New York Racing-On the Track

After a few weeks of NYRA bashing complete with Emperor Cuomo and New York State taking control of New York Racing, it was nice to change the focus of New York racing to where it should be-On the Track. For all the bad headlines about NYRA, about bad trainers and possible drugged horses, here was a Memorial Day which showed how good New York racing can be.

The topper of the day was the Met Mile, a small but spectacular field of 6 runners and run they did. How fitting was it that Shackleford was able to outlast a fast charging Caleb's Posse with a $1.33.30 winning time in the mile race. I love the Shack, and I'm a big fan of his trainer Dale Romans.

While other trainers hold back their horses and pick their spots, Romans does no such thing with the Shack. Shack, as Andy Serling stated on Monday's MSG Network coverage of the race, comes to the dance every time. In an era where critics abound and often state that horses are over raced, how come Shackleford shines under a very busy schedule? Maybe because he is a gifted animal who loves to work and compete. This is a horse who ran every leg of the Triple Crown series last year, something only two horses are trying this year (I'll Have Another and Optimizer). He also had a busy schedule in 2012, most recently a win in the Grade II Churchill Downs Handicap on Kentucky Derby Day.

Attendance was up also at Belmont Park, at a healthy 10,577 and total handle for the day was $14,444,665. So, racing is far from dead, especially in New York, where you can see the best horses run in the best races, despite what one may read from the critics. Now it's on to the Belmont Stakes, another big New York Day.

As for Shackleford, expect this gallant horse to show up next in Saratoga, looking to dance in the Whitney.

Hey What about Me?

Not your usual Preakness Stakes week. Usually the Kentucky Derby Winner gets all the ink, with speculation on if this will the year for a triple crown and who if anyone can beat him. Not this year.

The Preakness week has been dominated by articles about Bodemeister, the runner up in the Derby. In fact if you landed on earth this week after being away awhile, you would have thought Bodemeister won the Derby. And in these parts of the East, specifically New York, the media, web and twitter have been dominated by Takeout-Gate and the resulting duel between New York State and NYRA. With Emperor Cuomo and his Racing and Waging Board political hacks gunning for NYRA there has been plenty of ink and computer strokes dedicated to this story.

 So in the background goes Derby winner I'll Have Another, trying to nose in front of the Bodemeister and NYRA stories. Will he do it. Sorry I'll Have Another. I'll have him on my exotic tickets, but see Went the Day Well crossing the line first, followed by Bodemeister with I'll Have Another fighting for the bottom of the ticket.

Kentucky Derby Exotic Angles

Everybody has their own Derby betting methods. Most are wrong. So lets have fun with some different betting angles:

The BC Juvenile Replay Superfecta: Bet the 1st 4 finishers of this race: Hansen, Union Rags, Creative Cause, Dullahan

The Upside Down BC Juvenile Superfecta: Bet the last 3 finishers from the BC Juvy : Alpha, Daddy Long Legs, Prospective

Father, Father Exacta: Daddy Nose Best, Daddy Long Legs

The I Told You so Exacta: Prospective, Rousing Sermon

The Control Freak Exacta: Alpha, Take Charge Indy

The Who trains that horse? Exacta: Done Talking, Trinniberg

The Shut up and Drink Exacta: Done Talking, I’ll Have Another