Baffert Sorts Out Derby Picture

- Bob Baffert, whose main Derby hopeful Roman Ruler is troubled with physical problems, has once again been handed a potential plum in Whirlaway winner Sort It Out (Out of Place). Baffert won the 2002 Derby with War Emblem, who had been purchased by the late prince Ahmed Salman and handed over to Baffert after winning the Illinois Derby. That was just three weeks before the Derby. This time, Stonerside Stable is the purchaser. Baffert:

"The Whirlaway was a tough, tough race. He made a big three-eighths of a mile move, and then Naughty New Yorker, another horse I really like, came to him and looked like he was going to blow by him. But he wouldn't let him go by him. I really liked that about this horse.

"Distance is not going to be a problem. His breeding is good, and he's been running some decent numbers and is improving at the right time, and that's what you're looking for. [Bloodhorse]

- A light weekend for Derby preps, with the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn the only action of significance. Greater Good (Intidab) will be the favorite in his 3 yo debut. As a two time graded stakes winner, he far outclasses a field of six. His Beyers have improved with each start and peaked at 91 when he won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill last November, his last start, defeating Rush Bay, who disappointed in the Risen Star. Trainer Bob Holthus on Greater Good:

"I'd say the mile is not his cup of tea, but hopefully he'll be able to overcome it,.....We've got to start somewhere." [Daily Racing Form]

Sounds like a guy looking down the road, as he should be. His colt lags far behind and there won't be much of a stretch at Oaklawn; the finish line is at the sixteenth pole for mile races there. It wouldn’t make sense for jockey John McKee to abuse the colt to get him under the wire first. Having said that, I think he is so far the class that I doubt I’d bet against him. But if I change my mind, Holthus also has COPY MY NOTES (Souvenir Copy) making his first start at 3; he improved with the addition of blinkers in his last, winning a NW1 allowance with an impressive 88 Beyer. MUNIFICENCE (Allen’s Prospect) has two dominating wins in his last two at Delta Downs, both two-turn sprint distances on the small Delta track; can lead or stalk, and had a quick 5f work for this.

- Lauren Stitch of the Daily Racing Form says that Greater Good’s closing style and Derby aspirations are not supported by his pedigree.

Greater Good is running in the opposite manner of what his speed-oriented pedigree suggests. He is by Intidab (a son of Phone Trick out of a Mr. Prospector mare), and his dam, Gather Clan, is by General Assembly out of champion sprinter What a Summer (What Luck). Greater Good has already won twice at 1 1/16 miles, rallying from far off the pace in both the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. While General Assembly adds a much-needed boost of stamina, it would be shocking if a son of Intidab would be at his best at 1 1/4 miles. [Daily Racing Form]

Slots Derby - The Maine Event

With the Kentucky Derby picture heating up, so is the VLT derby, as several states are in the midst of battles over legalizing them, or what to do with ones already approved. Pennsylvania has approved them, but is now deciding where to put them, and arguing over high salaries and paid cars for the members of the gambling commission making those decisions. Maryland is in the thick of another legislative battle to bring them to the state's racetracks after seeing the bills defeated the last two years. The slots debate rages on in Kentucky and Texas but is dead for now in Indiana, bad news for Indianapolis Colts fans as well. Rhode Island has VLT's, but former executives of Lincoln Park and its corporate owner Wembley are on trial for alleged attempted bribery of a law partner of the former Speaker of the state House.

But perhaps the liveliest fight right now is going on in Maine, where Penn National Gaming is attempting to have VLT's approved for use at its Bangor Raceway harness track. Maine prides itself on transparency in its state government, so Penn National's attempt to exempt itself from public disclosure of details of its employees' backgrounds, including any criminal records, was met with outrage.

Penn National says much of the opposition to the bill comes from anti-gaming activists who are just trying to keep slots out of Maine. It says that disclosing criminal and civil litigation histories would discourage potential employees at the company's proposed casino at Bangor's harness racing track from seeking jobs.

But a lawyer for the Maine Press Association said Mainers who enjoy access to public records have a lot to lose.

"Any legislation that seeks to restrict public access to government documents and proceedings should be of real concern to people," said Michael Mahoney, who noted that the Maine press' opposition to the bill has nothing to do with the voter-approved racino itself.[Portsmouth Herald Maine News]

While a bill approved in committee this week removed the criminal record exemption, it still goes beyond what many opponents want.

But many items still remained protected, from trade secrets to information regulators determine would be an "unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" if released.

"It remains one of the broadest pieces of confidentiality statute that would exist in Maine law if you enact it," said Chief Deputy Attorney General Linda Pistner.

The revised bill requires the Maine Gambling Control Board to allow the public to look at most available information. It exempts marital status, home addresses and other personal information. [Maine Today]

While the bill's fate in the full state houses is unknown, Penn National has said it will accept the compromise but that it will not commence construction of the slots parlor until a bill is passed. The company has also now pissed off residents in the south of the state with the disclosure that it is actively lobbying for slots approval at Scarborough Downs, even though voters there have twice rejected the idea.

Meanwhile, casino opponents, spearheaded by a feisty organization called Casinos No! (website), while conceding the inevitability of VLT's at Bangor, is now pushing for some novel restrictions.

A bill would ban automated teller machines within 500 feet of the casino and other proposals would restrict the racino's hours of operation and place limits on slot machines losses for patrons. Casinos No! also wants to require parking lot surveillance to ensure children are not left in cars while parents gamble inside.[Portsmouth Herald Maine News]

Penn National naturally opposes all of these, and has some support from banks and police:

A former deputy chief with the Bangor Police Department, Welch said Strimling's bill was opposed by law enforcement officials who believe forcing patrons to go off-site to obtain more cash only increases the likelihood of crime.

"If there are people intent on robbing patrons, what better place to be than away from the bright lights and racino security personnel?" he asked.

Although the Maine Association of Banks has not taken a position on racinos or slot machines, the bankers worried that Strimling's bill could affect services in the future should a gaming company open up within 500 feet of an existing bank. [Bangor Daily News]

In an editorial, the Bangor Daily News reacted with appropriate sarcasm:

In Bangor, it's an economic-development strategy. This city needs to persuade residents to transfer money from their bank accounts to slot machines. That's a tough job, but it is the basis of the gambling tradition, a tradition Bangor is proud to embrace. Restrict customers from easily tapping their accounts and you've attacked the heart of that tradition. What's next, forcing them to get permission from their accountant before playing the slots?

It's a ding-dong battle to the wire, stay tuned.

- Another item from this that caught my eye was this:

During discussion about the development zone Penn must abide by, the area within a 2,000 foot radius of the center of the track, representatives of the Maine Harness Horsemen's Association said they would oppose any action that would allow the racino to be built farther away from the track.

Snyder noted that this was because the horsemen hoped having the track and casino close to each other would encourage "crossplay" between slots players and those who come to the track for pari-mutuel betting. [Bangor Daily News]

I've only been to a racino once, the parlor at Saratoga Harness, and there was no "crossplay" whatsoever between the slots and the track. No monitors, TVs, nor windows in the parlor, and they could have been running the Hambletonian outside and nobody would have known nor cared.

Fever

Derby developments today, as two contenders, Afleet Alex and Spanish Chestnut both worked out. Derby fever is a riot; it may be over two months before the race, but last year’s G1 Hopeful winner Afleet Alex’s workout is big news in the racing world today. It was his first workout of the year, and he zipped a half in :47.

The time was the second fastest of 40 at the distance. Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet) was caught by trainer Tim Ritchey galloping out five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, which was faster than the day's best work at that distance.

"Not too many horses, after they've worked two or three times, are going to gallop out in 59 and 3," Ritchey said. [Daily Racing Form]

He’s working towards a March 19 return in the G3 Rebel at Oaklawn. Meanwhile, G2 San Rafael winner Spanish Chestnut (Horse Chestnut) worked 6f from the gate in preparation for the G2 Santa Catalina at 1 1/16 miles on March 5.

And "Golden Shine Races Into Triple Crown Picture", so says the Bloodhorse of the cleverly-named son of Touch Gold, out of the hideously named Mop Squeezer, ugh!

Ridden by jockey Rene Douglas, the bay son of Touch Gold stalked the early pace of :23 4/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12 1/5 set by Big Top Cat before slipping inside along the rail and taking command from his laboring rival at the top of the stretch. Under little more than a hand ride, Golden Shine passed the eighth pole in 1:37 3/5 before stopping the clock in 1:44 over a main track listed as fast.

Trainer David Hofmans said Golden Shine would make his next start in the March 19 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II).[Bloodhorse]

That would be just his 4th career start, a Grade 2 stakes off of a maiden win and a rail skimming win against 4 unproven rivals. Derby fever.

Friends

- Tim Smith’s Friends of New York Racing held their long awaited coming out party today with a press conference in Saratoga at which they outlined their plans and intentions. Smith stated that they do not intend to bid for NYRA’s franchise themselves, but made it clear that they intend to participate in the process.

"We want to influence the RFP [request for proposals] process," Smith said.... Smith said Friends of New York will not recommend a single bidder, and that he convinced Friends of New York contributors such as Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Inc., to look at a bigger picture.[Thoroughbred Times]

Amidst a lot of talk of surveys and task forces was FNYR’s stated intention to become a political action committee. This would allow them, at least under current law, to raise and donate money to politicians, and even I suppose to run advocacy ads supporting particular candidates.

With New York interests on board in the form of owners and breeders, the heads of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) and the New York Thoroughbreds Horsemen’s Association, the state’s horsemen seem to be well represented and a strong and influential grass-roots lobbying organization can only be a good thing. Armed with cold cash and their surveys showing that New Yorkers have a favorable view of racing and see racetrack VLT's as a means to avoid tax increases, FNYR could be an effective influence in Albany. But the presence of companies that are interested in the franchise themselves (not to mention the CEO of the tote company NYRA just threw out) makes Smith’s contention that they are neither for nor against NYRA’s bid for a franchise extension just ring false.

- Among the survey results released by FNYR was this:

Of the respondents, 41% play the lottery frequently or occasionally, 22% go to a casino on the same basis, and 8% go to a Thoroughbred racetrack.[Bloodhorse]

Forest Danger

- Forest Danger is what some environmentalists might label the Bush admnistration, which has long been threatening to do away with the “roadless rule” that protects most remaining unspoiled areas in the national forest system from roads and logging. Forest Danger (Forestry), the horse trained by Todd Pletcher, is, like Wanderin Boy, who we saw win the Mineshaft on Saturday, a lightly raced 4 year-old threatening to make a splash on the handicap circuit. Forest Danger came off a long layoff, having last raced on May 1 in the Withers at the Big A, finishing second to Medallist, and destroyed a NW4 allowance field at Gulfstream Monday.

Forest Danger cruised to a 9 1/2-length victory over the up-and-coming Primary Suspect as well as the stakes-caliber Vinemeister and Choose. His final time of 1:14.44 shattered the 6 1/2-furlong track mark of 1:15.60 set by Medallist nine days earlier in the Deputy Minister Handicap, even with jockey John Velazquez throttling down on Forest Danger in late stretch with the outcome no longer in doubt.

"That was pretty good," Pletcher said matter of factly in the winner's circle after the race. "Hopefully we've found Speightstown's replacement for the year."[Daily Racing Form]

Pletcher added that he’s pointing him to the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct April 7.

- With legislation in the state legislature dead, Kentucky tracks increase jockey coverage to $1-million. [Thoroughbred Times]

- Sam Houston Race Park announced that you’ll be able to bet the superfecta for a dime. Track president Bob Bork explained:

"Playing a four-horse superfecta box will cost just $2.40 and the payouts can be hundreds of dollars. We feel that the ten-cent superfecta will be a great addition to the Sam Houston Race Park wagering menu."[Thoroughbred Times]

Bork went on to announce that for the same thin dime, fans can purchase a tiny piece of hot dog with a thimble full of Coke; and a quarter will get them a whiff of any premium liquor brand in the house.

Pataki Goes to the Whip

With New York losing nearly $3 million a day, Gov. George Pataki Feb. 15 told legislative leaders he wants a quick resolution to a dispute that has kept casino operations from opening at Aqueduct and Yonkers racetracks. [Bloodhorse]

Thus, the Governor, who has not presided over an on-time budget in his ten years in office, has ordered the dysfunctional NY State Legislature to giddy-up and get the VLT money moving in NY. A court decision declaring that the sharing of slots revenue with the tracks for purses is unconstitutional under current state law needs to be addressed legislatively, but this, like most other bills, has gone nowhere thus far. With the state Assembly and Senate in solid Democratic and Republican control respectively, gridlock is the rule in the state legislature.

What has Pataki suddenly chomping at the bit? Perhaps it’s yesterday’s decision by a state judge affirming that New York City schools are due an additional $5.6 billion to guarantee basic educational needs for its students, plus another $9.2 billion on capitol improvements? With the state already facing a budget deficit, my worry is that VLT’s will not stop at the racetracks. In fact, the governor has proposed up to 5 stand alone locations for VLT’s in New York City alone, which would render Aqueduct’s and Yonkers' virtually meaningless for millions of potential city customers.

Know When To Fold 'Em

- Saw today what seemed to me like an odd note regarding the National Association of Two-year-old Consignors and The Race for Education sponsoring a no-limit Texas hold’em tournament for charity.

"We are very excited to be sponsoring this tournament, particularly with the escalating interest in poker across the nation," NATC board member Mike Mulligan said. [Thoroughbred Times]

While we’re all for anything that raises money for a worthy cause, it seems to me that poker is just another fast-spreading form of gambling that racing is competing with, and, based on the enormous popularity of the TV shows and online poker games, not very well. Couldn’t they come up with something based on the industry they are a part of? Some kind of handicapping contest? Bring in some Instant Racing machines? Again, it’s for charity, so whatever can raise the most money I suppose is best, but it seems a bit like the GOP raising money with a showing of some God-less entertainment like Million Dollar Baby (warning: I won’t be like Rush Limbaugh, so don’t read the link if you haven’t seen the film and don’t want to know the ending.)

- Trouble for worker’s comp legislation in Kentucky; meanwhile slots gain public support there
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- California officials acknowledge that their milkshake test may be picking up the presence of over-the-counter supplements. More at Railbird.

Don't Get Mad

- I just saw a replay of the San Vicente, via TDN, and I see why people are talking about the way Don't Get Mad (Stephen Got Even) closed for second. Around mid-stretch, I'm thinking that I'm watching the wrong race if that horse finishes second, and he takes off and closed strongly, and did it into a fast final furlong. Steve Haskin in his latest Derby Dozen roundup in the Bloodhorse:

Trainer Ron Ellis, who also has Declan's Moon, says the son of Stephen Got Even is a natural distance horse and he is surprised he's done so well sprinting. He told jockey Tyler Baze not to tighten the screws and make him do too much in this race. This was just a prep to get him started, and he also was at a big disadvantage, with only three other starters.

But as he did in his previous two starts at Churchill Downs, he demonstrated an explosive turn of foot, coming home his last eighth in a blazing :11 2/5, with Baze only hitting him once down the lane.

Haskin has Scipio up to number 2 in his rankings; you see a horse close like that in a Derby prep, and you know people will be all over him. Even if he doesn't win any more preps, it will probably be attributed to a slow pace, or a speed favoring track, or traffic problems, and he'll still get bet down on Derby Day.

Never on Sunday?

- I’m looking at the Thoroughbred Daily News for Sunday’s stakes results, and other than Miss Loren (Numerous) taking the G1 Santa Maria Handicap, and the San Vincente at Santa Anita, I don’t see any. I was surprised yesterday when I noticed that there were no stakes at the Big A, Gulfstream, Fair Grounds, nor Oaklawn, and it’s not the first time of late that Sunday seems to be an ordinary card. While there are some of us old enough to remember when you had to drive to Monticello for 2:30 post time to get any racing action in NY state on Sundays, I’ve now gotten used to stakes races on those days. Perhaps it's a sign of too many stakes packed on to Super Saturday cards, but it’s probably just the time of year. It should pick up when pitchers and catchers report......

Tomorrow???!!???

- A pair of full siblings each won graded stakes this weekend on different coasts and you’ll have to call the Elias Sports Bureau to find out when’s the last time that happened. Mr. Light, who took the G3 Appleton Handicap on the turf at Gulfstream, and the aforementioned Miss Loren, are both by Numerous (Mr. Prospector) out of an Argentine mare, Luminare, by Forlitano. Numerous stands in France for 10,000 Euros which, given the recent decline of the dollar, is probably now around $1.7 million. For that you get a successful stallion who produced 8% stakes winner with six crops in Argentina, and a prodigious female family. His dam is Number (Nijinsky II), a multiple graded stakes winner, and his second dam is the suitably named Special, who never won but produced the important sire Nureyev, who has over 100 stakes winners at a 17.5% clip, and Fairy Bridge, the dam of Sadlers Wells, sire of well over 200 stakes winners. With the suitable mare, it just may be worth that 1.7 mil.

Second Stringer

- Well, Baffert scratched Roman Ruler but won the San Vicente anyway with Fusaichi Rock Star, who is not a son of Fusaichi Pegasus, but rather of Wild Wonder, a son of Wild Again standing for $5000 in Kentucky. Fusaichi Rock Star, who was attractive enough to attract $825,000 as a 2 yo after selling for 30K as a yearling, is Wild Wonder’s first stakes winner (his third crop will be 2 yo’s this year). Don’t Get Mad (Stephen Got Even) will earn some supporters after a nice closing second into a fast last eighth of :12 1/5, while Wayne Lukas’ Consolidator was washy before the race and finished a disappointing 4th.

Meanwhile, Baffert ‘sorting out’ next step for Roman Ruler. [Thoroughbred Times]

- GALLOPING GROCER is OK after sustaining a gash on his left hind leg during his defeat in the Whirlaway.

"He'll miss a couple of days," said Schettino, indicating Galloping Grocer would not need stitches. "He's fine. He came out sound, his leg is good and he ate up. Physically, he came out good." [NYRA]

- SWEET CATOMINE TRAINER CITED FOR MILKSHAKES? - According to the LA Times, Julio Canani is the one of the two trainers besides Jeff Mullins whose horses have tested positive for milkshakes at Santa Anita.

Asked about his situation, Canani said: "I'm getting a lawyer. They can come and look at my barn all they want." [LA Times]

Vladimir Cerin is the other trainer according to the article.

"In the next week, I'm going to be running tests on my horses to see if there's a reasonable explanation for this," Cerin said. "I'm embarrassed about this, because I've been a strong voice in the movement to set up detention barns. I hope we find an explanation, and I completely support the testing program."

Everyone’s innocent, so it seems.

- ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Sportman’s Park goes the way of shopping malls and hotels. Sigh…

- SHORT SOUTHWEST STAKES – Only four starters set to go in Oaklawn’s Derby prep on Saturday. Afleet Alex gets ready to workout there later this week.

Seeking the Meadowlands

- The Meadowlands conducted their first Sunday afternoon of live racing this year and drew 4,693, more than the 4,278 who showed up at Aqueduct. To tell you the truth, if I’d had the day to myself, I may very well have gone to the Meadowlands myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Big A, but the Big M is awesome in its own right. No, it’s not Saratoga (though it has a surprisingly large picnic area that is quite pleasant come summertime), but it’s a perfect example of why people who want to bet on races should be emigrating to racetracks rather than away from it. It’s clean, its restaurants and other services are more than adequate, there’s tons of action, plenty of places to sit, and no lines making bets. What else can you ask for? Yes, the small crowd helps make for seats and no betting lines, but the plant is capable of comfortably handling many, many more. And while I can say most of the same things about Aqueduct, New Jersey has virtually unlimited simulcasting, while New York’s is restricted, though not as much as in the past, and not nearly as much as as California. Just this afternoon, in addition to 11 live harness races around the big mile track, there was simulcasting from Aqueduct, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia Park, Laurel, Gulfstream, Charles Town, Turfway, Fair Grounds, Oaklawn, Santa Anita, Bay Meadows, harness racing from Woodbine and Dover Downs, and three old ladies racing shopping carts down the aisles of a Pathmark on Eastern Long Island (no show wagering). I think it’s a riot, even if I end up concentrating on just a few tracks, and despite the fact that surely the constant action I’m sure has been a detriment to my already mediocre handicapping. There’s always a race in progress, and it keeps the proceedings lively to be sure.

- LIKE FATHER LIKE SON - Stakes winners on Saturday for Seeking the Gold (Mr. Prospector) and his son Petionville. Wanderin Boy took the Mineshaft Handicap for the elder stallion, and looks like a potential late developing star for Nick Zito. He’s a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner Early Warning (Summer Squall), who won three Grade 3’s at the Big A and over a half million dollars before being sold by Dogwood to Saudi Arabia. For Seeking the Gold, it was his 64th stakes winner, 9% of his foals.

Petionville’s stakes winner, She Sings, winner of the $75,000 Arizona Oaks for 3 yo fillies at Turf Paradise, has a fascinating pedigree, check this out. Her sire and dam have half brothers for sires! The dam, Karaoke Kid, is by Fast Play, a half brother to Seeking the Gold by Seattle Slew; therefore She Sings is inbred 3x3 to Con Game, who in addition to being the dam of Seeking the Gold and Fast Play, begat graded stakes winner Stacked Pack (Majestic Light) and his full sister Tricky Game, dam of millionaire King Cugat. Fast Play was a nice horse himself, taking the G1 Remsen as a 2 yo, and placing in several stakes. As a sire, Fast Play only had 13 foals in his last crop, his 11th, but is still advertised for $5,000 in Kentucky. He’s had 62% winners from foals, 22% 2 yo winners, and 13 stakes winners (4%). She Sings is also inbred to (here’s that name again) Buckpasser 4x5x4 and Tom Fool 5x5x5.

Galloping Gashes

Galloping Grocer's trainer, Dominick Schettino, offered a couple of excuses for the big colt's disappointing finish.

"He's got a pretty big gash on the back of his left hind leg," Schettino said. "I don't know if a horse stepped on him on the first turn. I'll have to check him out. He was coming off a layoff [and] I didn't think they would go that fast that early. He punched late, but just got a little tired. He'll move forward off this race."[NY Post]

Ironically, Rockport Harbor suffered a similar gash on his right hind leg when he edged Galloping Grocer in the Remsen, an injury he's still working his way back from. The winner of the Whirlaway, Sort It Out, is, like the beaten favorite, is a NY bred, though his sire, Out of Place, a son of Cox’s Ridge, stands in Kentucky.

- Scipion should attract tons of attention now with the way he came from way back to win the Risen Star, no matter if the race wasn’t fast; people love these types when it comes to the Derby.

- Like the way Sis City ran faster than Bandini by nearly a full second at Gulfstream last weekend, again the fillies proved quicker as Summerly posted a similarly faster time than Scipion in winning the Silverbulletday.

- Steve Crist on the parade of longshots on the Big A’s inner track of late:

The best thing about this Brigadoon of longshots is that it provides positive reinforcement for the idea that imagination and creativity count for something in playing horses. The worst thing a handicapper can do is get bludgeoned by predictable results and short prices into thinking that following the crowd and the odds drops is the only way to play the game.

Taking lonely, independent stands usually leaves you lonely and broke and cursing the bonehead ride that made your 41-1 shot run only a close fourth. When a few of them actually get up to win, it gives you the courage to keep trying to elude the obvious, even at Saratoga. [Daily Racing Form (subscription only)]

Left at The Gates

The Gates, Central Park, NYC

La. Derby Preview Day

- Watching the Fair Grounds stakes on TVG. Matt Carrothers says that he feels that Sweet Catomine will run in the Derby, making for great value for other Oaks contenders in the futures pool. After watching Summerly (Summer Squall) dominate the field really impressively in the Silverbuttetday at Fair Grounds, maybe it’s worth checking out her odds. She’s 43-1. If you do believe in Sweet Catomine and believe that she will indeed face the boys in the Derby, it may very well checking the odds on the fillies you like now.

- Pollard’s Vision seemed like a bad favorite in the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap, but I’m writing this just after the race. Winner Wanderin Boy (Seeking the Gold) was making just his 4th start, and his 3rd win, and first stakes try. He won very impressivley. He has Czaravich in his pedigree, a name I don’t notice much, and which brings back memories of when Belmont used to be jam packed with 40,000 people on Memorial Day for the Met Mile, which Czaravich won.

- There was little enthusiasm for anyone but Harlington (6-5) and Iced Out (7-2) in the Risen Star. It’s bizarre that Storm Surge was 6-1, and that Smooth Bid, who lost to Storm Surge by a neck in their last, was 30-1 for Steve Asmussen! If you didn’t like Harlington, which I didn’t, it was a mutuel delight scanning these prices. At 17-1, I had to go with Electric Light, who ran a game front-running race before fading at the end. And although I included the winner Scipion (AP Indy) in some exactas, it didn’t help. The guys on TVG pointed out that Gary Stevens purchased his own insurance to ride in non-insurance states, and he flew in to win with the 3/4 brother to juvenile champ Vindication, who was purchased for $1.5 million, and will no doubt pick up a bandwagon now. Harlington needs some more experience.

- The 10th at the Fair Grounds was a $17,500 claimer on the turf, and Relentless Red was a strong favorite off a drop in class from 35K, when he ran a closing third that would certainly qualify him to win handily here. But using the Daily Racing Form's Formulator 4 product that I just recently got, I downloaded the trainer stats for Dallas Stewart, adjusted the filters to see his record for dropping a horse in class by 50% and noted the grim results. I couldn't find anyone else that inspired me and just watched as Relentless Red opened up an unchallenged lead before offering no resistance when passed by most of the pack, but I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this.

NYRA Gets into Gouging Game

- After long holding the line on Belmont Stakes admission prices, NYRA announced astronomical price increases for almost everything connected to this year’s final leg of the Triple Crown. NYRA would always proudly declare that it costs only two bucks to get into their highlight race of the year, but no more. The regular $2 admission fee will go up to $10, and the $5 clubhouse will soar to $20! You want seats? Better be prepared to dig deep. Read on. These prices are going up faster than the cost of the president’s Medicare prescription drug plan!

Oh, and one more thing. Forget about bringing your coolers with beer, no alcohol will be permitted:

Nader said the ban on alcoholic beverages was a result of several incidents at last year's Belmont, when a record 120,139 were in attendance. Another factor, Nader said, was the recent decision against concessionaire Aramark, which was found liable for $75 million in punitive damages after a fan at a New York Giants home football game in 1999 was charged with DWI in an accident that left a young girl paralyzed.[Daily Racing Form]

No word yet on how much it’ll cost you for a Bud Lite.

NYRA better hope that someone has their Triple Crown hopes alive...

- Derby hopeful High Fly goes to Nick Zito’s barn. [DRF] Tough break for his former trainer Bill White, who watched High Fly suffer through a horrible trip in the Holy Bull.

- Breeders Cup founder John Gaines dies at 76.

- With Roman Ruler expected to scratch, Consolidator will face only three rivals in the San Vicente.

Galloping Grocer

There is actually a legit Derby contender here in New York, and Galloping Grocer (A.P Jet) will make his 3 yo debut in the 1 1/16 Whirlaway Stakes at the Big A. He won his first three races against fellow New York-breds by a combined margin of 31 3/4 lengths, and proved he was for real in defeat, a neck loss to Rockport Harbor in the 9 furlong Grade 2 Remsen on Nov 27, earning a Beyer of 102, his best. While other contenders headed for warmer climes, his trainer Dominick Schettino opted to keep him at his home quarters at Belmont Park. He resumed working out on Jan 12, and after three fast ones, his last workout was an easy 6 furlongs in 1:15:1.

"He's training fine and has filled out nicely," said Schettino. "I didn't want him to go too fast in his last workout because I don't want him too geared up off the layoff. I want him to break and be able to settle." [Bloodhorse]

Galloping Grocer's dosage index is right on the cusp at 4.0. Plenty of speed in his first four generations – In Reality and Dr. Fager, and he’s inbred 4x4 to champion sprinter Intentionally, through In Reality and a daughter. In addition, he’s from the Mr. Prospector line, as A.P Jet, who stands in NY for $5000, is a son of Fappiano, and a full brother to multiple stakes winner and millionaire Tappiano. However, he also has Derby winner Tim Tam, as well as Forli (sire of Forego) and his son grass specialist Intrepid Hero.

Galloping Grocer hasn't scared off rivals, as nine of them will line up to face him, including a couple of sharp improving colts in the more fashionably bred Naughty New Yorker (Quiet American), and Scrappy T (Fit to Fight). They ran 1-2 in the Count Fleet here last month with lifetime high Beyers of 97 and 95. While Scrappy T may look to mix it up with the favorite (who has shown ability to stalk close behind), Naughty New Yorker would close from way back if a duel develops up front. Aaron Gryder replaces John Velasquez on Grocer, as the latter will be at Oaklawn to ride Harlington.

- THIS JUST IN - Roman Ruler unlikely for San Vicente. [Bloodhorse]

Cheater

Jeff Mullins, currently second in the trainer standings by wins at Santa Anita, is a cheater, according to the results of a test for alkaline on his charge Puppeteer, after his second place finish in the San Marcos Handicap on January 22. The result indicates the use of milkshakes, for which California has been testing since last fall. As a result, all of his entries must be place in quarantine for 24 hours preceding the race; a second violation would lead to a temporary ban on entries. When questioned, Mullins was just a bit more forthcoming than Jason Giambi (just a bit).

When asked about the quarantine, which began Wednesday, Mullins said, "They're treating us fair."

"We're working through it," Mullins said. "They have paid for some testing for us. We'll be fine. Santa Anita has been helpful. They want to figure it out as much as we do.

"He was barely over," Mullins said, referring to Puppeteer's test.

Mullins acknowledged last month that he was informed of two alleged positive tests for bicarbonates last year at Hollywood Park.

[Daily Racing Form]

Risen Star

Oh man, now this is a betting race! Should definitely be the best wagering of the three major Derby preps this weekend, with Galloping Grocer expected to be a heavy fave in the Whirlaway at Aqueduct, and the San Vicente shaping up as a two horse race between Roman Ruler and Consolidator. Where to start? You can make a case for virtually anyone here. So let’s start by deciding who we can throw out. The good news is we can start with the favorite; my preferred way of identifying a playable race is to be able to do just that. Harlington (Unbridled), the $2.8 million son of champion Serena’s Song may indeed turn out to be the champ he’s bred to be. But his 2-2 record has been achieved on sloppy tracks, and his 401 Tomlinson fig indicates that he had things his preferred way. He’s been nursed along slowly by trainer Todd Pletcher, and may need more maturing. And he has a bad post.

Rush Bay (Cozzene) has an even worse post, breaking from the 11 spot. His trainer Thomas Amoss is on fire in 2005, hitting at a 28% win rate. But his post and the fact that he’s been off since the end of November makes him another we will eliminate. Buzzards Bay (Marco Bay) may attract money off of his gaudy fig in the Golden Gate Derby and his blistering workouts since. But look closer, he beat only two rivals, nosing a horse that had never won on the dirt.

Storm Surge (Storm Cat) edged Smooth Bid (Rubiano) in the G3 LeComte here at FG. The winner made an impressive looking 4 wide move on the turn in that race, while the runner-up was making his first start in almost two months and first at the FG. Would like to throw them both out, perhaps because their two turn race Beyers have been slower than some of the others....But I don’t really need to have a good reason, I just will, especially if they get bet.

So who’s left? ICED OUT (Comic Strip) was running in 30K maiden claimers at Golden Gate last November. But switched to Doug O’Neill’s barn, he closed well for second in a 7f Cal-bred stakes and in the G2 San Rafael he sustained a long, wide rally from last to get the place spot. May be overlooked on the board a bit here. ELECTRIC LHT is trying two turns for the first time for the always-dangerous-this-time-of-year Nik Zio. His last was a 7f minor stakes win at Tampa against a weak field; but he was fairly close to a quick pace while boxed in swung 6 wide, and won going away, getting the last furlong in 12 3/5; his pedigree looks OK for distance (1.83 dosage index) and he's worth a shot at the right price, say 10-1 or more. SCIPION (AP Indy) is another royally bred and expensive colt, a 3/4 brother to 2 yo champ and BC Juvenile winner Vindication. He finished third in his 3yo return after 3 months away, but didn’t face much. You get the feeling he’s also being brought along slowly, and that Patrick Biancone’s main hopes rest with Spanish Chestnut. Nonetheless, Gary Stevens is in for the ride and if the price is right, he’s worth including on my ticket.

Late Money

- Thanks again to reader Green Mtn Punter, who was kind enough to forward to me a link to transcripts of a conference last year conducted jointly by the Harness Tracks of America (HTA) and the Thoroughbred Racetracks Association (TRA), where there were several panel discussions related to the rebate shop issue I wrote about the other day. There's a lot to get through here, and I'm in the process of trying to digest all of it in the midst of Derby preps and will certainly have some more thoughts to share in the next few days and weeks.

One thing that made an initial impression however, was reading the presentations by a couple of big rebate bettors. One, David Cuscuna, in trying to make the crucial point, from his standpoint, that track handle generated by rebate shops is incremental revenue that would not exist for the racetracks if not for the existence of rebate shops, even if they do receive a much smaller percentage than that of on-track or simulcast revenue, he said:

If you need one more piece of evidence that the money is new, think of the issue of the late fluctuations of odds in the tote board. This did not happen a long time ago. Obviously, it is the result of new significant money. It is not money that is just coming from a racetrack.

Well, you know what? We don't like the late fluctuations in the odds board. Nobody does. It sucks. Besides lending fodder to those who grumble that every race is fixed, it makes for mutuel surprises that usually seem to be unwelcome. One panelist made the point that we're moving towards the point where you'll have the morning line and the final payoffs with virtually no meaningful guidance from the tote board in between. And if these bettors are placing these large bets based on unfettered direct access to all the information in the mutuel pools to take advantage of overlays, then it's not fair either. It's not good for the game, at least the way most, probably around 99% of us like it. We, as bettors, don't need nor want that money. The question to be discussed and resolved is whether the tracks do, and if so, how to make sure that they, the horsemen, and the bettors all get a fair shake. More to come on this.

- Jay Privman's Derby doings for this week, from the Daily Racing Form. If you're planning on waiting until after this weekend's preps to make your Pool 1 Derby futures bets, you may not have the full picture:

Most of those races will be evaluated by bettors who are playing Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closes at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. However, as of Wednesday, Santa Anita racing secretary Rick Hammerle said it was not known if the San Vicente would be run before the pool closes.

Roman Ruler and Consolidator are expected to make their 3 yo debuts in that race.

Notes: Feb 9

- The New York Racing Association will begin pre-race and post-race testing for "milkshakes" Feb. 16 at Aqueduct. Both forms of testing will be performed in an effort to collect data to determine the best method. [Bloodhorse] It's always a good idea to make an announcement like this in advance so that milkshakers can get one last sip in.

- An increase in handle on its live product had led Tampa Bay Downs to raise purses 7% effective Feb. 15. [Bloodhorse] Interestingly, like Oaklawn, Tampa Bay has cut off all wagering from rebate shops.

- In the midst of its reconstruction and its fans huddled in an area at the top of the stretch, Gulfstream is down in attendance 50% and on-track handle by 35%. GM Scott Savin says, "We are very happy with both the handle and attendance figures to date." [Daily Racing Form]

Not a Dead Pool

- Though there was no Million Dollar Baby, yesterday's OBS select 2 year old in training sale at Calder was declared a success, with a record median price of $120,000. Hip by hip results here via the OBS website.

The sale topper, Hip 195 (Acrobat Reader required), is by Dance Master, a son of Gone West who stands for only $3,500 in Florida. The sale price of $600,000 will do wonders for the average selling price of his 2 year-olds, which was already a healthy markup from his stud fee at $53,800. Though he had a minute first crop of only 17 foals, and just 5 winners from 9 starters in 2004, it was good enough for 20th on the first crop sire list thanks to his 2-time stakes winner Flamenco (Cowdin and Victoria Stakes). I imagine he'll be getting some more visitors in the near future.

The runner-up, Hip 171, is a son of Phone Trick; the popular New York stallion has accounted for 74 stakes winners. Both of the sales toppers were pinhooking homeruns, with the former having been purchased for $63,000 as a yearling, and the latter for $50,000; in fact 10 of the 11 sales toppers were successful pinhooks.

A couple of the first crop sires I mentioned the other day had nice sessions: Freud, the full brother to Giant's Causeway standing in NY for $5000, had two sales at 220K and 150K; and Exchange Rate (Danzig) had the third highest sale, Hip 193, for $425,000 (pinhooked for $65,000). Also, Albert the Great (Go for Gin) sold one for $170,000; Trippi (End Sweep) sold two at 135K and 100K.

More coverage here and here, and best of all, in the indispensable Thoroughbred Daily News (subscription only).

- BREEZES NOT THE FINAL WORD - It was interesting to look at the sales results as compared to the under-tack show times. While all of the sales toppers had fast breezes, a quick time did not guarantee success. For example, Hip 119, a Tiger Ridge (a Storm Cat half brother to AP Indy) colt breezed in a lightning 10.2, yet only brought $75,000 from former golfer Gary Player, who can use him as an equine golf cart if he doesn't work out on the track. (Please replace your divots and clean up the poop.) On the other hand, Hip 60, a Notebook (Well Decorated) colt who breezed in the relatively pedestrian times of 23.2 and 23.1, brought $210,000. Nor is pedigree a guarantee; hip 37, a full brother to G1 Hopeful winner Silver Wagon (Wagon Limit), who won at Gulfstream the other day, brought a relatively modest $95,000. I suppose confirmation is king, as well as a horse's way of going in the breezes rather than just the raw times.

- CONSISTENCY IN THRUST You may have noticed lately ads in the Daily Racing Form announcing the coming of Freshman Sire BreezeFigs™ to their online services. According to an explanation by the creators in TDN yesterday, these will attempt to shed light on first time starters by freshman sires by rating their performances in the pre-sale breezes, or under-tack shows. But not only their times: "We will use digital video to distill data about speed, stride, and thrust (the ability to sustain power over r acing distances)." Sounds like a very interesting, if subjective tool. For example, the foals of one sire were described as having "general consistency in thrust." Sounds a bit like PornFigs, to rate first year adult film studs.

But why stop there? Perhaps the Beyer folks can add digital video analysis to their figs, or the clockers to morning workouts. We always hear trainers touting the way their charges eat after races, so why not have FeedFigs, to analyze the thrust of the horses' snouts toward the food, along with an examination of the nutritional value of the feed. In fact, why stop even there? Next time someone from the Bush Administration tells you that Social Security will be "bankrupt" in 2045, we can use LiesFigs, to digitally breakdown the consistency of the untruths and the thrust of their facial tics and expressions.

- PAY THE LADY! (She can tell when she wins.) Railbird on tired stereotypes.

Roman Ruler to Rule?

- Roman Ruler (Fusaichi Pegasus) was only a neck short (behind Declan Moon) of perfect going into the BC Juvenile, and he's been off since his troubled 5th, having had a testy testicle removed since that effort. But he's back on track and working well for Bob Baffert, most recently 6f from the gate in 1:11:4. Roman Ruler is a half brother to El Corredor (Mr. Greeley), who we mentioned the other day in conjunction with the OBS-Calder 2 year old sale today. Interestingly Roman Ruler is inbred 2x4 to Mr. Prospector, while El Corredor is inbred 3x4 to Mr. P. Roman Ruler is prepping to make his 3 yo debut in Sunday's San Vicente Stakes at 7 furlongs.

Also prepping for the San Vicente is Wayne Lukas' Consolidator (Storm Cat), who is also making his first start since the Juvenile, in which he finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of Roman Ruler in 4th. Consolidator continued a string of strong works with 5f in :58.6, and TDN quotes the Santa Anita clocker as saying "Consolidator looked fantastic." We quoted Lukas recently as saying that this horse was "the one," but I wonder if he still feels that way after Going Wild's successful stretch out in the Sham. By the way, the Bloodhorse published an article last week before the Sham, which was his first race beyond 7 furlongs, touting Going Wild's distance pedigree, great job! Check it out here. The story is credited to "Blood-Horse staff," so I'm sure they're all taking turns patting each other on the back.

- Trainer Bill White hasn't lost faith in High Fly after his awful wide trip in the Holy Bull, nor should he. Closing Argument to Dubai? Defer to go on. [Daily Racing Form]

- Gary Boulanger getting better. But in California, jockey Ron Warren faces more surgery on his severely fractured leg. Ouch. Tough game. Be nice to these guys, OK?

Weekend Studs

- Out of the nine stakes races run at Gulfstream and Santa Anita this past weekend, only two were won by horses with sires from the usually dominant Mr. Prospector (Madallena[Good and Tough/Carson City]) or Northern Dancer (Medallist[Touch Gold]) lines. Represented was the Halo line (Saint Liam [Saint Ballado]), Turn-to (Rock Hard Ten [Kris S.], Raja Baba/Bold Ruler (Proud Accolade [Yes It’s True]), In Reality (Closing Argument [Successful Appeal]), Blushing Groom (Lundy’s Liability [Candy Stripes]), and Seattle Slew twice (Sis City [Slew City Slew]) and Going Wild (Golden Missile [AP Indy]).

AP Indy had a second stakes winning grandson over the weekend in Malibu Moonshine (Malibu Moon), winner of the Miracle Wood Stakes for 3 yo’s at Laurel. Malibu Moon is also the sire of 2 year old champ Declan’s Moon, and this was his 5th stakes winner and first in 2005. He was 5th on the second crop sire list for 2004. With AP Indy’s Pulpit on the leading sire list, and with promising sires Mineshaft, Aptitude and Stephen Got Even producing away, we may have to refer to an “AP Indy” line rather than “Seattle Slew” in the near future. Malibu Moonshine has an interesting pedigree himself; his broodmare sire is Belmont Stakes winner Coastal, who you don’t see in pedigrees much, and he’s inbred 4x4 to Raise a Native, and 5x4 to Bold Ruler and Buckpasser. I’ve been seeing a lot of inbreeding to the latter in stakes winners of late.

Back to the top paragaraph, Successful Appeal(Valid Appeal) and Yes It’s True (Raja Baba) were 1-2 on the 2004 freshman sires list. Both sires achieved their success on the track mainly as sprinters. Successful Appeal won the Withers at a mile, but no other stakes beyond 7 furlongs, and all of Yes It’s True’s stakes wins were at 7 furlongs or less, including a Grade 1 win in the DeFrancis Memorial, in which he defeated Good and Tough, sire of Madallena. Successful Appeal had 15 winners from only 37 foals for a remarkable 41% winning percentage and despite the small crop, thanks in large part to Closing Argument, who as we’ve noted a couple of times has a nose for big purse money (and is in fact now being mentioned for a trip to Dubai), he still led the field in earnings despite having 100 less foals than Giant’s Causeway. He’s graduated from being a $6000 sire in Florida to standing in Kentucky for $25,000 this year. Yes It’s True is off to a quick start in 2005 with five more winners to bring his total to 21; he also stands in Kentucky for $25,000.

Three time champion Skip Away (Bailjumper), descending from the Damascus line, is another non-Mr. P/ND sire to achieve success over the weekend, with two minor stakes winners.

- I liked Vic Stauffer's line during his call of the Holy Bull when he noted that "High Fly will have to be the goods to win off this trip!" With a trip that wide, he had as much of a chance to pass horses as President Bush's social security plan has to pass the Senate. And Trevor Denman was in his usual top form in the Strub, picking up Imperialism's near-winning move early as they rounded the final turn.

- WHEN HE'S 64 - Reader Green Mtn Punter wrote to complain about my dissing of Paul McCartney the other day, writing, "It was the coolest, greatest ever half-time performance at a Super Bowl with the ratings to prove it! It was absolutely a grand slam [Gone West] home run." OK, so I must admit it was a bit harsh calling him an embarrassing shell; after all, he's a good guy who has always supported worthy causes, even if I do cringe at most of the songs he's written in the last 25 years or so. But in limiting himself to four Beatles' classics, and looking and sounding great, hitting all the high notes in style, he made us forget that after just two more of his birthdays, hearing "When I'm Sixty Four" will make us all feel like we're 164.

To Rebate or Not To Rebate?

- Bill Finley’s recent ESPN.com column on rebate shops has been reproduced in at least one major racing trade and discussed in chat rooms. In it, Finley lays out the case that rebate shops are not only good for racing, but, in his words:

A pretty good argument can be made that the creation of the so-called rebate shops have been just about the best thing that has ever happened to horse racing. They have created hundreds of millions in betting handle that otherwise never would have existed and have actually given some high rollers a legitimate chance of beating a game that had been virtually unbeatable.

It's a simple formula. Because the rebate shops may typically collect 15 percent or more from a bet as their portion of the takeout they can afford to give a customer some 10 percent of his action back in the form of a rebate and still be guaranteed a nice profit. Customers who may have lost 4 or 5 percent of the amount they bet are now winning 4 or 5 percent and therefore betting far more than they did in the pre-rebate days. Everyone comes out a winner.

He goes on to say that NYRA is causing itself harm by cutting off rebate shops that are not themselves guilty of anything connected to the ongoing scandal other than not knowing nor caring who its customers are. All in all Finley makes a convincing case.

Until, perhaps, you read the piece that was posted on Del Mar’s site last summer by Oaklawn’s mutual manager Bobby Geiger, reprinted recently on the Derby List, and discovered by me on the Albany Law School Racing and Gaming Page. It’s worth a read. Oaklawn cut off the rebate shops in 2004, and Geiger explains how the cutoff benefited fans at their simulcast sites by reducing the effective takeout rate there and returning an extra $3 million to the fans there (though he doesn’t explain how), and seemed to eliminate late odds drops. Oaklawn itself must have lost handle, but Geiger seems to be taking the what’s good for the industry stand here and doesn’t acknowledge that. But here is.......and now I feel like a real, big-league blogger......the money quote:

SPMO's [Secondary Pari-Mutual Organizations] offer select players direct wagering connectivity to the tote system. In the aftermath of the pick-6 scandal, that fact alone is ominous.

Direct access to the wagering network enables the computer player to electronically scan and analyze wagers placed by all other players. Just prior to the start of a race, the "linked" computers comb pools seeking underplayed wagering combinations relative to the merits of the horses. The program pays special attention to exacta combinations; it can look at all of them in a b l i n k.

When the program robotically pulls the trigger, a complex array of wagers, mostly exotics, is spread over the underplayed combinations. Essentially claiming all overlay value the pools for that race had to offer. They are taking the cream off the top.

Getting this electronic "last look" enables the computer program a consistent win of 97-cents on each dollar wagered. That's a steady loss of three cents on the dollar.

However, add the ten cent rebate and it's a seven cent winner on the dollar. Consistently!

He goes on to say that these bettors are enjoying a guaranteed, no-risk 7% ROI at the expense of the rest of us. If what he said about these computer programs are true, then this is deeply disturbing indeed. Read the analogies he makes at the end of his piece, link here. It almost makes me not want to bet the 9th at Mountaineer coming up on TVG.

Ocala Breeders' Sale at Calder Tuesday

- Tomorrow’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales selected two year old in training sale at Calder is the first such auction of the year, and features 207 hip numbers. At one point, I thought I’d be attending this sale to watch one or more of the four horses I own a (small)(very small) percentage of through a pinhooking partnership that purchased them at the Keeneland yearling sale last September go through the ring and bring hundreds of thousands of dollars of profit. However, the main candidate for this sale, a Deputy Minister colt we got for only $55,000, was sold privately at a price that made us all quite happy. Of the three remaining, the Vicar filly I mentioned in a previous post is a bit small and being reserved for the Timonium sale in May (Vicar got his first stakes horse on Saturday when Vicarage finished third in the Hutchenson). We also have a Real Quiet filly who the consignor feels is more suited for the turf and is being shopped privately, and a Tactical Cat colt being primed for the OBS sale in Ocala next month.

Glancing through the catalog pages, it seems that you won’t find produce of many upper echelon mares, and there are no foals of Fusaichi Pegasus or Storm Cat or Giant’s Causeway here. But some interesting “hips” nonetheless, and some first time sires of 2 year olds. One first-timer, Freud (Storm Cat) is actually a full brother to Giant’s Causeway with a modest race record who stands in New York for $5000 and has 4 foals here; I’d be interested to see how these turn out, given his bloodlines and bargain price. His Hip 183 (these links are to PDF downloads of the catalog pages and require Acrobat Reader) is a colt whose third dam is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner (Blue Grass Stakes) and current sire Menifee (Harlan), and his half-brother and Grade 1 winner (Hollywood Gold Cup)Desert Wine (Damascus)

Some possible highlights in the sale I found:

Hip 181 - Deputy Minister colt out of graded stakes winner Low Tolerance (Proud Truth), and a half brother to stakes winner Sazarac Jazz (Dixieland Band).

Hip 30 – Gone West colt out of graded stakes winner She’s a Devil Due (Devil His Due).

Hip 87 – First year sire Exchange Rate (Danzig) colt whose second dam foaled popular graded stakes winner (Fountain of Youth) Darn That Alarm (Jig Time) and his full stakes winning brothers Strong Performance and Jig Alarm. Exchange Rate won the G2 Tom Fool, getting the 7 furlongs in 1:21:1, and stands for $7500 in Florida.

Hip 190 – High Yield colt who’s a half brother to graded stakes winner Meadow Gem (Meadow Flight) and whose second dam foaled millionaire Kelly Kip (Kipper Kelly).

Hip 102 – Smoke Glacken colt whose second dam is graded stakes winner (Test) Cherokee Frolic (Cherokee Fellow), who is the dam of 11 winners and whose descendants include millionaire Smok-n Frolic (Smoke Glacken).

Hip 197 – Filly by Yes It’s True is a half-sister to Closing Argument (Successful Appeal) who entered the Derby picture with his win in the Holy Bull on Saturday.

Hip 140 – Hennessy colt whose second dam is Canadian 3 yo filly champion Hope for a Breeze (Briarctic) and from the family of graded stakes winner Dr. Kashnikow.

Hip 83 – Unbridled’s Song colt out of stakes winner Belle Nuit (Dr. Carter) and whose second dam begat 11 winners including multiple Grade 1 winner (Top Flight, Shuvee) Ms. Eloise (Nasty and Bold).

Hip 20 – Wild Rush colt whose second dam is the producer of Grade 1 winner (Fountain of Youth) Songandaprayer (Unbridled’s Song) and five other stakes horses.

Hip 37 – Wagon Limit colt is a full brother to Grade I winner (Hopeful) Silver Wagon.

Among the sires well-represented here by 2 yo’s from their first crop are Grade 1 winner (Cigar Mile) El Corredor (Mr. Greeley, $20,000 fee), Del Mar Futurity winner Forest Camp (Deputy Minister, $15,000), and multiple Grade 1 winner (Forego Hdcp, DeFrancis Memorial) Delaware Township (Notebook, $6,500)

Montbrook and More Than Ready have the most sales entrants, with seven each.

The above is just a sampling that I found just breezing through; I’m sure there are some other additional interesting prospects; feel free to add any you know of. The results of the two under-tack shows for the sale are here.

Not Super

- To me, unless the Jets are playing (I know, ha), Super Bowl Sunday is a bit of a nuisance. Early post times, and the last race on TVG is the 11th from Sunland, a maiden claimer that goes off at 6:15 and ends the pari-mutual day with a sickening thud of finality. You’ll not find even Balmoral Park or Los Alamitos tonight. But perhaps instead of cowering from the big game, the industry could find a way to take advantage of it. After all, people love to bet on the Super Bowl, for many it’s the only game they’ll bet on all year; even if it’s just an office pool on the last numbers of the final score, it’s still action. So shouldn’t it be a natural fit? It seems like a racetrack would be a fun place to watch the game on big screens, and why not throw in a few live races (anything to detract people from the commercials or from the embarrassing shell of a former Beatle would be doing a public service), and run a contest like NYRA’s Bet the Pros and Ponies, tying in the races with the game. Better yet, maybe somebody smarter than me could figure out a way to link televised races (on networks!), perhaps like yesterday’s Donn and Rock Hard Ten’s electrifying victory in the Strub to the big game itself; say if you pick both races correctly you have a chance to win a million dollars and a trip to Disneyland with Tom Brady by predicting the final score? Just a thought, something to think about when the game gets out of hand and there’s nothing else to do.

- The biggest winners in the Derby picture yesterday I thought were Bandini and Going Wild, both stretching out in a big way. As I mentioned before, Giacomo and High Fly turned in gritty performances with horrible trips, the latter in his first two turn try. Closing Argument has to be considered a contender after his first route and graded win, though the 150K purse was small by his standards. Proud Accolade was game overcoming trouble, but didn’t really prove anything at 7 1/2 furlongs, and Defer could be off the list. And I'll also mention Sis City (Slew City Slew), whose 16 length romp was achieved in a faster time than Bandini, and just .06 seconds slower than Closing Argument.

Notes: Feb 5

- Gulfstream’s Saturday spectacular featured some nice horses and lousy betting races. I was at Aqueduct later in the day, given a rare Saturday pass by the Head Chef of the household, and I glanced over briefly to another monitor to watch myself get split in the exacta in the 8th at the Fair Grounds, so I missed Saint Liam taking command of the Donn from Roses In May. But everyone said it was impressive. I still haven’t cashed a ticket, if that’s still the right way to put it, since I started using the NYRA Cash Card, which you put money on and just wager on that account, with no paper issued. It’s disconcerting to walk away without any tickets and is taking some getting used to. I used to get at least a little satisfaction just from the act of ripping up the tickets, tearing them up into the tiniest pieces possible, flinging them skyward and watching the blizzard of disappointment and shattered hopes.

- Those outside posts in the 9 furlong races at Gulfstream seem close to impossible. High Fly was way wide in the Holy Bull on the first turn, then seemed to get blindswitched by the eventual winner Closing Argument into a 3 wide drive on the second turn, encountered trouble in the stretch and succumbed late for third missing by only 2 lengths. Then, in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, Giacomo had a very similar trip, though his jockey Mike Smith had far more distance to the first turn than did High Fly’s, and also did well to finish third, only a length and neck from the top. They both certainly deserve another chance.

- On my way out of the track, I saw a car whose license plate had a picture of a racehorse and the tag “EZ GAME.”

Keeps going, and going, and....

- Approaching two years after his Derby victory on Funny Cide, Jose Santos’ libel suit against the Miami Herald for their picture and story suggesting that he used a battery device during the race has been thrown out of federal court. However, it ain’t over. Attorney David Travis of Louisville, who is handling the case for Santos, said he is exploring refiling the case in South Florida. Travis said the suit could be refiled in a few weeks. [Miami Herald]

- 4,000 winners for Richard Migliore, and the classy Mig dedicated his milestone to a fellow rider who didn’t quite make it.

Richard Migliore won his 4,000th career race at Aqueduct on Friday, then dedicated the victory to Mike Rowland, a Midwestern-based jockey who was killed in an on-track accident last year with 3,998 lifetime wins.
.......

"I'd like to give this win to him and his family in my mind," the 40-year old Migliore said. "I recognize how close he came to a fantastic milestone. Not only did he not get the milestone, but his family lost a really good man."

[Bloodhorse]

- The Friends of New York will let us know just what the hell they’re up to later at a press conference later this month.

Magna Entertainment, which has expressed interest in taking over New York’s tracks, is one of Friends of New York Racing’s founding financial contributors. But Smith said his group’s goals and work would not be influenced by contributors.[Thoroughbred Times]

Sounds like a politician insisting that his or her policies won’t be influenced by their corporate campaign contributions.

- The Sham Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita is another race with possible Derby implications today. GIACOMO (Holy Bull) was only a length behind 2 yo champ Declan’s Moon in the G1 Hollywood Futurity and comes into the race off a solid string of workouts for trainer John Shirreffs. ICED OUT (Comic Strip) competed in maiden claimers at Golden Gate just last November, but since switching to Doug O’Neill’s barn, he’s finished second in two stakes, including a closing second to Spanish Chestnut in the G2 San Rafael. (Spanish Chestnut worked a half mile in a ridiculous :45 for Patrick Biancone on Friday.) GOING WILD (Golden Missile) has impressed for Lukas at 6f but is being asked to do a lot today in his first try beyind 7f. If he takes money, it could create value for others.....there are any number of improving horses here who could conceivably jump into the picture.

Take a peek also at the second from Gulfstream, a NW1X for 3 yo’s. SURVIVALIST (Danzig) is a Phipps homebred who broke his maiden by 8 1/2 last fall at Belmont and returns after four months off for McGaughey. ANDROMEDA’S HERO is a Nick Zito-trained son of Fusaichi Pegasus who impressed at Calder, and AROUND THE CAPE (Carson City) has the top Beyer in the field, a 93 he earned breaking his maiden for Mott at the Gulf last month.

Strub

I found the two stakes at Santa Anita to be more interesting from a betting standpoint than any of the Gulfstream races. In the Grade 2 Strub, there’s certainly a case to be made for LOVE OF MONEY (Not for Love) to be a lone speed winner of the 1 1/8 race. I’m willing to throw out his last race, a fading 6th some 15 lenghts behind, at the quirky 1 1/4 route at Belmont in a Grade 1, and prior to that was his breakthrough 112 Beyer romp in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby. But he’s been out four months, and could possibly face some early pressure from SKIPASLEW (Skip Away), who showed greatly improved speed in the G2 San Fernando, battling outside and between horses into the top of the stretch in his first race with Kent Desormeaux, who returns. ROCK HARD TEN (Kris S) returned from a nearly 5 month layoff to win the G1 Malibu at 7 furlongs, closing off of some torrid fractions. He’s won at this distance too. But he won’t have a fast pace to chase if Love Of Money does get loose, so perhaps it’s worth looking to beat him. IMPERIALISM (Langfur) ran a good 4th in the San Fernando, just behind Skipaslew, but his best races of late have been on the turf. CASTLEDALE (by some Irish horse I’ve never heard of) was the surprise winner of the G1 Santa Anita Derby at this distance last year, edging Rock Hard Ten (dq’d). That race was his second off of a layoff, the return being a dull 6th. Castledale came off a longer layoff last month with an even 5th, also in the San Fernando, just 1/4 length shy of the show spot. He’s had two sharp workouts since then, and his trainer Jeff Mullins hits at 31% in the 2nd-off-Over-180-day category. If he’s anywhere close to his 15-1 morning line, he could be worth a shot.

Back to Gulfstream...

Here's a look of the other three stakes coming up on Saturday at Gulfstream.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER Grade 3, 6 1/2 furlongs, 3 and up. MEDALLIST (Touch Gold) regained his form in the Kenny Noe Jr Handicap at Calder Dec 18, (113 Beyer) after three money-burning unplaced graded stakes efforts. Prior to those, he posted solid wins in the G2 Dwyer and the G3 Withers for trainer Allen Jerkins. He's won short and long around 1 turn, but even if he runs back to his aforementioned wins, he may have to contend with KELA (Numerous). The 7 year-old might have bounced off of his excellent very wide second to champ Speightstown in the BC Sprint when he ran 4th at Hollywood in the G3 VO Underwood; his 116 Beyer at Del Mar in his 7 furlong G2 stakes prep for the Sprint is best in this field, and he's the only Grade 1 winner. He's been off for two months, has worked steadly at Palm Meadows, and his trainer Mike Mitchell is hitting at 32% in that layoff category. FOREST DANGER (Forestry) hasn't started since May; the $900,000 juvenile posted 3 wins in 4 tries, including a 7 length win in the G3 Bay Shore at 7 furlongs (110 Beyer). His trainer Todd Pletcher is 31% in the over 180 days category, and he's smoked two sub-minute 5 furlong works in preparation for this.

THE HOLY BULL Grade 2. HIGH FLY (Atticus) tries two turns for the first time in this 1 1/8 mile test. He's 3 for 3, and earned a 100 Beyer, tons the best in this field, out of the chute at a mile here at the Gulf. If his pedigree is any indication, he'll have no problem whatsoever. His millionaire sire was a multiple graded stakes winner who set a world record at a mile and won and placed in stakes beyond that distance, including the G1 Oaklawn Handicap. His female family is that of Belmont winner Summing. An impressive win here would propel him into the thick of Derby talk, but he'll have to overcome the outside post. The owners of CLOSING ARGUMENT, (leading first crop sire of 2004 Successful Appeal) cleverly spotted their colt in rich restricted and slots-enriched races around the country, most recently the million dollar Delta Downs Jackpot in early December, where he finished second to Texcess, but increased his earnings to $421,984 with 2 wins in 5 starts. CRIMINAL MIND (Cryptoclearance) chased highly-regarded Harlington for second in an allowance in the slop at this distance here, and DEAREST MON (Maria's Mon) tries 2 turns after two improved wins at 7 furlongs.

The feature of this day of features is the Grade 1 DONN HANDICAP at 1 1/8 for 3 yo's and up. There are only five betting interests, so I don't know that they'll be a sufficient return for all the time one would have to invest trying to separate the two favorites, G1 Whitney Handicap winner ROSES IN MAY (Devil His Due), who won 7 of 11 and $1.8 million in 2004, and SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado), who reversed form after moving to Dick Dutrow's barn late in '03 and went 5-2-2-1 in '04, closing the year with a win in the G2 Clark Handicap. Both had the pleasure of chasing Ghostzapper, though Saint Liam had a much closer look in the G1 Woodward than Roses did in the BC Classic. They've both shown that they can win off the bench, and that they can lead or sit close behind; if I had to guess, I'd say that Saint Liam will have the lead, and it's quite possible they'll run 1-2 in one order or another all the way around. But if the pace gets too hot, or if either are a little short, keep an eye on EDDINGTON (Unbridled), who looked professional and assured in his 4 year old debut at this distance, cruising to a nearly 9 length win and getting the last 3 furlongs in 36:4 with seemingly little effort. SEEK GOLD (Touch Gold) improved big time for Zito last fall, culminating with a troubled second to Saint Liam in the Clark beaten only 1 1/4 lengths, and makes his first start since then. His stablemate, PIES PROSPECT (Crafty Prospector), also saved his best of 2004 for last, with an 8 1/2 length win in the G3 Fred Hooper at Calder.

- Fusaichi Samurai's trip on the Derby trail has come and gone seemingly faster than Bernard Kerik's stay in Washington. After being bet down to 7-1 co-favoritsim in the first Derby future book pool off of his single maiden victory and $4.5 million worth of expectations, the son of Fusaichi Pegasus is out of the Derby picture with a pulled muscle. How many articles about this tomorrow will contain the word "Sayonara?"

Devil's Bag Deceased

Devil's Bag, champion two-year-old colt of 1983 and sire of 43 career stakes winners, was euthanized on Thursday morning after suffering an injury in his stall at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. [Thoroughbred Times] 8 wins in 9 starts, including a 5 for 5 juvenile campaign in which he won the Cowdin, Champagne, and Laurel Futurity, earning him the Eclipse for top 2 year old and nearly Horse of the Year. His grandson Roses In May (Devil His Due) is expected to be the favorite in tomorrow's Grade 1 Donn Handicap.

- Rockport Harbor continues his recovery from an injury suffered in the Remsen in November with a 5 furlong work in 1:02:24. [Trainer John] Servis said there is a 40 percent chance that Rockport Harbor will start in the $100,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 19. [Daily Racing Form]

- Business booming for Penn National Gaming: Casino and racetrack operator Penn National Gaming Inc. on Thursday reported an 84 percent jump in fourth-quarter revenue as business improved at its casinos across the eastern United States. [AP/Yahoo] One year ago, with legislation legalizing slots in Pennsylvania moving towards passage, Penn National stock was in the mid-20s. Now it's around 67 and is splitting 2-1. I feel like I do regularly when I miss an obvious play at the races. With slots legislation in varying degrees of progress around the country, it may be worth looking for other opportunities. Since I don't want to get in trouble with the SEC, and because I'm probably even worse at picking stocks than horses, I won't go into further detail. (Except to point out that Magna stands to gain from possible VLTs in Florida, where it owns Gulfstream, and Maryland, where it owns most everything [and where slots seem less likely in the immediate future than in the Sunshine State]).

Eight is Enough

Just a week after the epic Sunshine Millions program, Gulfstream and Santa Anita once again combine to present eight stakes races on Saturday. This time, they're independent affairs, and all but one are graded stakes, with Gulfstream featuring six of them on Spectacular Saturday. Let's take a look at three of those, all for three year olds.


THE OLD HAT - Grade 3. Only one of the 7 three year-old fillies in this 6 1/2 furlong sprint, TOLL TAKER (Bernstein) is a graded stakes winner, and she has by far the slowest Beyers in the race. She had improved to win three in a row by wide margins capped by the Gr 3 Astarita at Belmont before throwing jockey Carlos Marquez to the cold Hawthorne dirt. It was the only time he’s ever ridden her, so maybe she missed her regular rider Elbar Coa, who returns here. But MADDALENA should be the center of attention for Todd Pletcher, trying stakes company after a huge allowance win (102 Beyer) here last month. She must have been one good looking filly. Her sire, Good and Tough, stands in New York for $6,000, and her female family is mostly ordinary (except that her second dam foaled multiple stakes winner Foxie G), and yet she brought $425,000 at Calder last February. ASPEN TREE (Holy Bull) has run three dead game races for Carl Natzger, includng a nosed second to Punch Appeal, who came back to win a 250K stakes at Delta in her next start. She returns off a three month layoff.

THE HUTCHENSON - Grade 2. Only 6 three year old colts go the odd distance of 7 1/2 furlongs here, and though half of them were graded stakes winner at 2, it would take a huge win to put any of these on my short Derby list. PROUD ACCOLADE (Yes It’s True) took the one mile Gr1 Champagne with a 100 Beyer, tops in this field, scoring a half length win over Afleet Alex. The $450,000 sale juvenile was up the track in the two turn BC Juvenlies and Hollywood Futurity, but returns to one turn here. DEFER (Danzig) took the 1 1/16 G3 Laurel Futurity in his last in November with a 78 fig that ranks below others here. Cuts back to one turn and returns for Shug McGaughey, 25% in this layoff category. I’m rooting for VICARAGE (Vicar), because my pinhooking partnership has a 2 yo Vicar filly being primed for sale later in the spring. More on that another time. Stretches out off a 90 Beyer 6f allowance win in which she angled 6 wide on the turn and won going away with a nice 90 Beyer in her first race in 4 months for Pletcher. PARK AVENUE BALL (Citidancer) is the other graded stakes winner here, having taken the G2 Futurity at Belmont before faltering in the Champagne and finishing well behind Proud Accolade.

THE DAVONA DALE - Grade 2. 3 yo fillies go 9 furlongs here. SIS CITY (Slew City Slew) returns for Richard Dutrow after a dominating win in the G2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct on Nov 27. In the BC Juvenile Filly, she was carried four wide on the first turn but battled on gamely to gain the lead in the stretch before succumbing to Sweet Catomine and settling for 4th, less than 6 lengths behind the champ. DANCE AWAY CAPOTE (Capote) moved up dramatically when stretched out to two turns last fall, with a 12 length win in an overnight stakes at Delaware, followed by a 4th place finish, by only 3/4 length in the G2 Alcibiad, and a tough luck and more than respectable 5th in the BC Juvenile Filly, close behind Sis City. IN THE GOLD (Golden Missile), a $250,000 yearling purchase, edged Dance Away Capote in the Alcibiad, disappointed in her next try, but in her return at Gulfstream last month, she chased a quick pace 4 wide to prevail. Two nice 5 furlong breezes since then indicate the effort didn’t take too much out of her. But perhaps a one turn mile is her best game. JILL ROBIN L (Precocity) is improved and always tries.


- Also of interest is the 7th race on the card, in which the Fusaichi Pegasus 3 yo colt Bandini tries allowance company after an impressive 7 furlong win in 1:22:2 an 86 fig. He brought $500,000 as a yearling. His second dam, Hail Atlantis, won the 1990 Santa Anita Oaks, and produced stakes winners Stormy Atlantic and Mr. Katowice. His 4th dam is Moccasin, champion 2 year old filly of 1965, having won five stakes races that year.

Notes: Feb 3

- Kentucky moves to implement statewide workers compensation insurance for jockeys and exercise riders, racing against the legislative clock: The last day to file a bill is Feb 14, but bill requests must be made by Monday. [Courier-Journal, Louisville] It's the second move by the industry to bolster on-track coverage since the injury at Gulfstream to jockey Gary Boulanger, who continues to improve. Gulfstream increased its on-track coverage limit to $500,000 from $100,000 for the balance of the meet.

- A pair of undefeated Derby hopefuls worked out Thursday morning. Declan's Moon turned in a sharp five furlongs in :59 4/5, while Rockport Harbor went the same distance in 1:02 1/5. [Bloodhorse]

- Saint Liam, Dutrow look ready to roll as they take on Roses In May in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at the Gulf on Saturday. [Daily Racing Form]

- The first major 2 year old sale of the year, the Ocala Breeding Sales Company (OBS) select sale of 2 year olds at Calder Race Course, takes place on Tuesday. The under-tack show, in which prospective sales horses "breeze" for the buyers, if you want to call 2 furlongs in :21.40 breezing, took place last Monday. You can download catalog pages here, via the OBS website.

Saratoga Slots

- What a difference a year, 1,324 VLT’s, and $82.8 million makes:

With the backstretch at full capacity and purses at their highest level in history, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway will embark on its 64th year of live harness racing on Wednesday, February 2
.....
With a percentage of the profits from the gaming machines at Saratoga designated for purses, local horsemen raced for over $8 million in 2004 -- a sharp contrast to the $2.9 million paid one year before. Last year's leading driver, Dan Cappello, Jr., drove the winners of $867,383 in 2004, compared to his 2003 total of $491,397, and trainer John Stark, Jr. led all trainers with $376,721 in purses won, compared to 2003 leader Scott Mongeon's $114,315.

[U.S. Trotting Association]

- With jockey Gary Boulanger upgraded from critical to serious, Magna steps up and increases its on-track accident insurance to $500,000 from the standard $100,000. Florida is not among the five states that have workers compensation insurance for jockeys.

I Want My HRTV!!!

- OK, enough is enough. Six graded stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday, and the Strub from Santa Anita, I’m doing a blog, and so now I'm really suffering the consequences of my selection of Direct TV (with TVG only) rather than Dish Network, which now carries both TVG and HRTV. During a virtual infomercial for Magna shown on the Sunshine Millions telecast Saturday, we were told that Frank Stronach is committed to cooperation and collaboration to further the best interests of the industry. But that era has not yet come to his HRTV…and though I know we like to blame Stronach for much of the industry’s ills, and correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that TVG is equally complicit in the exclusive game. So I informed my girlfriend Deborah that I needed to switch. She said that’s fine, as long as they carry all of her favorite channels. OK. That should be no problem given the 180-channel package I’m eyeing. So I go onto their website and go down the list. Turner Movie Channel – check. Food Network – check. Home and Garden TV – check. Do It Yourself Network– check. Fine Living Network….

Er…Fine Living Network? FINE…..LIVING…..NETWORK??? Let’s see, there’s the Healthy Living Channel. The Beauty & Fashion Channel. Discovery Home. Lifetime. Reality TV. (That’s a channel? I thought it was just a disease!) Style. Encore WAM. Northern Arizona University/University House??? WTF is all this crap??? Where’s the Fine Living Network? Deb has to have it, she says; without it, no more Sheila Bridges: Designer Living! How will she watch Radical Sabbatical? How will she become Lost in Italy or attend Fantasy Camp or journey on Ming’s Quest???

All these channels…now my vision is getting fuzzy. What’s this?

- Fine Lifting Channel –The 24-hour body-building channel. Can you bet on that stuff?
- Brine Living Channel – For those of you who love pickles and want to try your hand at pickling at home.
- Confined Living Channel - Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales demonstrates the latest in humane treatment of enemy combatants.

ARGHH!

Well, Deb is the one who encouraged me to write this blog. So say goodbye, my love, to the Wandering Golfer. Bid farewell to Rudy Maxa and the Thirsty Traveler. Dish Network, here we come. (Though it won’t be installed by Saturday. So if you see the races this weekend, please tell me all about them.)

- Question: Why is it that satellite providers have the technology to accurately black out specific sporting events in each local market, but they can’t come up with a way for you to watch your local Weather Channel forecasts?

Notes: Feb 1

- JOCKEY GARY BOULANGER remained in critical condition Monday at Regional Memorial Hospital after undergoing surgeries to eliminate a blood clot on his brain and remove his spleen. [South Florida Sun-Sentinal]

- LOST IN THE LOONIES - Andy Beyer on Lost in the Fog and his owner Harry Aleo, who has been fending off offers for his undefeated colt, against the advice of his trainer Greg Gilchrist ("If it had been my call, he'd be running for somebody else."):

But it is the owner's call, and the owner is a man of firm opinions. Aleo has operated for 57 years out of the same storefront real-estate office in a San Francisco neighborhood that has become a bastion of liberalism. In Aleo's window is a sign that reads: "This is an island of traditional values in a sea of loony liberals."

Nobody is going to tell Harry Aleo what to do with a horse. "People keep calling me, and making me offers, and calling me back, but this horse is not for sale," he said. "I couldn't buy this kind of excitement and adventure for any price.

"I'm 85 years old. What am I going to do with more money? I'd just buy more horses anyway."

Loony liberals? Hey, that’s not going to endear him to the staff here at Left at the Gate! But his attitude indicates that should Lost in the Fog go on to bigger things, he won’t be so quick to retire him to the riches of the breeding shed. So, we’ll give him a pass.

- SUPER SATURDAY - Wow, no less than six graded stakes on tap for Gulfstream this Saturday, highlighted by the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at a mile and an eighth, in which two horses that unsuccessfully chased Ghostzapper last fall, Roses in May and Saint Liam, are expected to meet. Also possible for the Donn is Eddington, whose 4 yo debut at the Gulf a couple of weeks ago was the most visually impressive race I’ve seen thus far this year. The Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes for 3 yo at the same distance is expected to be the two-turn debut for High Fly (Atticus), who is unbeaten in three starts with a combined winning margin of 21 lengths, and a 108 Beyer in the one mile Aventura at Gulfstream on Jan 8.

[CORRECTION] High Fly earned a 100 Beyer in the Aventura, not 108. Though the race was on 1/08 (thanks Marc).

- SUNSHINE MILLIONS overnight ratings decrease 5.9% [Thoroughbred Times]