2008 TRIPLE CROWN

Does anyone think we'll get the same quality Triple Crown as 2007? Indian Blessing has probably seen the length to her distance. The next few weeks should provide us with the early contenders for the first sat. in May. Horseracingtalk.com has refused to begin to discuss it, but if Street Sense brought up these thoughts last year...here we go. Tale of Ekati, Colonel John, Majestic Warrior, Court Vision, and Dixie Chatter all fit on Dosage and the top five averages a 3.0 less dosage so the super might be easier than expected. Court Vision might be a throw out, but the other four have to be considered so far. Over the next month, more will unveil fromthe east coast and who knows who will look good in the spring races? I still think two white socks could be coming in, in any or all of the triple crown races with the yet unraced Seqouyah(A.P.Indy/Chilukki). Give me 5/1 on either Tale of Ekati or Seqouyah and I'm locked in for the Derby at least.

BC Horses next Out-Play Against

With the exception of the Leopard and Pecious Kitten, no B.C. horses have come to fire next time out and the prices were definetly better to play against. Midnight Lute ran well but lost and Nobiz Like Showbiz ran like a tired horse. Is it smart to throw these horses out in Pick 3s and 4s to get value? Who do you take to beat them? A horse proven at the distance and even better at the track the race is run or "like track" (i.e.Daytona on west coast firm turf). Up front speed had played out the first two weeks of Hol park meet-why would Nobiz Like Showbiz(one move though it's big) go off at such a low price. Because we still love a name, a horse that has proven itself more than once, to the tune of over $150K being bet to win on Nobiz. Don't get me wrong, I had him covered in the Pick 4 sequence. A Pick 4 that stayed alive but grew slimmer as Daytona held on(Medici code qualifying as a LS that I didn't cover). The next week or two will have a better understanding of the race after the B.C. race, but I will look to play against at a short price in most cases. This year's slop also figures into the equation, and next year on polytrack will throw this blog to the wolves.
16 Million Green Monkey? What can he run on? Maybe he'll like Del Mar.
The Tin Man took a walk in the stable this week. Best wishes to his recovery.
It was nice to seee Todd Pletcher @ Hol. Hope we see him at Santa Anita with a certain A.P. Indy mare....

COLONEL JOHN

He won at two turns in 1:42 and 4. Should be running in the Futurity on 12/22 and get a look at some much better horses to truly size him up. The Green Monkey tries the grass in the 4th at Hollywood Park wed. ???????

CELEBRITY SITING VS. EASY PICK 6, etc.

Now I know I'm hooked like a fish. With Friday night's carryover and the automatic single in the 8th with Storm Military(5) it was an easy pick 6 sequence if you could forgive M. Baze and see a couple of "oldies but goodies" returning to form; most notably Owen Roe O'Neill. P.Val is back and should make a dent in things . Two superfecta (4th and 2nd)finishes for him and an objection already.
Tomorrow, if Colonel John wins does that make him an interesting Derby contender and can Nakatani produce a winner in the big race anymore?
I'm getting ahead of myself though and what the title has to do with all this. My wife and I are in a boutique/cafe on sat. around 2 P.M off La Brea in L.A. and Gavin Rossdale walks in only to precede his lovely wife Gwyn Stefani(whom I've had a crush on(10 years?) since the No Doubt days) pushing their child, Kingston in a stroller. They are ready for some lunch, but have obviously phoned ahead to say we are coming...get us a spot. When Gavin comes in halfway through the store, the manager is there to greet them and ask, "Well, how did you do?" My first thought is , Gavin Rossdale played the early races at Hollywood and I make eye contact waiting for his answer. Forgive me I'm reading "May the Horse Be With You" and fantasize about saratoga in the summer and everyone "in town" being into the races. Only to realize, they probably were looking for new baby bedding, Christmas decor, a new couch,etc., who knows, but I assure you the last thing on their mind was the results of Hollywood Park as I tried to figure out how low the easy pick four single Foxy Danseur would be bet down in the 3rd and if any exacta bet would be worth it. I'd given almost anything in the world at that moment for either of them to pull out a voucher and tell the Manager... "we're alive with the chalk in the third." Where are the glory days of actresses being married to owners/musicians and everyone drinking a dirty martini in the turf club? The day is inevitably around the corner when we count down the last days of Hollywood Park, and everyone I miss is one that will hurt two-fold when it is gone. Tonight as my wife and I made dinner, "Rags to Riches"(yes, I downloaded it after the Oaks5/4/07) came over the Ipod stereo and I told her in twenty years we'll look at each other as this song plays and say, "Remember when there was that track in Inglewood and we watched the Belmont there? That filly Rags to Riches won it and neither of us were smart enough to put her on top of our trifecta(that was the bet we bet then?low investment big payoff?if we ever were right) I'll remember that big white face stumbling at the start and thinking what a fool I was to include her in the bottom rungs,it's a long race so I thought it a few times, and then sit there staring at the infield t.v. after the finish and the silence of Hollywood Park wanting to cry as the song played and we sat there still trying to believe what we had just seen and feeling relief for Todd Pletcher after the derby and only regret that we didn't believe in her. The money and win a side-note. Now all the more poignant with Curlin's success. Hopefully, I'll be looking at a two year old colt out of some Rags to Riches combination that includes Tale of Ekati with Triple Crown possiblities as I regress. :)

The next few weeks start shaping up for the first saturday(i.e.Hollywood Futurity 12/22) in May and we have the chance to be right or wrong again. In So. Cal, we can plant the mint now(it's 59 for a low), save room on our BevMo card for a discount on Brandy, and almost know the winner will not come from our synthetic tracks, but....Breeder's Cup 2008 -somebody has to win every race on the synthetic surface(except turf and we never get rain so we'll run on firm turf(sorry euros) )and the locals at Santa Anita will finally have an edge on the "big race". By the way, I do not say this thinking I'm a local or have the edge, but I hope someone I stand behind at the betting window in the next 11 months is that person.