Thursday Notes

Andrew Caulfield wrote about Wayne Lukas' Rebel winner Will Take Charge in his Pedigree Insights column in Thoroughbred Daily News the other day......and you all read Thoroughbred Daily News, right?  I mean, it's free to subscribe, and contains about the most comprehensive coverage of racing, breeding, and sales news you can find anywhere, so why wouldn't you?  I imagine there was alarm there when the Racing Form announced they were starting a breeding section, but thinking now that they're not losing any sleep over that, at least as of yet.

Anyway, I mentioned Take Charge Lady, the dam of Will Take Charge and last year's Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy, the other day, and Caulfield elaborates:

  Take Charge Lady originally cost $175,000 as a yearling, but she proved so successful that her price soared to $4.2 million as a 5-year-old in 2004, when she was sold in foal to Seeking The Gold. The Seeking The Gold filly she was carrying repaid $3.2 million towards her purchase price when sold as a yearling. Two years later, her yearling filly by Storm Cat made $800,000. Bearing in mind that the Seeking The Gold filly won only once and the daughter of Storm Cat failed to win, it is hardly surprising that buyers failed to maintain such enthusiasm for Take Charge Lady's yearlings. Her A.P. Indy colt [Take Charge Indy] RNA'd at $80,000 in 2010 and then her Unbridled's Song colt [Will Take Charge] made $425,000 in 2011, a year when two other Unbrdled's Song yearlings achieved seven-figure sums. [TDN]

  Take Charge Lady has a 2012 foal by Indian Charlie.

The Spiral Stakes at Turfway drew a full field of 12 horses in search of qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (as well as a share of the rich $550,000 purse).  Though I don't really understand why a race on synthetic would earn points towards a stakes race run on dirt.  I thought the idea was to keep out horses that are just taking up space in the 20 horse field; so why would you allow some synth, or perhaps turf, specialist to sneak in and clutter the track?  Don't see any grass races on the qualifying race list, other than the very first one back in September, in England, which is ridiculous in itself.  Perhaps Churchill Downs is being kind to their in-state neighbors at Keeneland and Turfway, who wouldn't appreciate being excluded from the party.

Take, for example, Lukas' entry Channel Isle (15-1).  Graduated on grass, and though he does have a dirt win against an Oaklawn allowance field that has come back very weak so far, he's been trounced in two stakes tries on dirt.  This horse is so thoroughly bred for grass - English Channel out of an Irish female family that is just dripping with classy Euro grass winners, including Group 1 winner Darara (in turn, the dam of five Group 1 winners and four champions) - that it seems obvious that the connections are clutching at synthetic straws here, and looking for any way to grab enough points to guarantee them a vanity trip to Churchill Downs, where he'd most certainly be far up the track.  And you might say the same about Balance the Books (7-2), a two-time graded stakes winner on grass at two and third in the BC Juvie Turf.  Why would this horse possibly be making his three-year old debut on something other than turf, the only surface he's ever run over?  Don't see why horses like that should be guaranteed a spot in the Derby starting gate for winning a race like this.

Morning line favorite Uncaptured (3-1) on the other hand started his career on synth, but won two stakes on the Churchill track last year, so this would seem like a good opportunity in his 3yo debut.  (Though trainer Mark Casse is 0 for 13 in the 61 to 180 layoff to graded stakes category....though he just missed with Pool Play in the Hal's Hope in January).  Don't know about this race as a Derby prep, but sure looks like a great betting race.  And isn't that what this game is all about?

Revelry or Refined (And Other Matters of Debate)

Odato reported in the Times Union on Monday that the one-house budgets passed in the NYS Senate and Assembly both include a provision for a portion of VLT money (2.5% of the purse fund) to be used to pay for health insurance for New York jockeys. Man, that's a fine piece of lobbying done by Brian Meara, whose firm is being paid $2,000 monthly to represent the [Jockeys Guild]. [Albany Times Union]  Meara is a familiar name in NY lobbying circles; former aide to Sheldon Silver who used to work for Patricia Lynch before establishing his own firm; and a name that turns up a bunch of results if you search him on this blog.

[Meara] said he figured the time was right to seek some help for health care costs of people in a dangerous and short-lived occupation since Gov. Andrew Cuomo was already seeking to get a cut of VLT funds to pay for horse safety programs.

I'm sure that Meara also figured that the current political climate in which the governor and his budget director has expressed their misgivings about the amount of VLT money that's directed towards the tracks; and the concern these days for the health of horses and jockeys, made it an opportune time to lobby for such a thing.  Slick move.

The problem with the safety angle in this case, as the NY horsemen have pointed out, is that owners are already paying for workers compensation which covers injuries suffered on the track.  The Guild is looking for private health insurance to cover the riders and their families away from work.  That is of course a problem which most contractors and freelancers also deal with.  Seems to me though that should purses be reduced should this provision take effect, the jockeys' portions, based on percentages of earnings, will go down proportionately.  And that they'll end up paying for their health insurance one way or another in the end.

 - Been writing about the success that the Meadowlands has been having in attracting increased nightly handle; and Standardbred Owners Association of New York president Joe Faraldo chimed in on the subject, and not in an admirable nor complimentary way.  Faraldo points out that the handle figures have been aided and abetted by a cartel which, in exchange for a pledge to wager at least $300,000 per card, gets the signal for one-third the price; 2% as compared to 6% for tracks and ADW's. 

  Simply, even if handle is tripled, since the price charged to those responsible for a large component of that handle is a third of what it "sells” to other bettors, both the track and horsemen are still in the same position economically. The addition of gross handle in this fashion produces a zero-sum effect, resulting in no additional revenue being generated to increase purses or add a race day.
.....
It gets tiresome reading the daily pats on the back of growing handle because of all the smart things going on at the Meadowlands -- yet the truth is that there will be no additional race dates and no meaningful purse increases because, the truth be known, on-track handle is flat.

This prompted a scathing response from the View From the Racetrack Grandstand blog which you can read here.  He points out that track operator Jeff Gural has discussed the matter openly, that the increase is of such a magnitude that it very likely far exceeds the cartel's wagering, and that handle feeds upon itself with larger pools attracting eager bettors hungry for liquidity.  He also wonders why Faraldo is chiming in about slots-less New Jersey when he represents horsemen in slots-rich New York. 

I do understand it must be annoying hearing about all these handle improvements at the Meadowlands; especially when Balmoral Park, the Meadowlands, and even Cal-Expo at times handle more money than Yonkers on a nightly basis. After all, what would the horsemen at Yonkers be racing for if not for slots?

Faraldo makes a fair point I think about the possibility of pool manipulation when it comes to computer-aided syndicate betting of this type.  And it's true that the lucrative on-track handle that the Big M needs to really thrive has remained flat.  (It is hoped that the new smaller grandstand under construction on what is now the backstretch will attract players with a slick sports bar type atmosphere; but I'd be skeptical.)   But I also think it's clear that his piece is fueled by his personal enmity for Gural, with whom he's clashed for many years.  His bristling at the stream of good publicity for Gural's track is quite palpable here.

 - Revelry or Refined is the choice presented by America's Best Racing for its Kentucky Derby sweepstakes.  Revelry gets you into the infield at Churchill Downs along with a t-shirt and fanny pack, a motel, and "food."  Refined gets you onto Millionaire's Row, designer clothing, a limo ride from  your hotel, and "fine dining."  The catch is that you get a $5,000 betting voucher for the infield and only $1,000 for the fancy schmancy deal.  That would be a simple choice for me.  The Head Chef would likely disagree.

Bright Thought World Mark Passes Muster and Morality

Bright Thought has been officially credited with a world record for running the mile and a half G2 San Luis Rey Stakes in 2:22.72.  This according to the American Racing Manual, the "official record keeper for American racing."  Really?  Didn't know that they were in any position of authority (and they don't even have a website!).  Apparently they were consulted on the matter because the first 3/8ths of the race are run downhill.  However, explains Santa Anita oddsmaker Jon White:

  The difference between world records and American records, are that a world record is the fastest time under any conditions, on any surface." [Bloodhorse]

  So, there you go.  Hawkster was the prior world record holder; he ran the distance in 2:22 4/5 back in the day where that amount of precision in timing was acceptable (and to me, it still is), and was subsequently credited with 2:22.80 in the hundredths age.  The Handicapper's Edge on the Brisnet.com website (which Churchill Downs treats as if it has been granted landmark status as a tribute to 20th century internet aesthetics) notes dryly of Little Mike, who blazed the same distance in 2:22.83 in last November's Breeders' Cup Turf:

His time stacked up morally, if not according to the record book, with Hawkster's.

  Bright Thought is the story of the year so far I guess given his rise from a 25K maiden claimer at Laurel just last November methodically up the class and distance latter to a Grade 2 win in his first stakes start.  Trainer Jorge Gutierrez said:

"Bright Thought came out of the race in good shape, but for now I think we're going to back off and give him a breather."

  A breather for this horse means the Woodford Reserve at Churchill on Derby Day.   That's seven weeks, not so long in this day and age as far as breathers go.  But it's long for this horse, whose last three starts came off breaks of only 23, 18, and 23 days.  And that's cool; an easier spot might be the 1 3/4 mile San Juan Capistrano at SA; to ship to Kentucky, cut back to nine furlongs and run in the spotlight of Derby day seems like a sporting endeavor on the part of the connections.  So we'll look forward to that, hopefully.

Bright Thought is a four-year old by the Japanese champion Hat Trick out of a Smart Strike mare.  Not much to see under his first two dams.  But go back to her third dam Right Word; she's the dam of Ascutney, who is, in turn, the dam of BC Classic winner Ravens Pass; and you'll also find G1 turf winners No Matter What, Just As Well, and Rainbow View in the family.

 - Good job by track announcer Frank Mirahmadi exclaiming; "LUKAS 1-2!" in deep stretch as Will Take Charge ($58) edged by stablemate Oxbow in an exciting edition of the Rebel.  D Wayne is enjoying a bit of a graded stakes revival; he has nine graded stakes wins in the last five years, and four of them in 2013.  The winner is by Unbridled's Song out of the $2.5 million earner and multiple multiple G1 winner Take Charge Lady; and after three nondescript foals to start her career as a broodmare, it's her second 3yo stakes winner in a row (Take Charge Indy won the Florida Derby last year).  Both Will Take Charge and Oxbow earned Beyers of 95.  No excuse at all for favored Super Ninety Nine.  Oh.  Check that.  “That track was too deep for him,” Baffert said.  Treasury Bill, who I picked here, turned out the be quite the popular wise guy choice and went off at an unappetizing 3-1.  Saw some people trying to make excuses for him on Twitter, but nothing that I could see.  His stablemate Title Contender played the rabbit role to perfection, but it was the Lukas duo that benefited instead.

 - Wait A While, another $2 million+ earner and multiple multiple G1 winner, got off to a faster start as a broodmare as Zaikov, her first foal, by Distorted Humor, made quite the smashing debut at Gulfstream on Friday, winning off by 14 lengths and earning a Beyer of 99.  Despite his mom's proclivity for grass, he'll stay on dirt for now.

Rebel Rebel. - - Rebel. Rebel?

Baffert goes for his 4th straight Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, and he's done it in a variety of ways. Lookin at Lucky rallied from mid-pack in 2010; The Factor won in front-running fashion in 2011; and Secret Circle stalked and came on to win last year.  Based on his romp in the Southwest Stakes, if Super Ninety Nine (3-2) is to extend the trainer's streak, he'll be doing it in Factor fashion. However, he has indeed shown the ability to sit off the lead and win, as he did in his two-turn debut two races back.  He might very well have to do that here, breaking from the outside post as he is, and with ample of speed inside him; Oxbow (4-1) and Title Contender (5-1) immediately inside, and Delhomme (7-2) back for the Toddster first time out since tiring to 3rd in the Remsen.  Baffert's colt looks fastest on paper but will have a tougher time than he did on a speed-favoring sloppy track in the Southwest.

Horse I find interesting here is Treasury Bill (5-1) (coupled with Title Contender), shipping in from California for trainer Ron Ellis; a rare journey for him to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Last time he had a horse at Oaklawn was Buzzards Bay in the Oaklawn Handicap in 2008.  Ha, Buzzards Bay, remember him?  I was looking at his past performances and recalled the big wide move he made on the turn in the Giacomo Derby in 2005 before sputtering to 5th.  Eight years ago!  Then I thought, holy crap, I was writing this blog then!  Wrote about Buzzards Bay here that spring, and, reading it now, had to laugh upon reading: With the sport trying to clean up its image, as highlighted on the front page of the Times today.....

.....And indeed, there it was, eight years ago, on the Monday before the Derby, Joe Drape on the front page. writing about '''juiced' thoroughbreds and ineffective attempts at regulation."  Eight years and many front page stories later, the big debate is over a silly symbolic ban on Lasix for Breeders' Cup day.  And, on a far more constructive note, finally an effort, albeit only a regional one, to standardize medication rules.

Well, anyway, enough of that.  This site is declared to be Lasix-free.  Back to Treasury Bill, (who, like the other nine Rebel entries, will be running on Lasix) is coming off an impressive second to another good Baffert runner in Shakin It Up in the seven furlong San Vincente, his first effort against winners.  Chart says four wide into the stretch, but I find that conservative; and he closed gamely despite having pulled jockey Joe Talamo to a 22.21 second quarter.  Ellis said after the race: "I didn't really think he could compete with these kind of horses going seven furlongs, so I'm very happy." (BRISnet) Now he stretches out to two turns, and the trainer (and I) think he should love it.  Son of Lemon Drop Kid is out of Wow Me Free, a stakes winner at a mile and a quarter by Haskell winner (and Derby runner-up) Menifee.  Third dam Triple Wow and her daughter Alywow were both multiple stakes winners at a distance.  Treasury Bill is inbred 4x5 to Buckpasser and checks in solidly in the dosage department.

In the preceding race, the G3 Azeri, My Miss Aurelia (6-5) makes her 2013 debut, but runs into a really sharp mare in Don't Tell Sophia (3-2), a perfect two-for-two since taking up residence at Oaklawn this year.  She hasn't faced anything like the caliber of the 2011 juvenile filly champ, but I watched those races, and man, she dusted those horses with striking ease.  Think she's gonna be tough to beat.

 - Guns in the news again in New York.  Another random shooting, and another step to try and control them.  This one can't be that controversial; I mean, who would oppose something as sensible and logical as background checks, as at retail stores, for gun buyers at gun shows?  Oh yeah, these guys.  Well, in any event, Saratoga hosts a gun show each year, and some Saratogians expressed their displeasure with this:

Casino Siting Stalled

The question of casino siting (the now-standard nomenclature for the matter of where they are going to be) in New York State (should they be approved by referendum in November and assuming a measure ultimately passes in Albany) will apparently not be included in the budget which is due on April 1 (though negotiations continue).  As you may know, Governor Cuomo wants three casinos, all located upstate, to be selected by a commission that he controls, in a first phase, and a period of exclusivity before any would be built in New York City.  But the legislature wants more input and has other ideas about location.

There was a thought that Cuomo would use his executive power to ram his plan though via the budget extender, the maneuver pioneered by David Paterson - the legacy achievement of the accidental governor other than his accidental selection of Genting.  But Cuomo conceded that he could not do so, since it is not strictly a spending measure.

   “Casinos is complicated. Some issues are basically binary — no possibility of agreement, its not in,” Cuomo said.

He said the use of extenders would “suggest a hostile working relationship with the Legislature. “If you need to have a hostile relationship, I would suggest you don’t have a hostile relationship." [Capitol Confidential] 

One might also say, in similar classic Cuomo-speak, that if you need to have casinos to balance your budget, I would suggest you don't have casinos.  But that's a matter to be decided by the voters; and, specifically, as we mentioned recently, quite likely by the voters in NYC.  A bill will pass before the 2013 session is over; Cuomo concedes that that agreement may not come until June.  That will trigger a mad flurry of interested parties aligning on whatever side of the issue best suits them for the November vote.  The New York Gaming Association (NYGA) continues to issue press releases extolling their success (without acknowledging that Genting's Resorts World is largely responsible for the growth).  But I can't imagine that the nine NY state racinos that make up that organization will all be on the same side should, for example, a casino be sited for Genting but not for Yonkers nor the others.

 - Wasn't long ago that Belmont was a center of speculation as a casino site.  But now, the question is how big of a soccer stadium will be built, as part of a 28-acre retail and recreation center.  [Newsday, subscription only] The Cosmos are proposing a 25,000 stadium, while a competing group wants to build a 2-3,000 seat facility for high school and youth leagues.

 - In an open letter to harness horsemen at the Meadowlands (h/t View from the Racetrack Grandstand), track operator Jeff Gural extols his success there thus far (33% increase in handle; 13 $3M handle days as opposed to just two all of last year); and makes a naked appeal for support in the face of openings of meets at tracks with slots-fueled purses.

Since both these tracks, as well as Yonkers, derive the majority of their purse money from casino gambling they often have purses equal or better than ours and most people think it is easier to win at those tracks as long as you do not draw too many eight or nine holes.   I understand all that but the Meadowlands cannot survive without having full fields and competitive races. The last two months have shown that the product is extremely popular with the people who wager on standardbred racing.In fact, on a typical Saturday night 40% of all the money bet at US tracks is wagered on our product. 

To be blunt, I need the industry to step up and support the Meadowlands which may not be the best business decision for everyone in the short term but, in my opinion, the industry needs a healthy Meadowlands and we deserve the support of the industry. 

Gural has used a combination of bludgeon and begging to get to this point, appealing to horsemen's sense of duty to what has been the jewel track of the harness racing industry, and their competitive spirit to get drivers to be more aggressive; while hiring private investigators and summarily ejecting horsemen he deems to be of questionable integrity.  I get the feeling that if he was the operator of the NYRA tracks, we wouldn't see jockeys holding their horses back off the pace as Dominguez cruises to the half in 51 and 3.

Odds and Ends

 - Maleeh ($13.40) won the Caposella at Aqueduct on Saturday as he ran by the 3-4 favorite Clawback in his first try against winners and his second career start.  Why was this his first start since Jan 6?  He's “a little fragile.”  Join the club.  Maybe we'll see him for the King's Bishop.  Maleeh is by Indian Charlie out of the two-time Princess Rooney Stakes (at six furlongs) winner Gold Mover, by Gold Fever, also a sprint stakes winner.  So he's a sprinter; a fragile sprinter.  Not so trendy, but I'd take him.

 - Hear the Ghost rallied to win the San Felipe at Santa Anita, but he doesn't get the "ran by" description as Maleeh did; let's say he "got past" the leaders (and two favorites) when they just stopped running inside the 1/16th pole, exhausted as they were from the overheated early pace.  But credit where due; he won.  Can't criticize a horse for that; race set up for him but he did what had to do, and refused to let Tiz A Minister, who hardly ran early at all, get by him, in his first try beyond six furlongs.  Hear the Ghost is by Ghostzapper out of a Coronado's Quest mare, and a half-brother to Mani Bhavan, who won two of the 2yo fillies stakes at Saratoga in 2008 and then disappeared shortly thereafter.  This is the distaff family of the champion sprinter Speightstown - the 2nd dam of that one is the 3rd dam of Hear the Ghost.  But Alan Porter wrote of ample distance influence deep in the distaff family when writing about Mani Bhavan here.

 - So would I be going out on a limb by saying that Verrazano won't hit the board in the Derby?  If I said he'll finish behind Hear the Ghost (should both make it there.)  If I said he wouldn't make the Derby at all?

 - Good piece in Harness Racing Update by Dean Towers, who writes that "quality," in the sense of faster horses running for bigger purses, is overrated.  For one thing, there simply aren't enough good horses to support some 80,000 flat and harness races a year. 

Quality in harness racing, or racing in general, should be looked at in only one fashion, and that is how the end user consumes the product. A bettor bets when he or she has a good bet. A good bet comes in various forms, of course, but in general it's formed from three things: Field size, takeout and pool size.

  Well, Dean is one of those takeout guys.  I might substitute 'competitive races.'  But we're generally in agreement.  I also noted where he wrote that "probably three quarters of [races] are unbettable."  I dunno, I follow him on Twitter and he doesn't seem all that picky to me.

He also mentions that the Meadowlands is rockin and rollin with highly competitive races thanks in large part to the letter-number classification system that the track adapted this year; and I've heard that from other people as well.   This is the same system that New York Fan Advisory Council said that bettors did not want at Yonkers.  "Their handle has trended upwards and might end the year up 20% or more."

 - Fort Larned ran really fast on Saturday.  True, he didn't have a jockey and was therefore being spotted around 120 pounds by the rest of the field.  But Trakus timed him, his splits are here, and they include a furlong, following the half mile mark, of 4.98 seconds. 

  After countless hours reviewing data, we cannot recall a time where we saw a horse run a sub five-second sixteenth, as Fort Larned did just before hitting the far turn. Then again, no one had ever seen a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner run rider-less and care free, 25 lengths in front of an accomplished group. [America's Best Racing's Gambling blog]

  Glad that everyone involved seems OK and we can chuckle about it now, though those who bet him at 4-5 are probably still not amused.

Rock and ABRoll

America's Best Racing, the Jockey Club's initiative designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America’s best Thoroughbred racing events, is dispatching its team of six young "enthusiastic" brand ambassadors to next week's South by Southwest no-longer-just-a-music festival (just call it SXSW 2013).  It's part of a national bus tour (in a 45-foot vehicle, cleverly dubbed the 'ABRV') that will take the group mostly to major race events such as the Triple Crown.  But also to some cultural events that figure to attract young people, such as this.

Pull the Pocket observes that the current meme...is that "it's a stupid idea," but I don't see it that way at all.  Like anything other effort, it's surely not going to grow the game on its own.  But everyone agrees that we need some younger blood amongst the railbirds, and we obviously have a PR problem at this stage, in no small part thanks to the Times and, to be fair, reporting on problems that is actually fair and objective as well, because those issues are real.  So I don't see anything stupid about sending out a bunch of young (ages 21 through 27) knowledgeable and articulate people to talk passionately about the sport to their peers.  And to confront difficult questions regarding well-publicized issues head on.

“It’s a tough subject that the brand ambassadors can’t avoid,” acknowledged [NTRA VP-Comm Stephen] Panus, “but, just like any competitive sport, there are risks and negative stories involved. Brain injuries in the NFL and NHL, tragic fatality in the X Games, PED’s in MLB, to cite a few.

“Our athletes, both horse and rider who compete in the best events, only very, very rarely are injured in a catastrophic manner. We can tell any fans who become interested in racing that there are literally millions upon millions of dollars spent in both care and research to assure their health – in and out of competition – as the sport continues to innovate to make racing safer for all involved.” [Forbes]

I think we need more of that kind of sensible pushback against some of the more sensational stories we've read of late; and on a regular basis coming out of NTRA and Jockey Club, not just an occasional quote in an article like this.

SXSW is an inspired and out-of-the-box choice in my view.  Regular readers know that I myself am partial to the indie rock scene.  And I know a whole bunch of people whose tastes cross over from indie rock to horse racing; I like to think that's not a coincidence.  Makes sense to me that those who make the effort to go beyond Top 40 and the latest craze on You Tube to seek out music that may be challenging and boundary-stretching may also be discerning enough to look for some challenges in their entertainment choices.....and surely in their gambling choices.  You might say that, for example, a band like Sonic Youth is to Fall Out Boy as horse racing is to slots machine.   The former ones require a little effort and open-mindedness to really appreciate, while the latter ones tend to numb the brain; or mine at least.  (And accordingly, I don't have much hope for another scheduled ABRV stop, at the cultural blight known as the MTV Music Awards.)

So, the ambassadors will sponsor one of the music stages and throw a private function "for about 500 VIP's."  Additionally:

  ..visitors to the bus will be able to watch high-energy videos on racing’s biggest stars, explore our lifestyle-driven website, place “fantasy” wagers for prizes, register for incredible VIP experiences and receive free racing gifts from ABR and their home track. [America's Best Racing]

I particularly like the fantasy wagers for prizes, as I've always contended that contests that enable participants to have a stake in the outcome in a race is the best way to get them hooked interested.  Lure some SXSW folks into the big bus, find some tapes of exciting races with blanket finishes, get them to pick a horse and give away some CDs or some passes for a sold-out show to the winners.  Get them into the action.

And while they are there, the ambassadors might as well get into the action and check out some good music too.  Surely plenty to choose from; and perhaps, in exchange for some tips on handicapping, they can get some tips on some up and coming bands that nobody has heard of.

One of the bands that they'll surely be some buzz about there is Parquet Courts, who we saw at Bowery Ballroom here in NYC on Thursday night.  The Brooklyn-based quartet's debut album is Light Up Gold.  The Head Chef and others hear the influence of Television; I sense some early B-52's and The Feelies in the taught guitar riffs and driving rhythms.  And you gotta love a band who gives a shout-out to Ridgewood, Queens, as they do in the track Stoned and Starving (a state in which I attended the races many times back in the days of Television and the early B-52's).

Another band of the moment who will appearing at SXSW is Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who recently released their second album, II.  Their laid-back groove is more difficult to describe, but at times sounds to me as if the Rev. Al Green was reincarnated as an indie-rock nerd in Portlandia, how about that?  Missed their recent sold-out show here, but they'll be playing for free at the South Street Seaport this summer, and nice to see they'll be shows this summer there in an area that suffered a lot of damage from Sandy.

One more: METZ is a Canadian trio with an eponymous debut LP and a never-ending tour schedule; caught them at the Knitting Factory a few months ago.  They'll be playing no less than six shows at SXSW.  According to the Sub Pop website,  their sound is a frantic nod to Nation of Ulysses, Shellac, The Pixies, The Jesus Lizard, and Public Image Ltd. at their most vicious; and that works for me.  Some videos below.

Box Seats Scoop a Whole Lotta Nothing

Must have been a slow day in the world of Albany politics for Jim Odato and the Times Union when they filed a Freedom of Information request to find out who is paying what for box seats at Saratoga.  Or, maybe Odato was just endeavoring to dig up some more dirt on NYRA, as he is wont to do.

So, here's the list if you care, and it's clear that Odato came up with a whole lot of nothing in terms of anything scandalous; other than perhaps the fact that NYRA initially resisted the request, which probably had more to do with the fact that they find Odato annoying more than having anything to hide.  Not much news here, just a bunch of horse owners and breeders and organizations related to horse racing.  (And no, Joe Bruno is not on the list.)   Freebies are reserved for sponsors, local businesses, and horsemen.

At $9,044 for the prime locations, it's actually not a bad deal.  Five seats to a box, 40 racing days....comes to less around $45 per seat per day for a seat on the finish line.  Less than it costs me for my seats upstairs for the team in the sport that I'm not blogging about this season as part of my mini-boycott over the lockout nonsense.

And there's one seat in one box that will surely remain empty.

 NYRA also controls several boxes to offer to visiting owners and others, including one in case the governor attends a race.

Seriously....would it kill this guy to, just once, in an attempt to at least present the illusion that he cares, hop into his limo for a 30 minute drive?  I'm sure his duties as governor require him to perform tasks and to see people that are far more distasteful than what he would encounter there.  I mean, c'mon governor, would you rather be hanging out with David Cassidy or with this guy?

The "Truth" According to Joe Drape

Undefeated Gotham winner Vyjack showed some unusual versatility coming from far off the pace after being near or on it in his first three races; including his game front-running win in the Jerome (which I still can't accept being run at Aqueduct in January).  And it's not like he was taken back behind a lightning pace.  The pace was in fact on the slow side compared to other races on the day, going 24 and 48 3/5 to the half.  So it was a lively third quarter of 24 flat into which Vyjack commenced his move, and he sustained it well despite being five wide.  When he changed leads mid-stretch, he re-broke and closed with a nice rush.  Nice looking colt.

Pedigree-wise, Vyjack shows some mixed signals in his female family.  By Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), he's out of a Stravinsky mare who's a half-sister to the crack Maryland sprinter Disco Rico.  His third dam, Capp It Off, was also a stakes-winning sprinter; and a look further down the pedigree shows names like the sprint champ Smoke Glacken and BC Sprint runner-up Crown of Thorns (the horse, not this rock band, who followed me on Twitter after I posted this tidbit there.)  On the other hand, he's a half to route winner Prime Cut, and his second dam is a half to Miss Slewpy, who won the Ladies Handicap at 10 furlongs.

Now, here I was gonna go off on one of those 'the Derby ain't what it used to be' rants and argue that pedigree isn't really all that important anymore when it comes to picking the winner, and so on and so forth.  But I'm as sick of writing that stuff as I am of reading about the Derby months before the fact, so nevermind.   However, I was looking for past Derby results charts, so naturally visited Churchill Downs' official Kentucky Derby website, and went to the history section.

There, I was surprised (or not so much) by what I did (and didn't find).  For one thing, somebody there has apparently forgotten to post links to the results charts 'powered by brisnet' (the website that the company purchased and neglected) for the past two years.  And, if you search the years before 2009, all you get is a replay (which I can find on You Tube) and the chart comment.  That's it.  I dunno....it's the vaunted Kentucky Derby and the official vaunted Kentucky Derby site.  One might think that they would put just a little effort into it.  Especially for some of the more storied winners from the past; even Secretariat gets the same lame treatment.  That's just weak.  But, then again, Churchill Downs, as a public company focused on its bottom line, has priorities other than racing nowadays.

That matter of how much Churchill cares about racing was a topic of debate and discussion on a Twitter conversation I stumbled upon yesterday between a Churchill employee and our buddy Joe Drape.  And I was surprised (or not so much) to read this tweet by our favorite Times reporter. 

  They are a gaming company now and no longer a racetrack company. Sport on last legs & CD knows it best of all.

  To which I couldn't help but reply:

  .@joedrape Right on re: CD and we all appreciate yours and the NYT's efforts to ensure the sport is on its last legs

  To which he replied, in his usual pithy manner: 

  the truth hurts

  And I'm thinking...the truth??  What truth is that, exactly?  That the Times is trying to kill the sport?  Because there's not a grain of truth in the statement that horse racing is on its last legs.  You can surely argue that the sport is not thriving; that it faces tremendous challenges, and that the industry is not doing enough to meet those challenges, nor to help it grow.  But on its last legs?  Dog racing is on its last legs.  Jai-alai is on its last legs.  Seth MacFarlane is on his last legs as an Oscar host.  Individual tracks may be on their last legs as a live spectator venue.  But horse racing as a whole?  I don't see how any objective person can say that it is on its last legs.  Handle is holding steady as race days decline.   And seriously, can you really spend a day at Saratoga or Del Mar or Keeneland or Oaklawn or Churchill....or even, yes, Aqueduct in the dead of winter with its ground floor packed with refugees from OTB....and tell me this game is on its death bed?

And I find it more than just a little disturbing that the lead racing writer for the New York Times would write that; especially in light of his role in the paper's efforts to drive the sport to the sorry state which he seems to crave.  (Don't really know why he does; seems to me that he'd be standing on the unemployment line with everyone else.)  To me, it's rather telling and casts a bright and unflattering light on the thinking going on at the Paper of Record when they publish those stories which so distort and twist the truth to fit that very agenda.  And I think that those people who defend the reporting should think about that the next time they see Death and Disarray at America's Racetracks on the NY Times' front page.

NYC Voters May Determine Casinos' Fate

Interesting point raised in this Crain's New York article on a couple of recent polls on the casino referendum:

  While Mr. Cuomo is proposing building the first three casinos upstate, New York City voters will make up the bulk of the 2013 electorate in November because the mayor's race will drive up turnout. Some observers have speculated that would make passage of the amendment easier.

November will feature the first NYC mayor's race since 2001 not to include Michael Bloomberg.  And, other than the possible special election or two, there will be no state-wide legislative elections on either the state or federal level; so the referendum could be the only matter on the ballot in many places.  So indeed, the casino issue may well be decided in the city.....where Governor Cuomo has declared that there will be no casinos, at least at first.  Kind of an odd situation; though it would still be city voters' only chance to vote on the question of eventual casinos in New York City even if not in the first wave.

That would be interesting given the overwhelming Democratic registration advantage (a 6-to-1 margin over Republicans) in the five boroughs.  Then again, as we've long seen, the issue of gambling often transcends party lines.  And, remarkably, a Democrat hasn't been elected as mayor since David Dinkins in 1990.  Hard to imagine in my view that that streak won't be broken this year.  Gotta think that the real suspense will be in the Democratic primary, which will feature a uninspiring but potentially closely-matched field.  The Republicans do have a really interesting guy in Joe Lhota, who fits the profile of recent Republican/Independent (or whatever the heck Bloomberg is) mayors with his progressive-leaning views on social issues.  But his name recognition is low, and, despite his much-praised efforts to get the subway system back up and running after Sandy, I can't imagine that "former head of the MTA" could resonate positively amongst voters who utilize the transit system on a regular basis.

Anyway, getting back on topic, if you believe the poll released early last month by Global Strategy Group, the only plan that likely NYC mayoral primary and general election voters would approve is the one that would give Genting the only casino in the city with six built elsewhere.  Of course, that poll was underwritten by none other than Genting.  So, you can be sure that the wording of the questions favored the outcome that the folks who paid for the obvious push-poll wanted to see.  I've yet to see a non-partisan poll on the issue; if anyone has, please pass it along.

Speaking of Genting, seems that the gambling giant is suddenly and finally acknowledging commitments that had been made to the racing side at their Resorts World racino.  I've heard people at NYRA and those familiar with the situation speak of Genting only in the most acrimonious of terms; the relationship is said to be virtually non-existent.  But now, construction on the Longshots simulcast bar on the second floor of the Big A, which was supposed to be completed by now, is due to resume on Monday.  Additionally, Genting has resumed assigning its personnel to clean the racing side, as it is supposed to (NYRA had brought over custodial employees from Belmont).  And I've even heard, at least from some quarters, that races will actually be shown on TVs at bars in the casino.  Wow, imagine that!  One surely gets the feeling that Genting has either heard from Albany, or, with its eye squarely on the casino prize, has accordingly decided on its own to try and be the good neighbor and landlord that it pledged to be when it got the racino gig. 

Compensations and Ironies

Had to laugh when I saw the headline: NYRA plans to offer a $550,000 package to new CEO; that considering the fuss over Charlie Hayward's salary, variously reported to be a base of $460,000 to "at least $475,000" (from the chronic NYRA-critic Jim Odato).  Then I saw it's more nuanced than that - $300,000 in base and another $250,000 in incentives; structured in a way to keep the hypocrisy shaded by.....well, more hypocrisy. 

This package is despite the fact that a search firm hired by the compensation committee advised that the CEO job likely would be worth $600,000 to $1.1 million in annual compensation; an explicit acknowledgment that Hayward not only wasn't making too much, but that he was significantly underpaid.

Well, anyway, good luck with that.  I have it on good authority that the search is focused on three people.  And though I can't tell you who they are, I can tell you that none of them are named David Paterson, John Sabini, Marshall Cassidy, Hazel Dukes, Richard Dutrow, Isiah Thomas, Fred Armisen, Bobby Valentine, Scott Brown, Mitt Romney, Tagg Romney, or Barclay Tagg.  And that they are all white men.  Wo, big surprise there.

Additionally at yesterday's board meeting, David Grening of the Form reports:

..Board member Bobby Flay said he was asked by Breeders' Cup officials to ask the NYRA board about its "appetite" to host the 2014 Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park.

  I'd be curious to know how the conversation at Breeders Cup went, when they decided which shadowy back channel to go through to get an answer to a very straightforward and logical question.  "Oooo, lets ask Bobby Flay what's cooking."  Maybe someone should send them the name of the chairman of the board?

NYTHA president Rick Violette was amongst the board members opposed to hosting a non-Lasix Breeders Cup. 

  "Horsemen would certainly have an issue with banning Lasix....Our fundamental position is most, if not all, horses bleed. Lasix is an effective agent in controlling it, if not stopping it."

  And that surely brings us in an ironic full circle.  When NYRA hosted its first Breeders Cup, at Aqueduct in 1985, Lasix was still banned in New York.  Now people are opposed to the BC being here if it is banned at the event.

And outgoing president/COO Ellen McClain told the board that NYRA needs to operate off track wagering facilities in NYC (I prefer not to use the term 'OTB'.)  While NYRA does, and has always, had the right to operate up to eight facilities, Ms. McClain said that "We'd like to be in 40 restaurants in three years. We think we can do that and do it well."  I'm sure they can. 

But here, our friend irony strikes again.  Because, if I'm not mistaken, it was, in part, Charlie Hayward's desire to move forward with a similar restaurant plan which made him hesitant to acknowledge that NYRA could (and should) have returned the takeout to the level below the temporary 1% increase; the snafu (under his mistaken belief that NYRA had the option rather than the obligation to do so) that caused his ouster and this whole mess of a NYRA board in the first place.

Still Dealing With It

Last week, NYRA formally announced the formation of the Equine Safety Review Board, one of the "key recommendations" of the task force that reported on the spate of breakdown on the inner track last year.    If I'm not mistaken, the toll at the current meet stands at seven in 35 days (not counting heart attacks and non-racing-related infections, of which there's been one each).

At that rate, now that the NYRA Reorganization Board has shortened the inner track racing season by six days - under the utterly ridiculous (as eloquently explained by Steve Crist) guise of a safety measure - I figure they have saved the life of 1.2 horses.  For one thing, that proves that the new Board is indeed completely independent of Governor Cuomo who, behind closed doors, I imagine couldn't really care less about the fate of a mere 1 1/5 horse as opposed to the revenue that may be lost to the state.

And secondly, wow, think of how many horses they can save if they just don't race at all.  Now, we wouldn't want that, would we?  However, if it is really true that, as Anthony Bonomo, the Chairman of the Equine Safety Committee of the Board, suggested between Bobby Flay's comedic monologues at the last meeting of the Board, "one injury or fatality is too many," then what really is the alternative?  I mean, it's an admirable thought.  However, given the nature of thoroughbred racing in this country, in which horses are gunned at full speed into hairpin turns on hard dirt surfaces, it's completely unrealistic.  What is an "acceptable" number of fatalities?  Don't know, but it surely is more than one.  And I'd venture to say that it's well north of the four or five high school kids who die playing football each year.

It's not only totally unrealistic in my opinion, it's an attitude that is actually dangerous to the future of this sport.  As long as racing entities such as the NYRA Board remains obsessed with unattainable goals and wallows in self-despair after reading the latest entry of Death and Disarray at Racetracks in the Times, nothing is ever going to be done towards innovation and towards marketing the game (other than perhaps installing a Banana Republic outlet at Belmont).  NYRA can have their Safety Board, they can conduct their nationwide search for an Equine Veterinary Medical Director, and spend money and resources to have full necropsies performed on every dead animal.....and what do you think they will find and conclude?  Maybe I'm wrong, and they'll find some underlying and correctable thread, be it cheating or drugs or some other strand of evil or circumstance.  But I'd bet a dollar five dollars to a donut that they will conclude that, in general, horses die for little other reason than that human beings, in their endless pursuit of money and merriment (in no particular order), put them at risk by strapping on a saddle, giving a jock a leg up, and sending them out to run on a track.

I don't mean to be insensitive.  But it's a tough world out there.  Corporations routinely make conscious decisions to enhance their bottom line without regard for the consequences to human lives.  Life seems cheap to gun owners who fight back against even the most incremental steps against the most extreme weapons, even in the wake of a massacre of grade school kids.  Innocent people die in drone attacks, and we say 'oops, sorry' and hand them a check.

And, animals?  Ha.  We breed them to perform, to exhibit in cages, to slaughter for our nourishment or for scientific research to extend our own lives.  We hunt and kill them for absolutely no reason other than to amuse ourselves.

The luckier domestic ones who we breed to provide us with companionship are exempted from these cruel fates.  Racehorses?  I suppose they fall somewhere in between.  The vast majority of them are treated with tender loving care and seem to lead good lives.  Nonetheless, the fact is that they are brought onto this earth strictly for us to exploit for our own selfish purposes.  If we really cared about their welfare, then, short of letting them run free in a field, we'd ban all dirt racing and race strictly on grass, rid ourselves of the ridiculous (and destructive) obsession with speed, and race as they do in other countries - on kinder grass surfaces, in races in which they spend most of the time jockeying for position and run hard only towards the end.  And that ain't gonna happen, as we know.  Because it doesn't suit our financial needs nor the 'tradition' that causes so many people to be closed-minded in many respects.

So, if you are a racing enthusiast, you have bought into this.  And, when these unfortunate, and again, in my own estimation, unavoidable accidents happen, then, as I wrote the morning after the Eight Belles tragedy that has altered this game more than any other single event in this century, deal with it.  Or, find something else to do.  That's the way it is, in my view.  I don't think it makes the game of horse racing evil; it's just the way it is.

I was teasing my friend Teresa over a comment she made on Twitter, and, as an animal lover, she responded, with respect to her way of dealing with conflicted feelings about the sport:  "With full awareness. And some denial. And maybe hypocrisy, and a lot of ambivalence."  I suppose many of us feel that way to some extent, but I don't at all begrudge those who either don't give it a second thought, or shun the sport entirely.  To each, his or her own.  Horse racing is a sport that's on the edge; a bit of a scoundrel's game.  And that's always been part of the appeal as far as I'm concerned. Damn, it was a hell of a lot more fun when we just accepted it for what it is.

Panic Time

The state-controlled NYRA Reorganization Board "will have serious discussions next week to consider important issues that affect the health and safety of our jockeys and horses," according to Chairman David Skorton.  This comes in response to recent breakdowns on the Big A inner track.  

Four horses -- El Macho (December 13, 1ST race), Bomber Boy (January 6, 7TH race), Wildcat's Smile (January 6, 8TH race) and Pleasantfriday (January 10, 5TH race) -- were injured and euthanized since racing began on the inner track on December 12. [BRIS]

  In addition to the establishment of an equine veterinary medical director, a Mortality Review Board, and full necropsies on all dead horses (I do hope that the state is devoting as much attention and resources to, say, the deaths of people in its troubled disabled care system), the Board will consider the installation of a synthetic track to replace the current surface. 

Now, breaking out my trusty 2013 NYRA calendar, that makes four fatalities in 22 racing days on the inner track; and there are 51 scheduled days left (though NYRA is considering moving back to the main track earlier than March 30 if possible).  If fatalities continue at the same rate, then the final total for the meet would be around 13 or 14.  That's compared to 21 from the meet last year (which was indeed shortened)....but still slightly more than recent years past: from 2002 through 2011, the figures were 8-8-3-9-8-11-10-12-12-10.

Still, the Board is reacting to a very small sample size - spates of injuries are often followed by long periods without one - and not allowing the meet to fully play out in order to evaluate changes made since last year.  Let's face it; four deaths in 22 days would not have garnered much attention if not for the publicity last year.  Now I'm all for synthetic surfaces as you may know.  But if the NYRA Reorg Board thinks that a synth track is going to be a cure-all for fatal breakdowns, then they are going to be sorely disappointed, and the Board members who actually know about horse racing know that full well.   And remember, the inner track surface itself was completely exonerated by the report on the breakdowns last year.

Also up for discussion is a cut back to four racing days a week and eight races a day.  Fields are short, and trainer and NYTHA president Richard Violette explains why. 

  “We need to be given the opportunity to shrink the season a little bit,....One of the reasons is the new medication standards we set here – it’s resulted in over an 80 percent reduction in shippers. [DRF]

  The problem is mainly the restrictions on the use of clenbuterol, now restricted 14 days out here as opposed to just a few days at other tracks in the region with slots-inflated purses.  So you can kiss all the talk about those purses here reviving the winter sport goodbye, due to a medication rule that is really more to satisfy the New York Times as for any scientifically yet-to-be-proven purpose.

 - Made my first visit to the Big A last weekend, and lasted for about a half hour.  Indeed, the back rooms on the second floor are closed, ostensibly so that Genting can help to construct the promised simulcast/sports bar facility there.  Until that room is ready, I'll continue to play the races from home. 

Fan Advisory Council

This below is the 2012 report by the New York Racing Fan Advisory Council.  It's worth a read; a commendable effort initiated by the Racing and Wagering Board last year in 2011.  The four members, including representation from the female and harness sets (albeit the same person) solicited opinion from a spectrum of New York horseplayers and this is what they came up with.  Below the document, I chime in with some random comments on some of the suggestions made.

Racing Fan Advisory Council 2012 Report

  While it seems track management has encouraged SAM usage to speed up transactions and reduce the number of live tellers needed, there were complaints at each forum about a lack of sufficient live tellers. Some bettors prefer giving their bet to a person and recognize this is a matter of providing customer service.

  I dunno....kind of thinking "get with the program" here.  I think that way when I drive up to the EZ Pass lane and see cars waiting in long lines to pay cash.  Then I might feel bad, knowing that some people may not have credit cards or just not have the money nor wherewithal to make advance deposits.  But that's not the case at a track; it's just people being lame for the most part.  I can see manned windows for preferred high-volume customers.  But otherwise, deal with it.

I can't believe people still wait on lines when there is no reason to do so if one just makes a bare effort to adapt to the scant technology involved with using a machine.  Not much more than using an ATM, and I'm sure many of those on line for people know how to use those. 

  Several fans also noted that signage for entry to the track via automobile or subway was poor, and that the address of the track should be revised for those using mobile devices for directions.

  Well, I've driven to these tracks so many times, I don''t notice about signs....except for this one, still there at the corner of Woodhaven and Rockaway Blvds.

But it's true about mobile devices.  My GPS is unable to direct me to Belmont via the highway; doesn't seem to know it's there.  It insists on taking me on a circuitous route of secondary roads, even as I approach closely on the Cross Island.

Here's an obvious one: 

  It was evident that the racing side of the Aqueduct facility is in great need of restoration and repair to accommodate fans. Several sections in the track side are run down, with some furniture and fixtures from the 1950s still in use. The contrast between the Resorts World side of the facility and the racing side is disturbing from a race fan’s perspective.

  I still haven't been there since it opened in the fall.  Never found a sweet spot last year, and there are even less options this year, assuming that those rooms at the back of the 2nd floor clubhouse [no longer necessary to make that distinction] are really being converted into a sports/simulcast bar.  I really have little desire to spend an afternoon there when [and  not so long ago, I swore that I'd never say this], I can play the races at home.  Of course, back when I said that, I wasn't able to bet and watch virtually every track in the country on my computer.  If you missed it, NYRA COO Ellen McClain complained to the NYRA board that Genting has not lived up to its commitment to help keep the place tidy, and that NYRA had to hire people to do it instead.  The Fan Advisory Council also mentioned some construction at the subway entrance; and, if I recall correctly, the subway access is something Genting was going to take care of too.  As I've mentioned previously, if Governor Cuomo is really so concerned about NYRA, perhaps he would read the riot act to a company hoping to win his favor for a future casino.

   At Saratoga and at all other tracks visited by the Council, fans expressed a desire for more expanded wagering options. 

 Really???  You don't have enough ways to bet??   What could possibly be missing?  Rolling grand slams??

              Allow “rolling” Grand Slam wagers in most races.

Oh, for heaven's sake.  Though I do know one person who would like that.

Jumping in on the harness side:

  ABC Classification: The return to this racing classification system has been announced at the Meadowlands and several fans spoke up to say they do not like this system as it is more unfair to the betting public than the current classification system.

  Not being an expert on the subject, I'll just say that this was the class system used at Roosevelt and Yonkers back in the good old days, and I recall it working quite well.  I understand that it must be a hodgepodge trying to figure it out now, with horses coming from all different sorts of conditions.  But it's clear and simple, and, once things flush out as time goes on, eliminates the guesswork of trying to class-assess different conditions.  (On the other hand, it eliminates the guesswork of trying to class-assess different conditions, thus eliminating a potential edge for those sharp enough to spot something the public doesn't.)  And I'm looking over some Meadowlands results charts and seeing some wide open betting contests in those races. 

  Have twilight races every Friday night throughout the summer.

  Yay!! 

Never switch to poly-track surface.

Boo!! 

  Track operators should make WiFi available throughout the racing facilities so that fans can use tablets and other technology to download racing programs and access handicapping information at the tracks.

  Tricky one for tracks I think.  I know NYRA does have WiFi available (at least at Belmont and Saratoga), and there are compelling reasons from the fans' standpoint why they should.  But that also facilitates betting with ADWs that share a far smaller percentage of handle than if the patron bet on track.  So I can't really blame track operators if they are hesitant.

Many fans expressed displeasure regarding the large number of races carded at Saratoga, and in particular the large number of maiden races. Many felt that post times after 6 PM made for too long a day at the track. In additional, many fans believed that the quality of racing at Saratoga had diminished significantly and that the large number of races was, in part, a factor in this regard. Several fans believed that a smaller number of races could result in a product of higher quality.

  Personally, I like the long days at the Spa....and nobody is forcing anyone to stay past 6 PM if they find the day too long.  But the point about too many maiden races is surely valid.  And I've long been calling for five-day-a-week racing there, because the meet is too long.  But I don't think we'll see that until the meet is inevitably extended to run from the 4th of July through Labor Day...if then.  And as far as the "quality" of the races goes.....see my last post.  These days, "quality" to me means a big field (but not too big, 10 horses will do), and a competitive tote board.  And I think we saw a lot of that at Saratoga last summer.  I would however like to see early post times on holidays such as Memorial Day and the 4th of July.  Would be nice to be able to spend the day, be done at 4 PM and still make it home for the family BBQ.

Horse Racing - Still Classic

The Head Chef and I recently saw an exceptional performance by Max Richter, a German-born neo-classical composer who has crossed over into the indie-rock/ambient-techno spaces in the past.  His latest release came on the classic classical Deutsche Grammophon label.  Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi-The Four Seasons is pretty much what it says - a re-worked, re-imagined version of that seminal composition, with some modern syncopathic touches and a generally more urgent and, at times, dour take.  He performed the work in its entirety at the eclectic club Le Poisson Rouge, one of my favorite spaces in the city; where else could one see both the Emerson String Quartet and F**ked Up within a 12 month period!?

Mr. Richter was accompanied by Daniel Hope on violin, and a new in-house symphony which goes by the name of Ensemble LPR, an elite assemblage of the finest NewYork-based concert musicians, according to their website.  It doesn't specify is that they are the finest "young" New York-based musicians; but that's what they are, and they performed the piece with youthful gusto and flair, hitting every note perfectly.  (As somebody who is "blessed" with perfect pitch, I'm quite sensitive to the slightest mis-step, and would know.  Don't take me to a high school orchestra recital, to me that's the musical equivalent of fingernails on the blackboard.)

A flier distributed at the venue by Ensemble LPR muses that "a newcomer to classical music might be forgiven for wondering:

    Why, in the year 2012, is the work of classical music so little a part of the larger cultural dialogue?

    Why, in a city like New York, is the work of orchestras and composers of so little relevance to the lives of people who follow the arts, and to people who do not?

    Why, among its peer art forms, is classical music the least nimble and most conservative in its patterns of thinking?

    When did a genre dominated by genius and virtuosi become sclerotic, rigid, unresponsive?"

Hmmm.  Well, that sure seems familiar to us horse racing enthusiasts, don't it?  ‘Genius' surely wouldn't apply to our sport in the same sense it would to Vivaldi or Beethoven or Haydn.  But I suppose there's something virtuosic about, say, training five Belmont Stakes winners in a row, isn't there?

But a sclerotic (I had to look it up too), unresponsive, non-nimble, industry which has become largely irrelevant to the cultural dialogue?  Yeah, that sure fits.

Ensemble LPR laments that classical music is seen as being anachronistic; but it is to me.  There’s very little in the way of “modern classical” that interests me.  And even that which does hardly compares to the mastery of the Baroque era.  However, while one can surely argue that the best horses of today don’t compare to the best horses of the past, the essence of the game of horse racing itself lives on.  Sure, the product is diluted, the grandstands are often deserted, the purses artificially propped up by a revenue stream that is already being pecked away at, and which will continue to come under attack.  But the buzz as the horses head towards the post and horseplayers scramble to get their money down is as electric as ever at tracks like Saratoga and Del Mar and Keeneland and Churchill.  Because the game is the game.

As I reach the end of my 8^th year writing – or, occasionally writing, as the case may be – this blog, my views on how the game should be marketed have evolved.  Horse racing is a gambling game.  Period.  It is not at all a sport in the sense that many would like it to be.  Forget about the notion that we need stars and rivalries.  We put too much emphasis on stakes horses, and on these "big" days with short-field Grade 1’s.  Nobody cares about divisions and standings and Eclipse Awards.  The Breeders’ Cup is an unwieldy mess.   We spend months obsessing over the Kentucky Derby, which is a terrible race with which to attract new fans who can’t even pick out their selection amongst the 20 horse melee; and often just a terrible race, period.  This game will live or die by its ability to attract people who want to wager money on horses running around a track, and it doesn’t matter if they are Grade 1 – whatever that even means nowadays – or $10,000 claimers who have never won three races lifetime.  (And personally, I much prefer to bet on the latter.)

And the irony is that, as a gambling game, horse racing is better than ever, a thousand times more so than just a quarter century ago.   One has an endless choice of betting options on every race, and races from all the country to choose from that you can bet and watch from your living room, or even on the go on your tablet or cellphone.  So why isn’t horse racing thriving at a time when seemingly every other form of gambling is?   

In large part because the industry is…well, sclerotic.  The lack of a national organizational structure means that it lacks the nimbleness to move past the hand-wringing and criticism over breakdowns and drugs that it has been distracted with for the last several years.  You can say what you want about what you think about Joe Drape and the NY Times’ sensational and decidedly one-sided front page coverage….and I’ve said plenty.  But the fact is there wouldn’t be a Breakdowns – Death and Destruction and Chaos and Whatever-The-Hell-They-Call-It series if the industry was able to police itself in a common sense manner.

Unfortunately, despite incremental steps taken in jurisdictions such as New York over the past year – and only when forced to do so by clueless politicians and influential newspapers with an agenda - this seems unlikely to change anytime soon.  Surely not by the time the next Four Seasons pass in 2013.  

Perhaps there’s an Ensemble Horse Racing out there with an infusion of young blood ready to attack the matter with gusto and flair.  Myself, I’m now long past that stage, and just enjoying the game and all of its modern conveniences while I can.  The thrill lives on for me as much as it ever has.  And despite all its problems and challenges, I’m sure that the game will far outlive me.

 - And now, while we're partially on the subject, I turn back to my other favorite pastime - music - and present my favorite records of 2012.  They’re in alphabetical order, but with the ones that were particularly special to me highlighted in CAPS.  (And a hat tip to whoever it was I’m stealing that format from).

AARON DILLOWAY – MODERN JESTER (Hanson Records)

Animal Collective – Centipede Hz (Domino)

Bob Mould – Silver Age (Merge)
CLOUD NOTHINGS – ATTACK ON MEMORY (Carpark)
Dinosaur Jr – I Bet on Sky (Jagwarwar)
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan (Domino)
El-P – Cancer For Cure (Fat Possum)

FATHER JOHN MISTY – FEAR FUN (Sub Pop)
GRIZZLY BEAR – SHIELDS (Warp)
Hauschka / Hilary Hahn – Silfra (Deutsche Grammophon) 
Metz – Self-Titled (Sub Pop) 

RECOMPOSED BY MAX RICHTER – VIVALDI-THE FOUR SEASONS (Deutsche Grammophon)
SHARON VAN ETTEN – TRAMP (Jagjaguwar)
The Shins – Port of Morrow (Columbia)

SWANS – THE SEER (Young God)
Pete Swanson – Man With Potential (Type)

The Walkmen – Heaven (Fat Possum)

Honorably Mentioned

Titus Andronicus – Local Business (XL)
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)

Japandroids – Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)

Disappears - Pre-Language (Kranky)

PS I Love You - Death Dreams (Paper Bag)


New/Pending

Crystal Castles - III  (Fiction)
Andy Stott - Luxury Problems (Modern Love)
Kevin Drumm - Relief (Editions Mego)

Casino Referendum to be a Guessing Game

Governor Cuomo made it exceedingly clear that the locations of casinos will not be determined before the expected referendum on the subject next fall. 

  “I would like to see a competition where we have the ability and opportunity to attract the most exciting, aggressive proposals from the best operators in the world. And then we get to pick among the best options and my druthers would be a more flexible, open process to get the best applications, the best plans that we can."  [Buffalo News]

That's classic Cuomo-ese.  Rather redundant, often rambling, and clumsily verbose without ever approaching elegance.  Druthers, lol. 

  “They could know regions or parts of the state, but I wouldn’t limit it by picking a location because that assumes you’re picking the best location from a market point of view. I would leave it to the operators, the experts, to say you tell me within these regions of the state where you think the best market is, where would you site it to maximize economic opportunities, maximize job growth, etc,’’ 

  Huh?  What the fuck is he even talking about?

The cynic in me immediately directs me to think of all the casino-related campaign contributions that will be flowing into the coffers of legislators of both parties and to the governor himself.  Of course, that would never be on the mind of this governor.  But his decision will certainly give plenty of time to allow the special interest influence game to be fully played out, and probably create a few lobbying jobs as well.  I'm sure the good government groups will be thrilled.

That's all well and good for the lobbyists and politicians, but the voters will be left in the dark.  I would think that people in the Catskills region, teased for years by the prospect of casinos that would presumably revive its long-dormant tourist industry, have a vested interest in knowing whether they are voting for gambling there or to merely be disappointed again.  Similarly, a voter with mixed feelings about the benefits of gambling revenues to the state and the effects of casinos located near populations that may be vulnerable to the addiction of gambling would want to know where they are.  Might keep a fair amount of people away from the polls, which could very well favor proponents.  And maybe that's the idea.

 - Senator John Sampson is finally out as the leader of the Democratic conference, and the new Leader of the Majority Conference That's Still in the Minority is Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins.  Sampson has nobody to blame but himself (and, should Republican George Amedore ultimately prevail in the still-undecided contest upstate, turncoat Senator Simcha Felder), for his party's plight in the Senate.  Democrats won at least 32 of the 63 seats at the ballot box, yet still find themselves on the outside looking in, with the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) teaming up in coalition with the slimy Republican Leader Dean Skelos.  It was Sampson's leadership - or lack thereof - that initially prompted four Democrats to break away from the conference not long after the release of the Inspector General's report that skewered him for his role in the AEG/Aqueduct scandal.  And that was in addition to the coup and the debt that resulted from his stint as Majority Leader in 2009-10.

The Democrats no doubt have their eye on eventually luring the IDC back to the fold with the change, though its Leader, Senator Jeff Klein, asserted that his coalition with the GOP remains intact for now.  Klein has assured nervous Democrats that he favors a progressive agenda, so we will see what happens down the road should Skelos attempt to prevent matters such as the minimum wage, stop-and-frisk restrictions with respect to marijuana, and campaign finance reform from coming to the floor for a vote.  (Where the result of the Amedore-Tkaczyk (no relation to this guy) race will go a long ways towards determining their ultimate fate.)  Klein has always had leadership aspirations of his own, and now that he has turned the three men in a room into a quartet, he may not be so quick to give that up no matter what happens.  He's an Albany politician like the rest of them after all, so he's full of it too, as clearly evidenced by his welcoming of Senator Malcolm Smith into the IDC.  Smith was very much a part of the corruption and dysfunction that prompted the formation of the IDC, but I guess Klein is willing to overlook that in order to add some racial diversity into his conference.

The New NYRA Bored

These are the aging white guys that make up the New York State Senate Republicans ....Mayor Bloomberg's inner circle of advisors....the new NYRA Board of Directors. (I think there's actually a (white) woman on the Board, but she must have been busy in the kitchen.)

So, lemme ask you....if word does finally come down from up high to depose Ellen McClain, these are the guys who will inform a black woman that she's fired? That would make for a pretty picture....and some nice fodder for a Hillary or Al Sharpton ad for the primaries.

The Governor Cuomo-controlled Board had their first meeting last week, and if you didn't read any news about it, it's because there wasn't really any.  Sure, there was symbolic stuff demonstrating new transparency, like the meeting being open to the public (via a faulty streaming feed), and financial statements now being posted quarterly instead of annually.  (And to those who declared that the latter helped to usher in some kind of new openness, maybe they were unaware that a link to NYRA's annual financial statements has been on the homepage of their website for several years now, and does anyone really care if they're updated quarterly?)  Also, approval of a new mission statement:  “Meeting the highest standards in thoroughbred racing and equine safety.” Yippee.

Then there was symbolic stuff that is just idiotic....most prominently, the banning of political donations by NYRA and NYRA officials.  I mean, NYRA has always been overwhelmed in terms of donations by those who oppose and compete, and by those who sought to win its franchise, so I hardly think that any donations have ever been very persuasive.   Besides, I don't ever recall seeing names of NYRA officials - aside perhaps from modest donations from board members - as contributors to politicians.  And it seems blatantly unfair to me that NYRA would be prohibited from such donations while those with conflicting interests such as NYGA and companies seeking casinos lavish money upon politicians who will help determine the future of the sport in the state.  (Note however that the ban does not apply to party organizations or PACs.)

Additionally, NYRA corporate officials are now prohibited from betting.  Ha, are you kidding me?  Wagering is the business of horse racing; isn't that like banning the CEO of General Motors from driving?  That sure would have been a good way to get Hayward out if he was still hanging around.

Having said that however, there were some positive signs, specifically the talk about updating technology and, most urgently to this one-time winter railbird, the decrepit condition of Aqueduct. 

  Len Riggio, a horse owner and holdover from the previous board, said succinctly, "I won't go to Aqueduct" because it's so dirty and unkempt.

Added trainer Rick Violette, a non-voting member of the board, representing the horsemen: "Aqueduct has never been in worse condition at the beginning of a meet." [Daily Racing Form]

  Ms. McClain informed the board that Genting has failed to live up to promises to keep the racing side clean, and has delayed groundbreaking for the promised sports/simulcast facility on the 2nd floor.  None of which should be a surprise despite Genting's lofty promises to be a good partner.  Remember this?

“Moving forward, Genting is eager to work closely with NYRA to transform the current facility into a casino and racetrack that will be the envy of the country.”  [the late, not-so-lamented Thoroughbred Times, Oct, 2010]

By meeting more frequently and out in the open, and presumably having the governor's ear (if he's still listening....how about 'Dear Genting, Live up to your commitments at Aqueduct or no casinos for you, Love, Governor Cuomo'), perhaps the Board can spur some meaningful physical and spiritual changes around here.  That would be good.  However, the profound issues affecting the industry will instead be determined at the ballot box next fall when voters will presumably decide about full-blown casinos, and in the legislature, where any measures affecting racetracks' shares of VLT revenue would be decided.  On those matters, the Board can merely wait and watch just like the rest of us.

 - Obviously haven't posted here lately....taking an end-of-year break to refresh and to deal with all the busy matters of life that pop up around this time.  And, taking a pause from the game as well.  I've always written here that racing is not a 12 month sport for me....I mean, you gotta take some breaks to clear your head, don't you?  Still don't know how the professionals in the industry can keep it up year round.  It's "relentless," as Ellen McClain described the task of running the tracks virtually without interruption other than the current week break for the holiday.  So, I'm freshening up, hope to get back to it and turn my attention to racing in warmer climes after the New Year.  Hope everyone is having a good run-up to the holidays, and I'll speak to you soon.