dismal 6th; all at odds of 4-1, 2-1, 5-2, and 4-5.

On the other hand, the fans did not fall for Zito's Great Point, who has been burning money himself ever since his fluky second in the slop of last year's Holy Bull. He was 9-5 in his last race, despite losing his prior three by a total of 34 lengths. The oddsmaker listed him as 4-1 on Wednesday despite the fact that he lost that last try by another 23; but the bettors ignored that and dismissed him at 10-1. So what does he do? He rallied from last (into a slow last quarter) to get the place. Add in the fact that Fernando Jara lost his whip, and you're probably looking at 9-5 again next time. I'll be looking forward to that occasion.

Eight Is Enough?

- Good news on Just Zip It; her shin is reported to be better, and she'll be pointed to a race in mid-February, unless something suitable comes up sooner. As for Highland Cat, he is rockin' and rollin' to the point that Bill Turner said he'd run him this month if there was a race for him. The earliest in the book for now is a one mile event on Feb 8. Of course, there's no grass racing at this time, so he'll have to wait to get back on the surface on which he ran his best race.

- Gulfstream is back at NY OTB.

- Officials at Monmouth are expecting what seems to me to be a very modest 40,000 people to attend its Breeders Cup day on Oct 27. That is, the main Breeders Cup day, after the three new races that were added for Friday. The track will also be open on Wednesday and Thursday, at a time when it's normally closed. A local resident told the Asbury Park Press: "On normal racing days, Route 36 gets to be an annoyance....I can't imagine how (a large crowd) will get in and out without difficulty." Indeed, I've paid my dues on Route 36 many times; it's the only access road to the track I know of. Perhaps Patrick can help us out with a secret route.

About the new races, which were announced last week while I was away, I can't say I felt a burning need for those particular categories, especially the filly and mare sprint. The more the merrier, some might say. But not the Form's Steve Davidowitz, who worries about serious-minded players' ability to do justice to 11 invariably complex BC races. Eight is enough, I guess he would say. But he also brings up a more profound point regarding the new Mile.

Running the newly created Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at one mile and 70 yards is intended to give needed room for horses breaking from the outer posts in a 14-horse field at one-mile Monmouth Park. But any two-turn race at a mile or one mile and 70 yards on a one-mile oval with a full field is bound to create dangerous congestion heading into the first turn. Wouldn't it have been better for the BC leadership to wait a year or two and schedule this race at a larger host track?
.....
I hate to say it, but the 2007 BC Dirt Mile at Monmouth is a potential disaster waiting to happen, a disaster that the Breeders' Cup is inviting, with a nationwide television audience tuned in. [Daily Racing Form, Sub. only]

I'd be more worried about the horses than the national TV audience. Given what the ratings were like in 2006, how many people do you think will be watching on a Friday afternoon? They'd probably do better with a hockey game.

The Form Is Your Friend

- I was at the Manhattan offices of the Daily Racing Form yesterday. I went out to lunch with the webmaster, who picked up the tab out of the proceeds of the big Aqueduct Pick Six she hit last Wednesday. Then I got the office tour. They just did some moving and reshuffling there, so it seemed, especially on this day, just like any other office, and a rather disheveled one at that, other than the giant framed DRF covers greeting you in the reception area where you can find a reading selection ranging from Vanity Fair to Steve Crist's Betting On Myself. No one was watching the second from Philly Park on TV, and I didn't see Mike Watchmaker, Andy Beyer, or Dave Litfin hanging around the water cooler.

But, of course, there were piles and piles of Daily Racing Forms lying around. I felt like I did as a kid when I went to the Hershey's factory. "Pick a Form, any Form." I grabbed Wednesday's edition featuring no less than eight tracks including Beulah and Delta Downs. Now I know where to go the next time the edition at my local store is missing Keeneland.

Nowadays, we take for granted the fact that we have easy access to the Form, especially if you have a computer. I've written before about what, for me, are the pros and cons of intense pre-race day study versus just winging it at the track; but there wasn't always a choice. I do recall when one bought the Form (or the Morning Telegraph) when you got to the track, because it just wasn't readily available beforehand. Then a group of us learned that the next day's paper was available after 9 PM at the security gate at the Belmont backstretch entrance off Hempstead Avenue; so we would regularly make the 15 minute drive there. We tried to keep that a closely-guarded secret, as it seemed to give us an edge over those who didn't know.

It was a special feeling to get back and break open the fresh Form, knowing that most other people didn't have it. My memory is fuzzy as to when the next day's edition started to be available at the track at the end of the day. Now there are times, such as opening days at Saratoga or the Santa Anita winter meet, that you can access the pp's online nearly a week before the card. Of course, getting the print edition off-track in advance can still be a challenge, and I'm sure you all have your favorite newsstands that you can rely on (even if they're sometimes still hidden behind the counter requiring a verbal request, while the porno mags are out in full view).

I still get a particular thrill out of buying a fresh print edition and cracking it open for the first time. Each paper comes with that seemingly unlimited promise of the clues to triumph and glory. I thought it to be perfectly appropriate when it came in a hermetically sealed plastic wrapping; a feature whose recent elimination I lament. Back again to Marc Cramer's Scared Money (recently reissued by DRF Press), and a passage in which he describes the brightening of a difficult night at the jazz club:

At that moment Big Ed came in, pulled up a chair, and set his Racing Form on the table. The red DRF logo immediately raised my spirits. After the last set, I would unwind by scanning the Form in search of hidden nuances, the same way I play the keyboard, beginning with the melody and basic harmony, then searching for that contrapuntal magic that digs deeper into the song.

That's a great analogy; like music, anyone can hear, or in this case, see their own unique riffs and patterns in the myriad of facts and figures and interpret them as they wish. And though the Form has undergone tremendous change over the years, not only in content - remember when the eastern edition was a broadsheet and only the weird (to us) California edition came in tabloid form? - the allure and intrigue of the content inside has remained a constant.

It hasn't been a completely smooth ride through the years. During the short but glorious existence of the Racing Times in the early 90's, the Form became a stodgy pariah in comparison. On the days that I couldn't get the Times and was "stuck" with the Form, I felt like I would now if the Form was sold out and I had to use the track programs. And I remember once flirting with competing past performances from Sports Eye, until the Form paid them to knock it off, as it essentially did with the Racing Times when they purchased its assets and assimilated many of its features. Now, it's not quite the only game in town, and I do occasionally refer to the BRIS pp's for supplemental information. But basically it's a no-brainer for me, like a trusty old friend that never lets you down. (Except when the local edition doesn't have Keeneland.)

Odds and Ends

- Getting back for a moment to Notional, who I picked to win when he ran 6th in the Hollywood Futurity. They were talking in the Form as if the blinkers were the magic elixir for his improved performance. "If we keep his attention focused in races where the field size is bigger, that will be a little more important," said Doug O'Neill. But at some point down the line, handicappers will have to decide whether his two disappointing runs at Hollywood were really because he just didn't care for the Cushion Track. After all, he ran a 105 in his debut at Santa Anita, so he obviously seems to prefer that track. And he didn't show early speed, often the sign of a horse moving up with blinkers on. I know there are those who fear that the artificial surfaces will homogenize racing, but for now, it's a new piece of the puzzle that we're going to have to deal with in 2007 and beyond.

I saw some mention of the fast finish by Grapelli for third, but Watchmaker wasn't that impressed:

Given how fast Grapelli seemed to be motoring at the wire, you might have expected him to get close to Notional on the gallop-out past the wire. The gallop-out is worth looking at in most races, but especially so in Derby preps, where you're looking for horses who demonstrate a desire for more distance. Grapelli didn't get anywhere near Notional during the gallop-out, which tells you one of two things: the horses Grapelli was inhaling in the stretch weren't very good, or Notional was only getting warmed up at the one-mile distance of the San Rafael. [Daily Racing Form, sub. only]

Didn't look to me that Notional was just getting warmed up, so I'll go with the former.

- Got another workout report on High Limit, so it seems that he's serious about his comeback. Reader Tigers1901 was nice enough to post a link to this article from the US Trotting Association site about harness horses that continue to race after they start to breed, noting that many horses at the highest level of harness racing in Europe do double duty. Of course, many of our young stallions have been retired due to "injury," and couldn't possibly continue to race. Besides, artificial insemination is permitted with standardbreds, so a horse could conceivably be serving mares (and himself) while on the Road to the Breeders Crown.

- I see that Brother Derek ran third on Saturday; it's the second time in a row he's been beaten as the favorite, 8-5 in this case. No real excuse this time. He's becoming one of the top money burners in the sport. That was quite the rousing rally by the winner Awesome Gem (Awesome Again); man, he was flying! He's three for three at Santa Anita, and lost by a nose in his only other dirt race, at Del Mar. He's out of a Pentelicus half-sister to the multiple graded winner JJ's Dream, and this is the female family of Preakness winner Louis Quartorze. Maybe we'll see him against High Limit at some point soon.

discreet picks

Notes - Jan 16

- So yeah, I was at the Big A on Sunday; what else would I do after returning from a tropical paradise the night before? But I didn't do much betting, and the little I did was poor. I was distracted by the jarring change of scenery and the riveting Bears-Seahawks game. It's funny watching those games at the track. People are into the game, yelling one way or another on every big play. But they have their priorities too. It was during the stretch run of the 9th race that Rex Grossman connected on his dramatic 30 yard completion that set up Robbie Golds' winning kick. I was waiting for the reaction from those who were rooting for had bet on the Bears, but there was none. They were all riveted on the race, and I guess that's the way it should be.

I was there briefly on Monday as well, after the live racing was over. I've been keeping an eye on the rail placement on the grass course at Gulfstream in conjunction with Dick Powell's column that I posted about recently. It was set at 84 feet for the first three days, and has been set at 60 ever since. There have been winners of all types, but it seems that closers have done better of late. Powell contends that the speed does better if the rail is moved closer in, so we'll watch out for that.

The 8th was a maiden special on the grass, and in this case, 28-1 Happiness Is nearly held on wire to wire, despite moving right along on the front end in 47.41 and 1:11 flat. This is one of those horses making his career debut on the grass that you look at the pedigree and think, "Whoa," but he just doesn't get bet. He's by Dynaformer, out of a mare by the versatile Ends Well, who won the G1 United Nations on the grass. Whatsmore, his dam Mackaymackenna, was a graded stakes winner on the turf. His trainer Philip Gleaves hits at 21% with debut runners. He nearly held on but fell just short to Double Dinghy Day for Frank Alexander, his second winner of the meet. This son of Forestry out of a graded turf stakes placed Unbridled mare did extremely well to get up for the win through a swiftly run final 5/16ths of 30.29 seconds; both horses seem worth following.

The ninth race is worth checking out if you have the chance. Frankel had Welcome Again, 6-1 in the morning line shipping in from Woodbine. He went off as the 2-1 second choice, got involved three-wide in a duel around the turn, and looked dead to rights when favored Dry Martini, set up perfectly for his late run, surged to the lead in midstretch. Track announcer Larry Collmus seemed to concede the race to that one, but Frankel's horse was incredibly game in battling back to get the nod. Horses coming from Woodbine continue to do well at the Gulf, and I've noticed a few winners shipping in from the Meadowlands as well.

Two winners for Mott, giving him six for the meet, tying the Pletcher barn for the early lead.

Over on the other coast, it was a banner day for trainer John Sadler at Santa Anita. He has a nice looking three-year old colt in Exhale, a son of Millennium Wind (a $5,000 sire) who brought $800,000 as a juvenile last February, and was making his second start. In his October debut, he ran second to Notional, and that one's victory in the San Rafael on Saturday helped make Exhale the 3-10 favorite here. He didn't disappoint, rolling to a five length win at 6 1/2 furlongs. He's a half-brother to the sprinting stakes winner Private Horde.

Then Sadler took the G2 Santa Ynez with Jump On In, a three length winner over Quick Little Miss, who I still think prefers two turns. The winner got the seven furlongs 1:23.45, getting her final furlong in a nice 12.36 seconds. She's the first graded winner for her sire, the AP Indy stallion Jump Start.

Thirsty Horses and Untrustworthy Friends

- While walking to the beach a week ago Sunday, on my first day of our third trip to the idyllic island nation of Antigua, I realized that I was wearing a Daily Racing Form T-shirt, a Saratoga baseball cap, and I was carrying a Dick Francis novel. I love racing and I'm certainly not ashamed of that, but I must admit that I felt like a bit of a nerd. I would have changed shirts, but I found that most of the selection was also racing related; so I took off the book cover.

I'd actually never read a Dick Francis novel before. I got it at Christmas. One of the things about being known amongst the Head Chef's family as a, well, racing nerd, is that most all of the gifts that I get during the annual Xmas grab bag are racing related. Actually, they've all been racing related books. Nobody has ever thought to get me a gift certificate at OTB. I've received a paperback copy of Kevin Conley's fine Stud, which I already had in hard cover. I have on my shelf Racing Through the Century - The Story of Thoroughbred Racing in America, a selection from Bloodhorse entitled the Top 100 Thoroughbreds of the Century (and I'm pretty sure that I know somebody who just wrote the same book for someone else), and something called Great Horse Racing Mysteries - True Tales from the Track, which, now that I've actually opened it up to look at after two years, actually looks pretty interesting and seems like a possibility for tne next trip.

Under Orders is Francis' latest novel - he's written over 40 books according to the notes. It was fine as a beach read, taking me a bit over two days to get through the 308 pages. Even the Head Chef read it, though she'd never admit that to her stuffy book group, and she complained that she found it sexist.

Most interestingly to me, Francis brings up some salient points about the easy opportunity for chicanery created by some internet wagering sites; specifically the betting exchanges. (Here I'll supply the standard SPOILERS ALERT for anyone planning on reading the book, which just came out last September. Though I promise I'm not going to spoil the whodunit part.) Behind all the murder and mayhem is a race tampering scheme that seems altogether possible.

As to the question of Internet "exchanges," as used for betting on horse racing and other sports, I concluded that the scope for criminal activity was no more prevalent than that which existed regular bookmaker-based gambling. The significant difference was that whereas in the past only licensed bookmakers were effectively betting on a horse to lose, anyone could now do so by "laying" an horse on the exchagnes. It was potentially easier to ensure a horse lost a race than won it. Overtraining it too close to a race, or simply by keeping it thirsty for a while and then giving it a bellyful of water just before the off, were both sure ways to slow an animal down. Speeding it up was far more difficult, and far more risky.

Indeed, the villanous race-fixer in Francis' novel is an assistant trainer who denies the horses water after feeding them oats and horse cubes which make them thirsty. "It was dead easy."

In this fictional case, info on the parched horses was conveyed to an owner of a betting exchange, who adjusted his odds to attract unaware bettors. But even without that plot twist, Francis points out how simple it's become for someone to profit on the knowledge of one horse that's not well-intended, without the need for risky medications or wild conspiracies. I don't know if Francis' water torture scenario is realistic, but a too-fast or too-slow works are among what I imagine are several drug-free methods to lessen a horse's chances. Of course, you won't make the same kind of money as you would fixing a triple at Great Lakes Downs, but I imagine one could crank out some steady income.

And as far as any laws against a trainer or owner 'laying' their horse on an exchange, Francis writes: Some trusty friend was all he had needed. Even untrustworthy friends would do it for a cut of the winnings.

Looking Presidential

- The Saratogian reported over the weekend that Excelsior Racing has joined the state's motion to have NYRA's bankruptcy filing dismissed. A spokesperson for the company explained that the action is " to clarify that under state law, New York State owns all of the racetrack properties," and added that "Excelsior is joining the action because of the ad hoc committee's recommendation that Excelsior should succeed NYRA as holders of the franchise."

This seems like a way for Exclesior to play the role of the designated franchise holder - kinda like a candidate trying to making him or herself look 'presidential.' Empire is left to continue their effort to portray itself as Excelsior's equal, and they will be holding the first of their promised "town meetings" in Saratoga on Wednesday. However, with the committee having clearly selected Excelsior, Empire's forum may feel about as relevant as Dennis Kucinich soliciting suggestions on how he would treat the state when he's elected president. They are clearly not in a position to join the court motion, as it would make them seem like the follower to Excelsior that they really are at this point in time. Clever PR move by Excelsior.

The paper reports that Feb 6 is now the date that the court will hear the dismissal argument, as well as NYRA's plea to have their $50 million credit line approved with the land as collateral. Citing the good weather and steady business, NYRA's Bill Nader said that their current finances would allow them to operate into February, "how deep into February I don't know." As the court date approaches, look for Excelsior to announce that they are prepared to take over operations immediately in the case that the court rules against NYRA and throws the continuance of racing at Aqueduct in doubt.

Pletcher Jr. On a Roll

- Three winners for the Pletcher barn at Gulfstream on Sunday, as acting trainer Anthony Sciametta, Jr. won with all of his starters on the day. That gives him six winners in the last three days, and he's been first or second with eight of his last nine starters. That's impressive even for Pletcher.

Amongst the winners was the 19-1 bombshell Heat of the Night, a South African import coming off a year layoff and making his first North American start. John Velazquez did a great job overcoming the 11 post, and he ended up saving more ground than many, which helped him overcome the stubborn Defer, a one-time Derby prospect now a steady turf allowance horse at age five.

The other two winners were impressive wins by three-year olds. Perfect Forest (Forestry) graduated in her first race since Oct 1 when she romped in the 7th by nearly 10 lengths over Stormy West, a Bill Mott first-timer who was totally dead on the board at 14-1. She wired the field and drew away under a hand ride by Johnny V; and though quality of the field remains to be seen, she got the final furlong in a solid 12.31 seconds; the last three-eighths in 37.05. She was well-bet in two starts in New York in the fall, and really flashed some potential here.

In the ninth, Cowtown Cat was also impressive in winning comfortably; he lost a lot of ground on the turn, yet accelerated away from the field to win by four. This son of Distorted Humor was a $1.5 million juvenile purchase at Barrett's last year, and was the universal good thing when he finished a close 5th at 7-10 in his debut at Saratoga. After graduating in his next start, he was the 5-2 second choice in the Grade 3 Nashua at the Big A; he stumbled at the start and finished 6th. You may recall that the race was won by Day Pass, a two-for-two Darley colt who I imagine is vacationing over in Dubai these days.

- Bobby Frankel is hot at Santa Anita, and it may be worth noting that his horses are training over the Cushion Track at Hollywood. He has 7 winners and five seconds with 21 runners; and he took the Grade 2 El Encino with Sugar Shake. The four-year old daughter of Awesome Again, the seventh leading sire (by earnings) of 2006.

Notes - Jan 14

- Brisnet.com is giving away their Ultimate Past Performances from Jan 15 to Feb 14; you can access them here. These pp's provide some information on sires and dam - average winning distance, mud and first-timer percentages; a brief rundown on the dam's foal history. There are more detailed jockey stats, such as his/her record with early speed types, or with this trainer over the last 60 days. They also point out a couple of angles - positive or negative - on each horse; for example, whether the trainer or jockey is hot or cold, or if the horse's figs are competitive with the rest of the field, or not. The BRIS pp's have included pace figures for some time; as we've mentioned, Randy Moss's pace figures for the Form are currently in BETA mode.

And then there's what I suppose is the main point of contention between the BRIS and Racing Form formats - the speed figures. The Beyers in the Form have become the standard in the industry, but I do know some who prefer the less subjective figures used by BRIS.

- Two three-year old debut winners for Darley at Gulfstream on Saturday. Came To Pass (Came Home) was a $350,000 juvenile purchase last February. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite from the difficult rail position in a seven furlong race, he broke bad, but rushed up for the lead and stayed there. He's out of an Easy Goer mare who is a half-sister to a UK stakes winner.

Mandurah is an AP Indy homebred out of a French stakes-winner by Machiavellian. He descends from the distaff family of champions Fantastic Light and Golden Attraction, as well as Cape Town and the ill-fated Funfair. The third choice at 5-1, Mandurah also overcame some early trouble to prevail, and note that both colts were piloted by Edgar Prado.

It was little surprise of course to read in the Philly Inquirer that Darley inquired about Hard Spun after his first win at Delaware. I suppose that the Sheikh would have a shot to finally win a Derby if he owned all 20 of the entrants; but fortunately, there are owners like Rick Porter who have the means, and the same burning desire to win the big race, to resist. Maybe.

"It's hard to get a really good horse," said Porter, who also owns 2006 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond. "Am I tempted [to sell]? I think about it. I sit down, and think I better not sit down, or I might get tempted."
....
"I second-guess myself, too....I think about what I should do with a sound mind. Should I sell? But my desire to have a really good horse steers me back away."

The son of Danzig remained undefeated after blowing away a stakes field in his two-turn debut at Fair Grounds on Saturday. But he'll certainly have to improve on his final quarter clocking of 26.77 if he's going to be a Classics contender this spring. The Louisiana Derby is his next possible start.

And Hard Spun brings back memories of High Limit, who also dazzled at Delaware as a juvenile before going on to win his first stakes try in Louisiana. As I mentioned recently, he was scheduled to stand at stud for $6,500 in Florida. So why did he show up on last Monday's Hollywood Park workout tab with a three furlong breeze in 37.80 seconds? It appears as if he's not quite ready for the easy life.

Stable Update

- Just Zip It (City Zip) was scheduled to go in a one mile maiden special at the Big A on Monday, but she's not entered due to what is termed as a "little sensitivity" in one of her shins. Bill Turner feels that it's nothing serious, but didn't want to take a chance. Disappointing that it's taking so long to get her back to the races after such a promising debut.

But Highland Cat is back, and so is his back, which has apparently responded extremely well to the treatment he received during his stint on the farm. That was evidenced by his half mile workout on Saturday, which went in an uncharacteristically quick 48.90 (13/67); and he was reported to not even "blowing hard" afterwards. That was just his second timed workout since returning to Belmont a couple of weeks ago, and Turner said: "He's dead fit." A one mile race on Feb 8 is a possibility for the now four-year old gelded son of Tactical Cat.

And Christening, who we last saw recuperating from surgery after fracturing a condylar bone while finishing second at Delaware last summer, has had the screws removed and Castle Village's half partner in the filly wants to bring her back to the races in June. Castle Village is in negotiations to sell our interest to the other party, as we don't wish to carry half of her training expenses over the next six months at least.

The Gate Is Closed

- Time for a break. The Head Chef and I are headed back to one of our favorite paradise spots, and I'm leaving the laptop behind. Left at the Gate will return on Saturday, Jan 13th, unless the Jets beat the Pats this Saturday and I'm watching the game. As always, thanks so much for stopping by, and for the wonderful comments and feedback you've contributed in the nearly two years of this blog, (the archives of which are listed by month on the right sidebar, or at the bottom if you're using some versions of Explorer). It's that thoughtful feedback and kind words that inspire me to keep going.

Feel free to use this as an open thread to discuss anything that's going on, or to talk behind my back (though I'll see it next week). Enjoy the races and, again, here's wishing you a Happy and Safe New Year.

Peace.

A Look Back Not Long Ago

- I suppose I should have posted the following comments by Kiaran McLaughlin concerning Jazil before today's race.

"We want to finish one-two-three....If the track is speed biased and we finish second we will all understand that. Hopefully, he's running late and moves forward from the race." [Daily Racing Form]

But similar remarks were in all the pre-race stories, so hopefully you'd read that and didn't contribute to the money that sent him off at .45 cents to the dollar. I know the field wasn't impressive. But here the trainer was basically telling you not to bet him in the win spot; and the horse did fine, though Fernando Jara didn't really appear to ride him with victory in mind.

This brings to mind the comments by John Ward in 2000 prior to the Wood; I don't recall his exact words, but they were similar in tone to that of McLaughlin's. He more or less told you that Monarchos was using the race as a prep and that they'd be happy with a good finish. I used that to cash a nice ticket on him in the Derby, and that's been my last score in the race. However, I touted Smarty Jones to everyone I knew. Really. I didn't like him to win at 4-1, but I didn't like Lion Heart, who split the exacta with Imperialism, which was my top choice for second. I would have had a nice score; he was the sixth choice at almost 11-1.

Don't believe me? As I noted above, I'm going away and this will be my last post of substance until next Saturday. Plus, when I get back it will be right around the two year anniversary of LATG. So I thought I'd take this occasion to leave you with this blast from the past. This is actually pre-Left at the Gate. It's the Kentucky Derby preview I sent out to everyone I know in 2004, in what was an annual and usually fruitless enterprise. Besides me obviously bragging - and Derby bragging rights never expire - it's interesting to look back at some of the names. It seems much longer ago than it was to me; I guess that what's happens when the sport's stars all retire at 3 and 4. I don't believe that any of these horses raced in 2006 other than Imperialism, who was out of the money in two starts, and they were only five years old after all. Also, at least one of the Derby handicapping theories I spoke about is already starting to change. But anyway, without further adieu, I bid you adieu until next Saturday, the 13th. And here is how I saw the Derby in 2004.

With no big name star nor clear-cut favorite set to start in Saturday’s 130th running of the Kentucky Derby, and with the big horse race in November and the continuing events surrounding and confounding it continuing to heat up, this year’s affair seems a bit subdued. In fact, perhaps the biggest news to come out of Louisville in the days leading up to the race has been the legal battle between the jockeys and the state of Kentucky over the riders’ right to wear advertising on their silks. A judge ruled in favor of the jocks on Thursday. Don’t expect any poitical ads, as the available space on the pint-sized men is far too little for Kerry to explain all his Senate votes, or to accommodate nearly enough lies to make it worthwhile for Bush-Cheney.

In fact, the full field of 20 colts, the largest field since 1984. is kinda like the Democratic primary field - all the contenders have some kind of flaw; so we’ll try to pick one based on his selectability, and separate the Kerrys from the Kucinichs (is he still in the race?) Racing luck will be key - the track will be more congested than a mob of oil company executives trying to get into a meeting of Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force - so this year more than ever, betting value is the key factor in making your selection.

Here’s a look some of the contenders:

THE CLIFF’S EDGE is the morning line favorite at 4-1, and the logical favorite as well. He comes off a smashing victory in the Blue Grass Stakes and his style of closing from far back is the kind that gets Derby bettors all excited. He’s 2 for 2 on the Churchill Downs track, and has thrived in his workouts there this week. He’s trained by the popular New York native Nick Zito, who has won the Derby twice, and has a very high voice. He has a lot of things going for him. But he will be far back early, and will need more racing luck than his odds will probably justify.

SMARTY JONES is undefeated in six lifetime starts. He’s this year’s unfashionably bred, little guy story, having started his career at miserable Philadelphia Park. He comes to the Derby off two wins at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, most recently a tough win from a bad post in the Arkansas Derby. Although he is being lumped in by many with a group of speedy types that are supposed to burn themselves out and set it up for the likes off The Cliff’s Edge, he, in fact, has shown the ability to sit closely behind the pace and from his outside post, his rider Stewart Elliot should be able to survey the situation and position his charge accordingly. A Pennsylvania-bred in the Derby winner’s circle seems as out of place as the Republican Convention in New York City, but this one has a shot.

TAPIT is trained by the eccentric Englishman Michael Dickinson, who is known for his unorthodox training methods. He maintains his horses at his own training Center, and brought his own grass along to Kentucky so Tapit could graze as usual. Tapit comes into the Derby off of an amazing last to first win in the Wood Memorial here at Aqueduct which shocked even Dickinson, who was only looking for a tuneup; an attempt to duplicate that here would require much luck. The horse appeared to be distracted by the crowd while coming down the stretch, but he was really just looking for Governor Pataki to confirm their dinner appointment for later that night. Note that physical problems meant a late start in 2004, and this is only his third start of the year. Only one horse in the last 50 years has won the Derby under those circumstances.

LION HEART is a speedy type who will break from the inside 3 post. In order to get clear and get out to the lead, he’ll have to break out there faster than a family of ducks at a Dick Cheney hunting trip. He finished second, only a half-length behind The Cliff’s Edge in the Blue Grass, and appears to me to be the horse who should have the lead heading into the backstretch, but he should be challenged by Smarty Jones as they approach the final turn. And he too is only making his third start of the year. History in this race has always proven to be a formidable handicapping tool.

All-world trainer Todd Pletcher sends out two colts: POLLARD’S VISION is blind in his right eye, so he can’t see horses coming up to the outside of him in the stretch. (He’s named after Red Pollard, Seabiscuit’s jockey, who was also blind in that eye.) This did not stop him however from holding off a challenger (SONG OF THE SWORD, another entrant here) in his front running victory in the Illinois Derby, the exact same way War Emblem won that race before his Derby win in 2000. He’s versatile and can also sit behind the front runners and rally in the stretch. This colt has progressed very well and should offer good betting value. LIMEHOUSE breaks from the rail, and with all the action going on outside of him, will be unlikely to be able to establish a cozy spot a couple lengths off the pace as he likes to.

ACTION THIS DAY’s approval rating has gone down faster than that of President Bush. It seems as if his surprise win in last year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile was an exception rather than the rule. He’s finished no better than fourth in three 2004 starts, but his trainer Richard Mandella insists that he’s had excuses: He wasn’t ready in his first race back. He had a bad back. He was distraught and disturbed over Passion of the Christ. Would be a surprise, as well as the first horse to win the Juvenile and the Derby.

FRIENDS LAKE and READ THE FOOTNOTES, a pair of New York-breds, both last raced in the Florida Derby seven weeks ago and have been trained up to the Derby. Friends Lake held off The Cliff’s Edge in that race, which was run in a slow time; Read the Footnotes ran the fastest race any of these have run this year in his start prior to the Florida Derby, but then disappointed. No horse since 1956 has won the Derby without having run in his last 28 days, including many highly regarded contenders. Speaking of NY-breds, last year’s popular winner Funny Cide will be on hand to help Sackatoga Stable promote their latest marketing deal, having announced that the gelding will star as Rocky Balboa in the highly anticipated remake of Rocky III.

IMPERIALISM is trained by 21 year old Kristin Mulhall, who would become the first woman and the youngest ever to train a Derby winner, quite a remarkable story in itself. The horse has improved markedly since she assumed training duties three races ago, and comes into this race off of three really solid stakes tries in California. Seems hard to imagine this young trainer knocking off the game’s best conditioners here, but could be part of a big exacta or triple. And if you like Imperialism, you have to like CASTLEDALE, who rallied to beat the former in the Santa Anita Derby.

That’s the problem in handicapping this race, you could really make a case for almost anyone. WIMBLEDON is trained by Bob Baffert, who has won this race three times. He won the Louisiana Derby, but disappointed behind the aforementioned pair in the Santa Anita Derby. (He's a late scratch this morning) MASTER DAVID is trained by all-universe Bobby Frankel, and ran a nice second behind Tapit in the Wood. BORREGO closes well and finished a nice second to Smarty Jones in his last, and wouldn’t be a shock if he finds a clear path.

TOP SELECTIONS:

SMARTY JONES - Oh man, it’s the cheesy “little guy” type pick. But recall we mentioned the flaws of the contenders, and this one’s flaws are only the perceived ones of supposedly inferior bloodlines and class. He’s undefeated, and has trained brilliantly over the track this week. Sits behind Lion Heart, takes over the lead going into the final turn, and they’ll have him to catch turning for home.

IMPERIALISM - Improved and consistent, can get a big piece of the purse for his young trainer.

POLLARD’S VISION - Could win this if able to rate behind the leaders.

THE CLIFF’S EDGE - Figures right there, running style is his only flaw.

BORREGO - Live longshot is extremely consistent and on the improve.

Notes - Jan 5

- It's obvious who's running the show at Philadelphia Park:

“We were asked (by casino management) if we could finish the live racing card by 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, because it would help.” [Bloodhorse.com]

So weekend cards there will commence at noon, and end with the 8th race at around 4 PM to alleviate congestion. And while the track says they'll add a race each onto the Monday and Tuesday cards, that doesn't help those racing fans only able to make it on the weekends. Maybe the jockeys there should appeal to casino management to get their on-track insurance increased from the current paltry $100,000 from which the track refuses to budge despite the slots bonanza that has already begun.

- Nick Zito has checked out the slots at Gulfstream, and he told the Miami Herald: "It's like they're robotic. It's like they're hypnotized."

The track "estimated" its opening day crowd at 8,000. In 2004, the opening-day crowd at the meet was announced at more than 21,000.

- More bad news for us Direct TV fans - Oaklawn has signed up with HRTV, and though the agreement is not exclusive, the track's deal with TVG has expired. Continued broadcast of the races on TVG is the subject of negotiations. If no deal is reached, then HRTV would be the only place to watch Gulfstream, Santa Anita, and Oaklawn, and perhaps TVG will ship Todd Schrrrrmmmmppfff and Frank Lyons east to set up shop at the Big A. TVG treated Oaklawn rather shabbily last year and decided not to carry many of their races.

- Sheikh Maktoum's son Sheikh Rashid has purchased probable Eclipse winner Thor's Echo for an undisclosed price, and he'll bring him to Dubai.

- Bob Baffert is losing Downthedustyroad and Point Ashley. They've been sent to Kentucky where they'll be sold at auction later this month.

- Dick Powell, writing on BRISNET.com, says to keep an eye on the placement of the rail on the turf course at Gulfstream.

Last year, we had a lot of difficulty handicapping the turf course until some research turned up some trends. What we found was that when the rail is out at its farthest lane (84'), wide closers seem to have an advantage. We also found that when the rail was down or at 12', inside speed did very well.
.....
According to BRIS' Track Bias Stats, closers do well on the Gulfstream turf course regardless of where the rail is placed. In 77 races going a mile last year, the speed bias was only 32 percent and only 13 percent of the races were led gate to wire. In 137 races going 1 1/16 miles in 2006, the speed bias was 44 percent with 17 percent going gate to wire. And, in 40 races going 1 1/8 miles last year, the speed bias was 42 percent and only 8 percent went gate to wire.

But if you follow the rail placement, especially at the outer extremes of 72 and 84 feet and the inner extremes of 0 and 12 feet, you can fine tune your handicapping, giving an edge to deep closers when the rail is far out and inside speed when the rail is on the inside of Gulfstream's expansive turf course. The rail placement is not going to be listed the next time these horses run back so you are going to have to keep track of where the rail has been placed.

The results charts on BRIS do note the placement, which was 84 feet on opening day. All three grass races were won by closers, two of them definitely of the deep variety. Powell explains that: Gulfstream stays with the same rail placement for an entire week, but sometimes inclement weather or major turf stakes races might force a one-day change.

I see that Powell also had Dug In on Wednesday, and Vanquisher closed from way back to win first time on the grass for Mott. Going back to last year's meet, Mott has won 6 of his last 18, or 33% in that category at the Gulf. He has one in Sweet Smile, who has particularly poor dirt form, going in the 5th today, and he's Illman's horse of the day. I haven't really been following his daily spot plays, so I don't know whether that's good or bad. Barclay Tagg has a first-time starter in the race - Pastel Gal is by Lemon Drop Kid out of a mare by the turf champion Theatrical. She's a half-sister to the stakes winning Lyracist, and is inbred 4x3 to the Euro champ Nureyev. She's out of a half-sister to the Haskell winner Lost Mountain.

The Franchise on Crystal Balls

- Time to whip out the old crystal ball, and see what's in store for the racing franchise in New York State, where NYRA has now entered their final year.

January - A state judge rules that NYRA owns the land the tracks sit on, at least until their franchise expires at the end of the year. Thus, the association can use the land as collateral to obtain $50 million in loans. Furthermore, declaring that the state caused NYRA irreperable harm by wrongly preventing the sale of land parcels and artwork, the judge gives NYRA additional compensation, awarding it the parking lots taken by the Port Authority, the Empire Plaza in Albany, and former Governor Pataki's wife Libby.

February - As the scope of the FBI investigation of his business activities grows, and despite increasing calls from both parties to step down as Majority Leader, Sen. Joseph Bruno remains adamant in his refusal to do so. Whatsmore, in his continuing effort to be "up front," he acknowledges that he invested in Empire Racing upon its formation in October, 2005. When asked about the obvious conflict, Bruno responds that it's "too damn bad. What is Empire, a second-class citizen?"

March - NYRA's standing in Albany is improving since the land ruling, and lawmakers race to get on the bandwagon. Governor Spitzer hails NYRA's aggressive reform program as a central part of his ethics drive, and the state legislature unanimously declares March 15th to be Charlie Hayward Day. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle wait for hours for a chance to kiss up to the NYRA boss. NYRA spokesperson Libby Pataki announces that as a gesture of good will, it will lease Empire Plaza back to the state, though it will continue to display its artwork in The Egg.

April - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, seeking consistency in his policy on owners having interests in casinos, rules that Steve Swindal may retain his involvement with the Yankees as long as he marries Marian Ilitch. A hasty ceremony is arranged in a Mormon church, but the issue becomes moot when the Yankees lose their first 18 games and George Steinbrenner fires Swindal as his son-in-law.

Capital Play Ltd, still on the outside looking in, increases its offer to $3 billion, and attempts to win over fans by handing out $100 bills to those heading into the Big A for the Wood Memorial Presented by Evident Technologies. On the same card, Discreet Cat makes a smashing 2007 debut in the Carter Handicap Presented by the Shinnecock Indian Nation, prompting the inexperienced new track announcer, Libby Pataki, to excitedly exclaim, "The Legend is back!"

May - In another victory for NYRA, a state judge chides former Gov. Pataki for his blatant delaying tactics that prevented the construction of the Aqueduct racino; she orders the State Lottery to immediately approve the agreement and green light the project. Ecstatic, Hayward immediately has slots installed in outdoor tents in the reclaimed parking lots, as well as in his living room and garage.

June - After non-stop round-the-clock construction, MGM Grand announces that it has completed the Aqueduct racino in a record 17 days, even before Dreaming of Anna's attempt to win the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes Presented by Magna Entertainment.

The doors to the racino open, and the money starts to flow. MGM Grand's controlling investor Kirk Kerkorian purchases the remaining outstanding shares of the company. He then exercises a clause in the racino contract so finely printed that the Lottery Division didn't see it during its two year inspection. Presidential candidate Pataki says, "YOU SEE!?" The language allows Kerkorian to purchase the deeds to the land the tracks sit on for $24. He thus claims control of NYRA and the three tracks, ousts Hayward, and immediately announces his intention to install slots at Empire Plaza, and in a lavish new racino smack in the middle of the Saratoga infield.

Outraged Saratoga residents immediately take to the streets and surround their sacred land, vowing to never leave. News reports claim that 21% of the population has been admitted to local hospitals with symptoms of shock. Marylou Whitney is said to be apoplectic, and quite literally speechless. Empire releases a blank press release in her name.

July - In a rare show of bipartisanship, Senator Hilary Clinton, flanked by leaders of both parties, announces that Kirk Kerkorian has been declared an enemy combatant and shipped to Guantanamo Bay. Charles Hayward is welcomed back with high fives and embraces, and poses for victory photos with the beaming trio of Pataki, Bruno, and Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver. In Saratoga, Hayward is honored with a ticker tape parade, and Broadway is renamed NYRA Place.

Capital Play Ltd returns with a newly sweetened offer, plus a promise from the Australian government to prevent Kylie Minogue and Men At Work from ever setting foot in this country again.

Saratoga - Its future is still uncertain, but NYRA, flush with cash from the wildly successful Aqueduct racino, is finally able to concentrate on what it does best - conduct the greatest race meet in the universe at Saratoga. A serene calm seems to descend upon the beleaguered town as the meet opens to large and enthusiastic crowds. The air seems just a little bit clearer, the leaves on the majestic oaks a bit greener. The horses seem to glide effortlessly over the Bill Nader training track in the perfectly clear and crisp mornings. The weather is sunny and 78 degrees every single day.

With slots money lifting the already lofty purses to unprecedented heights, the best stables in the country descend upon the Spa. NYRA buys Saratoga Harness and evicts the horsemen to make room for theirs. Overflow fields fill 11 races a day. All of the stars are there. The Arlington Million and Beverly D are cancelled because all of the top turf horses in the world are at Saratoga. Discreet Cat romps in an early allowance on the grass, just for the hell of it. Excitement builds when Dreaming of Anna's new trainer Libby Pataki announces that the filly will indeed try to avenge her defeat by Scat Daddy in the Belmont, and run against him in the Travers Stakes Presented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In the climactic Woodward on the final weekend, Discreet Cat turns for home with a short lead. But Invasor is closing in, Lava Man is battling back along the inside, Nobiz Like Shobiz has room between horses, Premium Tap is gathering momemtum, Tiz Wonderful won't give up, Declan's Moon is in with a shot, and wow, isn't that Perfect Drift flying on the outside?

On the final day, Barbaro makes a stop on his way to the Southern Hemisphere for some shuttle stallion duty. He prances down the stretch as a packed crowd stands and cheers wildly. Even the people in the backyard area go up front and pay attention; some have to ask for directions. They all celebrate the spirit and courage of their favorite animals, embodied by the courageous 2006 Horse of the Year, miraculously back from the near-dead and full of life and vitality right before their very eyes. After the last race, thousands of teary-eyed fans refuse to leave; or maybe they're just unable to pull themselves away from a magical meeting they know they'll never experience quite the likes of again.

Empire issues a press release claiming that “NYRA’s rosy spin is betrayed by the facts," pointing out that attendance on Wednesdays was down 3% from 2002.

October - The euphoria of Saratoga yields as NYRA's fortunes starts to slide. Belmont settles into its usual October chill, and as more fans choose to catch the races from the comfort of the Big A Racino, the huge building seems as lifeless as ever. Empire issues press releases mocking the dwindling attendance every day.

Excelsior unleashes Howard Wolfson, who launches a vicious negative campaign against NYRA. The ads revive the emphasis on the association's past troubles with the law. ("Alan Hevesi called NYRA a poster boy for corruption. And he knows about corruption.") Charles Hayward is accused of once joking about wanting to fix a race. Bill Nader is said to have boarded a city bus that Sheldon Silver was on and offered him a bite of his sandwich. George Pataki is said to have once called 911 to complain that Libby hadn't showered in ten days. As the franchise race turned into the home stretch, NYRA was losing ground.

November - Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum enters the picture, offering not only to outbid all the players combined for the franchise, but to buy all of New York State, though with the specific exclusion of the cities of Buffalo and Poughkeepsie, the Daily Racing Form, Alex Rodriguez' contract, Jeanine Pirro, the Northway, the Knicks, Trump Tower, any person, place, horse, or thing employed or owned by Coolmore, a Jewish deli on lower Broadway whose corned beef wasn't lean enough for his tastes, around 100 unnamed people who he saw betting against Discreet Cat, and Woody Allen.

Capital Play respnds by offering to move the Melbourne Cup to Aqueduct. Empire says they will match any offer dollar for dollar, and unveils a litany of new investors in the form of hedge funds and investment banks. Excelsior promises to never conduct any dog racing in the state. Tensions are high as the final decision nears.

December - Governor Spitzer awards the franchise to Libby Pataki, noting that "she really seems to have taken to this." George Pataki denies that his wife's ownership of a casino is a conflict of interest to his presidential ambitions, and introduces, as his running mate, Marian Ilitch.

NYRA goes back to court to claim permanent ownership of the land. And the drama goes on into 2008 (and that is the only one of the abovementioned events which is almost certain to occur).

Notes - Jan 4

- I was looking pretty smart midstretch when 11-1 Dug Up opened up a couple of lengths in the 7th at Gulfstream on Wednesday. But he couldn't last, and it's worth noting he was caught four wide on the first turn. The winner, Vanquisher, is a Bill Mott-trainee making his first start on the turf.

Two winners for the Todd Pletcher barn provided an immediate reminder of what a farce his suspension is. Fairbanks, back in allowance company after an unsuccessful stakes try, paid a bit more down towards his $1.85 million purchase price, but the four-year old still has around a million to go to break even.

Three winners and a second place finisher on the card came from Woodbine. Let's keep an eye on horses that have been training there and at other tracks with artificial surfaces.

The races were not carried by New York OTB's, and Florida HBPA Executive Director Kent Stirling sounds like they're in for the long haul. “We figure that a lot of this business will be picked up anyway as players in New York bet through NYRA [New York Racing Association] outlets.” [Thoroughbred Times]

Slots Players Worth Fighting For?

- Semi-anonymous poster KH writes:

I thought the modus operandi for casinos, was no clocks, no windows, lots of sweetening pumped through the vents,etc..... It does not seem illogical to assume that you really aren't going to convert any slots players to racing, so why not just try and optimize the wallet sucking and don't bother with the pretence of "conversion". It seems to me that table gamers and poker players would be a better target for conversion anyway as they are a bit more "sophisticated" as a whole.

That's a very fair point. Watching some of the zombies slots players mesmerized by the VLT's, the last thing I'd picture them doing is analyzing Todd Pletcher's record with three-year olds switching from dirt to turf off 91-180 day layoffs. So perhaps the right thing to do is to just squeeze as much money out of them as possible without any distractions.

On the other hand, I've observed a fairly young crowd hanging out at the Saratoga Harness racino, especially in the party tent, and I have seen people in the racino take a break to catch a race. So it seems to me that it's a pretty grim approach to just write them off entirely.

But more importantly, if you presume, as I do, that the day will come when there are table games and possibly sports betting at racetracks, I think you want to at least have the infrastructure in place to try and lure them over. I suppose you can always stick in some betting windows and TV's; but it obviously would be better if the buildings are constructed with a view of the track and spaces dedicated for watching and betting.

I read these quotes today in the Miami Herald from Gulfstream president Paul Micucci:

A lot of guys have gotten into the `racino' business and have become casino guys because they forget about what used to be their primary business....And I've seen casino guys buy race tracks, and big companies buy race tracks. They say they're doing it because they want to get in the horse racing business. They want to stay in the casino business. They just want to do it with race tracks. We're not like that at all.

"On the casino side we have a beautiful venue, but it's not our primary business....It's our secondary business. We're very good at it, but we really want to make sure we keep the racing first and out front."

I'm very interested to see whether his attitude is reflected by the presence of horse racing in those casino rooms.

- Eclipse finalists listed here.

News and Notes - Jan 3

- After a two-day shutdown, tracks in Massachussets should be reopen today after state legislators put aside their debate over gay marriage for a few minutes to pass a bill extending simulcasting for two years. Had they not gotten around to it, the tracks could have remained closed for a few weeks. One change authorized by the bill is to allow Suffolk to reduce the number of live races run from 1,100 to 900. Track owners had lobbied for the changes, with the industry facing a dropoff in interest in live racing amid fierce competition from casinos and other gambling venues. [Boston Herald]

- Here's a change for you - a racino that's losing money. Owner Jeff Gural of New York's upstate Vernon Downs harness track says that after paying 60% of revenue to the state, and 10% towards purses and breeding funds, the remaining 30% isn't enough, and he's losing a half million a month. The 777 machines were expected to produce $1 million a week in revenue; Gural told the Post Standard of Syracuse that last week's total revenues were about $690,000.

He also cites competition from the nearby Indian casino, Turning Stone, which pays no taxes at all. A spokesperson for the tribe responds: "That's a false statement....They have the advantages of horse racing, off-track betting and alcohol." Gural knew about the casino and the taxes when he invested in the track.

"I was told people would patronize us because of the fact that the money goes to pay taxes and education, and at Turning Stone the money goes to the tribe....That's not the case. People don't seem to care where the money goes."

I can't imagine he really thought that gamblers would tap their benevolent side to make their casino choices. The fact is that Turning Stone, besides permitting smoking, is a full-blown casino, complete with roulette and blackjack and all that other good stuff. And Gural's complaints are no doubt a preview of what we'll hear from racino owners as more tribal casinos open throughout the region.

- As of last night, there's still no agreement allowing NY's OTB's to carry the Gulfstream signal. Florida horsemen, who have the power to withhold the signal, are seeking an increase in the fees from 2.55 to 2.85 percent.

- There seems to be a lot of excitement about Jazil running on Friday, and I'm not sure if it's about the horse himself, or just the novelty of the Belmont winner running before an intimate audience on the inner track at the Big A. After all, the horse is a plodder pure and simple who turned out to be best suited at a distance for which hardly any of our thoroughbreds are at all. Kiaran McLaughlin told the Albany Times-Union: "We're expecting Jazil to run very well....We know he will be running on late but if he doesn't win, it's not the end of the world. We're not going to retire him."

I would have absolutely no qualms in betting against him if there was any attractive alternative in the field. But there's not, really. It's a typical weak winter second level allowance which happens to have the Belmont winner in it. I could maybe mention Chief Speed, coming off a decent two-turn win against weaker. But why bother?

Will Frank Be A Slots Wizard?

- I noted the improvements at Gulfstream in the last post, and took the opportunity to mock Frank Stronach, but maybe that wasn't fair in this particular case. Sure, he fucked up one of the truly greatest race tracks you ever could see. But give him credit where it's due, and he did address the saddling area, the lack of free grandstand seating, and lowered some seat prices; those were the three main complaints that I heard about Gulfstream last year. As I've said before, I don't think he's an evil guy and I think he means well. But we don't really want him in our state.

What I'm really interested in knowing is if there's anything in the slots room to indicate that it's actually located in a horse racing place. Bill Finley, writing on ESPN.com, listed that as one of the things he'd change if he could.

I will order that every racetrack that has a slots room also have a mutuel window in that area, television screens showing the races and, whenever possible, an unobstructed view of the racetrack. I've had it with racino managements who do everything possible to keep the slot players from even knowing that horse racing is going on somewhere else on the premises.

The two racinos I've seen are exactly as he describes; particularly that new slots building on the Yonkers grandstand that doesn't even have any windows. I'm interested to see what Stronach has done there, espeicially considering that he has those Horse Wizard machines he was trying to push. They sat in an empty room at Gulfstream last year, and Stronach was mocked for that, including perhaps by me if I recall correctly; but I actually think he has the right idea there. They look and sound like slot machines, but they're hooked right in to the betting pools. As stated on Magna's website: It also allows a new visitor to actually wager on real, live horse racing.

Horse Wizard represents one of the greatest tools to horse racing's future success. Horse Wizard can operate as a funnel that pulls people into our establishments and evolves them into true, loyal horse racing fans that frequent our businesses.

OK, well, maybe Frank is being a bit optimistically naive here for a change, but consider having these machines in a slots parlor that has a view of the track, and races on big screens with Larry Collmus' call booming over the din of the machines. Then you just might have something there in terms of exposing slot players to the races. It certainly would be more than what I've seen thus far. Which is nothing.

So, if anyone is down at Gulfstream, perhaps you can write in and let us know if there is any attempt to show the races in the parlors, and if the Horse Wizard machines are there.

- As I mentioned, it ain't a great opening day card, and reader Serena's Song correctly notes that they at least could have had some nice maiden races. There is a decent maiden race for newly-turned three year olds on the turf though. The morning line favorite in the 7th is Stan Hough's Holiday Trip, who missed by a neck to Pletcher's eventual stakes winner Twilight Meteor in his debut at Saratoga; and then ran second there to Pickapocket, who was a disappointment at 3-1 in the Trop Park Derby the other day.

Let's take a shot with Dug In. He's raced twice on the grass at Calder, missing by a head in his grass debut in October with what was called a very rough trip. In his last, on the turf, he again had a horrible trip. Already towards the back of the pack going into the turn, he was checked and carried four wide. He started to gain while wide on the second turn, but seemed to flatten out. However, he then came late down the center of the track, missing by only three lengths while finishing fifth in what was a race with some pretty nice horses. The winner, One of the Best, has already come back to beat an allowance field

Now he has another crummy post, but he picks up Johnny V. Looks worth a shot at or close to his 8-1 morning line.

- Dug In is by the Montbrook stallion Snuck In, out of a Gate Dancer half sister to the Met Mile winner Yankee Victor.

News and Notes - Jan 2

- A rather inglorious opening day at Gulfstream on Wednesday, with no stakes race on the card, and no entries permitted from horses stabled at Payson Park due to the herpes virus scare. The quarantine there is scheduled to be lifted in time for entries taken for Saturday's card, which will include the Hal's Hope, for which Sweetnorthernsaint and Strong Contender are possibilities.

There will be, however, a new saddling area, and 750 grandstand seats in the North Park area, which sounds like it's intended to be an outdoor picnic-type area, something that was sorely missed last year.

“Frank Stronach heard the fans and under his direction we took steps to get them closer to the game,” said Bill Murphy, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “One of those steps is the further development of North Park. Fans will have the opportunity to enjoy the Florida sunshine while getting up close and personal watching the world’s greatest sport. Combine the proximity that North Park offers with free seating and nearby amenities of all kinds, and I think it’s the greatest bargain in racing.” [Gulfstream Press Release]

That's Frank for you, always listening to the fans. They'll also be a new track announcer in the unfailingly precise Larry Collmus, so you'll at least know exactly when your horse has entered the starting gate.

And, of course, slot machines, and the higher purses that result from them.

The featured third race, a second-level allowance at nine furlongs for older horses, offers a purse of $48,000, including Florida Owners Awards. The same race a year ago was worth only $35,000. [Daily Racing Form]

An additional 700 machines in addition to the present 517 are expected to be installed before the meet comes to a close in April.

- If you plan on going out to Gulfstream, make sure to bring enough money. Florida lawmakers, looking out for our best interests, prohibited the presence of ATM machines on the premises of slots facilities. The track will actually offer a shuttle service that will take fans off the track property to their choice of two bank branches on nearby Hallandale Beach Boulevard. [DRF]

- After Barbaro won it last year, The Tropical Park Derby garnered a bit more attention on Monday. And David Vivian, the trainer of winner Soldier's Dancer, is looking to follow in the Derby champ's footsteps. Vivian believes Soldier's Dancer could transfer his stakes-winning form across the grass onto the dirt. He said the Feb. 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream could be the gelding's next start. [Sun-Sentinal]

- Rene Douglas, as well as the other riders banned from Tampa Bay and Philly Park, will be prohibited from riding at Gulfstream as well. But Douglas at least got in one day at Hawthorne at the track's closing day.

"We can't operate blindly," Hawthorne track president Tim Carey had previously said about the decision to permit Douglas to ride. "Unless we are given a ruling, or are presented significant information on the issue that is preventing the riders in question from being allowed to compete at these tracks, we will not pass judgement. They will be viewed in good standing." [Bloodhorse]