Big Country

Days like today make it tough to stick with this thing about concentrating on the inner track as opposed to Gulfstream. No less than four maiden claiming events at the Big A; one of them was a state-bred $15,000 affair, quite possibly the cheapest race I've ever seen in New York. Meanwhile, it was fast and firm at Gulfstream, with full fields and some nice wide-open races.

Contessa had three winners up here; Precisely That ($9.80) and Chief Operator ($7.20) were dropping in claiming tag; while Not Now ($9) was moving up off the claim from Jacobson. So the trainer did a good job placing his stock where they could win on this day (two seconds and two thirds as well).

We're still not quite sure whether or not Seventh Street is merely a mud lark. The track didn't look bad at all, but was labeled muddy, so all three of her wins have come over off tracks, and her Tomlinson is 412. It was her first try around two turns, and she galloped around more or less at a steady 24 second clip (24.84 for the final quarter as she was cruising home with no competition around). But the field was one of dubious quality, so questions remain in my mind. What they are, I'm not exactly sure, but I'd bet against her in a more competitive race.

Judge Margaret ($6.70) was the third winner in a row for trainer John Parisella; each one was dropping in class.

At Gulfstream, Graham Motion had two winners and is off to a 6-3-1-1 start. Ken McPeek now has four winners from ten starters after taking both divisions of the three-year old allowance races. Free Country (well-supported at 2.40-to-1) is by Big Country, a son of AP Indy who, according to Pedigree Query, won two races and $74,000 in 13 starts, and is, or was, "retired & standing at Bona Terra Farms, LLC in Georgetown, KY." However, once again, a search at the Stallion Register yielded no result, and I fear for his well-being.

Big Country was also a band from Scotland, whose 1983 debut, The Crossing, was a big alternative hit. It was also the high point of their career, though I thought that their followup, Steeltown, was underrated (while acknowledging the consensus criticism that it offered nothing new). In concert though, these guys kicked ass; my second favorite live band of the 80's. I saw two them play triumphant shows; at Roseland in 1983, and a few years later outdoors on a west side pier facing the UPS building, I forget the name. The band's founder and singer, Stuart Adamson, died in 2001, the fate I fear his band's equine namesake has met. Anyway, without further adieu.... [UPDATE: Thanks to reader apajax6, we've thankfully tracked down Big Country, living the easy life, we hope, in Trinidad and Tobago.

Happy New Year Indeed

The comments I'm reading from trainers at Santa Anita are the harshest I've yet to see regarding a synthetic racetrack; an incredible and sobering turn of events from the praise for the surface after last fall's Breeders' Cup. The horsemen teed off on Pro-Ride founder Ian Pearse during a meeting on Wednesday.

"Training on this track is like walking on a minefield," [Vladimir Cerin] said. "The question is, who will be next?
.....
Said [Mel] Stute: "In the past 40 years, I've had 12 fatalities, and nine have come on these synthetic tracks. They've been a pain in the (rear)."

About 20 minutes into the meeting, Stute got up, mumbled, "I've heard enough of this (bleep)," and left.

[Henry] Moreno told the assembled group he thinks racing should go back to traditional dirt tracks.

"This is the worst I've ever seen in my 58 years in racing," he said. [SGVTribune.com]

[Darrell] Vienna said: “It was horrific. There were holes, it was uneven, and it was dangerous. They [synthetic surfaces] are no good.

“The promises at the beginning were they were safe, consistent, maintenance-free, and all-weather. They are not safe, they're not maintenance-free, they're not consistent, and they can't take water. None of it is true.”
....
Trainer Bruce Headley, who won the Breeders' Cup Sprint in 2000 with Kona Gold, equated training and racing on a synthetic surface to swimming across a river full of alligators. “Some of us will survive, some won't,” he said. [Evening Standard UK]

Pearse had little to say other than to cite the change in weather from the fall, and the fact that the US is the only country where there is training and racing on the same track on the same day and that adjustments need to be made. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday, and it seems as if this situation is coming to a head right now. From the sound of it, I certainly wouldn't be shocked if this year's Breeders' Cup is run on dirt. Hopefully, whatever is done, a decision will be made in a timely manner so that owners and trainers can plan this year's campaigns accordingly, and not left guessing about the surface like they were last year.

After all the talk about how awful 2008 was for the sport, between this and the precipitous handle declines reported for last year and, especially, December, 2009 ain't starting out much better.

Aqueduct Notes

Steve in nc writes: Another Jacobson layoff horse won today. That would be Trophy Road in Wednesday's third who, as we'd mentioned, was taking a big drop off a long layoff. The bettors made him a tentative 2.75-to-1 second choice, wary no doubt of the circumstances considering the two career best races last February which preceded his hiatus. He won well in hand and didn't get claimed, so perhaps the trainer slipped this one by, picking up an easy $28,200 in earnings.

Jacobson is on a streak now of 9-4-0-3; and Victorious Dream was also dropping in class off a layoff (albeit not nearly as long as Trophy Road).

And the feature today was a gift, no?

Yeah, I was looking at Smokin Hero ($12), in part because his trainer, Alan Iwinski, has been live here of late. He also ran second in the opener with American Queen, and is on a modest run of 9-3-2-1 here at the Big A. Smokin Hero won off by 12, one of many runaway winners on just a typically awful day of sloppy track racing. Can't we make this synthetic track thing work? I don't recall why I lost interest in this one - all of his off track races were good and his Tomlinson is 394.

Smokin Hero is a Wachtel Stable NY-homebred by Smokin Mel, the 1997 Gotham Stakes winner, out of stakes winner Broomesse (Claramount). I went to look up Smokin Mel on the Stallion Register, but got the result that there were no horses matching my criteria. That didn't bode well for his well-being. And indeed, just this past year, Smokin Mel moved on to that great pasture for dead horses with bad names in the sky. Heavenly Horsey Hills or The We 'Bought the Farm' Farm or something like that.

Zip of Fools was bet down to 2-1 in the 5th, no thanks, and nothing doing there, though he was claimed from Daniel Conway, Jr. by Linda Rice. Finger Lakes shipper Brock N Roll was second at 8-1 in the 4th.

Casino Kay was good in the first at 7-1 for Michael Maker, but settled for second after breaking poorly; the trainer was 7th in the second with Laca at 5-2, so he and owner Ken Ramsey continue to seek their first winner of the meeting.

Derby Fever on Steroids

If you're wondering where all those now now-outlawed steroids are going, you might want to check Haskin's coffee. Is it just me, or are he and many others unusually ramped up at this stage about a race which is four months away? Especially given Big Brown's campaign, as well as recent trends towards far lighter racing schedules which indicate that entry level allowance races in the first week of January are becoming completely irrelevant to the matter at hand?

Haskin went off the other day on two such races to be run at Gulfstream on Thursday, and I don't really understand what he's carrying on about, other than to fulfill Bloodhorse's cheerleading role (don't forget the Yum!) ..several in each race looking like potential major players on the Kentucky Derby trail.. Huh? They look like rather routine affairs to me. Talk to me if one of the winners draws off by eight under wraps in 1:48 2/5. Little wonder that Haskin becomes completely incoherent around May 1, absolutely unable to articulate in plain terms who he likes in the race he obsesses about all year.

Looking at Derby winners going back 20 years, not a single one even ran in an allowance race at Gulfstream in January. And the chances are excellent that neither will this year's winner. (Full disclosure: Monarchos won a maiden race there in January, and an allowance the next month.) So I suggest a chill pill, and check back with me in a couple of months. In the meantime, if you can't wait, you know where to find all your Derby stuff - just about anywhere else on the internets.

- In some truly significant news, investigations are underway at Santa Anita and at Turfway regarding a rash of fatal injuries on each one's synthetic surface. Not to minimize the injuries in Kentucky, but the problems at Santa Anita have to be of particular concern given the Cushion Track disaster there, the newness of the surface, and the Breeders' Cup coming up this fall. Ian Pearse was summoned from Australia to check out his Pro-Ride surface, and found that the surface was firmer than during the Oak Tree meeting.

Pearse said cold weather combined with rain probably changed the track, but he expressed confidence in the maintenance procedures, which will include a daily routine in which crews will use a device to determine the surface's firmness. [LA Times]

A group of trainers was scheduled to meet to discuss the track this morning.

Another source familiar with the situation said a group of about eight trainers walked the Pro-Ride track Sunday morning and were shocked by the condition of the surface.

"They couldn't believe what it was like when they walked on it," she said.

One respected horseman would like to see the main track torn up and replaced by a dirt surface, a process he estimates would take six to 10 days if the new materials were already on site. [Pasadena Star-News]

Aqueduct Wednesday

Slow start at the Big A for trainer Michael Maker; yet to hit the winner's circle in 11 starts, mostly for owner Ken Ramsey. He has three seconds and four thirds, but considering that six of them have gone off at 5-2 or less, that's not what the bettors were counting on.

However, Maker is a 30% guy, and he won't be winless forever. In the first on Wednesday, he starts Casino Kay (5-1), stepping up confidently in class after a solid third at Churchill in November. This four-year old daughter of Proud Citizen always puts forth an effort, comes off a steady stream of works, and cuts back to a distance I think she'll prefer. Needs to step up her Beyers here, and handle what will surely be an off track; she's gotten overbet of late, so I would insist on at least her morning line in this spot. Yankee Victoria (2-1) looks like a solid favorite and the likeliest winner, for Anthony Dutrow. $75,000 optional claiming tag makes her eligible for this; she drops an allowance condition from two excellent efforts out of town.

In the third, Trophy Road, scratched on New Year's Eve, is back in the third, once again at a sharply reduced level for David Jacobson. But if you think that's a suspicious looking drop, have a gander at Mulligatawny (2-1) in the 5th. Jacobson claimed her for $75,000 from Asmussen last March. She raced three times, with just a second to show, since then, the last time in June. And here, she returns with a $10,000 tag. That's whack, man. I mean, I'm all for the fun and games of the claiming game, but this is ridiculous. A reader recently suggested that the stewards should investigate and issue some kind of statement regarding a horse like this. That will never happen of course, but it would surely serve the betting public well and fairly. Not to mention the horse. Here's hoping she makes it safely if she goes.

I feel like I just gotta stand against this horse just on principle. Trainer Daniel Conway, Jr (5-2-1-0) has an entry, and I think the 12-1 morning line is a bad one here. Zip of Fools won in this class last time out on a muddy track; she's four for five in the slop with a 402 Tomlinson. Stablemate Louise the Tease, shipping in from Finger Lakes from where we're seeing horses run well, also likes wet tracks (six wins from 11 starts), and comes off two wins against company similar to what Zip Of Fools had faced there before winning here. Lucky if you see half of that morning line. (Hailey Keen ships in from FL as well.)

The 6th is a state-bred maiden claimer in which the smallest lengths-beaten amount amongst the ten entries in their last races is 10 1/4. Good luck with this one....on a pick six carryover day no less.

In the 9th, here's a class dropper I can believe in. Counting House (4-1) raced well on turf and on a 'good' track at Belmont against better in the fall. He's struggled in his last three, and this sharp drop in class against a painfully slow field could be just what he needs. Not much in the way of speed in this field, and he could be tough to catch if he can jump out in front as he did in the aforementioned race at Belmont. Trainer Bernardo Callejas got off the schneid for the inner track meet with Personal Good ($71) last week.

Like it's 2009

Wanted to go back to this post, entitled HANA 2.0 - Like it's 1999, from last week on the HANA (Horseplayers Association of North America) blog. It's an interesting comparison between the plight of the music industry when it was first faced with the onslaught of MP3 and file-sharing services, and the current situation in the racing industry regarding online wagering. I actually and respectfully disagree with much of the premise of the post; I think the situations are dissimilar. The record companies, drunk with the power and dominance they'd achieved over radio and distribution, were unwilling to settle for anything less online, and sought to simply crush the competition through litigation.

Racing is in a far different position today in my view. Yes, there are offshore and exchange outlets that seek to exploit a product created and owned by others without their permission and thus detract from its business. However, a significant segment of the industry has embraced the internet and is actively seeking to take full advantage of its vast potential. On the other hand, the major labels are still tentative and resentful of the medium. And I don't really understand the concept of slashing internet takeout in half as suggested in the post, unless studio racing is part of the model.

However, a couple of comparisons are brought to mind. For one thing, in both industries, a new twist to an old model has spurred disagreements between rights holders and content providers as to who is entitled to how much, and when. We all complain about the disputes that have cut off signals, and which currently deprive most horseplayers of a single wagering platform for all tracks. However, perhaps it's just the case, as we've still seen over the last year in the music industry, that these are matters that just need to be gradually worked out between the parties in this way, and that temporary inconveniences to horseplayers are an unavoidable part of the process. Despite some recent settlements, it's clear that the smoke has not yet completely cleared.

And the other similarity that comes to mind is the tremendous, unbelievable, and mind-boggling technological progress that we've seen on both fronts; quite possibly my two favorite pastimes in the world. Other than a Caribbean beach perhaps. My CD's, which had taken on a life of their own and had practically taken over my basement, seem much less intimidating to me these days. I'm now hooked up to play my iTunes or iPod wirelessly through my stereo, and can even "flip" through the album covers digitally to pick one out, kinda like the old vinyl days (though they're not suitable for weeding out the seeds and stems). I've started to buy my albums in MP3 form, through iTunes or, preferably, directly from labels. I truly believe that my CD's, sensing the shift, are starting to put themselves away (alphabetically too).

It's amazing when I think back to how what were then innovations, such as reel-to-reel tape, cassettes, Walkmen, and compact discs, seemed at the time. However, as I labored through endless hours putting together compilations for my cassettes, I always fantasized that I'd be able to one day walk around hooked up to a little box that could play any song in my collection. And now, that's exactly the case.

Similarly, who would have thought, back just 20-30 years ago, as we were laboring to calculate par times and speed figures, spending half the track day waiting on betting (and cashing) lines, killing time waiting for a suitable race to wager on, driving to Belmont at 9 PM to get the next day's Form, that we would be where we are today. Not too long ago, I could only fantasize about past performances on demand, intricate databases of trainer patterns, ready-made speed figures, being able to bet on any track from any track, or from home, sitting on a train, or lying on a beach. Amazing how far we've come.

I read a lot of complaining about customer service in our sport on HANA and other blogs, and I'm not dismissing their validity. I don't know about you, and what your tracks are like, or how seriously you take your horseplaying. But I can walk into any of my local tracks and enter a wonderland of wagering that I could have only imagined in the past. No betting lines, easy to use machines, no waiting for action, Gulfstream at Aqueduct (the best winter racing at the best winter track); no choking on cigarette and cigar smoke either. Sure, the takeout could be lower and the racing better, safer, and more honest. But if I slap on the headphones and crank up the iPod, I can easily forget about that too.

Marking Up

Remember last week we were talking about Mr. Fantasy.....no, this one...and, after I noted what he cost at sale, a reader wondered what West Point syndicated the horse for, their markup is usually pretty steep.

So, curious as always, I went to the West Point website. I've seen many partnership sites on which you can easily access the current offerings and what they're charging for shares. Then, it doesn't take that much research to find out what a group paid for a horse at auction, and thus get an idea of how much they're marking it up. Too late for Mr. Fantasy, but I thought I'd check out their current offerings.

But here, when I clicked on the Opportunities tab, I was taken to a login page. Access is restricted to Partners and Registered Visitors. I proceeded to the registration page, but was going to stop at this point, as I wasn't interested in wasting their time nor mine. However, underneath the address form is the question: Would you like to be contacted by a West Point Thoroughbreds Representative? Oh, OK, cool, NO. (Can you believe I fell for that??)

I got as far as the financial requirements on the next web page, checked the box to indicate that I did not qualify - I don't - and ended my quest there.

A few days later, I get an email from the Head Chef (did I mention that I used her name and email address on the form?), reading wtf? above a forward of an email from West Point that begins: Thank you for your inquiry. In order to make our phone call as productive as possible we have six quick questions for you. Seemed a bit pushy, especially considering the little 'No' box I'd checked, doncha think? Upon receipt of your e-mail I will phone you. So I told her of my aborted research project, and advised that she ignore it.

Now, we've gotten a big West Point Package; and though the cover letter is more restrained - Please give me a call with any questions you may have - still, I'm a little annoyed. Sure, I suppose I was snooping around their site for information to use in a context they would probably prefer people not to see. But I was at least trying to be considerate! I could have proceeded under false pretenses after all. So I think that the response was disproportionate..

The good news is that the package contains the very information I was looking for in the first place. I present it here without judgment, other than the fact that they're bugging me. It is a business, after all. Partnerships assume significant risk buying expensive horses, and have every right to sell them for what the market will bear. And the ones with solid track records like West Point have earned their right to charge a significant premium for their expertise and for their access to top horsemen like Kiaran McLaughlin. But it's sure interesting to see the numbers. This is all information which is either public, or was provided to me - despite my specific request that they not do so, I might add - by the company.

These are all two-year olds: They have a Ghostzapper filly out of a Seeking the Gold mare; she's a half sister to Pomeroy. West Point paid $475,000 for her at Saratoga last August; they're offering 10% shares for $95,000, including all training and maintenance through 2010. [NOTE: Please see response regarding this horse in the first comment below.] A colt by Exchange Rate out of a Caller ID mare cost West Point $250,000, also at Saratoga; he's available for $54,000 a share (same terms).

There's a Closing Argument colt for $43,000 a share; they bought him for $130,000; a More Than Ready filly, for $38,200, that cost them $160,000.

You gotta figure that the year of expenses could be worth up to $50,000 - even more in certain cases when things don't go well - and the partnership carries all the expenses - and, as I mentioned, the risk - incurred from the day they bought the horses as yearlings, to the time they're able to sell the shares. But clearly, they're making some money on the sale. Having said that, their markups don't really seem out of line from those I've seen in the past on other sites; that's the business, in most cases. I've run across the occasional partnership - such as Castle Village - that syndicate at cost, but their ambitions are typically more modest than what many investors are looking for. My main point is that buyers should be well-informed, as with any other prospective purchase. They should want to know what a horse being offered to them was deemed to be worth by the marketplace, and what a stable's markup percentage is in relation to the others. Only takes a little Googling and effort to do so.

Senate Leadership Race Down to the Wire

The New York State Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee is one of four Senate committees which did not even bother meeting in 2006; this according to a new report about the state legislature issued by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. The report is entitled, appropriately enough, "Still Broken," and the NY Daily News has details in an editorial.

- Most Senate committees meet fewer than two times per year. The ethics, cities, racing and wagering, and tourism panels never convened at all in 2006 - even as their chairs pulled down thousands of dollars in extra pay for their supposed efforts.

- When Senate committees do meet, members skip out and cast no-show ballots.

- Whether committees meet or not makes little difference because two people - the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader - keep iron-fisted control over every decision. That's why most bills, once taken up by committee, pass unanimously. Of 8,457 votes cast in Assembly committees in 2006, only 76 were "no" votes.

- Every single bill the leadership brings to the floor automatically passes - in most cases, unanimously. Of 191 major pieces of legislation approved in 2006, only 36 in the Senate and 44 in the Assembly received any "no" votes at all.

Nice to know that in 2006, as the franchise battle was raging and NYRA was plunging towards bankruptcy, the Senate committee charged with making racing law (and chaired by Republican Senator William Larkin), had nothing at all to talk about.

The matters listed above are just a portion of the scathing report - Irene Jay Liu has more on the Capitol Confidential blog, and, if you have the stomach for it (I don't), the entire report is in PDF form here. I listed these particular items because the matter of committee Chairs being able to route bills to the full Senate for a floor vote, regardless of the party affiliation of the sponsor, looked to me like the only item in the scuttled agreement between prospective Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and the so-called Gang of Three - Senators Moe (don't call me Ho-Moe), Larry, and Sleazy - that weren't completely self-serving, and which actually could lead to the kind of reform that these three clowns only talk about. (Though I imagine there was an ulterior motive there as well.)

In any event, the race is on between Smith and Senator Skelos to woo the three prior to what should prove to be quite the dramatic Senate leadership vote on Wednesday, the daty on which Governor Paterson will deliver his State of the State address. I guess only in New York could a Senate with a 32-29 Democratic advantage (pending the outcome of the disputed race in Queens) be ruled by a Republican...and I can't imagine the kind of dysfunction that could result from a Republican Majority Leader leading a majority of (supposed) Democrats. The outcome has obvious implications for our purposes, since, amongst many other reasons, Skelos is a staunch supporter of slots at Belmont, while Senator Smith's position is unclear at this time.

Monday Morning Notes

- Old Hat winner Gemswick Park is the first graded stakes winner for Speightstown. Great three horse finish, you can check it out via Bloodhorse.com among other places. Nice weekend for the stallion with Haynesfield winning the Count Fleet on Saturday. (And what exactly that horse winning that race has to do with the Kentucky Derby I can't really say....do you think it's good for the sport that people become so completely obsessed four months prior to the race?)

- Looked as if King Mobay would be the first winner of 2009 for Kasey K when they turned for home in Sunday's 4th at Aqueduct. Ramon Dominguez apparently reads the Form - he commented to trainer Bruce Brown before the race that there seemed to be speed inside of him, and indeed, he got the garden trip behind the two favorites, saving ground on the turn too. Right on cue, he moved up to assume the lead after turning for home, and I thought we had a winner. But Stealth Missile, who'd been saving ground behind King Mobay, came along and drew away at the end. So we settled for being clearly second best; a solid run, earning $6,000. [UPDATE: And a Beyer of 85 too!] Only complaint/excuse was that the horse was hard to settle down on the first turn....but nobody was beating the winner on this particular day.

I wrote yesterday about trainers trying to slip their horses by for a tag in order to get eligible for starters handicaps such as this one, and the winner is the opposite scenario. He'd been dropped in for a 10K tag by Michael Maker for owner Ken Ramsey in his last race, but he was nabbed by trainer Enrique Arroyo. He promptly placed him in this race for horses who had started for that price or less. Thus, he earned the winner's share of 18K (one of two winners on the day for the barn), nearly doubling the claim price. And he can come back and run in the same race again, albeit no doubt with a couple more pounds to carry, perhaps on January 29, when it comes up in the condition book again. King Mobay will be aiming for that date too.

The crowd at the track seemed rather stunned at the takedown of Believeinmenow in the 7th. "I've seen worse than that with no DQ," was the general reaction. Sure, there was some bumping, but.....I've certainly seen worse than that!

Another weekend stakes winner for West Point, as Justwhistledixie took the ho-hum Ruthless for McLaughlin. This three-year old is a daughter of Dixie Union out of an Honour and Glory mare, and she's a half-sister to the ill-fated Chace City.

- Two winners for the Toddster down at Gulfstream, including first-time starter Checklist (Gone West) ($13.40) on Saturday - three-year old colt is the first foal out of the multiple graded winner Yearly Report (General Meeting). Light Green won the 4th on Sunday for Pletcher in her first start since Saratoga. She's a three-year old by Pleasantly Perfect, who had a quiet first year at stud (#22 on the rookie sire list with one -non-graded - stakes winner); not surprising, considering that he didn't win his first race until he was four. Light Green is out of a mare by Sheikh Albadou; her second dam is a full sister to the two-time G1 winner Jade Hunter.

An odd Barclay Tagg exacta in 5th at GP on Sunday, with money burner extraordinaire Pastel Gal making all those who lost on her, consecutively, at 2-5, 1-2, and 7-5, quite happy I'm sure with a payoff of $16.60. Even that seemed like another underlay, considering that stablemate and runner-up Kristy With a K seemed to have a distinct class advantage, competing in open company as opposed to NY-breds. Oh well.

Two horses at GP over the weekend came off races at Kentucky Downs, and both won - Skip Away Belle ($11) and National Kid ($6.80).

Big A Sunday Notes

- King Mobay goes in the 4th at the Big A today. He gets to race in the same class that he did when he won last time out; that's one of the beauties of these starters handicap races. No conditions here other than having to run at or below a certain claiming price, in this case $10,000 (in 2006-08). So, a relatively cheap horse like King Mobay has a chance to run against similar, be protected from getting claimed, run for nice purses - $30,000 here - and so as often as the race is written, even if he wins every time.

That seems like a reason in itself to try and slip a horse by for a cheap tag and perhaps something to think about when trying to evaluate the motivation of a trainer dropping his horse in class....as one must do a lot these days on the inner track. Could be more to it than just the juicy purses. Not only did trainer Dominic Galluscio slip R Fast Favorite by for a $7500 tag in Saturday's first, and collect a $9,000 winners share, but now the horse, if sound, can run for twice that purse against horses he can handle on his best form.

King Mobay (4-1) has some speed inside of him, and Ramon Dominguez should be looking to close as the horse did last time. However, Admiral's Arch (5-2) sure looks tough for Asmussen, now nine for 18 since racing switched to the inner track. (Since I always criticize them about this, let's give props to the Racing Form for not (yet) having reset all the trainer and jockey stats for the new year....as NYRA has done on their site.) This horse ships in from Mountaineer, where the trainer claimed him for owner Maggi Moss; and in his two races since then, he's moved up in class and achieved career and, by far, field high last-two-out Beyers.

Asmussen took the Count Fleet Stakes on Saturday with Haynesfield, and I wrote about his pedigree in this post.

Well Meant ($15.40) took Saturday's third for trainer Joe Aquilino - the ol' eased-up-in-last angle, with 8-5 Contessa favorite Our Special Effect some 37 lengths back in 9th in his first for a tag. That's the kind of stuff that makes one want to bet Gulfstream instead.

In the 4th, first-timer Shikilu was a well-meant second, at 7-2, for trainer Daniel Conway, who we mentioned the other day. Another Meadowlands shipper in the 5th - Banking Holiday ($23.80) led a $842 exacta.

In the 6th, Toulouse Lautrec weakened to third at 2-5 for trainer Richard Violette and Joe Bruno's buddy Earle Mack. Man, really, you gotta be kidding me there. I don't care if he ran a 194 Beyer in that debut; how can you make him that price in his first distance race? Just don't get it; people are reading too many Derby prospects columns I suppose. The two horses who finished in front had run 2-3 in a two turn race here last month; while the favorite hadn't even been over the track. Tranquil Manner ($14.20) is a Darley homebred, trained by McLaughlin, by AP Indy out of the G1 winner Composure.

And another well-meant debut settling for second in the 9th - Rightly So (Read the Footnotes), 5-1 morning line, was the 2-1 favorite for Anthony Dutrow, and led to the last 70 yards. This barn has been first or second with nine of its last 12 runners here. And check this out - at Philly Park, Dutrow has eight winners and four seconds with his last 15! And he had a winner at Laurel yesterday as well. Talk about hot. He has one entry for today - Charging Hero is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the first. He drops in claiming price off the claim, but he's moving up in conditions. Dutrow is 14 for 38 (37%) first off the claim over the last 12 months.

GP Efforts an Exercise in Futility

- Gulfstream opens today. As opposed to past years however, I'm going to continue to focus my blogging efforts on the local racing here at the Big A. On the other hand, as in recent past years, we're once again reading of the efforts down there to make the track and the meeting not suck anymore. Five day a week racing instead of six, a new racing secretary, new stewards, improvements to the turf course, complete coverage on a daily basis for the first time from HRTV (which does most of us a whole lot of fucking good), and changes to the stakes schedule....such as, turning the Fountain of Youth, long a key prep for the Florida Derby and the spring classics that follow, into a one-turn mile, and thus rendering it more or less irrelevant as such. Good thinking there.

Of course, there's still no backyard nor grandstand seating, so unless we can go back in time and save the original structure before its mindless and ill-fated destruction, nothing is really going to help....especially in terms of the idiotic track configuration which prevents the track from conducting the kind of sliding scale of distances which make for a proper three-year old program, and which makes even the mile and an eighth races more a matter of the post position draw than anything else.

Rather than a boycott, my sticking with the Big A is more a way of me changing tactics from past years to keep things from becoming too routine, providing alternate content given all of the bloggers and columnists who will be concentrating on the Florida racing, and to keep the momentum that I've established - at least in my mind and for my own selfish purposes - in keeping tabs on the trends we're seeing up here. Which will all, hopefully, lead to us making a little money.

Of course, I'll be keeping an eye on things down south, and won't hesitate to ridicule the proceedings at Gulfstream when warranted. For example, here on their website we see that, on Sunday, from 11 - 2PM at Frank's Beach, you can play and party with none other than....er.....Spomgebob. So I see that Magna must be using the same proofreader for this website as the Breeders' Cup used for their signs. Nice work there Framk.

Aqueduct Notes

- It was a slow fall at the Big A for trainer Anthony Dutrow, with just three wins on the main track. He's already doubled that total, from 17 starters, on the inner track, including two on New Year's Eve (in addition to Serious Fever, a close runner-up to stablemate Leo), and has three winners and four seconds in his last eight starters here.

On Friday, A. Dutrow starts Jenay Benay, the 3-1 morning line favorite (coupled with Irish Mama) in the 5th. She's a now three-year old daughter of Smoke Glacken dropping from 25K to 20K off a win in her second start for the barn. This would have been an automatic throwout for me in the past. But changes in the game bring changes in even the most fundamental handicapping principles; horses coming off layoffs being another example. These days, 20K claimers in New York carry $30,000 purses. They paid 25K for Jenay Benay, and earned $19,800 for winning her last. So, if she were to win today (for an $18,000 prize) and get claimed, the gross total would be $57,800, not bad a return for an investment of less than two months. Makes it hard to try and figure out exactly what the trainer's intentions are.

Eight winners now for Asmussen from 16 starters; first-time starter Winning Grievance took Thursday's 4th, and though the bettors bit ($4.40), no rivals did at the $25K claiming price.

Trainer Greg DiPrima took the 5th with True Rebel ($5.90). Like his winner Kamboo Man the other day, here's another horse taking a drop in class which should have raised some eyebrows. After all, he romped for 15K when DiPrima claimed him two back, and ran pretty fine when a wide and even 4th for 25K last time out. Like Kamboo Man, this horse went unclaimed. See Ya Sister closed for third at 53-1; another Finger Lakes shipper outrunning its odds.

Daddy's B.E.T ($44.40) led a parade of longshots in the 9th; the triple paid $14,352. Trainer Daniel Conway scored with Zip of Fools ($16.80) last weekend, and has two winners from four starters. He's a Finger Lakes-based trainer with a solid 18% win percentage in 2008....though this particular horse was three races removed from that track.

Eclipse This

(Photo credit: The Head Chef)

(I'm not entering this in the TBA Do-Over Photo contest, but you can submit your entry, and see what's been sent in thus far.)

Once again at the dawn of a new year, I want to express my most heartfelt thanks to all of you, my loyal readers, those of you who may have recently stumbled upon the site, and even to those who may have dropped out along the way due to certain political and philosophical differences (and particular gratitude to those who have stuck around despite them). Here's wishing everyone a safe, healthy, happy, and....well, just a better new year in many ways for people and equines alike.

Peace. See you in 2009.

After Christmas Sale

- Take a look at the David Jacobsen entry in the sixth on New Year's Eve at the Big A. Mr. Meso (5-2) was an $80,000 claim for the barn in June, 2007, at a time when the horse had won five in a row. Since then, he's run in only four races with only a third to show; three of those efforts were quite poor, and only one took place this year, for a 50K tag at Delaware. Here, he's marked down to 30K.

Also on sale is Trophy Road, who was a $75,000 claim for the barn last December. He then ran extremely well, with a win and a second in allowance company. That was in February though, and we haven't seen him since. We've seen that Jacobsen will run his horses where he thinks they can win, and doesn't hesitate to drop them in class. Still, I think a skeptical pose is warranted here with these two expensive purchases, especially if they both go and get overbet as we often see with coupled entries, and with the barn off to a sluggish 1 for 16 start on the IT.

Wish I could come with a stronger opinion as to who to bet instead, but it's a difficult heat on a really nice tough little weekday card; and with a pick six carryover to boot. Good luck with that. A tepid vote here for Wild Jam (8-1), for Ben Perkins, who had a nice second the other day with the well-meant first-timer Wildcat Brief. This seven-year old gelded son of Forest Wildcat sports a fine record on the inner track - including a third in the G3 Toboggan in 2007 - and comes off an even 5th at the Meadowlands in October. We've seen horses run well here coming off a race at that track. The winner of that Big M race came back to win by six with a nice fig for the hot Scott Volk barn; the third place finisher missed by a nose for that same trainer. Wild Jam had a couple of solid efforts against better at Monmouth prior to that, and has run well off his frequent layoffs, including a narrow loss in a stakes last year (meaning, still at this writing, 2007).

In the third, Wild Geese (7-2) is part of an entry for Contessa. This horse was a monster on the inner track last year; three for three, including a 106 Beyer. He's raced well elsewhere too, though not in his last race, off a brief freshening. But note that last year, he had the same pattern, running poorly off a short layoff before winning over this track (and being claimed by Contessa). Sir Winston (2-1) has won six in a row for the white-hot Asmussen barn (13-7-2-0); stands as the logical choice and most likely winner.

And in the first (as we work our way backwards, like Benjamin Button), Lights Off Annie (7-5) looks like an imposing favorite for Levine (just four for 32 on the IT), and I'm not going to go against. But with Myakka (7-2) a possibility to be overbet off some gaudy turf numbers, here's a couple horses of interest for minor shares: Baroness (8-1) ships in off the claim for Asmussen, enough said. And Aegean Breeze (15-1) changed tactics in her first effort for the hot Del Carroll (10-5-1-1) and hung around for an OK third with an improved number; her best figs, achieved on this track last winter, can put her in the money here. Best of luck and have a great day.

The More Things Change....

- Following up on the comments here - Green Mtn Punter was wondering just what was the attraction when Yonkers set its all-time handle record in the middle of December, 1969....on, as pointed out by reader Bank Check, a snowy Monday night no less!! Turns out that there were no special races or big horses that night at all; it was merely the final racing card of the year in the NYC area. Last chance to get the action in...legally anyway, with OTB not yet in existence. Aqueduct had concluded its season that afternoon, and would not resume until March 10!! (38,031 action-starved fans turned out for that opening day - a Tuesday! - to see Angel Cordero, Jr. take the first three races.)

Harness racing took a much shorter break, as racing would resume, at Roosevelt, on January 3. Still, a crowd of 24,176 (correcting the figure in my comment), with money obviously burning a hole in their pockets, wagered $3,220,686, a healthy average of over $133 per person (in 1969 dollars remember), breaking a seven-year old record. With the advent of OTB just a year or so away, the mark was never broken, and that's one record you can be damn sure will stand forever!

Carmine had two winners that night, but it was Del Insko, who took the night off, who won the driving title. No sign of Buddy Gilmour on the leading drivers list.

When racing did resume at Roosevelt less than three weeks later, it sounds from Steve Cady's account in the New York Times (Jan 4, 1970) as if the interval seemed like an eternity to the 28,042 in attendance on a Saturday night.

Swirling snow and hazardous highways early in the evening didn't keep the fans away. Cars peeled off the Meadowbrook Parkway into the raceway exit like lost sheep coming home in a storm.

The article also mentions a couple of things about that night which shows that, as they say, the more things change, the more they really don't, or something like that. One might think that issues that the industry has faced this past year or two are unique to these times, but they're most certainly not. For one thing, opening night at The Big Wheel in 1970 saw the debut of a new $1 million rubberized track which, on this night according to the Times' account, "proved to be faster, bouncier, softer, and more uniform than the old concrete-hard thermoplastic base built in 1966."

"It's a great improvement," said Del Insko..."It's not near as hard, and it's consistent. The footing seems to be the same everywhere.
....
Because of the thin cushion and the bouncy rubber synthetic underneath, horses were expected to "float" over the new surface. Early times in the 2:07 range bore out this expectation.

Other than the miles in 2:07, from which we've come a long way, that sounds rather familiar, doesn't it? Not sure what happened to the rubber track, but I did find a comment on one of the Roosevelt Raceway memorial sites to the effect that the surface ultimately proved to be tough physically on the horses and was eventually covered with clay. I know many thoroughbred fans who would like to see today's artificial surfaces meet a similar fate.

In addition, a new rule was instituted on that opening night.

Under the new regulation, advocated by various animal groups, drivers had to do their whipping with both hands on the reins. They could not hold the reins in one hand and reach back with the other to slash away at a tiring horse.

We recently saw that same rule instituted at Pompano Park - New to racing in North America, we were told. That's apparently not exactly the case, though the rule in 1970 doesn't seem to have gone very far.

So, while the times have certainly changed, and Roosevelt Raceway is sadly long gone, the industry is still being pressured by animal rights groups; still searching for ways to make the tracks safer and the sport more humane. I'd guess that, even in another 40 years, the industry will still be doing the same.

Oh, and here's something else that hasn't changed:

Annfrank, 8-1 five minutes before post time, dropped from 9-2 to 5-2 on the last flash and bounced home for a $7.80 payoff.

Some things indeed never change, and in at least some cases, we're certainly glad they don't!

Caroline Kennedy Calls An Audible

With her bid to win an appointment to the Senate floundering in the wake of her erratic performance in interviews over the weekend, Caroline Kennedy said today that she has contacted New York Jets owner Woody Johnson to express her interest in the now-vacant head coaching job.

When asked about her qualifications for the position, Ms. Kennedy noted that Uncle Ted played on the Harvard varsity squad in the 50's, and added that she watched the 1998 AFC Championship game and has read Joe Namath's autobiography. Regarding the Jets' collapse and what she would do to set things right, she said, "Well, you know, we’ve been watching the team that Mr. Johnson has put together and, you know, then there was a vacancy here, you know, just like everybody else, you know, who's going to fill it, isn't that interesting, there's a lot of great candidates, you know, I figure, why not try, I really think I have something to offer." When pressed for more specifics on how she would turn the team around, she added, "Well, you know, just, um, rah rah rah, move that ball, you know."

She declined to address her feelings on Brett Favre, but a spokesperson, in an email, wrote: "Caroline was fully supportive of the decision to sign Brett Favre. But now that he finished the season so poorly, she thinks it was a bad idea."

Ms. Kennedy embarked on a tour of sports bars around the city to introduce herself to the fans. She was outfitted in full pads and a helmet in order to ward off those annoying reporters.

Aqueduct Notes (Fantasy Version)

Last month, I noted that David Jacobsen had claimed Papi Chullo for 16K, and offered that there's no limit to how cheaply we could conceivably see him run in the future. Well, the answer is 10K, for which he ran, and not very well, as the 2-1 favorite in the 5th at the Big A on Sunday. I'm sure that trainer Joe Imperio is just thrilled after claiming Papi Chullo off his 9th place finish which earned the succinct and dreaded chart notation failed to menace. (Gary Contessa and Scott Lake also lost horses, and, based on their being placed at this level, I imagine they were just as happy to have done so.)

Northern Buster ($87.50), benefiting from a nice trip behind the two leaders, had enough to come back against Gift of Valor after that one looked home free after an incredible wide rally from far back. The winner was one of two bombshells on the day who had last raced at Finger Lakes; Undocumented ($66) took the 9th. This in addition to FL shipper Zip Of Fools ($16.80) on Saturday. Yet Again ($79) won here on Dec 10, also for Undocumented's trainer Karl Grusmark, though he'd had a prior race at Aqueduct. So I guess we need to give those FL guys some respect.

Two nice price winners from Asmussen, who now has a record of 13-7-2-0 on the inner track. That's right, 54%. In the third, Pu Dew ($21.20) had been claimed by the barn for owner Maggi Moss for 30K last May. That was his last appearance before Sunday. Excuse the redboarding, as I didn't look at the races beforehand - but you had to like the way he was moved up in class despite the time off. And Asmussen hits at 27% over the last five years with horses first off the claim.

The barn then took the state-bred Alex M. Robb Handicap with R Clear Victory ($23.80) (with South Fourth St., a former Finger Lakes horse in his second appearance here, second for Contessa at 14-1). The winner is one of eight stakes winners this year for the Belmont winner Victory Gallop, plying his trade in Turkey these days.

And West Point made its partners happy with a first-out romp by Mr. Fantasy, a two-year old NY-bred son of E Dubai on which the outfit spent $230,000 this past May. He's a half-brother to two other state-bred stakes winners, including the G2 Indiana Derby winner Tim Cup Chalice. I imagine that at least some of the partners are fantasizing about Derby glory, and that West Point does absolutely nothing to discourage that! This is all worth a little musical interlude.

22,780 A Day

- In reading this long article on The Journal News' LoHud.com site about crime statistics at the Yonkers racino and a not particularly scintillating controversy over the reporting of such, I was astounded to read:

An average of 22,780 people visit the raceway daily, according to the New York Lottery.

Don't think I've ever seen attendance figures for any of the racinos before (Saratoga's average was reported to be 5,838), and maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. After all, they're open all day and most of the night long, and it's not like you can play them from home. But still, as a fan of a gambling endeavor which, in New York City, can't even draw enough people to make collecting admission worthwhile at Aqueduct, seeing those numbers is rather humbling; especially for what is, to me and I'm sure to many of you, a comparatively vapid, depressing, and bordering-on-morbid pursuit.

I also recall the time when 22,780 really did come to Yonkers to do nothing but bet on the horses. I was checking out a little Yonkers history, and came upon the fact that On December 15, 1969, Yonkers racetrack achieved its highest ever single-night handle -- $3,220,686. No OTB then, so this was all on-track handle. I don't imagine they handle nearly that much on track in an entire month of racing these days.

Still, I at least do get a little encouragement from the mere fact that so many people would actually put forth such an effort as to make their way to Yonkers to gamble in any fashion. Just can't help but believe that, with some nice facilities and extra amenities, and with at least some weekday racing at night, horse racing could fare at least modestly better as a live sport than it does now.

As far as the crime stats go, the bulk of the 145 arrests reported in 2007 concerned expected matters such as disorderly conduct, trespassing, and petty larceny. However, there was one arrest each for criminal impersonation, domestic dispute, obscenities, person exposing self, sex offense, and - my favorite - gambling. I hope they threw the book at that guy!

Sunday Morning Notes - Dec 28

- Sunday Elegance took the big drop for Pletcher, winning for 15K in Saturday's first at the Big A in his first race for a tag; The Toddster is 16 for 33 (48%) with that sort over the last two years. Wasn't claimed either, but Weekwee, third at 14-1, was, from trainer Pat Kelly. Weekwee (American Chance) is a half-sister to two stakes winners, including Homerette. So she might be worth that 15K just from her value as a broodmare.

In the second, Tee With The Tiger ($14.20) was the fifth winner from the last nine starters for trainer Del Carroll II. The other winners paid $29.80, $29.60, $21.60, and $6.50. This four-year old gelded son of Defrere was graduating in his 30th career start, and his 17th this year, in which he's now ground out nearly $40,000 in earnings.

An end of year fire sale for IEAH in the 5th; Lincoln Road was dropped in, and claimed for a mere 10K by trainer Robert Barbara. Unfortunately, he managed to burn those who bet him at 3-5. Confirmondi ($10.40, and claimed by Dominic Galluscio) was the second winner in two racing days for trainer Bruce Brown, who did not have similar luck in the finale, more on that in a bit.

January Gent won like a nice horse in his first start since April, for owner Wesley Ward, who has left him here in the care of Richard Dutrow. He's a three-year old gelded son of Wiseman's Ferry, who will be standing in Pennsylvania for $3000 in 2009.

In the 9th, Joaquin Memphis ran dead last for Kasey K, eased up under the wire some 40 lengths behind the second to last runner. Horse seemed fine afterwards, and Bruce Brown feels that he's become a head case who thinks he has the game figured out, and who won't compete unless he's involved early. Of course, that's not possible if he also refuses to break. The trainer wants to drop him in class and run him back as soon as possible.

- Classy win for Indian Blessing in the La Brea at Santa Anita. Indyanne took a bad step on the Pro-Ride track and fractured the inside sesamoid in her left front leg.

- The Jets are three point favorites at home against the Dolphins today, and consider this: Miami has won eight of nine. The Jets have played four awful games in a row since being anointed as playoff locks, managing to win one of them when the defense came up with a big play. They haven't been able to defend the pass even when they were winning, especially against a dinky short passing game such as what they'll see from Chad Pennington. They have no sustained pass rush at all, and can no longer stop the run either. The offensive line doesn't protect Favre, who has been hinting this week of a bad shoulder that could explain his dismal performance over the last four games. The one thing that the Jets continue to do well is to run the ball; but offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer continues to inexplicably shun the smashmouth game at key moments, and barely uses team MVP Leon Washington from scrimmage at all. I'm not going to tell you who to bet, but, once again, there have to better propositions out there than laying points with this team! And as far as their playoff chances go? Good night, and good luck!

Aqueduct Notes

- Noble Storm took Friday's feature at the Big A, stepping up successfully from the maiden ranks in his second start for Darley, who purchased him for a $2.8 million drop in the bucket as a yearling back in 2006. This is not quite what they had in mind. However, I thought it was a very impressive win, as he was wide on the turn of, and carried very wide by, an extremely worthy opponent in M J's Enchanteur, and more on that one below.

The winner is by Vindication, who ranks #1 on the second year sires list, and has four stakes winners as he prepares to enter his first full year as a dead stallion. Noble Storm is out of Serena's Tune, one of the four stakes winners out of the great Serena's Song. Given his pedigree and price tag, I imagine that Darley retains high aspirations for him; perhaps a mid-year objective of something like the Met Mile. But whatever they have in mind, I highly doubt they're going to send him to Dubai [to prep for it], so why do they do that with their Derby prospects?

Back to M J's Enchanteur, he's a three-year old gelded son of the Seattle Slew stallion Metfield who has three wins and three seconds in out-of-town overnight stakes for Scott Lake this year. Lake had to expose him for a 75K tag to get him into this optional claiming allowance; I was a bit surprised that he did so, and even more so that he wasn't claimed by one of the big players like Winning Move. Maybe they were wary of a $300,000 earner being exposed like that. Or maybe he didn't look right to someone in the paddock. (I'd love to get reports on horses who were prospected for claims and rejected, and by which trainers. You can twitter me on that.) (Better yet, just give me a call so that the rest of the world doesn't have to find out too.) Anyway, he held for third, picked up $5400 for owner Ben Mondello, and maybe Lake pulled one over.

It would seem as if trainer Greg DiPrima definitely pulled one over in the fifth. Kamboo Man won by six for 10K two races back; and then ran a close second for 14K. Here, he was entered for a mere $7500....but nobody bit. And that includes the bettors who let him off at a price of 9-5 which has to seem generous in the wake of his 13 1/2 length win! Second place finisher Methodtomymadness was claimed for $7500 from trainer Patricia Farro, a solid 10% barn currently mired in an 0-34 slump. Ms. Farro had claimed this horse back two races ago, for 10K, after losing him for 5K the race before.