Belmont '13 Observations

Spent the day at Belmont with 2 hard core fans and 2 folks who had never before attended a live flat track. Some Random Post Belmont observations:

Seems like NYRA handled the new security protocols well. We drove and upon getting off our NYRA bus shuttle on the grandstand end took only about 10 minutes to get checked and into the building. Maybe others experienced some delay, but my group had no problems.

I had Palice Malice with a small $5 win bet but made the mistake of leaving him off my trifectas. The game seems pretty simple if you just bet on the "Blinkers Off" angle. That and throw in that Curlin as the sire was late maturing and got better as his 3 year old campaign so wouldn't his son do the same angle and there ya go-easy bet right?

The newbie's with us liked the day at the track and both of them had the usual observations often said by first time visitors to a track:

Wow, I'm amazed at the amount of different type of people who come out here-plenty of young, old, singles, and couples.

The time between races was way too long. Why is that long between races?

Why can't we hear the race caller over the PA System?

Why did we have to pay once for admission and than again for the race program? Shouldn't the program be free with the paid admission?

All in all the newbie's had fun, and I suspect they will be back, but I wonder how over the top the race experience would be for them if customer service issues like free programs and a working PA system were looked at.  

Wacking the Wood

Spring is here and so is the Wood Memorial. Always the highlight of the Big A Spring season for me, but due too the continued squalid conditions on the racing side of the racino, I'll watch on NBC and bet through my NYRA Rewards account. 

You can catch my complete analysis of the race over at the Thorofan site.

But long story short, I really like Elnaawi to finish in the money. I won't try to beat Verrazano as I see no reason why he would take a step back off his thus far perfect record. The distance won't be a problem and I think Pletcher has him tuned nicely for tomorrow.

 But Elnaawi was third at Aqueduct in the Grade II Gotham won by Vyjack, despite a rough trip. He gets a new jockey in Eddie Castro replacing Channing Hill. I like the tasty 12-1 odds and think this horse is an overlay if post time odds remain in that area.

On the Turf

Somehow we are now in April and the 1st quarter of 2013 comes to a close.

What is new? Looks like the same old, same old. A bunch of NY State Politicians get to do the Perp walk, and an early Pletcher Derby Hopeful falls off the trail.

Something new at least for 2013 is Turf racing in New York as 3 races are carded today at the Big A. If the weather cooperates and the races stay on the Turf, my eyes are on the 9th race, where a 16 horse field is entered.

Some horses are I am looking at for a nice score:

Suilleabhain at 6-1 ML has 4 prior starts on Turf. Retired at 8-1 ML is a half brother to 3 grass winners and has also been raced prior on the Turf.

Sayaprayerforme, 20-1 on Morning Line, gets the quick turnaround from Trainer Anthony Quartarolo after racing on dirt at the Big A on March 27th, finishing 9th in a Maiden Special Weight. This 3 year old gelding is out of the Dam Nan's Bay who is a daughter of the great turf racer Dynaformer.

If it stays on Turf and all 3 above stay in, lets try the three  in a Trifecta box

Big A Quick Pick

Still in Recovery mode for Superstorm Sandy with only an occasional eye on Racing.  However two races on Today's card at the Aqueduct seem worthy of dipping into my NYRA Rewards account for a try.

In Race 3, I will place a Win bet on Mordi's Miracle in a $67K Maiden Race for 3 year olds on the dirt going a mile. This Todd Pletcher Horse has been tough to handle in the Paddock and on the race course, but if he ever breaks well out of the gate today, maybe today is the day. Plus Pletcher doesn't seem to want to give up on this horse, so there must be something there. Watch the board, morning line odds are 6-1 on him.

In Race 8, FiftyFour Forever, (ML 5-2) a 3 year old filly trained by blog favorite Anthony Quartarolo,  runs back on just 5 days rest, having won here going 1 mile at the Big A on 11/29. She cuts back here in distance going 6 1/2 furlongs. She's a pure sprinter and prefers the shorter distances, so should have no problem with the short rest. Also like Villanesca (ML 6-1) cutting back in distance for Trainer K. McLaughlin and CatinaTree (ML 10-1) who figures to go out early with Fiftyfour Forever.  Try these 3 in a Trifecta Box.

Saturday Alabama Day Quick Picks

Surprisingly with more than half the meet done, I'm actually $5 in the black this meet, according to the historical wagers tab of my NYRA Rewards account. So, let give out some picks.

In the 5th , a Maiden 65K on the inner Turf at the Spa, you should get a square price on Nelson Avenue whose morning line odds are 6-1. In his last just 10 days ago in a similar 65K, Nelson Avenue placed 3rd at 26-1 odds, part of a $1900+ trifecta. Trained by former Meadowlands Harness Trainer/Driver Anthony Quartarolo, who's had a decent meet with 5 horses in the money out of 8 starters. Quartarolo comes off of a nice win with his last starter, Mr. Algebra, who broke his maiden on Wednesday at 11-1 odds.

In the Alabama, Grace Hall may be much the best but won't get my money at 7-5 morning line odds. My call is on Questing. Coming off a impressive win at the Spa in the CCA Oaks on the first Saturday of the meet at 1 1/8 miles looks like Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has her primed and ready to take a step up at 1 1/4 miles. If her jock can control the drifting out she did last out, Questing seems the valve play.

Should be a great day, let's hope the showers get out in time and sun prevails.

Saratoga 2012....Looking forward to...

Looking forward to:

1.Opening Day, just before Race # 1: Having the crowd join race caller Tom Durkin with his classic "and They're off" call. Never gets old.

2.Betting that first race at the windows: Even though I have a Smartphone and can bet through my phone via NYRA rewards, or try the new Wi-Fi betting platform at the track, there is something to be said for betting at the windows and holding that piece of paper in your hand.

3.People watching: See # 1 -never gets old

4. Eating: Gambling is not enough for me. Yours truly likes to eat while at the track. A Hattie's Chicken Sandwich (yes I will walk the extra distance to the new spot in the Carousel area) and a Shake Shack Burger are a must.

5. Drinking: Yours truly also likes to drink (responsibly). The Bar at the Post (aka the Paddock bar) serves this purpose nicely, complete with betting machines right on the bar. Also looking forward to checking out the new Beer Garden in front of the Carousel.

6. Post Race Saratoga Dining: Big fan of Maestro's, Wishing Well, One Caroline St. Bistro and Hattie's. Looking forward to trying out new spots including Boca Bistro (on Broadway).

7. Free Parking spots downtown: I have the perfect spot, free and so close to Broadway it's almost comical how many people don't know you can park there. Went to dinner last Saturday night, the town was packed but cruised into my trusty spot with no problems while many drove around in circles looking for a spot.  

8. Seeing Friends: It's amazing how many people now bet from home year round via the computer, tablet or Smartphone. Many of us have horse racing friends through Twitter or other social media who we never actually meet or see. But this is one track they do come out for, and Saratoga is often the only time I see these people and it's a treat to socialize with them.

The End of Hattie's at Saratoga Race Course?

Can it be, Say no for this would be Blasphemy.

Foodie writer Steve Barnes of the Times Union (Albany, NY) reports that the Hattie's Trackside location has been moved this year to the Carousel Area. Barnes describes the new area as an "out-of- the -way former crepe spot". Must of been out of the way-I never saw it. Crepe Spot? Who eats crepes at a race track anyway?

Barnes further reports that Hattie's owner Beth Alexander thinks the location is "horrible".

The Hattie's former location at the track was located in a very convenient spot in the backyard just outside the escalators leading to the 2nd floor of the clubhouse. As I wrote on this blog in 2010

"I find a Hattie’s fried chicken sandwich eaten around the 6th race or so has just the perfect mix of ingredients to give me the proper nourishment to continue on for the remainder of the card."

Now what to do should Hattie's go forward on their threat to stay away due to the expense involved in making the new space work? Sure, there is still the Paddock Bar and Shake Shack, but there is no duplicate to the splendid, messy, calorie filled, almost orgasmic inducing Hattie's fried chicken sandwich. Nothing available at the track comes close, nothing, nada, zilch.

Is this what we can expect from the Governor Cuomo (aka Emperor Cuomo) controlled "new NYRA". Give me the old NYRA than. Ousted CEO Charlie knew a good meal when he saw one and surely would have never moved Hattie's.

The Government can't run the DMV, we expect them to know good food?

Grading the 2012 Saratoga Giveaway Items

The Giveaway days, aka non-betting cheap people bumping into you at the Track Day, continues under the watch of Governor aka Emperor Cuomo. Here's my quickie review and grade for the 2012 items (photos of items released by NYRA):

SARATOGA BASEBALL CAP Sunday, July 29



Love the Galloping Horse added to the Bill-looks a lot classier than past years ball caps

Grade: A-

SARATOGA PICNIC MAT Sunday, August 12



A checkered color mat with a snazzy looking handle-look's okay enough to keep in your car for spontaneous use.

Grade: B

SARATOGA PILSNER GLASS Sunday, August 19



Does this look Tall, slender and tapered to you? Nope, plus a true Pilsner glass has an even taper without curvature. This looks more like a pint glass to me. Can we expect Cuomo to blame exiled NYRA CEO Charles Hayward for this one? For the lack of accuracy the item should get an F, but lets face it, this is a beer glass after all and I expect a large turnout for this misnamed item.

Grade: C

SARATOGA FLEECE BLANKET Sunday, September 2



This Wal Mart quality item probably costs about 60 cents to make. Will look good enough till you try to wash it and run it through the dryer. After one wash/dry cycle it will make your snuggie appear high quality.

Grade: C

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.

Where's the Money?

The New York State Racing & Wagering Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to admonish the New York Racing Association for overcharging bettors millions of dollars over the past 15 months.

Not exactly the year end publicity NYRA was hoping for.

More importantly, when do the bettors get refunds? The payback totals 8.6 million. If you have a NYRA Rewards account, you will probably get your refund first I would suppose. For non NYRA betting accounts, expect a much longer wait and for those cash bets, well ...you know what they say.

And this gem as reported in the Times Union (Albany, NY)

"I don't expect this will ever happen again,"

Racing Board Commissioner Charles Diamond said.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Attendance Figures No More

With the opening of the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack, another long standing tradition seems to have gone out the window.

Attendance figures are no longer tallied. You can't find the published attendance in your daily newspaper or on the Equibase Company LLC Charts.

Still staunchly old school, I look forward to my morning cup of coffee with a newspaper in hand before I even consider checking any website or twitter news feed. The sports section of the paper gets read first, including a look at the previous days track results.

But with the opening of the Resorts World Casino (or lets call it what it is-a glorified slots hall) and people (zombies?) wandering in from the slots hall there is no more accounting of actual track goers and hence no attendance figure published. You can still get an idea on who was there by looking at the On Track handle figure and backing into a number but where is the fun in that? I particularly liked checking attendance on the brutal winter days at the Big A marveling at the hearty souls who would show up to bet the ponies in person.

And going way back I remember when my local candy store in the Bronx used the last 3 digits of the attendance of the NYRA tracks for the "daily number". Most NYC "numbers" outfits would use the daily on track handle figure but the folks running this candy store numbers racket went with the attendance figure. As the mob still extends credit, unlike the NYS Lottery system, the numbers still have their loyal players- but it will have to be with the handle and not the attendance figure.

A look at the Travers

As I leave shortly for my Long Island trek to attend a wedding on Saturday and battle Hurricane Irene, here are my quick thoughts on the Travers Stakes.

From my NYRA Rewards Mobile betting platform on my smartphone I will play around with some Trifecta's and Win bets centering on 4 horses: the favorite Stay Thirsty, Bowman's Causeway, Shackleford and Moonshine Mullins. I think these four horses more than the others will like the track surface and run on it the best.

I keep coming back to Bowman's Causeway to upset the cart and win the whole thing. He has been stabled at Saratoga since the spring under trainer Chad Brown. Brown is great at placing his horses where they have a chance to win. A son of Giant's Causeway, he is coming off three consecutive races in Canada, the last being a close second in the Prince of Wales. He has had a nice 6 week rest and I think he is more than ready. Good luck and for my friends on the East Coast be safe.

The Travers Streak is Broken

There comes a time when all streaks are broken, and this is my year.
I have been lucky enough to be at Saratoga Race Course for the Travers Stakes every year since 2004. This year I will be in Long Island, attending my cousin's wedding.

Luckily the wedding couple are racing fans, and they have already arranged for the wedding Bar TV to be on NBC at 5 pm so the guests can watch the King's Bishop and the Travers. And of course thanks to NYRA's neat mobile wagering platform I will be able to bet straight from my Blackberry. But alas it will never be the same as being there live.

Looking back I was able to see some pretty good Travers races and horses since 2003. Here is a look back at some of the memories:

My favorite memories from the past 7 Travers Stakes:

2004: I will never forget the dark sky as the horses turned for home. Seconds after Birdstone crossed the finish line the winner the rain came down like nobody's business

2006: Never a doubt as Bernardini swept the Jim Dandy/Travers Double. One of the best looking horses you will ever see.

2007: Street Sense in a squeaker over Grasshopper

2008: Colonel John nips Mambo in Seattle by a nose (or was it 1/2 a nose) at the wire

2010: I hit my first ever Travers Trifecta taking home $970 on Afleet Express/Fly Down/1st Dude

Questions at the Track

I don't know why you would need the costly McKinsey Report to figure out how to draw more folks to the racetrack and to betting on the races. Just take a novice fan to the track and listen to them. This past Sunday I took a married couple in their 40's to Saratoga Race Course with me and my better half.

They like casino and slot gambling and take frequent trips to Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods, and Atlantic City. They were last at a racetrack at a New England Fair 20 years ago. Here were some of their questions they threw out at me during the day.

Upon reaching the gates and stopping to pay the $5 Clubhouse Admission:

Q: How come you have to pay $5 a person to get into the track when you already have your pre-paid Clubhouse seats.? We don't pay to get into a Casino?

My Comment: Good Question, I always thought it made no sense to charge for the privilege of just walking into the track. Charge for the grandstand & clubhouse seats and let everyone else in for free. Don't ding the customer.

Q: What's a Quinella bet again?

My Comment: I pointed them to the Program and gave them a basic primer on the various bets they could make. I think we forget that most people want their gambling to be easy and they find the slots and poker easier to learn and easy to figure out. The tracks need more visible education guidelines with companion online guides, games, etc.

Q: Why are there 11 horses in the race but the infield center video board is showing only the odds for Horses 1-9.

My Comment: This one had me confused as I knew there were 11 horses in the race but only 9 were on the board until I realized that NYRA was playing video ads on the right side of the screen which eliminated the odds on Horses 10-11 in this particular race. The ads eventually stopped and Horses 10-11 showed up, but how is a novice better supposed to understand the game if they want to bet Horse #10 and the odds are nowhere to be found on the main video board ?

These were all good questions and the cost to hear them was nothing.

Saratoga Friday

Today is the first of two twilight Friday race cards at the Spa or as NYRA calls it "Party at the Spa presented by Coors Light". First post goes off at 2:30 pm followed by free live music from the band Rockjunky at the Post area adjacent to the Paddock.

Expect a big crowd (although the weather calls for afternoon Thunderstorms to roll on through) for the card. Actually you can't even call this a twilight card as the last race goes off at 6:56 pm and Sunset is at 8:18 pm. I would love for the card to start at 3:30 and finish up just before 8 pm, allowing the after work crowd to see more of the card.

However the downtown restaurants and bars feel the late finishing time kills their early business so don't expect any additional late Friday cards to be added in the future.

If you do skip out of work early today and get to the track by 3:30 pm you have time to place a bet on the 3rd race, featuring the return of Ice Box, up against 5 others in an $57,000 Allowance Optional Claiming race of 1 1/8 miles. There is not much speed in this race for Ice Box to close on, so I'll take a pass, and go with Neil Howard's Wilkinson, who should go off at attractive odds if enough money flows to Ice Box and Convocation.

On Saturday, the Jim Dandy is all set on what should be a splendid weather day. You can see my take on handicapping the race over at the Thorofan website.

Saratoga Opening Weekend Recap

Opening Day weekend was an all around success for NYRA and the fans who came out to the Spa. Credit goes to NYRA for not panicking and going forward with Opening Day despite the heat. Yes, it was hot, but not as hot as the cancelled day in '06. 25,155 fans agreed and showed up for Opening Day. Strong crowds and handle followed on Saturday and Sunday and with 37 days to go, the meet is off and running strong. Here's some photos I took this weekend at the Spa with my thoughts:



A photo of the new video screen as seen from Section C of the Clubhouse (no more light bulbs)



A look at "A Taste of Saratoga" featuring food from 4 local Restaurants



The backyard and Paddock Fencing is now wood, changed from the tacky vinyl of old.



The Post Bar just outside the Paddock, now in its 2nd year, but feels like it has been here along, like a trusted friend.



Offspring of Yours Truly, enjoying Shake Shack Shakes from the Yummy Shake Shack

What did we miss?

Back from a month break from the blogosphere. And except for a peak here and there at select blogs and twitter feeds, I stayed away from the game, only watching a few races and not betting on any of them. But alas, there are only 3 things that seem almost impossible to stay away from for most of us mere mortals, that being Gambling, Sex and Drinking. We can all put our hand on the bible and swear off the the above 3 alleged vices, but we all return soon enough all trying to get our share.

And so Saratoga is just 2 weeks away promising to deliver some of the rewards we seek. Complete with National TV weekend coverage on Versus and NBC, NYRA seems poised for a good meet, despite the parity in the 3 year old division.

In social news, Mary Lou Whitney will skip her usual Whitney Ball. The gaudy gala, held annually the night before the running of the Whitney Stakes, is famous for attracting socialites, and wanna bee's to the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs.

Some would criticise the display of opulence but I had no problem with it, especially when considering all the fundraising and charity events Mary Lou Whitney conducts for the backstretch workers.

The annual "Travers Celebration", held at the Saratoga Race Course the Thursday before the Travers Stakes, usually a formal dinner, is now labeled as a cocktail party with food stations. Tickets are $175 and the proceeds in part go to the BEST Backstretch group.

Durkin Steps Down

It was announced today that Tom Durkin has stepped down from his TV Gig with NBC Sports calling the Triple Crown Races.

My guess is that Larry Collmus, a real pro, will get the nod.

Durkin isn't going anyway, his calls will continue to be heard for NYRA at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. Like all of us, he made mistakes every so often but I love Durkin because he has all the qualities I look for in a race caller:

Call the entire field at least once.

Durkin, even in the 20 horse Derby field, would always call every horse and their race position at least once. It is amazing how many race callers don't regularly do this. There is nothing more frustrating they betting on a horse, trying to follow where he is in the field, and never hearing the horse called.

Call the splits.

Durkin would quickly and clearly call the 1/4, 1/2 & 3/4 mile splits so you knew how the speed of the race was going.

Know when the race deserves a big call.

Durkin is great at turning it on when the race calls for it. Durkin knew when a race was big, when the stars of the sport when running, and when the audience was watching.

One of his best calls containing the above qualities was his call of Rachel Alexandra winning the 2009 Woodward Stakes

First Time, Long Time

Former New York Governor David Paterson will put on the Sports Talk Radio Host hat as he hosts a 3 hour shift on Sports talk radio Giant WFAN in New York this Monday from 10 pm until 1 am. For those not in the listening area you can hear it live on the web with this link.

Will be interesting to see if the call screener's let any questions on racing get through to the former Governor. With Politics and Horse Racing so incestuous in New York State, where you really can't talk about one without the other, I would love to see how candid Paterson would be.

He most likely will get peppered with a bunch of Yankees, Mets, Jets and Knicks questions but would love to hear him give his take on the background skinny on the VLT award to Genting and what really happened with the whole AEG fiasco.

This story plus questions on NYRA, takeout fees, the closing of the New York City OTB, the future of OTB's outside the city, the expected saturation of racino's and Indian casino's, and legislation and penalties for drug usage could take the whole 3 hours up.

But I'm not holding my breath.