The Grey Ghost

The fun race for this Halloween is The Grey Ghost, a $35,000 Starter Handicap at the Meadowlands Racetrack reserved only to horses grey or roan in color. The race goes a mile and 1/16th on the Turf. Clever marketing by the Big M and the grey on green contrast coming down the stretch should be fun to watch. There are 9 horses entered in the race.

I also have a vested interest in watching the race as I am somehow still alive in the Meadowlands Survival Challenge Contest after 23 Days of racing. 3,602 players have been eliminated with yours truly among the 1,223 players still active.

The Grey Ghost is one of the 3 races on today's card that active players have to pick a horse in as part of the contest. I put my money on Lightning Power, a 7 year old gelding who was 2nd in last years Grey Ghost.

NYRA returns Funds

This past July I bitched and wined about the customer disservice reserved seating system "lottery" used by NYRA for clubhouse and grandstand reserved seating at Saratoga. Long story short, you mail your check to NYRA in January, you wait to see what tickets you get, and than wait again for any ticket refund. I wondered when I would get my refund from NYRA as I was not "lucky" enough in the lottery system to get my 1st seating choice this year and would be due a refund from NYRA for the difference in price seating. Here is the NYRA official policy:

"Depositing your check does not guarantee seating. NYRA will not mail any ticket until at least twenty days after your check was deposited to permit your check to clear. If you do not receive seating NYRA will return your funds"

My check was mailed to NYRA on 01/19/09. Well, NYRA did "return my funds" (without interest-NYRA keeps that)...10 months later. See below the envelope mailed by NYRA with the 10/20/09 postmark date.

And they wonder why people just stay at home and bet through ADW accounts.

Yankee Omen

Probably no other sport has as much superstitions as does Baseball. Tonight is Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium. With the Yanks up 3 games to 2, Yankee fans should be confident. However they were up 3-1 against the Angels and lost game 5.

Now the nervous Yankee fan is thinking maybe this is an omen as they can't help let this creep into their mind- the 2004 ALCS against the hated Boston Red Sox when the Yankees led the series 3 games to 0 and than collapsed losing 4 straight. They must close out this series to slay that dragon. Until they do, the nervous and superstitious Yankee fan will look for signs from the heavens, at the ballpark, across the street, or anywhere, that they will win. And they must avoid all ominous signs also.

Let's hope they avoided yesterday's rain soaked NYRA card at Belmont where Fenway Faithful with Ramon Dominguez aboard was an upset winner in the 2 year old $100K Sleepy Hollow Stakes paying $21.40 to win. A further sign of doom could be seen in the 5th race where Joba, a 2 year old running in a Maiden Special Weight, failed to make a late move, finishing a far behind 9th.

Another one off the List

Maybe it is me, but two weeks to the Breeders Cup yet it seems the anticipation for the event is not building much. Maybe it is the West Coast location again or maybe the number of "name" horses who will not be running in 2 weeks.With Macho Again off the trail, I think I can name more horses not going in the BC this year than those that are showing up.

Trainer Dallas Stewart did not want to go west with a horse not 100%, deciding to "do right by the horse". Don't ever think these trainers don't care about these animals. They are treated better than most pet dogs I have met, something I wish those outside the industry would understand better.

Now I am off to read some European blogs so I can learn about some of these horses.

KISS

Racing needs KISS, no not the rock group but the acronym for Keep it Simple Stupid.

Let's be real, we are living in a real dumbed down society where the basic american will not go out of his way to do anything even remotely complicated or try to learn something he believes to be confusing.

Market racing for the exciting gambling game that it is and market it as easy to try, not hard. I mentioned at the start of the month that I had entered the Meadowlands Survival Challenge, a simple game with a simple concept of picking horses to win, place and show with losers going home and winners advancing with real prizes given out at the end. We are now a quarter way through the meet and I am still alive in 669th place out of 4825 original players.

Hats off to Meadowlands Racetrack for getting a mostly NYRA track bettor like me to pay attention to another track on a daily basis. I have just focused on Jockey/Trainer combos I like, pick my 3 horses in the 3 races every day and let the computer tell me who placed where. Suddenly, instead of just looking at the Belmont Results every day, I also check the Meadowlands results...heck now names like Elvis Trujillo have daily meaning to me. This can only lead to more betting at the Big M, using a very simple concept appealing to the basic tenet of the game-gambling.

Oh Well

As Sea the Stars is now retired, all pre-race speculation on whether he would run in the Breeders Cup Classic is now gone. So instead of talking about a potentially spectacular BC Classic field of Sea the Stars, Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Summer Bird, the air is out of the balloon and talk has shifted to who will win the Horse of the Year. So maybe no one is talking about the Breeders Cup, but the various horse racing channels of chatter have filled up with who the Horse of the Year should be.

People say horse racing is dying, but I see this type of debate as evidence it is not-sure seems like people care to me. I love these debates, it's like the Mays/DiMaggio/Snider debate, it just goes on and on depending on who you love and why.

What seemed a month ago to be a lock for Rachel Alexandra has tightened up with Summer Bird taking the Jockey Cup Gold Cup against older males and Zenyatta winning another one last week.

Over at the Paulick Report there is a Poll running asking who should win the HOTY if Zenyatta runs in the BC Classic and wins it? At last look 55% go with Zenyatta, 41% for RA and 4% for Summer Bird. Not much love for Summer Bird, but what if he were to win the BC Classic? And if someone else besides Zenyatta and Summer Bird win the the BC Classic, does Rachel still get the nod? As awesome as she is, if RA wins the HOTY she would do so without ever racing the "classic" distance of a 1 mile and a 1/4.

No Surprise

In the least surprising news of the week, Jess Jackson released a statement today confirming what everyone knew-That Rachel Alexandra is done for the year.

Sure I'd love to see her make a go of it in the Breeders Cup, but Jackson just won't send her out west to race on the fake stuff.

She had in a year what most horses never see in a career-8 races, 8 wins, 5 Grade 1 wins, 3 of them against the boys. I look forward to her 2010 campaign.

As for racing this weekend, ESPN Classic will show 3 races from Oak Tree at Santa Anita starting this Saturday at 5 pm- The Goodwood Stakes, Lady's Secret Stakes, Oak Tree Mile Stakes, as well as the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes from Keeneland. The one that interests me most is the Goodwood Stakes-I have a feeling Colonel John is due to pop one and I'll probably take a long look at Tiago also.

Saratoga Expands to 40 Days-Good??

By now you have probably read/heard that NYRA has announced today that they will expand the 2010 Saratoga meet to 40 days.

As a fan I always wish I could wake up every day and go to the Spa, and living close by, it would be easy for me to do-but I think I love the meet so much because it is fairly short. I am old enough to remember when the meet was 24 days, than it expanded to 30, than 36 and now 40. When I think of 40 I think of fasting, not Saratoga.

I thought the expansion from 30 to 36 days was too much. The 5 week meet seemed just about right. With the expansion to 6 weeks, it seemed that that all the air was let out of the balloon once the Travers was over. At 40 days, I can see the meet feeling a little tiresome. I think part of what makes Saratoga special is that it is supposed to be short, a boutique meet of 30 days or so of large fields and a bunch of stakes races. Now at 40 days , it is danger of feeling less special with a bunch of non-stakes races filling up the day.

What makes it so unique is that every year we wait, than it is here, and than- Wham!- it is over...or at least it used to be that way. Now the short meet is close to being a season.

Sour Grapes

Very interesting post race quotes following the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup win at Belmont by Summer Bird. Despite accurate observations from early one, such as this from Foolish Pleasure, critics are still here. This from Quality Road Jockey Johnny Velazquez:

"I think my horse is better on a dry track. I would like to see both horses on a dry track to see which horse is the best horse. "

Quality Road trainer Todd Pletcher had this to say:

"Summer Bird relishes this type of service. Sometimes you get lucky and it rains when you need it and sometimes it doesn't."

I guess Pletcher and Velazques have decided to throw out the Belmont Stakes win by Summer Bird over a dry and fast track. At this stage the argument is moot, the answer is in the scoreboard and the scoreboard shows 3 Grade 1 wins over both wet(The Travers, JCGC) and dry (The Belmont Stakes) surfaces. Game over.

Survive and Advance

I'll never understand the logic of playing slots or the lottery as oppossed to sports gambling and gambling on the ponies-to me the latter is much more engaging, is a game of skill (with luck thrown in) and entertaining.

Yesterday was opening day at the Meadowlands Racetrack in Jersey and I survived Day one of the Meadowlands Survival Challenge. The premise is simple, pick one horse in each of pre-selected 3 races per race day, and you advance if you pick up a 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any race. If no one falls in the money, you are out.

Playing under the moniker of SaratogaSpa, I stand 1842 out of 4825 players. When it comes to betting, I pretty much play the NYRA tracks only, save for the Breeders Cup, the Triple Crown Series and an occasional odd bet thrown down once in a blue moon at other tracks. So, this contest will be a real challenge.

I love games like the Meadowlands Survival Challenge. and believe all racetracks should set up these "Survival" type games on their respective websites. It creates interest, draws people to the website everyday, and I am sure increases handle with real bets thrown in.

Between playing the challenge and playing/watching the great 11 race card at Belmont on Saturday, this will be a full horseplaying weekend. Head over to out TBA home page for all the Belmont entries, picks and PP information.

Joe Talamo on The Tonight Show

Light on Substance, heavy on Fluff, I wonder if I Want Revenge feels slighted, as Joe and Conan talk about the The Kentucky Derby without mentioning I Want Revenge by name.

Young and Old

In the 3rd race at Belmont today, New York Bred and fan favorite Naughty New Yorker finished 6th and last in a New York Bred $65,000 race. It was his 50th start. We last saw him run at Saratoga in the Funny Cide Stakes on August 28th when he rallied for 2nd place. His 3 races before that in '09 have been clunkers. Maybe the 2nd place finish at the Spa, where he made his patented stretch run was his last hurrah??

On the younger front, while watching Jockey's last night on Animal Planet, they focused on the filly Stardom Bound, showing her win in the Santa Anita Oaks and than her 3rd place finish in the Ashland at Keeneland on April 4th. Well, she hasn't raced since. It's funny how horses like that, so promising, often fall off the radar and out of our racing memory. But she has had 4 workouts at Aqueduct and apparently is a possibility for the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic.

Speaking of the Breeders Cup, for news on who's running, and who's not, check out the Breeders Cup Divisional Blogs on NTRA.com written exclusively for the NTRA by my fellow members of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance.

State of the Nation?

The apparent return of 8 year old gelding Lava Man from retirement to training has brought out the predictable "the sky is falling" mass hysteria. I guess in this day of instant commenting on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter or whatever it is, we have to expect instant commentary and opinions.

Myself, I cannot give an instant opinion. I would rather wait and see before commenting on the issue. I want to see the workouts of Lava Man, read the Trainer's and Vet's comments to the press, see what type of races they are thinking about actually racing Lava Man in, before I make any comment. Maybe bringing back Lava Man is a bad decision, maybe it is a good one- but can we wait a few weeks before declaring this a bad decision?

It gets really weird when a blogger named soothsayer99 on the popular left wing site The Daily Kos decides to blog on the issue. The blog is filled with the typical bashing of the game quotes you would expect including this gem:

"Horseracing is now an obscure and sullied sport, left to the gamblers and those who love horses too much to turn away."

"Left to the gamblers?"-does anyone want to explain to soothsayer99 that the game only exists because of gambling. Take away gambling, bye, bye horse racing.

Of course soothsayer99 also pulls out the "death" card with this quote:

"This is a recipe for disaster. Horseracing is a brutal sport that claims the lives of at least 3 horses per day - Barbaro, Eight Belles, Inesperado, and tens of thousands of nameless more. It is rife with drugs, risk, and tragedy.

Lava Man was one of the lucky ones to make it out alive - he has earned his retirement."

"tens of thousands of nameless more?" Soothsayer99-- is that tens of thousands figure per day, week, year? soothsayer99 does not specify, but I figure it was just thrown in the sentence because soothsayer99 knows it sounds so evil and will surely fire up the crowd, so who cares about specific data and numbers.

Perhaps it is cold to say it but the truth is the Thoroughbred is specifically bred for the game and is only alive today because of Horse racing. But I have also witnessed many a Thoroughbred being taken care of so lovingly, often treated better than any pet dog or cat, by the trainers and backstretch workers who see to it that the horse gets the chance to do what he/she is bred to do, which is race.

Calling Jerry Jones

While watching the Cowboys-Giants game last night on NBC, if I received a dollar for every time they mentioned the new Cowboys stadium or showed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in his owners box, I would be a millionaire. Give Jerry credit, in a down economy he managed to fill his place and get the media to hawk it.

Maybe the NTRA should give Jerry a call for tips on marketing the Breeders Cup.

Mildly Interested?

Midshipman, last years Breeders Cup Juvenile Champ, finally makes his 3 year old debut at Belmont Park today. According to NYRA, the debut is "eagerly anticipated". I don't know if "eagerly anticipated" is how I feel.

I am more "mildly interested" to see how Midshipman does after the long, long layoff.

I will make sure to read the results online tonight; or if I forget peruse the Belmont Results in the paper tomorrow morning or maybe even check out the race on my OTB simulcast channel if I remember this afternoon, but no, I am not eagerly anticipating today's 3rd race at Belmont.

And at 3-1 morning line odds, he won't get my money and I would recommend playing one of the 5 others at more attractive odds.

Breeders Cup Gambles on Football

There has been mixed reaction to the decision to air Breeders Cup Qualifier races between a College Football doubleheader on ESPN on October 10th, 2009.

Depending on the schedule, viewers tuned into ESPN on that day will get the chance to see either Zenyatta in the Lady's Secret or Mine That Bird in the Goodwood Stakes.

Some may be offended at being sandwiched between the 2 games, but lets face it, Horse racing (besides the Triple Crown races) just can't draw the #'s that college football brings in for ESPN. Just this past Saturday for instance, USC's victory over Ohio State drew a 6.3 rating and 10.6 million viewers on ESPN. If the college football telecast on the 10th is only half that , say a 3.1, and say only half of that # stay to watch the racing between the games, that still is a rating of 1.5. By comparison last years "Filly Friday" drew a 0.3 rating and the Saturday portion of the Breeders Cup telecast on ESPN on Saturday drew a 1.0 rating.

Much as many people won't like the truncated short coverage, the potential viewing audience can't be ignored.

source: Neilsen Media Research

Still Dancing

After 6 weeks of great times at the Spa, this is the week I usually crash and enter into a deep morose period. I tend to get cranky, and bitch about things like: is there ever gonna be a time the light bulbs are all working in the Saratoga infield tote board? (wait, is that 8-1, 3-1, or is it 9-1???) But thanks to the historic Rachel Alexandra win in the Woodward on Saturday, I'm still on a high. I suspect many other fans who were there that day, are feeling the same way. How many of you have watched the replay at least 4 or 5 times?

I will remember a ton of stuff from my many days spent at the Spa this summer-the overall better weather than '08 (except for yet another crappy Travers weather day), Linda Rice's incredible win percentage of 27 % and her "in the money" % of 43%, the 6 way turf photo finish on Alabama Day, seeing Chip Woolery having such a good time at the Spa, watching Summer Bird duplicate his Daddy's feat with the Belmont/Travers double, seeing 2 year old filly Hot Dixie Chick blow away the field in 2 races- but nothing compares to Rachel winning the Woodward Stakes.

I have attended a ton of sporting events in my time, some I remember vividly, some barely at all, but I believe I will always remember standing in the clubhouse on Saturday and watching Rachel come down the stretch while the crowd all around me roared.

How often does a potential great Graded Stakes race suddenly fall apart when "the" horse pulls out a few days before or maybe scratches that morning with a fever or minor injury? Or if the horse makes it to the gate, often we are disappointed-the horse gets a bad trip, gets beat out by a lesser known, or simply never picks up his/her feet to run.

But Rachel did none of that, this athlete would not let us down, this time the race was better than we could have imagined and the Spa roared as loud as it ever had in its storied history.

A native of New York City, now living in Saratoga County, 46 weeks of the year is dedicated to awaiting opening day at the Spa, my justification for living through very long Upstate NY winters. Thanks to Rachel, I suspect I will recount the Woodward Stakes more than a few times this winter and that will help to make the winter seem a little shorter, a little warmer and a lot happier.

Rachel Alexandra- A Fan's View

Wow-call me impressed! Today at the Spa, I was a fan, not a horseplayer.

I have been to Saratoga, many, many times but I am hard pressed to find a more exciting day at the Spa, than the one I had today watching Rachel Alexandra win the Woodward Stakes. It reminded me how much fun the game can be, not just from playing the card, but as a fan.

It was funny, early in the day; the crowd seemed subdued and muted, almost like they were saving their energy for the big race to come.

And than it happened, as the 9^th race ended (The Forego Stakes) the crowd at the rail, which usually leaves before reconvening a few minutes before the next race, stayed put as if they were fearful of losing their spot on the rail. I quickly ran to the clubhouse ground floor to view the Paddock Post Parade and found people lined 4 deep in the Parade area between the Paddock and the Track. As Rachel walked towards the track, the excitement was palpable and the crowd grew excited. I took the photo above of a very calm Rachel and Borel as they walked by me in the Post Parade.

I raced back to my seats, and heard an audible gasp from the crowd when Rachel unseated Borel shortly after she entered the track. All was fine though and Borel was back on her safely. I then arrived back in my seat in Section K and watched history unfold.

As Rachel came around the turn and entered the final stretch, the entire grandstand and clubhouse crowd stood up, section by section, in unison. It seemed everyone in the joint was rooting for Rachel. I know my kids, age 15 and 12, were screaming the loudest I have ever seen them scream at a sporting event or game. My girlfriend compared the crowd noise to a rock concert.

As Rachel crossed the finish line, withstanding a furious run by Macho Again, the crowd was going nuts, still standing, still screaming. The crowd of 31, 171 made a noise level that was one of the loudest I ever heard at the grand old Spa. The crowd reaction reminded me of the fan excitement at a NY Giant football game in Jersey or a NY Ranger game at the Garden.

This horse is simply a true champion. She is a premier athlete, seemingly always ready, always wanting to compete.

Schooling with Rachel

For the faithful who showed up at Saratoga today, it was obvious the main attraction was Rachel Alexandra, who schooled in the Paddock at around 3:00 pm. As evidenced by the photo above taken by yours truly, the fans were standing 4 deep at the paddock gate.

I will say this, this horse is very impressive looking. She has that rare look that a truly great athlete has, that look of always being ready to compete. She looked fantastic in the Paddock, walking calmly around like she owned the place. I'm sure her current winning streak will end eventually, but she does not look ready to lose anytime soon.

Alan at Left at the Gate hits all the right notes on his blog regarding attendance for the Woodward in his post titled "I'll Take the Under".

Thus far this week, attendance has been disappointing despite 3 days of crystal clear blue skies without a speck of humidity. Monday brought 10,006 out, Wednesday had 10,983 and today had 11,809.

The forecast will be fantastic for Saturday, so NYRA can't blame the weather. I just think too many of the out of towners are long gone and the walk up sales on a Labor Day weekend can only increase so much, even when a Curlin or Rachel is running. The attendance will be good, just not crazy good. Curlin brought in 22,572 last year. Throw in another 10,000 for my guess of 32,572 fans who will witness the Rachel walkover.

Question and Answers

Q: I can't make it to Saratoga this Saturday, can I watch the Woodward Stakes on national Television?

A: No, It is available if you have TVG, HRTV or on MSG+ network ( a regional network available in the Middle Atlantic region of the US)

Q: I don't live in the Middle Atlantic area and my cable provider does not carry TVG or HRTV. Can't a national network broadcast it. I thought Rachel Alexandra is a national sensation?

A: In the racing world yes, outside of it no. College football starts this weekend. Football is a television sport. People love watching it as much as they love gambling on it. Advertisers know that, hence you will see many, many games this weekend.

Q: Really?

A: Yes, ESPN will televise 28 college football games this weekend across the various stations that make up the ESPN network including ABC.

Q: Oh, maybe NBC will pick up the race, they broadcast the Derby and Preakness right?

A: Yes, they did broadcast those races, and No- they will not pick it up, NBC will be broadcasting the Notre Dame-Nevada college football game this Saturday.

Q: CBS?

A: Nope , they have the Tennis US Open

Q: Your kidding me, what else would they broadcast instead , an NFL Exhibition game?

A: Yes, they would-and happily so, last Sunday's NFL Exhibition game on NBC drew 10.6 million viewers and a 6.5 rating.

Q: But doesn't everyone want to see Rachel run?

A: Yes, but against horses she has a rivalry with, not against older non-stars. The Preakness with the feel good story of Mine That Bird going against Rachel Alexandra was a story the networks love and can sell. The Woodward is a much harder sell.

Q: What should I do?

A: The weather will be great this weekend in Saratoga. Come up and watch the race.