Turf Luck

Little Festival on the Prairie

2010-06-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

Things have been quiet here on the prairie, but at last, heat and humidity -- and frequent tornado watches -- have descended upon the plains. And yes -- the Iowa Festival of Racing is upon us.

Once a year, Prairie Meadows, shoots the moon, and lays out a ton of prize money to draw some big name horses to the middle of nowhere. Last night's Saylorville Stakes, Iowa Distaff, and Iowa Sprint races launched the festival. And tonight, three graded stakes highlight the festivities: the G3 Iowa Oaks (Race 6), the G3 Iowa Derby (Race 7) and the G2 Cornhusker Handicap.

The event always draws a crowd, and this year it has drawn (take a breath) - the winning riders in this year's Triple Crown races. Yup, Calvin Borel, Martin Garcia, and Mike Smith will all be out past the cornfields tonight. Woohoo!

The Des Moines Register, which always provides nice coverage of Prairie Meadows, highlighted the three in an article this week. They've also got it running on the DM Juice website, a chatty, boozy subsidiary website aimed at the 30 and under crowd. And they've made it easy to identify the big names with a guide to the horses they'll be riding this weekend:

CALVIN BOREL (KENTUCKY DERBY, SUPER SAVER)
Friday: Atta Boy Roy, Iowa Sprint
Saturday: Seeking the Title, Iowa Oaks
Saturday: Down With Dixie, Iowa Derby
Saturday: Brass Hat, Prairie Meadows Cornhusker

MARTIN GARCIA (PREAKNESS, LOOKIN AT LUCKY)
Friday: Miss Heather Lee, Saylorville
Saturday: Harissa, Iowa Oaks
Saturday: Concord Point, Iowa Derby
Saturday: Mythical Power, Prairie Meadows Cornhusker

MIKE SMITH (BELMONT, DROSSELMEYER)
Saturday: All Due Respect, Iowa Oaks

Track commentator John Hernandez (who blogs at John at Prairie Meadows) and guest Joy Rose Murphy of Remington Park spoke with Martin Garcia, but the fans wanted to see Borel. Twenty-five minutes before the race, they were lining the paddock two deep where Borel would await Atta Boy Roy for the Iowa Sprint. (Please note, scale is different here. The King remarked, "In New York, fans would be 10 deep here." Here, two deep is a big deal.)

Borel and Atta Boy Roy finished a disappointing second to the absolutely gorgeous, well-named Majesticperfection, who set a track record. But Borel, ambassador for racing, never disappoints. From his smiles for the crowd to the pat on the nose he gave Atta Boy Roy after the race, he never seemed to think he was a ~~second~~ third class track in a fly-over state.

We watched his race from the rail, and the woman was obviously new to the races, asking simple questions. When Borel dismounted in front of us, I noted that he had won 3 of the last 4 Kentucky Derbies. "Really?" she said. As Borel nodded to us, and walked back down the chute, she smiled. Suddenly, she wasn't just killing time while hubby played the slots inside. "He'll be here tomorrow? We've gotta come back," she said.

Thanks, Calvin! See ya tonight!

-------
Before we dash out to the track, just a quick note: yours truly has at long last ventured into the world of public handicapping. You can check out the results, such as they are, at Thorofan.com. I have a feeling y'all can guess what kind of wager I suggest!

Monograph Mile: 2010

2010-04-22T23:16:00.004-04:00

In 2005, after my first day at the races, still breathless from the rush of the wind at the rail, the sound of hoofbeats still ringing in my ear, I scurried to the racing section of my library where I searched for a suitable introduction to the world of thoroughbred racing. Tucked on the bottom shelf at SF 335 .U5 S56, I discovered Racing Through The Century: The Story of Thoroughbred Racing by Mary Simon. It was an awkward book to carry home on the bus, verging on the coffee-table size, and though my arm was numb by the time my stop arrived, once I was ensconced in my comfy armchair, I simply could not put it down. While it's chock full of photos and illustrations, it was the text, arranged by decade, that held my attention. And scattered throughout an engaging history of racing trends and historic events were wonderfully-told biographies of the sport's stars. Jockeys and trainers and owners ... and horses. Hundreds of horses galloped through the pages, brought to life in succinct and often moving prose. The author was eloquent without being flowery, moving without being maudlin. And she could capture the essence of some of the sport's most beloved runners in a mere page. This was a woman who knew words and could make them count.

So who better to serve as steward of the annual running of the Monograph Mile? Better known as the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, this race takes place on -- gasp -- printed pages, and recognizes the best racing-related book of 2009. And since its inception, Mary Simon has been coordinating the award. This year, she's teamed with Kay Coyte and Rudolph Alvarado to select the winner.

In previous years, I've handicapped the full field of possible nominations, but this year I found myself a bit too busy to keep up with racetrack reading. At least it's not too late to handicap the three finalists going to the post on Friday:

Beyond the Homestretch: What I've Learned from Saving Racehorses by Lynn Reardon. Reardon was once an accountant in Washington, DC; now she runs LOPE (Lonestar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers) and hangs out with retired racehorses in Texas. Judging by the experiences she relates in the book, the change agrees with her. Reardon's style is engaging, and she tells good stories. This entry has personality in abundance, and the barn seems thoroughly modern, complete with Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog. If you'd like to see this one in the paddock, the first chapter is online at the Beyond the Homestretch website(pdf). TL odds: 9-2.

Keeneland's Ted Bassett: My Life by Ted Bassett and Bill Mooney. I usually find autobiographical books from powerful men to be a bit dry, but Bassett wears the prestige of being "one of racing's most revered leaders" lightly. He's joined by one of the best racing writers out there, Bill Mooney, to craft a fascinating look at a life lived well. The book begins with his description of how he became the President of Keeneland, but I found the descriptions of his interactions with Queen Elizabeth even more entertaining. Judging from the interview that Bassett and Mooney did with Bill Goodman (video), the voice in the book is Bassett's own: never arrogant, often wry, and always straightforward. A short excerpt on tedbassett.com offers a peek in the paddock. This entry from the strong University of Kentucky Press barn certainly has the pedigree to be a winner. TL odds: 3-1.

The Kentucky Derby Vault: A History of the Run for the Roses by Andrew Plattner. There's always one entrant that puzzles me, and this year, it's The Kentucky Derby Vault. I haven't seen a copy of it, but it sounds like the entry is sporting some special equipment:

This attractive coffee-table book is like none other we have
seen, combining strong text, plenty of rich archival photography,
and a playful interactive dimension. Unexpected treats are
tucked away in attached pockets throughout. Among the surprises:
reproduction vintage postcards, reprints of pages from
old programs, and replicas of antique Derby day passes—including
a lady’s complimentary badge from 1911. All look and
feel authentic. (Thoroughbred Times)

"Playful interactive dimension"? "Attached pockets"? Interpreting this is like reading Racing Post speed figs for the 2nd at Ascot. However, last year's winner, The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez also featured extra equipment -- a CD of Hernandez's race calls -- and I swore I would never ignore this kind of thing again. In addition, Plattner won the Flannery O'Connor Award for his short story collection, Winter Money. And the Boston Review noted that of the ten stories in Winter Money, nine mention horses, racing or wagering in the first paragraph! Thus, sight unseen, I'm taking the mystery horse for the win. TL odds: 2-1.

Those lucky enough to be in the Lexington area can check out the jockeys up close and personal, as all three authors will be at Keeneland on Friday from 2:00 to 4:00. The winner will be announced at an invitation-only reception at Castleton Lyons on Friday night.

Castleton Lyons partners with Thoroughbred Times to sponsor the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award And the award is substantial: $10,000, as much as a Pulitzer Prize! Yet, while Pulitzer Prize winners are always a "must buy" in the library world, you'd be hard pressed to find a library that owns all 3 of the Dr. Tony Book Award winners. (In fact, it appears that even the Lexington Public Library doesn't own last year's winner!)

I mention this because once again, Thoroughbred Times has posted a handy-dandy list of the six semi-finalists (pdf) complete with summaries of the books and a history of the award. Perhaps, if you would like to promote racing at a local level, you might want to send a copy to your friendly neighborhood librarian. Librarians try to collect a wide range of materials, but often the bottom line is heavily influenced by requests from the community. That would be ... you!

Amidst all the laments on how to create racing fans, no one ever suggests sharing a good racing book with newbies. Yet I for one was hooked when I borrowed Mary Simon's Horse Racing Through The Century from the library. And the latest NEA survey on reading found that, for the first time since 1982, reading is on the rise.

Maybe, just maybe, getting racing books into libraries can help create new track-goers. And it's something any racing fan can do, without waiting for the NTRA, the NYRA the governor of New York, the Breeder's Cup committee, or some whiz kid with a killer app for the iPad.

So go ahead, exercise your freedom, preserve a piece of racing history, and make a recommendation to your public library. Better yet, buy a copy of the winner when it's announced and donate it to your library. We'll take good care of it, I promise.

Remembering a paperback rider

2010-02-15T23:45:00.000-05:00

On this day dedicated to some great men, let us take a moment to mark the passing of one of horse racing's greats. Dick Francis, jockey to the Queen, writer for the masses, died this weekend. Author of more than 40 novels which graced the bestseller lists throughout four decades, Francis brought the sights and sounds and language of the track to readers throughout the world.

If he'd never written a word, Francis would still be remembered as a winner of 350 races and Britain's jockey of the year in 1953-54. And after a stunning, calamitous ride in the 1956 Grand National aboard Devon Loch, he may have gone on to be remembered as the fellow who lost the National.

But instead, he retired from racing, and in 1957, published a memoir, Sport of Queens which led to a career as a racing columnist for the Sunday Express. Perhaps his years in steeplechase left him ever ready to jump to new things, for when his wife Mary suggested he try his hand at fiction, he gave it a go, cleared the hurdles with grace, and added "novelist" to his resume.

Perhaps, as the Washington Post obituary notes, his works were formulaic, but they were award-winning as well. He received the Diamond Dagger Award from the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, and he remains the only author honored by the Mystery Writers of America for Best Novel three times (in 1970 for Forfeit, 1981 for Whip Hand, and 1996 for Come to Grief.)

As so many in the American racing industry deplore racing's declining profile, Dick Francis and his adventure-filled tales kept horse racing alive in the public conscience. Folks who never read a racing form picked up a Francis paperback -- and were transported to the track.

Last year, while handicapping the semi-finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, I remarked that when folks from outside of the racing world understand words like "furlong" and "irons", it's likely because of Dick Francis. I suspect, too, that one reason horse racing has more "buzz" than sailing and boxing is that Dick Francis novels -- with their detailed descriptions of silks and stalls, bits and bets -- reminded the general public that race tracks still exist.

Francis was mainstream in a way that simply dwarfs much of the literature of our sport. Look at these current Amazon ratings for last year's Tony Ryan Book Award semi-finalists:

Twoey and the Goat - #1,557,541
The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez - #1,292,136
The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby - #1,145,358
The History and Art of the Travers - #983,334
My Guy Barbaro - #697,040
Beyond the Racetrack - #115,624
Silks by Dick Francis - #55,024
The paperback (#1,449) and the Kindle (#1300) editions are doing even better.

True, none of these books are by authors with the name recognition of Dick Francis, and also true that death of an author often pushes a bump in sales, but still -- it can't be denied that his tales of blood, sweat and horses reach a public that's never heard of TVG or Bloodhorse.

The many books of Dick Francis can be found on the shelves of bookstores and libraries most everywhere, and another collaboration with son Felix, Crossfire, is due out later this year. Many of his works are available in e-book or Kindle format. Even online readers can sample some classic Francis storytelling in "A Carrot for Chestnut", a short story available at the SI Vault. So, I suspect that much like Walter Farley and his Black Stallion, Francis and his tales of trackside skulduggery will continue to inform the public perception of horse racing for years to come. We've been lucky that throughout his dozens of novels, replete with murder, kidnapping, blackmail, doping, and nefarious financial schemes, Francis is still able to convey the thrill of the race and the magnificence of the horses.

Franz Lidz, whose 1993 Sports Illustrated article about Francis was expanded for inclusion in an eclectic 1998 collection, Horse People, quoted Francis as saying,

"Yes, riding was my first love. It's lovely when you're on a good horse, seeing the fence in front of you. Nothing could be more satisfying." He quickly adds, "But writing has its compensations. When a race is over, it's gone for good. A book remains."

Actually, about 42 of them remain. Thank you and God bless, Mr. Francis.

---
Frank at That's Amore Stables offers a different and eloquent tribute to Francis in his A Way with Horses post.

Our Groundhog Day: the Sunshine Millions

2010-01-30T02:07:00.005-05:00

At the newly redesigned Superfecta site, our favorite archivist laments the lack of fanfare surrounding this year's running of the Sunshine Millions. Let me add my voice to hers in mourning the absence of mainstream coverage of what has traditionally been a rather fun break in the winter blues.

In the past, the King and I have reveled in the quirkiness of a racing program coordinated between two tracks on two different coasts. Our spirits always lifted as the NBC camera panned the warm and sunny track environs. We'd stop at the OTB to make a few wagers on the Florida & California breds, then camp out on the couch with froofy summer drinks to watch racing on the "big screen". Frankly, I thought it was racing's Groundhog Day, a good reason for a party to hurry winter on its way.

And perhaps the fact that the Sunshine Millions is no longer offered on broadcast networks, or even ESPN, is some sort of portent of things to come, but I can't be contemplating such serious stuff tonight. Instead, I've scoured the web for all things Sunshiney, because this Iowa winter has been brutal, brutal, brutal -- and I need to think about spring.

For those of you in the same mood, here are some links to the past performances for Saturday's stakes from Santa Anita and Gulfstream:

Sunshine Millions Sprint
Gulfstream - Race 8
Post time ~4:30 ET (3:30 Central, for those playing from Des Moines)

* Sunshine Millions Distaff
Gulfstream - Race 9
Post time 5:08 ET (4:08 Central)

* Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint
Santa Anita - Race 6
Post time 5:36 ET (4:36 Central)

* Sunshine Millions Turf
Gulfstream - Race 10
Post time 5:43 (4:43 Central)

* Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf
Santa Anita - Race 7
Post time 6:06 ET (5:06 Central)

Sunshine Millions Classic
Santa Anita - Race 8
Post time: 6:38 ET (5:38 CT)

Note: The Magna Pick 5 returns this weekend for $1 minimum, and 4 of the 5 races are Sunshine Millions races. The starting leg of the wager is the 9th at Laurel, followed by the starred races above. Past performances for all 5 races appear to be available from the Magna 5 site, which also provides instructions on how to place the bet: "Play the Magna 5 in person wherever you normally wager on the races. Ask the teller for the Pick Five at Laurel Park." They're plugging it as the $1 National Pick 5, and it seems to me that you gotta love how the Magna folks are bravely muddling through their own special winter.

Meanwhile, if you'd like some suggestions for selections, Superfecta also offers some analysis of the races, as do The Aspiring Horseplayer and Graded Stakes.

So yes, tomorrow, I will don longjohns and legwarmers, thick socks and warm woolen mittens, then scrape the remnants of ice and snow off the car to take a little trip to Altoona, IA. There, the King and I will spend a few hours in the drafty OTB section of Prairie Meadows, drinking cheap beer while we play the Groundhog Day game in which a win by California means that spring is on its way. Not as convenient or fun as days of yore, perhaps, but I learned during visits to Punxsutawney that even if it's six more weeks of winter, we've made it this far -- and that's certainly worth celebrating.

The Quinella Place

2010-01-25T00:26:00.004-05:00

At the Courier-Journal site, Jennie Rees posted a bit of an e-mail she received, describing a reader's visit to the track in Hong Kong. It's a short piece, a postcard, really, from a place that sounds like a railbird Nirvana. One of the more interesting bits is the description of a wagering option:

They had a very interesting bet called the quinella place. You got paid for 1,2 or 1,3 or 2,3. Makes it cool to throw bombs in there and you don't have to bummer out when you run 1-3.
--Courier-Journal

Here at the Quinella Castle, we'd love a chance to play such a wager. We in fact wish such a wager had been in place for the Holy Bull, for then we would have cashed a ticket on Winslow Homer and sweet William's Kitten. Instead, I've an exacta slip now graced with my grocery list on the back.

I know that there are those who feel that the quinella has outlasted its usefulness now that we have the exacta-box, but well, wouldn't it be interesting to see if racing could attract more fans with wagers that are a bit easier to win? Might it not be worth a try now and then to put a few more entrees on the betting buffet?

It seems that much of the world already lives in a state of "permanent beta", and amazingly enough, people seem able to adapt to change. There's less downside now to trying something new, and abandoning it if it doesn't work out. It'd be great if a track somewhere could give the Quinella Place a try.

However, as I understand it, state regulatory agencies determine which wagers their tracks can offer, so trial balloons are a bit difficult to launch. But governments may be interested in change if they feel it might bring in more revenue. For example, Iowa politicians are currently considering a bill allowing poker tournaments in the track ballrooms as well as permitting advance deposit wagering -- all to increase revenue. It's possible that the sponsor of the bill came up with this idea all by himself, but it's more likely that casino and track advocates approached him with a suggestion.

Now might be the perfect time to ask for simple modifications to basic racing rules that might attract more customers. States seem open to change right now, as they scramble to balance budgets. But most track lobbying efforts appear focused on getting slots or table games. Modifications that might affect the horseplayer's experience don't seem to be high on most track agendas.

So I don't expect to see a Quinella Place wager anytime soon. And a single new wagering option won't save racing by itself. But the flexibility to try small experiments just might. Here at the Quinella Castle, we hope track execs are working to convince politicians and regulatory boards of the benefits of permanent beta. We hope this is the year we'll watch little trial balloons launch from racetracks throughout the land.

We hope, we hope.

2009: Highlights from the Prairie

2009-12-25T00:12:00.008-05:00

At last! Wrapping is done, our bags are packed, and the Christmas lights are twinkling 'round every doorway in the Little Castle on the Prairie. Tomorrow, we battle big snow, long lines, and airport security in an effort to return to Pennsylvania for some pierogies -- and a pint from the East End Brewing Company.

But tonight, as I repose in my kerchief, night cap in hand, visions of the year gone by dance through my head. "How many old recollections, and how many dormant sympathies, does Christmas time awaken!" Dickens asked in The Pickwick Papers, and for me, the answer seems to be quite a few.

As I contemplate the year gone by, I've no sugar plum vision of Rachel or Zenyatta to muse upon this Christmas Eve. We didn't make it to a single "big" track this year. Instead, we frequented Prairie Meadows, followed Mountaineer from afar, and took a weekend jaunt to Canterbury Park. We weren't present for any Eclipse-winning moments, but oh! the dormant sympathies that arise as I recall:

* Our first glimpse of Coach Jimi Lee. The race we caught in July was only an allowance for a field of four, but still, the opportunity to see the track record holder for 6 furlongs was hard to resist. It was his second race back after a dismal end to 2008, but he looked rather jaunty in the paddock, and it was a delight to be among the handful of live spectators cheering him on. (And I do mean "handful"; Prairie Meadows start times for Mondays and Tuesdays -- 1/2 of their race days -- is 3:00 local time. The crowds are always sparse for these.) I've an inordinate fondness for track record holders; it seems there's always a little bit of local greatness around these types -- and DRF reports that he holds track records in Illinois as well as Iowa! Icing on this sugarplum: his name has graced a few Mountaineer cards -- in 2007 (I think) he won the Waterford Handicap and placed 2nd in the Christmas Sprint -- and somehow this seemed like a connection to home. Sun on my shoulders, gentle breeze blowing, and a 9-year old champ making a race of it in the stretch; what more could one want? This was the race that convinced me that I could enjoy racing in Iowa, even though Coach Jimi Lee finished 2nd to Celluloid Hero.

* Proceed Bee winning the Prairie Mile. Proceed Bee is a personal favorite, as his win in the Battaglia Memorial kept me in the game in a little KY Derby contest I play. (This year, I came in 5th, and actually received a prize!) Proceed Bee is one reason I felt like a winner all year long, and it was really nice that he made a stop in Iowa.

* Furthest Land. Who would have thought I'd get to see a Breeder's Cup winner while in the midwest? We traveled up to Canterbury Park for the Claiming Crown (where fellow blogger Ted Grevelis showed us the ropes) and had the opportunity to watch Antrim County trounce the latest BC Dirt Mile champ in the Claiming Crown Jewel.

* Red Hot and Gold. A gorgeous gray who grabbed my attention with a win in the Cyclones Handicap in June. Owner Peggy Shattuck hoped he'd be the first Iowa-bred to win the G2 Cornhusker in late June, but it just wasn't his day. He always looked good in the paddock, and the Quinella Crew always enjoyed cheering for him, no matter what, and he repaid us by winning the Ralph Hayes Handicap for the second time in August.

* Native Ruler. It was really rather cool to see owner Maggi Moss at the races, and she always looked ready for the winners' circle photos when Native Ruler ran. His win in the Prairie Express in May was no surprise (he paid $2.60 to win), but in August's Prairie Meadows Sprint, he had to wear down leader Coach Jimi Lee in the stretch to notch another victory.

* Euphony. What a beautiful horse this one is! And what a delight to cheer her to victory in the Iowa Distaff! After conquering Iowa, she went off to the Claiming Crown high on a six-race win streak. What sorrow to see Happiness Is pass her in the Lady Canterbury at the Claiming Crown.

* Shadowbdancing Before the Cornhusker, I watched this horse enter the paddock like some sort of conquering hero, full of himself and ready to run. He finished a fine second to Jonesboro that day, then in August, he traveled to the hills of West Virginia to win the West Virginia Governor's Stakes at Mountaineer. Sleek and black, this horse is the stuff of dreams. I simply adore Shadowbdancing.

* Uh Oh Bango. A phenomenal run in the Iowa Freshman Stakes earned Uh Oh Bango the season's highest Beyer for a 2-year old: 102. He's gone on to compete in some top-notch races, including a recent 2nd place finish to Rule in the G3 Delta Jackpot. Fingers crossed, we're hoping he'll find his way to the Kentucky Derby.

* Missile Impossible I didn't get to see this one in person, but I've been getting a kick out of watching her races at Mountaineer on the Calracing.com website. (What a wonderful site this is! Thank you, California!) A dead cold closer, win or lose, her Mountaineer efforts have all been a thrill to watch. If you'd like to give yourself a little gift today, take a peek at her race from 10/13. She's 20 lengths off the lead at the top of the stretch, totally out of the picture -- and, yes, she wins! Peter Berry's call is great; I like the way he pronounces "Missile" with a long I, and I love the inadvertent "No way!" he exclaims at the end.

* Mine That Bird. A Kentucky Derby winner raced at Mountaineer! Yes, the loss to Soul Warrior was disappointing, especially for those of us who weren't all that impressed with Soul Warrior's second place finish in the Iowa Derby. But the little horse and his black-hatted connections bucked the common wisdom, and gave Mountie a try. I saw it as a good thing for fans at small tracks everywhere. Whether his Derby win was a fluke or not, in my opinion, Mine That Bird was the blue-collar horse of the year.

Well, the night cap's just about gone, but the visions of 2009 remain, sentimental reminders that even in tough times, life can be good, and victory is sweet, no matter the size of the purse.

"'This,' said Mr. Pickwick, looking round him, 'this is, indeed, comfort.'" Awash in memories of the year gone by, the Quinella Queen concurs.

End of the meet at Prairie Meadows

2009-09-19T17:17:00.005-04:00

Ah, fall is in the air, and soon, the only racing in town will involve wheels. So tonight, we're heading out to say so long to some of our Prairie Meadows favorites: Royal Move, Silverbdancing, Highest Degree. And while we're there, we'll say hello to an old friend from the Derby prep races: Theregoesjojo.

And of course, we're looking forward to the final thoroughbred stakes for 2009: the Prairie Meadows Oaks (past performances; pdf) and the Prairie Meadows Derby (past performances; pdf)

The Oaks looks wide open to me, and with a full field, it's likely to have a nice payoff. DRF covers the contenders for both races in a track report. Me, I gotta get out of here -- we're headed to the track, one last time.

Here comes JoJo

2009-09-19T11:09:00.007-04:00

Tonight marks the end of the thoroughbred/quarter horse mixed meet at Prairie Meadows, and while there are some Turf Luck favorites on the card, the big name of the day must surely be Theregoesjojo, morning line favorite in the $75,000 Prairie Meadows Derby.

Once upon a time, Theregoesjojo was on the Derby Trail, battling Quality Road in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. After a disappointing finish in the Blue Grass Stakes, in which "his stifle locked up twice," trainer Ken McPeek gave Jojo some time off, and contemplated an attempt at turf. (Bloodhorse.com)

But instead, here he is, out where the tall grass grows, facing the likes of Minnesota Derby winner Perfect Bull, Iowa Breeders' Derby winner Potanio, and Manitoba Derby winner Smuggler's Hold. His stiffest competition may be Dumar, a Steve Asmussen runner who's shared a starting gate with some of this year's finest -- Mine that Bird at Sunland, Friesan Fire at the Fair Grounds -- but has yet to score a stakes win.

And though one might be tempted to go with Smuggler's Hold on Talk Like a Pirate Day, here at the Little Castle on the Prairie, we're hoping Jojo's trip to the heartland heralds a return to the winner's circle:

WV Derby Day -- almost heaven, West Virginia

2009-07-31T01:28:00.009-04:00

Hundreds of miles away from the West Virginia panhandle, my heart still flutters as the first Saturday in August approaches. WV Derby Day! This year, the race has been upgraded to a G-2, and just in time, as the reigning Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird drops by to make a run for the $750,000 Derby purse.

While the Derby, race 8, is getting all of the attention, the undercard features shippers from Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen as well as some longtime local favorites. Here's a brief look at the day:

Race 1 - Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. 2yo. (Past performances; pdf)
Seven entries, including Pletcher-trainee Zip in Time. Pittsburghers love the Rooneys, any Rooney, so it's quite possible that final odds on Asmussen's Prince Rooney will be even lower than the ML 7-5.

Race 2 - West Virginia Legislature Chairman's Cup - $85,000.
4-1/2 f, dirt. (Past performances; pdf)
This is the race of the day! EZ Warrior, who ran third to Hard Spun in the 2007 Kings Bishop, ships in take on Charles Town Dash winner Trust or Bust. Speedy Piratesonthelake gets Mike Smith in the irons. The lone female entrant, La Chica Rica won the Hancock County Handicap over this track in May. Lots of good entrants, lots of angles, but here at Turf Luck, we'll be cheering for the Morning Line favorite, our beloved Bernie Blue who scored a 103 speed figure winning the Dale Baird Memorial last out. He's won this one before, here's hoping the 7-year old can do it again.

Race 3 - West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. Fillies & Mares. (Past performances; pdf)
Nadeshiko was a surprising second to Lady Chalice in the Saylorville at Prairie Meadows in June, but in this spot, she's the ML favorite.

Race 4 - Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. 2yo fillies. (Past performances; pdf)
Four of the entrants are coming off a winning debut, including For Royalty. With Mike Smith on board again for Todd Pletcher, she looks like a serious contender to ML favorite Bronx City Girl, who ran third in her first stakes attempt, the Prairie Gold Lassie at Prairie Meadows.

Race 5 - West Virginia Senate President's Breeders' Cup Stakes - $110,000.
1 mile 70 yards, turf. Fillies & Mares. (Past performances; pdf)
First turf race of the day, and another opportunity to cheer on a longtime favorite as Beautiful Venue. She won this two years ago, and she's been in the money at Mountaineer 10 of 11 times. Mike Smith rides yet again for Pletcher, this time on Mega. I'm still rooting for Beautiful Venue. (Cat-xacta alert for Madison and Floyd: Lady Cat and Cat Hop.)

Race 6 - The Harvey Arneault Memorial Breeders' Cup Stakes - $110,000.
6f, dirt. (Past performances; pdf)
Graded stakes winner Ravalo returns to the Mountain as a heavy favorite in this spot. Yes, Mike Smith has the mount, though amazingly, Ravalo's trainer is not Todd Pletcher.

Race 7 - The West Virginia Governor's Stakes - $125,000
1-1/16 miles, dirt. (Past performances; pdf)
Shadowbdancing looked simply magnificent in the paddock before the G2 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows; though he finished a length behind Jonesboro, he filled in a nice little exacta for the Quinella Crew. Somehow, I always thought Dubious Miss was a mare, but no, he's a gelding, a rather speedy one who's been winning with Calvin Borel in the irons. Today, like Mine That Bird, he's ridden by Mike Smith.

Race 8 - The West Virginia Derby (G3) - $750,000.
1-1/8 miles, dirt. (Past performances; pdf)
Only 6 entrants this year: Awesome Rhythm, Big Drama, Mine That Bird, Monty's Best, Soul Warrior, and Sunday Sunrise. (The last two are coupled, leaving just five wagering opportunities.)

Year in and year out, the journalist who seems to offer the best insights into the West Virginia Derby is Bill Mooney, whose articles appear on both the Review (WV) and Mountaineer's website. Mooney's most interesting is this observation:

"On June 7 at Woodbine, Awesome Rhythm drew off to an 8 ½-length victory in the Victoria Park Stakes, which is a 1 1/8-mile race. It was the colt’s third consecutive stakes triumph, with the prior two having been achieved at 1 1/16 miles. In all three races, Awesome Rhythm was never more than four lengths removed from the lead. It is a similar pattern to that of several recent West Virginia Derby winners, Sir Shackleton (2004), Zanjero (2007) and Ready Set (2008)." (Mountaineer site)

Race 9 - The West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup Stakes - $85,000.
1 mile 70 yards, turf. (Past performances; pdf)
The Morning Line favorite is Blues Street at 7-5. Of course he's trained by Todd Pletcher. Of course, that's Mike Smith holding the reins. With this much Mike Smith, I wouldn't be surprised to see a crew from Animal Planet filming an episode of Jockeys.

If you plan to go:

Bring sunscreen. It's a long day, there's little shade, and the forecast calls for mostly sunny with highs in the low 80s.
Eat before you get to the track. While Mountaineer offers some fine dining in its trackside restaurant, and its La Bonne Vie recently received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, it's been impossible to get a reservation ever since Mine That Bird's appearance was announced. Keep in mind that you likely won't be able to bring in your own cooler. You may call Mountaineer at 1-800-80-40-HOT to ~~protest~~ inquire about this policy.
Bring your own chairs. Seating will be at a premium. Even in the best of times, Mountaineer has trouble handling the crowds on Derby Day; this year, I'd expect it to be standing room only. In the past, the outdoor deck seating has been full by noon. (The Derby is slated to be run around 5:40.) The outdoor "grandstand" consists of approximately 50 seats. Most days, Mountaineer regulars carry in their own lawn chairs and settle in on the apron. There are indoor grandstands which are not air-conditioned. Traditionally, the highest indoor level has not filled until after race 1 or 2. While they're a long hike up the stairs, there is one added benefit: the windows on the upper deck offer a view of the paddock.
Add a half-hour to your ETA for parking. Though there is no fee for parking, the lots will be packed. One year, one non-MTB year, we spent a full 20 minutes being directed to a spot that seemed to be a country mile away from the track. Check with Mountaineer, but usually a shuttle bus runs from the casino to the track every 10 minutes or so. For folks who have difficulty walking distances, this might be an option.
Enjoy the fine stylings of Mountaineer's announcer, Peter Berry. While Mountaineer does a lot of things wrong, it knows how to hire talent. Berry is the standard by which track announcer's should be measured. He's that good.

And finally:

Buy a Derby drink. Mountaineer seems to change its "signature" drink every year, but whether its called a "Blue Derby" or a "Perfecta", you'll pay around $4 for a cool, tasty drink served in a souvenir derby glass. Hmmm....maybe you should buy two. You'll probably need the extra liquid refreshment. And if you happen to find that there's no room in your cupboard for all of your souvenir glasses, there's a homesick librarian in Des Moines who would be glad to take one off your hands.

Racinos: delivering the big horse for the little guy?

2009-07-29T23:08:00.007-04:00

Fresh off a trip up I-35 to Canterbury Park's fine presentation of the Claiming Crown, where the kind and courteous Ted Grevelis took time from his preparations for live blogging of the day to show a few out-of-towners the best seats in the house, I'm trying to catch up on the racing world news I missed while dodging deadlines at work.

As far as I can tell, the only things worth mentioning this week are: Saratoga, Rachel Alexandra, Saratoga, Del Mar, some podunk race in WV, Saratoga, racing is dying, Saratoga, Rachel Alexandra, neverending NYRA saga, Rachel, Saratoga, Rachel, Saratoga...

This glut of East Coast-centric coverage is mildly irksome since out here in the cornfields, we are far, far from the likes of Rachel Alexandra or the Saratoga crowd of big-name trainers, owners, and jockeys. I'll not get a chance to visit the Spa this year, and every bit of Saratoga coverage serves to remind me that trying to follow along from home is vastly inferior to being there. (You might recall William Murray has an apt metaphor for viewing races on a screen.)

To add to my chagrin, quite a bit of the racing world seems to fault Mine That Bird's connections for depriving the racing public of a showdown at the Monmouth Corral. It seems like every journalist on earth is now asking Chip Woolley, "Why West Virginia?" Bloggers whine that a win in the WV Derby means nothing, and that the move detracts from the Kentucky Derby winner's already dubious stature. An underlying tone in much of the Mine That Bird coverage seems to imply that running in a G-2 at a racino with slots-inflated purses is not really racing.

To which, I say: Pshaw! Or, in modern terms: Give me a break! Mine That Bird's visit to West Virginia might be the best thing that could happen to the racing industry this year.

While the Internet, advance deposit wagering, and off-track betting parlors have allowed track handle to defy geography, I suspect that true fans -- committed, wagering fans -- are created at the track, where the oft-majestic presence of the horses, the roaring cheers of the crowd as the runners head down the stretch, the high-fives of victory and even the crumpled tickets of defeat result in an impression that lasts much longer than the experience of listening to a tinny racecall on a laptop or clicking the tv remote.

While Saratoga and Del Mar (and, yes, Keeneland) are heaven on earth for a racing fan, those of us living far away from such divine tracks often have little choice but to frequent racing's limbo land of racino racing. Limbo land covers some pretty big acreage in horse racing nation, and many of these second and third tier tracks are located near substantial metropolitan areas.

As the racing industry bemoans its continued irrelevancy to the general public and longtime horseplayers focus on relatively obscure issues of little interest to the man on the street, it's been purses at racinos that have actually helped to draw big-name horses to the small-time venues. And big horses at little tracks get attention. The mainstream media comes to call. Folks learn that something special might happen in that oval off Route 2. They mosey over on race day, they place a wager, they catch the fever.

And it's easy to return to a racino: no admission charges or parking fees stand in the way of a return visit. There's much I dislike about racinos, and there's certainly much to criticize about how seldom racino management pays attention to its racing product, but one must admit they offer a largely untapped opportunity for the growth of the sport. A Kentucky Derby winner who barnstorms the racinos of the land might just attract the fans, attention, and handle the industry so desperately needs.

Meanwhile, this Saturday, race fans in western Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, and the West Virginia panhandle can rejoice in the gift those slot machines have wrought: a big horse is in town!

A horse, a horse -- my kingdom for a horse!

2009-07-08T03:30:00.003-04:00

The Iowa Festival of Racing has come and gone, and still, I haven't made up my mind about Prairie Meadows. Numerous visits to the track, on race days big (KY Derby day, the Iowa Festival of Racing featuring the G2 Cornhusker) and small (a rainy stakes-free Friday night), have sparked neither enthusiasm nor venom here at the Quinella Castle. I'm still trying to find the best words to describe Prairie Meadows, and all I'm coming up with is: well, it's ... ok.

First impressions are that it's a prettier track than Mountaineer. No one needs to carry in their own lawn chairs as Mountaineer regulars do, for here in Iowa, rows and rows of benches cover the apron. Tricked up with red benches and crisp white paddock fences, one senses echoes of Saratoga, but a Saratoga without trees or hills -- or a turf course.

When racing actually begins, however, you come to realize that, as elsewhere in Iowa, there's no slope here. Watching the race outdoors is tough, even from the deck area, where a viewer seated at one of the tables is unable to see the field around either turn. Pretty much, if you're outside, you'll miss much of the action, unless you point your eyes towards the Jumbotron, because the apron is flat, flat, flat. (Iowans seem to believe that their state has contours throughout. "Iowa is not flat. Now, Nebraska, Nebraska is flat!" they tell me. However as a transplant from the hills of Western Pennsylvania, I beg to differ.)

I might also note that if I wanted to watch a race on a screen -- I'd stay home.

That said, what I'm finding I miss most is, of all things, a horse. Perhaps you know what I mean: that horse you cheer for, whether the odds are 30-1 or 4-5. That horse you tell your friends about, even though it's never mentioned in those articles in the Daily Racing Form or Thoroughbred Times. That horse like Lady Grace or Chelsea's Grey Boy or Punk -- former Mountaineer runners all -- who somehow surfaces on your radar and makes you smile every time you see its name in the entries.

That horse who lands in your Virtual Stable -- and your heart -- and never quite leaves.

So far, I've not found such a horse at Prairie Meadows. Which is rather surprising, considering how much local media coverage Prairie Meadows receives. Dan Johnson at the Des Moines Register posts picks for every race, and there is periodic coverage in the Register of leading trainers like Lynn Chleborad (who at one point, was claiming horses on a credit card) and owners like Dennis Albaugh and Jason Loutsch (who spent a cool quarter of a million to breed Miss Macy Sue to A.P.Indy.)

Despite the bounty of media buzz, I've yet to find that special horse who captures my imagination and won't let go.

Meanwhile, this past weekend at Mountaineer, two Quinella Castle favorites returned to the WV track. Beautiful Venue, who set a Mountaineer record for 1 mile 70 yards on turf in 2007 was back in Mountaineer's Firecracker Stakes. Her last victory was a surprise win over Equispace favorite, La Chica Rica, in a Mountaineer allowance.

Periodically, Beautiful Venue ventures south to Keeneland where she generally seems to run hard but falters in the stretch. She's never been completely embarrassed in Bluegrass country, though I've yet to see her win at Lexington. Nonetheless, she always looks pretty in the post parade.

(The proof: this photo of Beautiful Venue waiting to load in the 2007 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland. Facing the likes of Vacare, Precious Kitten, and Lady of Venice, she went off at 99-1, finishing 6 of 9, and beating Ermine in the process.)

This weekend, she faced Lindelaan, a Christophe Clement trainee, who beat her last time out in the Decoration Day stakes at Mountaineer. Third place finisher in the Decoration Day, Si Si Mon Amie, returned as well to go off as the 1-1 post-time favorite.

Though the final time for the race was 1:39, we paid little attention to the clock once Beautiful Venue, ridden by Rex Stokes, caught Hungry Tigress in the stretch and -- finished first by nearly two lengths.

Later in the first running of the Dale Baird Memorial Stakes, our beloved Bernie Blue returned to the dirt after a sad outing on Presque Isle's Tapeta surface. Favorite Trust or Bust was getting all the publicity, entering the race on a five-race win streak, but with a nine pound advantage, one could hope that 7-yo Bernie might make it back to the winner's circle one more time, right?

One could hope, indeed. Trust or Bust faltered at the top of the stretch behind front-running Run Brother Ron, and Bernie Blue drew off to win by 4 lengths, earning a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, and topping a $153 exacta with longshot Wise Answer.

Lovely victories both -- all the more sweet because these longtime runners seem like old friends. Victories we savored here at the Quinella Castle, though both are relatively lacking in news value. It seems that there is joy to be had in the seemingly insignificant, and tracks might consider highlighting this value periodically. While the industry media do a fine job of following the stories of the superhorses, news about these hard-knocking runners is sorely lacking. Racinos especially might consider telling the tales of the unsung veterans going to post at their tracks. After all, they have websites -- and surely the story of a favorite local runner can be as interesting as the description of a slot machine?

Racinos like Mountaineer, Prairie Meadows, Presque Isle, and likely a host of other tracks, have long had this mysterious "night racing" that Churchill Downs has so recently discovered. While the industry now cheers this startling innovation, trackgoers who frequent these smaller venues can smile to themselves, having long ago learned the joys of sunset on the rail. The beer tastes better after dark, the wins are sweeter, and the world beyond the track lights drifts away. Troubles of the day are gone, blown away by cool evening breezes -- and yes, by the hopes pinned on a familiar name in the 9th.

While it's nice to see large crowds visiting the track in the evening, I'm hoping the next big thing in horse racing might just be ... the horse!

The crowd for the 2009 Cornhusker Handicap

What a difference

2009-06-06T01:50:00.000-04:00

In 2009, Calvin Borel wins the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.
In 2007, Calvin Borel wins the Kentucky Derby and places second in the Preakness.

In 2009, Calvin Borel is the talk of the town, appears on the David Letterman show, and has a Derby winner as his mount in the Belmont Stakes.

And in 2007? Oh, dear Reader, I suspect you've already forgotten what the hard-working Mr. Borel was doing on Belmont Stakes Day in 2007.

Go ahead -- try to remember ....

No, he didn't have a mount on the Belmont undercard. Guess again.
No, he wasn't riding "some filly" in a stakes at Churchill. Guess again.
No, he wasn't riding "some turf horse" in the Charles Whittingham Memorial at Hollywood Park.

No, no, no.

Shockingly, the last time Borel was the reigning Derby-winning jockey, he spent Belmont Stakes day riding in a few allowances and a minor stakes race. A very minor stakes race.

In 2007, only a few weeks after lunching with the Queen of England, the charmin' Cajun found himself in wild and wonderful West Virginia, where he rode Go Now in the Slipton Fell Stakes at Mountaineer.

And that, dear Reader, is the difference between "Win" and "Place" in the Preakness.

Mystery date

2009-04-24T01:04:00.000-04:00

For months now, while other gals have been making eyes at Derby dates, or flirting with out-of-town tracks, here at the relocated Castle, I've been waiting ever so patiently for the opening of Prairie Meadows. None of that lukewarm Derby fever here -- I'm not looking for a one-night stand in May. Nope, I'm hoping for something more long-term than that.

It's true that I've been missing my old beau, Mountaineer, something awful. And I was absolutely thrilled when HANA chose Mountaineer for its "buycott" race of the week, as it gave me a legitimate reason to take a peek at the ex. I must admit my heart went pitter-pat as I listened to announcer Peter Berry mentioning HANA's designated race. Simulcast hosts Mark and Nancy looked like they were having fun, too. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought there was a stakes race on the card.

So, I guess I've have been a bit nostalgic for the former home track. Yes, I understand the arguments against year-long racing, but there was something comforting in the knowledge that Mountie was always there, maybe not the most attentive boyfriend, but except for 2 weeks in January, a reliable alternative for a Saturday night.

But now Mountie's 800 miles away now, and I've always been a "love the one you're with" kind of gal. So I'm definitely in the mood to give this new Perry Meadows guy a chance. So far, he's looking pretty good, with advertisements about racing on tv, radio, and even the lampposts downtown. And there are even racing picks for Friday's races on the Des Moines Register's site!

Of course I've been asking around about Perry, snooping through tons of articles at the Des Moines Register. I already know that there'll be no turf racing, ever. since there's no grass track. Sure, that's a big minus, but then again, maybe I'll like the quarter horses when they arrive in July. On the plus side, there'll be a Haskell-winning rider in the gate tonight: Tim Doocy, an Iowa native whose 5000 wins rank him ahead of Gary Stevens and Eddie Arcaro.

I'm trying not to expect too much, but really, doesn't it sound good: Spring in Iowa! Live races! Thundering hoofbeats! Ten-cent superfectas! Be still, my heart.

Thoroughbred racing returns to Iowa tonight. And me, I've got a mystery date. Fingers crossed that he's a dream, not a dud!

And the winner is ...

2009-04-06T21:37:00.008-04:00

Apparently, much of the racing world spent yesterday:

However, here at the Turf Luck, we were waiting for the announcement of the winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Award, known 'round here as the Monograph Mile. And oh, my, what a fabulous finish!

Readers who've followed the Monograph Mile preps know that 3 contenders were entered for this, the highest honor in books about Thoroughbreds.

At the post: Silks, jockeyed by veteran Dick Francis enters the gate like a pro while co-author Felix watches intently from the stands. The well-bred The History and Art of 25 Travers with Vic Zast in the irons looks every bit a deserved favorite. The last to load, The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita, sporting a CD shadowroll, is ridden by Rudolph Alvarado, whose only experience is in the quarter horse world of academia, history, and such.

And then, they're off! Francis surges to the lead, engaging readers at the rail with his tale of murder and menace. Around the turn, Zast makes his move, and it's a thing of beauty, his mount powered by memories and art of races past. But look! Alvarado will not be denied! Suddenly, at the sixteenth pole, he pulls out the whip, posting a YouTube video to promote his book.

And under patient urging, Untold Story comes on! Readers hold their breath, tickets clenched tight -- can he reach the leader in time?

Then, suddenly, they're at the wire, and by a head -- it's The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez! Alvarado has scored the upset with a tale five years (and more than 15,000 race calls) in the making!

I'm still breathless from the excitement.

Though I was rooting for Dick and Felix Francis on Silks, I can't help but be impressed by the dedication that led to this victory: Alvarado spent years tracking down sources nationwide, spurred on by a mention of Joe Hernandez in Lauren Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. For all his popularity as a sportswriter and race announcer, Hernandez lived a life shrouded in mystery -- even his own children had no idea where he was born! -- and it was only through unbridled tenacity that his story has been told.

Below: Rudolph Alvarado, flanked by Shane Ryan and Mark Simon, in the winners circle for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. (Thoroughbred Times)

Congratulations to Mr. Alvarado! And for those who want to learn more about this tale of an amazing Latino of an earlier era, autographed copies of The Voice of Santa Anita: The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez are available for a mere $16.47 from www.voiceofsantaanita.com, where you can also find a sample chapter from the book and examples of Herandez race calls dating as far back as the Big 'Cap of 1937.

By the way, the team at Thoroughbred Times (which presents the award along with the folks at Castleton Lyons farm) has done a fabulous job of providing coverage of the Award this year, offering a great pdf of the semi-finalists, and now posting replays of the final stretch including video of Rudolph Alvarado and Vic Zast speaking before the Award presentation. (Peter Williams spoke on behalf of the absent Francis duo.)

And the video offerings don't stop there; awards show addicts may also view judges Audrey Korotkin and Bill Mooney offering opening remarks. I was especially interested in Ms. Korotkin's comments, which noted that this year, the award attracted more publicity, "not just in local paper, but from blogs online..." As the blog that has followed this award since its inception, we at Turf Luck were delighted with this shout-out to the online world.

Budding writers take note: during his opening remarks, Shane Ryan noted that "if anyone would like to do a book about Gio Ponti next year, they'd be more than welcome. It sounds a bit like Seabiscuit: named after an Italian architect, trained by a Frenchman, and owned by a crazy Irishman." I must admit: if someone wrote it, I'd read it!

Yes, once again the Monograph Mile proved to be a satisfying race -- and not a syringe in sight.

Doing our part -or- swimming with the (big) fishes

2009-03-31T20:48:00.010-04:00

The good folks at the Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) called a "buycott" today, and here at the Quinella Castle, we did our part to further the cause of lower take-outs and higher responsiveness to horseplayers. It was a tiny, tiny part, but really what do you expect of a castle crammed into a one-bedroom Des Moines walk-up?

HANA encouraged horseplayers to wager on a run-of-the-mill $7.5K claiming race, the sixth at Will Rogers Downs, and voices ranging from Bill Finley to the TBA's own GreenButGame joined the chorus to let handle-power be heard. And it worked! According to those with way more mathematical skills than I, the HANA buycott increased the overall pool by 96%, and the exacta pool rose by a whopping 147%.

Even the lowly quinella pool was up 62%, though sadly I had nothing to do with that, as I'm a tad rusty on looking for my favorite wager. After Keeneland stopped offering the quinella, I pretty much quit looking for the most melodious of wagers. Long ago, I resigned myself to a recurring refrain of "box that exacta and call it a quinella." So, while speed-reading the cool Trackmaster Platinum Plus past performances while sipping my morning cup of joe, I simply missed the Q in the list of wagering options.

This is especially unfortunate as the HANA race turned out to be one of those occasions when the quinella actually outperformed the exacta box wager: the $1 exacta box paid $19.60 while the similarly priced $2 quinella paid $32.60.

But the important thing is this: the Quinella Castle's tiny contribution to the buycott combined with wagers big and small to make a difference in the race 6 handle at Will Rogers Downs. Minnows as well as whales were swimming in those mutual pools, and together their wagers added up to the sort of efforts that can lead to meaningful change. Deep pockets or just pocket change, we've all got a stake in getting the attention of racetrack management.

I'll be putting some of my meager winnings into a bottle of cheap champagne with which to toast those smart HANA folks. And, since the Quinella Crew are HANA members, I guess we'll have to say, "Here's to HANA! Here's to us!"

Monograph Mile update -or- trifecta busted

2009-03-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

The finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award (aka the Monograph Mile) have been announced, and sadly, my trifecta is simply another addition to the ticket litter on the grounds of the Quinella Castle. Once again, my inability to gauge the imports and my stubborn resistance to betting on favorites combined to do me in.

Without further ado, the finalists:

The History and Art of 25 Travers by Vic Zast, featuring the art and posters of Greg Montgomery. This is that favorite I so blithely ignored. All I can say is that I recognized the strength of this entrant, compared it to sleek and fit equine entrants from Dubai, and noted that "it has all the makings of a winner." I just didn't include on my ticket!

The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita by Rudolph Alvarado. Of this entry, I observed: "Meticulous research and competent writing give this one a chance to hit the wire. And -- it comes with a CD of Hernandez's actual calls. I have no idea of what to do with this equipment change." Obviously, I'll need to pay attention to "first time CD" angle in the future.

Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis. At least my favorite entry will end up no worse than show. As I mentioned: "The racing scenes are vivid, the plot is engrossing, and all in all, I expect this one to turn in a solid performance."

For those of us who applaud a horse's 4-year old, 5-year old, 6-year old campaign, an author with 40+ titles to his credit is akin to the "iron horse" who draws fans year in and year out, often without fanfare. I know this particular award wasn't created to honor a body of work, but still, I'm rooting for Silks, the entry from the best of the jockeys-turned-writers who's kept horse racing on the bestseller lists through thick and thin.

The award winner will be named on April 5, and so far as I know, the event will not be covered by NBC, ESPN, or Book TV. Nonetheless, here at Turf Luck Wagering, Inc., we'll be waiting for the results to be posted with unabated interest: two weeks of laundry is on the line. I'm still alive with my bet on Silks, but the King's got his baskets on 25 Travers.

Royale Michele goes to the post

2009-03-20T23:21:00.002-04:00

Royale Michele, once a Mountaineer regular, now a G-2 winner, goes to the post in the Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct today on Saturday. Secret Gypsy and Zada Belle look like the ones to beat, but homesick as I am, I can't help it: Go Michele!! Here's hoping she makes it 5 in a row.

(You can find past performances for the race at Todd Pletcher's site: look for Awesome Ashley or Distorted Passion to find the Ultimate PPs from Brisnet.)

Handicapping the Monograph Mile

2009-03-17T23:15:00.018-04:00

With only days before the three finalists are named for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, the wagering is hot and heavy here at Turf Luck, where I'm betting two weeks of doing the laundry (down 4 flights of stairs!) that I've got the winner in this year's Monograph Mile. I've studied the conditions:

One of the richest book awards in the world, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award honors the best books published about Thoroughbred racing. ...Nominees for the Book Award can be in any category: fiction, non-fiction, handicapping, training, children’s, health care, photography, etc., as long as it pertains to an aspect dealing with Thoroughbreds. Judges selected by Thoroughbred Times will critique books on content, plus design, layout, and artwork, when relevant, to select the 2008 winner. (Thoroughbred Times)

Now let's take a look at the field:

The favorites
A couple of big horses lead the entries:

My Guy Barbaro by Edgar Prado with John Eisenberg brings together a great jockey and a beloved racehorse -- there's no better combination in a two-turn race. Mix in the skills of John Eisenberg, author of The Great Match Race, Native Dancer, The Grey Ghost: Hero of a Golden Age and The Longest Shot: Lil E. Tee and the Kentucky Derby and Barbaro, in literature as in life, is once again the one to beat. As one commentor noted, this contender might not be in the same league as last year's winner, but My Guy Barbaro remains a strong entrant from the HarperCollins barn, nonetheless. For a peek into shedrow, you might check out Eisenberg's description of working with Prado at last year's New York Times blog, The Rail , and you can peek in the paddock by browsing inside the book over at the HarperCollins site. TL odds: 3-1.

The History and Art of 25 Travers by Vic Zast featuring the art and posters of Greg Montgomery is this year's coffee-table entry. A visually stunning book, with impeccable breeding: author Zast, whose writing graces Blood-Horse,HorseRaceInsider.com, and MSNBC.com brings deep knowledge and literary craftsmanship; Mongomery's "British Railway Art style" posters take you right to the best of Saratoga: the paddock, the starting gate, the rail, the stretch. It's the most expensive of those going to the gate, which is fitting since it's the kind of book the Sheik would own. And its homage to the long tradition of Saratoga's premier race shows it can go the distance. Really, this one has all the makings of a winner. But ... with 100 of its 144 pages devoted to graphics, is 25 Travers game enough? Judge for yourself with a look at Montgomery's Travers artwork and the book's website. TL odds: 5-2.

The juveniles
Two youthful runners go to the gate in this year's race:

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby: The Story of Jimmy Winkfield by Crystal Hubbard captures the thrill of racing in this an accurate telling of the legendary jockey in language that's accessible to the mid-elementary school set. The illustrations by Robert McGuire are a tad muddy, but beguiling, especially when depicting quiet moments, such as Wink and his 1900 mount, Thrive, alone in front of Churchill's famous spires. The judges may appreciate the book's frankness when dealing with racism in the 1900s, as well as this entrant's ability to reach a new generation. TL odds: 10-1.

The tiny barn of Mitten Press sends out Twoey and the Goat by Robbie Timmons. Written for readers in grades 3-6, the book tells the story of Two Links Back, "Twoey," and his companion, a goat named Kidd. Though the facts of the story are true -- Two Links Back was an Illinois-bred who raced 59 times (8-10-4) before being rescued by CANTER -- Timmons has fictionalized the thoroughbred's tale with Twoey's thoughts as he learns to be a racehorse, is injured, and eventually finds a new home. All while accompanied by his dear friend, Kidd. More information about the story is available at CANTER, and you can watch this one warm up by checking out the excerpt at Mitten Press (pdf). TL odds: 10-1.

The sprinter
A solid runner tries to go the distance:

Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse by Anna Morgan Ford with Amber Heintzberger fulfills the promise of its title: explaining how to deal with leg injuries, hoof problems, aftereffects from steroid use, and gastric ulcers. It offers a step-by-step training program that she's honed in her work at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption. It does this all very, very well; it really is a wonderful guide. And I'm sure the judges will give consideration to the dearth of books on the topic of retired racehorses, but -- I'm thinking the track bias is towards something a tad more ... literary. Others more likely. TL odds: 15-1.

The shipper
It seems as if there's always at least one runner that is a total mystery to me. It's much like trying to decode a major turf race with all those foreign entrants and nothing to go on but a finish and those darn Racing Post/Timeform speed figures. This year's mystery entry:

The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita by Rudolph Valier Alvarado. From the apparently one-horse barn of Caballo Press of Ann Arbor comes this tale of a most fascinating racetracker: Joe Hernandez, long-time announcer at Santa Anita. Hernandez called a phenomenal 15,587 consecutive races at Santa Anita, from the day the track opened until 1972 when internal bleeding caused him to faint at the mic. Along the way, he was a trainer, auctioneer, bloodstock agent, and turf writer. All during a time when few Mexican-Americans enjoyed much success at all. It is a fascinating life. Meticulous research and competent writing give this one a chance to hit the wire. And -- it comes with a CD of Hernandez's actual calls! I have no idea of what to do with this equipment change. A visit to the paddock reveals that excerpts from both the text and the CD are available on the author's website. TL odds: 7-1.

The aging veteran
The old favorite we love to cheer, still in the running:

Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis. Francis has ridden more than forty mysteries featuring thoroughbreds and racetracks to the bestseller lists, and he is by far the most established author in this race. And still he keeps on writing, a deft hand on the pen, handily bringing home another winner. While I wasn't particularly fond of his entry last year, as I fond it to have "too much cooking, not enough racing", this year, he's brought us a fine tale of murder in the jockey's quarters and an amateur steeplechaser who sets out to find the murderer. The racing scenes are vivid, the plot is engrossing, and all in all, I expect this one to turn in a solid performance. TL odds: 6-1.

Though I have a suspicion that the track bias favors important non-fiction works for grown-ups, I believe this might be the year a novel finishes first. That cagey paperback rider, Dick Francis, has saved one of his best tales for late in his career, and at the age of 88, it's likely there won't be many more opportunities for racing to honor the contribution this jockey to the Queen has made to the sport. When racing fans talk about furlongs and irons with those who've never seen a track, and they seem to understand -- it's because of Dick Francis. He's the Kelso, the Evening Attire, of this field, and he's certainly proven he can go the distance and then some.

Beyond that, I think it's a toss-up, with contenders of such diverse strengths. I'm terribly fond of children's books, and by reaching the semi-finals, the two juvenile entries have shown that the stewards (judges Audrey Korotkin, Bill Mooney, and T.D. Thornton) are open to reading books geared to younger readers. Of the two, I'd give the edge to Twoey and the Goat for its answer to the question, "How does a horse become a race horse?" along with its focus on the current hot topic of horse rescue.

Likewise, I'm giving Edgar and his guy Barbaro the edge over the other biography going to the post. His genuine affection for the horse, his adept co-author, and the competency of the big-time stable seem more likely than the CD-equipped story of Joe Hernandez.

Turf Luck picks:

Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Twoey and the Goat by Robbie Timmons
My Guy Barbaro by Edgar Prado with John Eisenberg

Wish me luck on the trifecta!

Monograph Mile: race to posterity

2009-03-11T23:08:00.007-04:00

Excitement is mounting here at Turf Luck: the entries have been announced, and at last it's time to wager on the Monograph Mile! Though you'll not find this "race" on the NTRA calendar, it is, to my mind, one of the most important competitions in thoroughbred racing, for the Monograph Mile -- or, as it's more commonly known, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award -- immortalizes our sport in a way no single race can. Now in its third year, the award is presented by Castleton Lyons and Thoroughbred Times to honor the best book published about some aspect of the Thoroughbred industry. Here at Turf Luck, we stumbled a bit over its previous hyphenated name and dubbed it The Monograph Mile. "Monograph" because librarians like to say the word monograph. And "Mile" because writing a book is definitely a route, not a sprint.

Though I tend towards hyperbole now and again, I don't think I'm exaggerating the importance of the award for the health of our sport. Sure, snazzy Web 2.0 sites and free past performances may be one way to draw in new fans, but website archives can vanish with a click of a corporate mouse, disappearing from cyberspace like dust in the wind.

But books -- books have a way of living on and on and on. Sometimes displayed prominently on coffee tables, sometimes on dusty library shelves, sometimes in the 10-cent bin at the Goodwill, but nonetheless they endure, the ultimate mobile device, no batteries required, little time-traveling pieces of history and storytelling that can carry the best of our sport into the hands of future generations.

If you doubt the ability of books to transcend space and time, think on this: a copy of last year's Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award winner, T. D. Thornton's excellent Not by a Longshot, is owned by the Stratford District Centennial Library, located "in the heart of Taranaki" which, apparently, is somewhere in NEW ZEALAND. And at the moment, the library's copy of Thornton's description of a year at Suffolk Downs is checked out, due back on March 24. Meanwhile, this same library doesn't own any books by Bill Nack, whose Ruffian was a finalist for the award last year. And there's not a single title about Secretariat listed in the library's catalog.

This is the power of awards, my friend.

So it is with much anticipation that we here at Turf Luck gear up for the naming of this year's award winner. Seven semi-finalists for the Award have been named, and Thoroughbred Times has done a stellar job in producing a one-sheet PDF file describing the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, the semi-finalists, and the judges. Three finalists will be announced sometime next week, and the winner will be named on April 5. Tomorrow, I'll try to handicap the field, and you'll see: it's a diverse bunch, and this year's winner is hard to predict.

But today, I simply hope to encourage you -- especially if you live in a town that actually has a racetrack at the moment -- to print out the list of semi-finalists and hand it to your local librarian. Few librarians can resist the siren call of The Book Award. Caldecott, Nebula, Quill - it makes no matter. We're suckers for these things.

So let your friendly neighborhood librarian know what you care about. If it's too much to actually talk to the Bun, e-mail the library. Say something like this: "I know you want to buy another copy of the latest James Patterson novel. But please consider purchasing one of these. Racing is important to me." Feel free to wax lyrical about racing books that you've enjoyed or to discuss how racing affects your local economy. Words like "well-written" will get the librarian's attention. But for god's sake, mention the award.

Future generations will thank you.

Considering Jeffrey's Cat

2009-03-11T00:37:00.005-04:00

Yes, I know the horse racing world is all caught up in discussing Derby contenders. Yes, it's oh, so interesting to wonder whether Stardom Bound will take on the boys someday. And it really is righteous to give props to Einstein for a fine outing in the Big 'Cap.

But here at the Quinella Castle, we're still following those beloved claimers that we came to know -- and love! -- during our visits to Mountaineer. So folks, here's the news flash for this week:

On Saturday, Jeffrey's Cat, who's been racing at Beulah Park since December and faring poorly in the $3500 claimers there; Jeffrey's Cat, who hasn't won a race since September 2007, Jeffrey's Cat, who's now got a new trainer, Douglas Adams -- that Jeffrey's Cat returned to Mountaineer and wired the field at 19-1 odds. The 7-year old Catienus off-spring combined with 2nd place finisher 8-year old Right Nice for a $905 exacta.

* insert interlude for wild applause here*

Two years ago (almost to the day), when Jeffrey's Cat won at 17-1, I found myself quoting Christopher Smart. Now, of course, I must paraphrase Jubilate Agno again:

For Jeffrey's Cat won, at 19-1 odds, in the second on Saturday at Mountaineer.
For he was the quickest to the wire of any creature in the race.
For the handicapper is a mixture of gravity and waggery.
For there is nothing sweeter than a long-shot coming home first.

Congrats to the valiant gelding, always quick on the lead, and congrats, too, to trainer/owner Douglas Adams. So long (for now), and thanks for all the fish.

Aaron Gryder says: READ

2009-02-20T23:37:00.006-05:00

After decades as a cable-free household, as part of our recent move, the Quinella Castle finally joined the world of many channels. And it turns out that we've arrived in the cabled world just in time for Jockeys, the Animal Planet reality show that has been critiqued on numerous sites throughout the blogsphere.

While many others have critiqued the series, and others have focused on the awesome hit-generating power of female jocks Chantal Sutherland and Kayla Stra, here at Turf Luck, we know that inquiring minds really want to learn more about that bookmark featuring Aaron Gryder.

Yes, you know what bookmark I mean. Surely you noticed the irrepressible Joe Talamo holding a book during tonight's episode, "Foul". Joe seems rather impressed that Gryder actually appears on a bookmark, and, for a nanosecond, Talamo points said bookmark towards the camera.

Immediately, I'm sure, you said: "Hmm, can't afford the horses, the cars, or even the damn silks. But, by gum, I'm wondering, where, oh where, might I find such a useful and fashionable bookmark?"

Wonder no more, pilgrim. Your friendly neighborhood librarian has tracked down the source of this gotta-to-have-it item. You'll find Gryder grinning next to Captain Sparrow on a bookmark produced by Arcadia Public Library -- with some assistance from Santa Anita Park. You can even see pics of the photo shoot on the library's blog and Flickr stream.

And yes, dear readers, I understand that you're dying to know just what book Gryder is reading to the sanguine Sparrow. It's Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral by Kat Shehata, a book for the mid-elementary set that captures the feel of Depression-era racing by telling the tale of perennial favorite Seabiscuit. Back in 2005, I remarked upon the odd yet effective use of the actual call throughout the book, and though the illustrations by Jo McElwee are a tad murky, they do capture the feel of the great match race. The book is out of print, but used copies may be purchased through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. And of course, you can always check with your local librarian to borrow a copy for free.

And now, as author and poet Julia Alvarez knows so well, it's time for me to disappear.

Why I Am in Love with Librarians:
I love how they know things
only to pass them on,
how they fade into the faux-wood-paneled
walls of the reference room,
their faces hidden between the covers of books,

how they look up only to help you:
What is the capital of Afghanistan?
How do the Maori bury their dead?
Who invented Barbie? How many were murdered in Guatemala in '84?

—every query worthy of their attention,
any questioner taken seriously,
curiosity the only requirement.
I love how they listen, their lined faces opening,
their eyes already elsewhere:

scanning a plain for the lights of a distant city,
hunting for bodies in the highlands,
searching the web for Barbie—
their minds like those flocks of little birds in winter
swooping over a landscape, looking, looking.

And always when they get back to you,
that sweet smile on their faces,
pride and deep affection for what can be known,
as if Barbie's invention
or the tally of the massacred

could save you, could save the world!
And who knows if Stalin or Hitler
had spent their youth in the library,
history might be rewritten,
re-catalogued by librarians?

Curiosity sends us out
to a world both larger and smaller
than what we know and believe in
with a passion for finding an answer
or at least understanding our questions.

That road is paved with librarians,
bushwhackers, scouts with string
through the labyrinths of information,
helpers who disappear the moment
you reach your destination.
-- Julia Alvarez, as reprinted in Library Journal.

G'night!

Royalty on the move

2009-02-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

As many readers know, in late November, the Quinella Castle packed up the ole bookmobile and moved to Iowa. There's been a lot of adapting going on 'round here, and a few expected periodic bouts of homesickness when we yearn to see familiar faces -- or a hill on the horizon.

What has been unexpected is just how much we miss good old Mountaineer, our one-time local track. As we've spent the past few months hunkering down under wicked prairie winds and the weight (wait?) of dark days at our new local track, Prairie Meadows, I've found myself:

watching Mountaineer replays on Calracing, just to hear Peter Berry's lovely Australian intonations echo off the West Virginia hills.

visiting the Prairie Meadows OTB just to watch the fabulous team of Mountaineer simulcast hosts Mark Patterson and Nancy McMichaels share insights into each and every race at the Mountain. (In my admittedly unscientific observations, Nancy hits at least one trifecta a night, and Mark's explanations of his selections are truly educational.)

anxiously following the HANA rankings in hopes that Mountaineer might fare better than I expect. Sadly my guy Mountie didn't make the top 20. I'm not surprised, what with Mountie's rather high takeout and pedestrian wagering options, but golly, a girl can hope.

Now that I'm a Mountaineer ex-pat of sorts, I find my virtual stable full of horses that, like me, visited Mountaineer a time or two before galloping off to challenges far from the West Virginia Panhandle. So it was that this weekend, while others discussed Chocolate Candy and Evita Argentina, my attention was focused on Royale Michele, winner of Mountaineer's New Year's Eve Stakes, who shipped off to Maryland and won the Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park.

Formerly trained by Todd Pletcher, Royale Michele landed at Mountaineer and the barn of Matthew Kintz last fall, where the four year old filly clicked off three wins in a row for her new trainer. With no stakes on the Mountaineer schedule until May, and the usual trials of wild and not so wonderful West Virginia winters, Kintz chose to ship to Laurel early enough for a Feb 6 work on the track.

“We were having difficulty training at home with the weather there and I’m glad we came down early,” Kintz said. “I’m very pleased with the way she worked, very pleased with the condition of the racetrack.” (Bloodhorse)

Afterwards, Kintz remarked:

"Geovany [Garcia] rode her race as we discussed it. I thought the race might unfold that way and she ran a phenomenal race." (Bloodhorse)

Some might disagree by noting that Royale Michele's race was not so much phenomenal as fortunate. Some might observe that but for an awkward start by favorite Seventh Street -- who reared in the gate and trailed the field until gamely closing in the stretch for second -- Royale Michele would not be a GII winner.

But you'll not hear that sort of talk here, where I'm finding it rather comforting to quote Matthew Kintz, whose name graces so many of my old Mountaineer programs. Nope, here at the Castle, we'll simply delight in Royale Michele's victory in a contest where she ran her race while far from home ... as we try to do the same.

DIY Sunshine Millions Central

2009-01-24T03:18:00.007-05:00

In recent months, the Quinella Castle has been going through some royal relocation upheaval, and so, it’s been a bit quiet here at Turf Luck. But nothing shakes us out of the winter doldrums like the Sunshine Millions. I feel warmer just thinking about it – and believe me, in our new locale, warmth is a big deal.

However, I’ve had trouble finding any sort of “Sunshine Millions Central” website, though it’s quite possible there’s one out there, cleverly hidden on one of those incomprehensible mazes that racing execs call a website. I’ve looked in vain for a single source that tells me which races are being run at Gulfstream, which races are being run at Santa Anita, when the darned races that comprise the Sunshine Millions actually begin, and where I can find past performances for the Millions races.

Such a site may be out there, but I didn't find it in my admittedly cursory search. What's likely is that there is indeed a wonderful resource that provides all this and more, if I but give lots of personal data and a credit card number. Racing so often tells the new fan: No information for you -- until you pay. I’m not sure this is a great way to market to a nation that’s made “Buyer Beware” a national motto, but there you have it.

To fill the void, your friendly neighborhood librarian has thrown together the following list of links to free past performances for all but one of the Sunshine Millions races. And if you're looking for some winners, check out Superfecta's selections.

Gulfstream Race 7(4:07 EST)
Sunshine Millions Dash
I couldn't find the past performances for this race, but you can see the entries at NTRA.

Gulfstream Race 8 (4:36)
Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf

Gulfstream Race 9(5:05)
Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint

Santa Anita Race 6(5:23)
Sunshine Millions Turf
A DRF Race of the Week, so the DRF past performances are also available.

Gulfstream Race 10(5:45)
Sunshine Millions Classic
Another DRF Race of the Week, so again, the DRF past performances are also available.

Santa Anita Race 7(5:54)
Sunshine Millions Oaks

Santa Anita Race 8 (6:26)
Sunshine Millions Sprint

Santa Anita Race 9 (6:57)
Sunshine Millions Distaff

I believe this is the order of the races, but, dear Reader, I must warn you: time zones are not my friends, math is not my strong suit, and really, I had hoped for a more knowledgeable source to do this for me. How I tire of this Do-It-Yourself era.

Spooky sight from Halloween night

2008-11-02T22:14:00.007-05:00

Winds of change blew in from the prairie last week, knocking over the card catalog and tossing the Quinella Castle into such a tizzy that blogging was impossible. Hopefully, those few folks anxiously awaiting the card catalog's BC Classic selection found their way to the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance, where some phenomenal handicappers posted their picks.

The disarray here was so complete that I missed my Google Alerts for The Grey Ghost Handicap. When I finally had a chance to go through my e-mail, I discovered -- two days late and two dollars short -- that yes, on Halloween, the Meadowlands once again carded the 1-1/16 mile turf race "FOR GREY OR ROAN HORSES THREE YEAR OLD AND UPWARD ..."

This year's running was won by a Tactical Cat gelding whose name is familiar to many a TBA reader:

In a dappled dash to the wire, Highland Cat held on to win the $35,000 Grey Ghost Handicap by three-quarters of a length on Friday night at the Meadowlands. (Meadowlands website)

Highland Cat's debut race is documented over at Left at the Gate along with much of his early career, as Alan shared the hopes and hardships of belonging to the partnership that owned Highland Cat. (Alan's post from May 2007 features my favorite picture of the good-looking grey, along with rare racetrack footage filmed by the Head Chef.)

The Grey Ghost Handicap is just the sort of quirky thing that I enjoy watching live. Imagine it: greys by moonlight, on the turf! Somehow, I don't think the video does justice to "the spooky sight" but judge for yourself:

(courtesy of partymanners)

The library augury: BC picks from the card catalog

2008-10-24T00:20:00.008-04:00

Once again, throughout the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance, you'll find thoughtful selections for the Breeders' Cup. While other TBA members may turn to the traditional tools of the handicapper's trade to uncover the angles for this weekend's races, here at Turf Luck, you'll find a different approach: the Quinella Queen has replaced her crown with a scarlet headscarf (and the most awesome hoop earrings ever!) to bow before the oaken drawers of the aging card catalog -- and thus divine the future in obscure 3x5 cards. Here's what the catalog has to say about Friday's Breeders' Cup card:

Filly Mare Sprint
While I was astonished to discover that actual books have been written about Jesse Ventura, I was simply delighted to find that A Mania for Magnificence looks at both American and European culture, truly a good omen for Stormy Atlantic offspring. However, I could not resist when the catalog tempted me with Zaftig: The Case for Curves by Edward St. Paige. True, there's only one curve in the race, but the catalog and I both find it amusing to consider the word "zaftig" in connection with anything Californian.

Juvenile Fillies Turf
The catalog first pointed me to Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, and though it has one of those titles that I love to roll around in my head, I couldn't make it through this first novel from Stephen King's pseudonymous son , so rejected it as merely a tremor in the catalog force.

I then spent a few moments contemplating the many cookie books from Mrs. Fields, feeling a tad guilty that I was never such a Sugar Mom.. But at last, I found myself clutching the card for Naughty Girls' Night In by Shana Dutie. I noticed that you can find this book shelved in the Business section of the Brooklyn Public Library, and I reflected on Naughty Night: isn't that just another way to say Saucey Evening?

Juvenile Fillies
You can't read the entries for this field without humming a tune, but since last year's disastrous selection of a Dylan Thomas audiotape, I'm ignoring audiovisual materials completely this year.

So, even though I know the notes to sing, I will not glance at The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, Doremifasolatido not withstanding. Likewise, there will be no crying for Evita Argnetina here, despite Nicholas Fraser's excellent memoir, Evita. And, fond as I am of coal-miner's daughters everywhere, that darn Loretta Lynn CD, Van Lear Rose, is staying in the Music Room's cabinet.

Instead, in these risky times, it seems, well, prudent, to follow the catalog's pick of Be Smart, Act Fast, Get Rich, a stock market guide from Charles V. Payne.

Filly & Mare Turf
I'm sure I could find a few Folk Operas gathering dust in the Music Room, but in light of my book-only resolution, my only catalog options are Halfway to Heaven, a well-crafted romance by Susan Wiggs that's set in 19th century Washington DC and Wait a While, a children's book about waiting for a surprise. The catalog seems to like them equally, so I'm my own here. Hmmn ... it's an election year, right? So the nod goes to the DC setting and Wiggs' numerous RITA awards. And hey, what's a Filly Friday without a little romance?

Distaff; or Filly and Mare Classic; or The Race whose name we cannot speak.....
Darn that book-only rule! I have to reject the catalog card for Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police.. Oh, but wait -- there's a book! Right there in the contents line of The Words and Music of Sting by Christopher Gable, you'll find ... Zenyatta. Go girl!

The muse tires now, but we'll be back late on Friday with our picks of Breeders' Cup: Saturday Edition.

Wine and roses: Keeneland

2008-10-09T21:24:00.014-04:00

Watching horses run on a TV screen bears the same relation to the real experience as masturbation does to sex.
-- William Murray, The Right Horse

To Mr. Murray's insightful observation, let me just add that the same comparison could be made between visiting Mountaineer and experiencing Keeneland. We attended Keeneland's opening weekend, and I'm still tingling.

Fellow TBA'er Power Cap has already given a detailed overview and some delightful pictures of the Keeneland experience. I'll not repeat his observations here, but instead I'll share a few of the moments that made our trip to Lexington so special.

The paddock alone is worth the price of admission. At Keeneland, a visit to the paddock is a feast for the eyes, with stonework stalls and shady trees for for the horses to circle. A well-manicured hedge separates the fans from the runners. The connections seem to be there for most every race, from claimer to stakes, dressed in their winner's circle best. The hope in the air is almost palpable.

And in these civil surroundings, stories seem to unfold. Before the third race on Saturday, a $50K Maiden Special Weight, I watched as an older woman patted her horse on the nose, watching her filly with an expression of eagerness and trepidation that would be familiar to anyone who's sent a child off to the first day of school. The story was completed minutes later, when I saw this woman again, now in the winner's circle beside Honchis'n Ponchis, the joy of the maiden win evident in her uninhibited grin.

Even on busy race days, it's hard to get shut out. This is fortunate, since I often modify my wager based on my rather quirky observations of the horses in the paddock. I have yet to learn the language of confirmation and condition, and so fall back on a terminology all my own that puzzles my racing companions. The King, for example, cannot understand my notes, where "prancy" usually translates into a place bet, and "depressed" heralds a vulnerable favorite.

On opening day, in yet another $50K MSW, I was strolling around the paddock, soaking up the atmosphere, with a win bet on Turfiste already tucked into my pocket. As the bugle announced the coming post parade, I was astonished to see Budget, an unraced gelding out of Seeking the Gold, jerk his head up, perk his ears, and, as I noted on my form, looking "ready 2 run." The short lines at the windows enticed me, and I made a little place wager on the eager Budget. While it was delightful to cash both tickets, I simply cannot fathom how I neglected to play the exacta, which paid $439. (Of course, it was the first day, and I was still a bit dismayed by the sad news that Keeneland no longer offers the quinella at all, so that may explain my lapse in judgement.)

Keeneland is a lovely place to watch a grey on the lead. Power Cap has noted that the west-facing grandstand has sun glare issues, but I find that there's a certain beauty to the way the sinking sun catches that bit of blond at the end of a grey's tail on the backstretch that is simply magical. Both Thorn Song and Indyanne were glimmering as they set the pace in their races, the Shadwell Turf Mile and the Thoroughbred Club of America's Stakes, respectively.

Avid readers know that a Turf Luck picture is worth about two words (usually "how awful"), but still, I'm fond of this photo of Indyanne I snapped after the race; she's headed back to the barns while the award ceremony and post-race interviews, shown on the jumbotron, are still going strong.

It's a joy to cheer for a former Mountaineer horse at Keeneland. It seems that I always find a name that once graced a Mountaineer program somewhere on the Keeneland card. This year, Tactical Candy ran in the second race of the season, a $30K claiming race. I remember being seduced by her good looks last summer, when even with the capable Dana Whitney in the irons, she was unable to beat a similar field at Mountaineer. Since then, she's done pretty well on the synthetic tracks at Presque Isle, Arlington, and Turfway Park, so, being the sentimental fool that I am, I found myself near the rail for her third attempt at a Keeneland win. She went off at 11-1 and wired the field. And look -- who knew Tactical Candy could fly!

Now, of course, we'll be returning to Mountaineer for our racing entertainment. Perhaps that's a bit like necking in the backseat of a stolen Chevy, but ah! for one glorious weekend, we had the days of wine and roses!

Autumn harvest

2008-10-01T02:44:00.004-04:00

Ah, the bounty of fall! Here at Turf Luck, our harvest included a few tickets to Keeneland. The meet starts this weekend, and we're cranking up the old bookmobile for a trip to the legendary track. Posting here will likely be non-existent, but if there's a bump in the quinella pools for the turf races, you'll know why.

Just another Saturday ... at Mountaineer

2008-09-29T01:18:00.005-04:00

I'll leave it to others to regale readers with tales of the weekend's graded stakes races, though I'll note it was a good day for the "pretty gray horse," with wins by Stardom Bound, Wait a While, and Delightful Kiss all brightening the mood here at the Quinella Castle. As noted on That's Amore Stables, everyone loves a gray, and none more so than the Quinella Queen, who once heard tell of a grays-only stakes race in New Jersey and wonders if they still run the Grey Ghost Starter Handicap at the Meadowlands.

But no more talk about the "big" races here. Nope, for the Quinella Crew, returning to Mountaineer to support the Toast to Exceller promotion, the grays of the day were of a totally different caliber: Count on Doc won the opening $5000 open claimer, and Stormy Groom won the "feature," a $21K Maiden Special Weight. And though rain threatened all day, our spirits were sunny. We were at the track!

It wasn't our best day at the races, but who minded? We were at the track! Oh, how we've missed all of this: Mark and Nancy on the simulcast -- and yes, Mark is funnier, but Nancy's picks are still better. Peter Berry calling the races with a perfect balance of information and excitement, the best I've heard, even if (perhaps because) he doesn't sing. There's DeShawn Parker, looking so tall for a jockey, and yes, look, Oswald Pereira still has "The Wizard" emblazoned on one leg of his pants and "of Oz" on the other. Yes, you can still look down on the paddock from the last stall in the ladies restroom, and oh, yes ... longshots still come in! It's as if we've never been gone.

We had a chance to notice a new jockey, Arizona Miller, who seemed to get the most unlikely mounts: Fast Service in the first went off at 99-1, Royal Dumanni in the 2nd at 91-1. In the fourth, he rode 30-1 All's Well to place -- and I made a little notation in my little notebook, and perhaps others did, too, because in the fifth, odds on Miller's mount, Kuch, were a mere 7-1. Kuch became win number four for the apprentice, who, it turns out, is only sixteen! Not even old enough to enter the casino by himself! He's named, according to an article in the East Liverpool Review, for a horse that made his grandfather, trainer Herman Miller, "a lot of money." I'm thinking Arizona, the kid, might make a few horseplayers some cash, too.

It's unlikely that the horses we saw on Saturday will ever earn $10 million dollars, but just like all those folks who turned out to see Curlin --- we were at the track. Is there anything better?

Excellent Exceller Day

2008-09-28T23:44:00.003-04:00

OK I admit it. When a track shows a little heart, I can't help it, I'm there, doing my best to fill the stands and dropping dough on signature drinks like there's no tomorrow -- all so I can report that, yes, The Exceller is a fine libation. Mountaineer was serving them at $3 on Saturday, and my, they go down easily. How easily? Let's just say that on this day, I quit counting when the Turf Luck donation to The Exceller Fund totaled thirty bucks, and leave it at that, ok?

Members of the Alex Brown Racing forum mentioned that Pinnacle Race Course also participated in Saturday's "Toast to Exceller" promotion, and that Thistledown plans on offering the drink until the end of the month (which would be, uh, tomorrow, I think.)

At Mountaineer, track announcer Peter Berry alerted racegoers to the promotion at the start of the card, and simulcast hosts Nancy McMichael and Mark Patterson mentioned the drink a number of times during the night. Starry-eyed optimist that I am, I'm hoping this is a sign that Mountaineer is paying a bit more attention to what happens to its former runners. (And yes, I'm dreaming -- emphasis, I suppose, on dreaming -- of a Suffolk Downs-like policy coming to Mountaineer some day.)

Meanwhile, I should note that there are numerous other ways to donate to this organization that provides "a future beyond the finish line" for former runners: the fund features a number of Exceller-related items in its online store, and its CafePress site offers products featuring Ruffian, Sunday Silence, and Go for Wand, as well as Exceller on a variety of T-shirts, coffee mugs, calendars, etc. And of course, a check is always nice ... and it's tax-deductible.

But I must admit, here at the Quinella Castle, we enjoyed toasting to Exceller ... a lot.

Keeping tabs on an old flame

2008-09-26T01:55:00.003-04:00

Though it's been nearly two months since we visited Mountaineer, I still try to follow the news of my old flame. A few recent tidbits caught my eye:

New management coming soon
MTR Gaming Group, owners of Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort and Presque Isle Downs and Casino has selected the successor to current CEO Ted Arneult: Robert Griffin, current senior VP with Isle of Capri Casinos. While it's possible that Griffin, slated to take over in January, will bring improvements that can be appreciated by a racegoer, it seems unlikely, given his background with a number of casinos in Atlantic City and the decreases in Mountaineer's slots play:

The analyst [Nicholas Danna] cited The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane in Washington County. When it opened a year ago with more than 1,800 slots, Mountaineer's slots revenue fell 20 percent, he said. The Meadows plans to have 3,800 by next April. Plus, the Majestic Star Casino is now scheduled to open on the North Shore in August, offering 3,000 slots. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

I'm hoping Mr. Griffin notices that these two competitors for Pittsburgh's gambling dollars do not offer Thoroughbred racing.

Grants for WV racetracks
West Virginia recently dispursed $2.3 million dollars in grants for tourism. Forty percent of the money is going to the state's three racetracks. Though Charlestown got the biggest slice of the track pie, Mountaineer didn't do too badly in receiving $233,000. I'm hoping the folks spending the money take a peek at the report from the NTRA Online Marketing Task Force (pdf). I've noted numerous times in the past that the Mountaineer website is ... um, what's the word? ... annoying, to say the least, and of little use in attracting or keeping racing fans.

Toast to Exceller Day
This Saturday, a number of tracks are planning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Exceller's remarkable win over two Kentucky Derby winners in the 1978 Jockey's Club Gold Cup by serving The Exceller, a rather toothsome-sounding cocktail concoction; proceeds from the sales of the drink will go to The Exceller Fund or a local adoption/retirement organization. Participating tracks will also promote the Exceller Fund's adoption/retirement efforts in the track program and it's expected the tracks will air a video replay of the historic race.

Thoroughbred Times published a list of participating tracks, and it's a shocker: Mountaineer and sister Presque Isle Downs are two of the five tracks listed! Other participants include Finger Lakes (not surprising), Thistledown and Laurel Park. Sorely missing from this list: Belmont, site of Exceller's historic victory listed.

Maybe Mountaineer's participation is simply an effort to polish up its image after it was so severely tarnished when HBO followed a Mountaineer runner "from stable to table," or maybe I'm just another one of those gals who don't know how to end a relationship, but for whatever reason, I'm thinking maybe I should give Mountaineer another try.

While I mull over the pros and cons of visiting the ex, I must admit that the siren call of The Exceller just might be what tips the scales. Gary Contessa, the new president of the Exceller Fund, shared the ingredients list over at the Exceller Fund website, perhaps knowing that some girls are just suckers for symbolism:

The ingredients in The Exceller:

Apple juice - This represents the "Big Apple" - New York - where Exceller defeated the mighty Seattle Slew and Affirmed under a masterful ride by legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker after being carefully conditioned by the impeccable Charlie Whittingham. The precision teamwork of these three is something that seems to be disappearing from racing today.

Vodka - This represents the European campaign of Exceller under trainers Francois Mathet and later by Maurice Zilber. Exceller won the Prix du Lys, Prix Royal Oak, Grand Prix de Paris, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Coronation Cup.

Triple Sec - This represents the Triple Crown which is a rare achievement in racing. Only 11 horses have ever managed to win the three races, and it has been 30 years since the last crown was won. Never before in racing history had a horse defeated two Triple Crown winners in a single race, and it seems unlikely that accomplishment will ever be duplicated.

Lime Juice - This represents our sorrow that all three team members - Exceller, Bill Shoemaker, and Charlie Whittingham - are no longer with us.

Cranberry Juice - This represents the fighting spirit of all Thoroughbred champions. There are few sights more thrilling than the sight of a champion reaching beyond his potential to win the big race in the last final strides. There is a transcendent quality about a Thoroughbred that touches all of us and can take us on a journey that we will never forget.

Already, I'm viewing cranberry juice in a whole new light.

Presque Isle Masters Stakes

2008-09-12T23:54:00.001-04:00

I know, I know ... it's Big Brown and lip-sticked pigs everywhere in the blogosphere right now, but there are a few other things going on Saturday: Belmont hosts the Gazelle and the Matron, Arlington brings us the babies in the Arlington-Washington Futurity, and Kentucky Downs offers the 12-furlong Kentucky Cup Turf.

But here in Western Pennsylvania, a nice little race has shaped up in the Presque Isle Masters Stakes. The race, designed to serve as a prep for the Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, has attracted some graded stakes winners with its $400,000 purse, and I wouldn't be surprised if the winner shows up at Santa Anita on that silly "Filly Friday" card. (Last year, four of the runners from the Masters ran in the BC Filly & Mare Sprint.)

Miss Macy Sue and Wild Gams -- who finished 1-2 last year -- are back, with Miss Macy Sue the morning line favorite at 5-2. This year, G-1 winner Dream Rush joins the field, and will be ridden by Dale Beckner, who won six races at Presque Isle last Saturday. Rex Stokes, former rider of Lady Grace and current leader of the PID jockey standings, has the mount on longshot Scalinatella. Other entrants include Hadavision, Ride Em Cowgirl, Dublin Duchess, Miss Blue Tye Dye, Artemis Priss, Dhanyata, Oelectra and Jazzy. The only free past performances I could find for the race are those the track posted for all of the nominees: 15 pages in alphabetical order!

If last year is any guide, I expect that the track will be quite crowded, and that the usually pleasant experience of visiting Presque Isle Downs will be a bit painful. (I've discussed the poorly designed traffic patterns and lack of seating here before.) Still, some of you may want to stop by and pick up one of the free T-shirts that will be given away to the first 500 through the gates at 4:30. Be warned: the forecast for Saturday is cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms, and there'll be little cover from the elements for those who haven't already made reservations. The upstairs dining room -- now smoke-free due to Pennsylvania's Clean Indoor Air Act -- has been sold out for a while, so in the event of rain, I wouldn't advice heading for the stairs unless you want to watch the race on the big-screen tv. If you get there early, you might be able to grab a table on the covered patio, but last year nearly all of these were reserved, so don't count on it. (Even then, expect your view to be obscured by the crowd.)

Best bet: take an umbrella. Value wager: Stay at home and watch 8yo Silverfoot take on the Kentucky Cup Turf.

Looking for a little love at Presque Isle Downs

2008-09-11T22:55:00.011-04:00

Here at the Quinella Castle, we're beginning to feel the ramifications of breaking up with Mountaineer. It's been more than a month since we last crossed the state lines to play the ponies, and the absence of live racing has left us listless, with ample time on our hands to actually do the yard work and clean closets. Likewise, that easy excuse for avoiding annoying family commitments is gone; where once I could glibly say, "Nope, sorry, we won't be able to make it to second-cousin-once-removed's step-daughter's dance recital; I think we're going to the track that day," now I find myself accepting all sorts of painful invitations.

So, of course, we have been trying to find another track to fill the void. Proud Pennsylvanians that we are, we've found ourselves considering venues in the Keystone State. Twice in the past month, we've sallied forth to Presque Isle Downs in northeast Pennsylvania. While I'll admit to a twinge of angst at visiting another track owned by Mountaineer Gaming, it's off-set by the virtue of supporting my home state's racing efforts.

Last year, we visited Presque Isle twice: opening day and Master's Stakes Day. Though Presque Isle has made some "enhancements" since then (as was announced on the racino's anniversary), nothing major has been changed. Still no grandstand, and of course, no jumbotron.

Still, it seems as if there are more tables on the patio, and the interior has been rearranged, offering a modest improvement to the traffic patterns. The line for the buffet still extends to the front of the elevators, but it doesn't seem to be blocking access to the stairs as was the case last year. A low wall now divides the buffet area from the simulcasting area, and the ticket windows have been relocated to the wall opposite the buffet, so tray-toting buffet-goers won't be wandering through the ticket lines with their prime rib platters. Bottlenecks do occur where the buffet enclosure funnels those headed from the casino (or the buffet, the upstairs dining room, the restrooms) through a narrow walkway to the simulcast area. And, since the only door between inside and outside is in the simulcast area, this could become a major bottleneck indeed.

However, on the nights we visited, the crowds were manageable. We were on hand for the $100,000 Windward Stakes, and the King and I were able to snag a table 30 minutes before the first race. As the evening progressed, all of the patio tables filled up, and there were folks on every bench. Lines at the windows got long, but never too long, and there was a certain electricity in the air, due, I suspected, to the appearance of Michael Matz's Street Sounds in the feature event. (Street Sounds finished fourth to the gray trifecta of Graham Motion's Drop a Line, Michael Trombetta's Spectacular Malibu, and Merrill Sherer's Trainee.) I'd estimate the crowd of outdoor racegoers to be in the neighborhood of 3000 or so. It was a comfortable crowd, and I was delighted to see so many groups of 20-somethings and families with school-age children milling about.

On our second visit of the year, the feature race was a $50,000 claiming race -- and the crowd was only a tad smaller. I noticed a number of racegoers stopping to chat at other tables or shaking hands across the patio railing. A friendly group of regular horseplayers seems to be growing in Erie, and apparently, even on an off-night, there's a bit of a buzz in the air.

Personally, I really enjoyed the fact that drinks, snacks, and wagering can all be had without stepping inside -- and one can spend the entire night without hearing the incessant bing! bing! bing! of the casino's slot machines. Also, I find twilight racing has a certain charm that simply enchants me. Twilight, where the weary may find repose as the gentle breeze ripples the pages of the Form, the sun sinks below the horizon, and still the horses circle the paddock in rhythm with the cosmos. Then the bell sounds, bringing with it the cathartic combination of hope and adrenaline that may revive even the jaded psyche.

OK, yes, I'm a sucker for an evening on the veranda at twilight. But truly, for sheer sensual pleasure, the patio at Presque Isle Downs beats Mountie's l'il ole deck by a mile.

Local media has been kind to Presque Isle Downs, with the Erie Times-News featuring articles about the racetrack and jockeys. Also, the track, following in the success of Mountaineer's simulcast team of Mark Patterson and Nancy McMichaels, recently hired youthful Katie Mikolay and the more mature Ron Mullis(pic) to provide some pre-race patter. (On the nights that we attended, Katie's picks did a tad better than Ron's, but were also a bit chalkier.) Reportedly, the two also co-host the "Saturday Morning Works" program featuring interviews as well as comments on the workouts.

Perhaps because the track is new, perhaps because it's in a bigger town that has tourist attractions and colleges, perhaps because Pennsylvania is the only state to have a gaming commission postion dedicated to racing, or perhaps it's just because I'm still miffed with Mountaineer -- whatever the reason, we enjoyed our evenings at Presque Isle Downs quite a bit more than our recent outings to West Virginia. Can't say I'm ready to go steady with Presque Isle yet, since e-mails I sent in July still haven't garnered a response -- but, hey, there's nothing wrong with flirting, right?

Quinella Castle: Back in business

2008-09-06T00:44:00.011-04:00

Who knew that channeling my inner Ohio Valley Girl would take so much out of me? I must admit, I didn't expect that it would feel so good to share my disappointment and outrage about my once-beloved Mountaineer with the world. After many years working in a public library, where one meets the irate, the frustrated, and the outright idiotic with a smile and an offer of help, I seldom shift into Rant Mode. Turns out, it's kind of fun.

What's not fun is learning that I'm not alone in feeling so rejected. All sorts of folks -- Paulick Report, Equidaily, and Horseplayers Association of North America found something worth mentioning in my little rant about racetracks that ignore their customers. And while some visitors pointed me to other tracks where I might be more appreciated, like Charles Town and Laurel, some readers suggested that Mountaineer's just not that into me because racing isn't all that important to racinos. I was especially depressed by a post from anonymous:

Racetracks that operate with casino (a.k.a: racinos) do so only because state laws mandate they must hold a live racing license and conduct a live racing meet in order to operate a casino.

Period. End of sentence.

Do you think for one milli-second that these corporate concerns would bother running a racetrack if they could get away without it? Of course they wouldn't.

But, since state legislators wrote the laws to protect racing and open space (in most cases), the casino operators must live with it.

Their answer is to inconvenience the racing patrons as much as possible until we go away -- and maybe then they'll get some legislative relief.

Of course. Racinos, like all businesses, are motivated by self-interest, but unlike most businesses, what racino management views as its self-interest doesn't necessarily intersect with the the interests of its racing customers. If racinos themselves perceive the racing product as a drag on the bottom line, then perhaps the failure of the racing product is the goal, as a means to legislative changes. And gee, wouldn't that explain those puzzling decisions some tracks have been making? Sadly, I haven't come across a book (or even a website!) that provides advice on how customers can force a business to succeed.

So of course, after my big rant, I went on vacation. As always, the Quinella Castle packed up the car and headed for the Pennsylvania Wilds. We spent most of our long vacation far, far from the madding crowd in rustic accomodations in Cameron County, PA. No cell reception. No tv. No Internet access. Nada, except the magnificence of Elk State Forest, the Bucktail Path and the Quehanna Trail.

Last year, we saw an elk. Pretty cool, though my attempts at photographing this moment were, well, sad. This year, the King and I found ourselves face-to-face with a rattlesnake in striking position. Not so cool, though after we caught our breath, and from a relatively safe distance, I snapped another of my patented lame photos:

And now I can report that yes, rattlesnakes really do rattle their tails, and it's a sound you'll never forget. I also recommend a good stiff drink after any encounters with venomous snakes in the grass.

Hmmm, maybe this explains why I find myself yearning for a whiskey every time talk turns to racinos.

Get 'em before they're gone

2008-08-14T22:29:00.004-04:00

We've had a number of visitors here recently, and I plan on responding to them soon, but first this news flash:

DRF Press is having a sale! Some big savings can be had on a number of titles in the bargain basement, but the QQ Pick of the Litter is The Daily Double: both Laughing in the Hills by Bill Barich and Scared Money by Mark Cramer for the rock-bottom price of $9.98.

Barich's tale of his season at Golden Gate Fields has a certain introspective bent that I enjoyed mightily, and focuses as much on the people of the track as his wagering. Stories of trainers and grooms, jockeys and owners are interspersed with a smattering of comparisons to Florence during the Renaissance. Barich goes to the track looking for something - renewal? redemption? - and returns with something a lot like hope. It's a wonderul book.

Cramer is a well-known, and more importantly, well-respected horseplayer, and his novel Scared Money follows a financially-crunched musician as he tries to succeed at playing the ponies. The book offers a rare look at how horse players think -- and how thinking affects the number of tickets cashed. It's one of those books I re-read now and again for its insights.

Other titles available at reasonable prices include Champions (the ultimate reference book: past performances of champion horses from 1893-2004!), Six Secrets of Successful Bettors, and the lovely collection of racing pieces, Finished Lines.

Oh, and with the meets half-over, the Saratoga Trainer Stats and Del Mar Trainer Stats books are half off, too.

The DRF Press sale ends Friday, Aug 15 at midnight, so you'll need to hurry to catch the savings. Of course, if you miss the sale, there's always your friendly neighborhood librarian to help you borrow a copy!

Love's Labor ... lost

2008-08-08T18:10:00.000-04:00

Last week, a few readers e-mailed me, asking "QQ - What's up? Where's the WV Derby coverage we've come to know and love? Where are those helpful links to past performances for the undercard? Where is that delightful, if rather uninformative, patter that makes us yearn to travel to, of all places, Chester WV, to partake of spiked lemonade and blistering heat for a glimpse of some Kentucky Derby also-ran? Where, oh where, is our muse of Mountaineer?"

OK, I may have rephrased these e-mails a bit, but I'm sure I captured the essence of the inquiries. And now, I'll try to explain my long, long silence here at Turf Luck. But it's difficult for me to talk about, so I'm going to have to try to channel my inner Ohio Valley Girl. Here goes:

So, it's like this: all my friends are dating these real impressive tracks, you know? And they're always, like, "Saratoga this" and "Del Mar that", but me, I, like, I don't really have that option, you know? Out here in the boonies, there's really only one game in town if you like your racing live. So, yeah, I start going steady with Mountaineer. Yeah, I know, Mountaineer's not Mr. Popularity, but you know, all the parts are there: barns, track, windows, and, of course, horses. And you know, he's got a pretty nice simulcast show going, and a really great announcer, and even a turf track, so yeah, what the hey, I'm dating Mountaineer.

We get off to a little rocky start, cause like, I'm used to prettier paddocks, and, like, awnings, and maybe a few more superfectas. But I guess I can't complain, cause, like, admission and parking are always free -- and the sunset is always so beautiful, and I like the way the fog rolls in, and well, it's kinda romantic and all.

And you know, after a while, I forget that Mountaineer's not the big time, 'cause you know, it's like my track. My lil Mountie. Like, I mean, Saratoga is so old and well, Del Mar, that's like so West Coast, you know?

So, anyways, things are going ok, I'm like always blogging about Mountaineer's stake races, and like pointing out when big time jockeys come to call, and you know, like putting a pretty nice spin on everything, 'cause you know, Mountie may be a country bumpkin, but he's got a good heart, right? Every once in a while, I tell him how he could have a better website, but you know, I do it real gentle and all, so as not to offend him.

But get this! Like, every time I e-mail him, you know, there's no reply. And it's not like I'm ranting or anything, I'm just asking simple things, you know. Like, I asked if I could have a media guide. I was real polite and all, cause you know he's like a little bit paranoid, cause he knows he's not really in the same league with the popular tracks. But he never responds.

So I think, like, maybe I should ask something where he doesn't have to give me anything, cause I've noticed, he's kind of cheap with the gifts and all. I mean, I don't even get comp drinks! I kinda learned to accept it, cause really, where am I gonna go if I want the horses?

So anyways, I e-mail him a question about one of the races, like how'd it get that funny name? I thought he'd like that, cause he could look all smart and everything answering it. But --- no response! It's like he can't even send me a note saying "Sorry, don't know that one, but did you know Bernie Blue won it last year?" Nope. Nothing! Like, basically, he's telling me to talk to the hand.

Then, back in May, these tv folks started talking about Mountie. It's even on YouTube. (And there's, like, a second part there too!) And like, everyone's talking about how the horses from Mountaineer end up going to slaughter. And yeah, I'm pretty sure he can't deny it, what with stuff being on film and all. I hear a rumor that maybe behind the scenes, Mountie's working on making things better, so I figure, well, maybe I'll just wait and see what happens.

But you know, it's around this time, I start spending a little more time with the OTB -- and it's never to look at Mountie's races. But it's not really cheating, cause like, there's no rail, you know?

But anyway, we start going downhill. Like, I bring these friends who've been married to Churchill Downs for, like, ever, and they want to bring a cooler in to Mountaineer. On a non-stakes night. And Mountie's all like, no way. Can't do that. He says that there's food for sale at the track. Don't need no stinkin' coolers. Like the food is something to travel from Kentucky for? Get real. I'm beginning to think Mountie's ego's getting a little big.

And of course, you know, there's that whole camera thing -- like my camera will be confiscated if I take pictures of the horses? What's up with that?

Then, Mountie goes and puts in all these poker tables -- and now kids aren't allowed on the ground floor (and of course, with slots upstairs, they can't go there either!) To make up for it, he added a nice new simulcast area, but it's kinda like walled in, so the traffic patterns are all, like, discombobulated and it's harder to get to the windows. And like, I'm thinking, am I really with this guy?

And then, I find out the truth. I send him a little e-mail and I don't mention the track. I kind of imply that I'm interested in those 2-penny slots. And can you believe it -- Mountie replies! Apparently my e-mails aren't going directly to spam, because in less than a day, I've got mail. Oh, yeah, now he's willing to talk. Now that he thinks I'm some slot-feeding granny with Social Security checks to burn. Two-timing scum!

And like, the worst thing is, I should have known! I kept cutting him some slack, always making excuses for him, and it's like, get a clue, girl: He's just not that into you!

Yes. I've been scorned. It hurts a bit, but as the recent rise of the Self Appointed Fan Committee and the Horseplayers Association of North America attests, I'm not the only one. What hurt the most, I think, is that Mountaineer doesn't seem to have a handle on this whole Internet tubes thing, and could benefit from a little positive, unsolicited PR.

But hey, Mountie scorned me and my little labor of love, so in return: No pre-race cheerleading before WV Derby Day, no linking to those hidden past performances for the undercard, no mention of those lovely articles Bill Mooney wrote leading up to the Big Day, no highlighting the visits from big name trainers and jockeys as a reason to maybe visit the track or place a wager.

For a librarian, it was hard to see all of the web visitors that arrived here looking for "West Virginia Derby past performances" only to find my Derby post from last year, which as of this writing, is still comes up first in a Google search. Mountaineer may not be looking for a girlfriend, but golly, I think they could learn a few things about customer service from a librarian. Think I'm wrong? Send an e-mail to your library tomorrow, and see how long it takes them to reply.

What's sad is the impact that tracks like Mountaineer may have on racing in general. While longtime fans may see differences between NYRA, MEC, CDI, etc., for those new to the sport, the brand of "horse racing" generally equates to "the track I visit" and (of course) the Kentucky Derby. If I had visited Mountaineer before going to Belmont, well, it's quite possible I wouldn't have gone on to visit Keeneland, Saratoga, Pimlico, Presque Isle, Penn National, Meadowlands, Philadelphia Park or even Belmont. It seems to me, that in many ways, the brand of "thoroughbred racing" is only as strong as the nearest track -- and sadly, I think I've been dating the weakest link.

Royal reading

2008-06-20T00:59:00.003-04:00

If one tires of the latest display of democracy in action that is the "Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns" Congressional subcommittee hearing, might I suggest that one turn to The Uncommon Reader, a delightful bon-bon of a book from England's Alan Bennett?

One might think that a comic novella in which the Queen of England develops an obsession with reading might not have much to do with racing, and one would be correct. However, it is amusing to contemplate the ramifications of the Queen discovering her fiction addiction after an accidental visit to a bookmobile. Her staff's alarm at this new-found fascination with printed matter is quite droll, and the exchange between Her Royal Highness and one Sir Claude is most entertaining, so much so that I share it here:

'Your Majesty has started reading.'
'No, Sir Claude. One had always read. Only these days one is reading more.'
'I see no harm in reading in itself, ma'am.'
'One is relieved to hear it.'
'It's when it's carried to extremes. There's the mischief.'
'Are you suggesting one rations one's reading?'
'Your Majesty has led such an exemplary life and that it should be reading that has taken Your Majesty's fancy is almost by the way. Had you invested in any pursuit with similar fervour, eyebrows must have been raised.'
'They might. But then one has spent one's life not raising eyebrows. One feels sometimes that that is not much of a boast.'
'Ma'am has always liked racing.'
'True. Only one's rather gone off it at the moment.'
'Oh,' said Sir Claude. 'That's a shame.' Then, seeing a possible accommodation between racing and reading: 'Her Majesty the Queen Mother used to be a big fan of Dick Francis.'
'Yes,' said the Queen. 'I've read one or two, though they only take one so far. Swift, I discover, is very good about horses.'

I heartily recommend The Uncommon Reader for those who enjoy this sort of repartee, as the novella has a sly, cumulative humor that will push all the nattering of subcommittee hearings right out of your head. And I suppose I should mention that upon reading the book, you might find yourself drawn to the reports from the meet at Royal Ascot, including those that feature stories of astonishing head gear.

Of course, one could, indeed, opt for Swift, instead. He really is very good about horses, but somehow I suspect thoughts of Congressional hearings would only intensify.

Some old favorites in the Slipton Fell

2008-06-06T03:43:00.007-04:00

Just a quick note to alert those of you in the area that on Saturday, the card at Mountaineer includes the $75,000 Slipton Fell Handicap (past performances). Last year, Mountaineer fans had a chance to see Calvin Borel ride Go Now in this race; Go Now and Borel finished last in the field behind Bernie Blue and rider Deshawn Parker. Since that time, Bernie Blue's gone on to win the Mountain State Stakes, the WV Legislature Chairman's Cup, and the Mountaineer Mile, finishing out of the money only twice -- both on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs. Some folks (like the King) may believe his recent second place finishes in the Waterford Park Handicap and the Panhandle Handicap indicate that the 6 year-old is slowing down in his mature years, but I'm of the mind that the off-track was to blame. The weather guys are calling for lots of heat this weekend, so I'm optimistic about Bernie's chances.

And really, what does the King know about aging horses? After all, in the WV Governor's Stakes, the King thought another of my favorites, M B Sea, had lost a step and put his money on Mr. Pursuit. As readers may recall, M B Sea romped to a 7-length victory. Since then, M B Sea has won Mountaineer's Fall Handicap and in November finished second to ... Bernie Blue in the Mountaineer Mile.

At 9, M B Sea is the oldest horse in the race, and unless there's been some sort of "equipment change," he really is a horse, not a gelding. Surely there's a breeding shed somewhere that could use a $700,000+ winner still able to run a 104 Brisnet speed fig?

At any rate, I'm finding it hard to root against either Bernie Blue or M B Sea, even though Scott Lake's Coyoteshighestcall looks like a formidable opponent. Fortunately, the racing world offers a solution to this dilemma. It's called a quinella, or as they say in West Virginia, an exacta box. Of course, since this will probably be the chalk, it's ok to pass on this one, and simply jump up and down wildly when M B Sea comes roaring 'round the turn and catches Bernie Blue in the stretch.

The secret of my success

2008-06-06T02:13:00.003-04:00

Last year, the King and I had a fabulous day at Belmont. We both wagered a substantial amount on the Stakes race, and the King hit the exacta pretty big, while I won the superfecta. Since then, I've been letting all of my friends believe that yes, we're just simply fabulous handicappers.

Well, that might not be exactly accurate. I can't speak for the King, whose mind works in mysterious ways, but after playing the Belmont for three years, I've figured something out: pedigree expert Lauren Stich owns this race. At least she has for as long as I've been following racing. If she talks about three horses being bred for the distance, I'll hit the trifecta. If she mentions four, do not leave one out (as I did in 2006) -- just go with a superfecta box. Works like a charm. Sure, it feels a bit like cheating, but we librarians are always evaluating information sources, separating the wheat from the chaff. I'm simply applying a bit of the same principles to racing tips, and when it comes to the Belmont Stakes, Stich is tops in my book.

So imagine my dismay when I learned that the Daily Racing Form no longer carries Lauren's wise and wonderful pedigree columns. She has been "let go," according to blogger SilverCharm.

I'm simply shocked; though I'm still struggling with her book, Pedigree Handicapping, her columns for the Daily Racing Form have always been helpful, informative, and lucrative. Stich has been included in a number of handicapping guides, most recently Bet with the Best II: Longshots, published by the very same Daily Racing Form that has now terminated her contract.

Fortunately for my reputation as an ace Belmont handicapper, I've discovered that Stich has posted her Belmont picks at Today's Racing Digest. I'm still debating whether I can afford them, as I'm not used to paying a separate charge for picks -- but I am truly glad to see that Stich's information is still available somewhere.

On a related note, I've noticed that DRF will be holding a book signing at Belmont on Saturday. Co-authors Steve Crist, Dave Liftin, and Mike Watchtower will be on hand to sign copies of Bet with the Best II. Maybe if I gush about the Lauren Stich chapter, Crist will think about hiring her back.

Triple Crown reading

2008-06-04T01:32:00.003-04:00

First, a brief apology for the long, unanticipated absence. Suffice it to say that my library has been finishing up a rather large grant -- and sending me to conferences near and far (Harrisburg and San Antonio). All of this conferring must be doing some good, since we've received some nice awards this year, and of course, somebody has to go pick them up. Yes, sometimes it's nice to be Queen.

However, my preparation for our annual sojourn to the Belmont Stakes is seriously behind (we haven't picked up the beer for our long weekend yet!) and for some reason -- possibly Pennsylvania Turnpike-lag --I haven't been able to get excited about a possible Triple Crown winner. Sadly, my library's collection is rather weak in the horse racing department, and even sadder, all of our books about the Triple Crown are still sitting in their spots on the shelves, wallflowers at a dance where local professor Randy Pausch and Pennsylvania native Dean Koontz jitterbug their way to the top of our circulation charts.

The good news is that even this close to Belmont Stakes Day, I was able to borrow a copy of The Most Glorious Crown by Marvin Drager. It's a wonderful introduction to the Triple Crown winners of the past: the writing is clear and engaging, there are plenty of black-and-white photos, and best of all, Drager includes the charts for every Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. A chapter is devoted to each of the eleven Triple Crown winners, and details from their careers after the Belmont are included. Drager sprinkles in quotes from turf publications that capture the mood of the country, and gives some context to those delightful charts. (For example, it's one thing to know that only 3 horses ran in the 75th Belmont; it's quite another to learn that one of Count Fleet's opponents had only a maiden victory; the other, only a maiden win and and a Class C allowance victory.)

Drager originally published the book in 1975, but it was updated in 2005, and at the moment, it remains up-to-date. The 2005 edition also comes with a DVD of a History Channel program, Win, Place, or Show: The History of Horse Racing. (I really meant to make notes on the DVD program, which I watched while doing the elliptical tonight, but I had a bit of trouble with the resistance levels. All I can tell you about the DVD program is that though it starts a bit slow, interviews with folks like Jimmy Jones are pretty interesting, and Whirlaway and Seattle Slew get quite a bit of attention.)

I was delighted that a book so readable also includes some features that make it useful as a reference tool. In addition to the full race charts, the book includes the complete campaign records & earnings of each of the Triple Crown winners, a glossary, a bibliography, and an extensive index. (Longtime readers may recall my strong feelings about indexes; for those who missed previous rants, let me just say that hell hath no fury like a librarian without an index.)

What might be of most interest to fans of Big Brown is the chapter entitled "Near Misses," which gives a brief summary of the Triple Crown campaigns of the 17 horses who have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness only to fall short in the long stretch of Big Sandy. Amazingly, my eyes welled with tears when I read about the excitement generated by Smarty Jones's 11-1/2 length victory in the Preakness:

"Racing fans throughout Pimlico wept openly for joy over the accomplishment of their newfound hero. In fact, all of America was suddenly caught up in the Smarty Jones fever.... People lined the roadways, and Pennsylvania Turnpike workers applauded when his caravan traveled to Belmont Park."

Kind of makes you wish this year's contender had that kind of charisma, doesn't it?

Derby pick -- from the card catalog

2008-05-02T02:11:00.006-04:00

For the first time in my life, I've watched all the Derby prep races. I've got a binder full of past performances, and can rattle off the horses by post position. I should be confident about a pick in this year's Derby, but like Sue at Post Parade, I still don't have a Derby horse. Fortunately, I've got a card catalog, and I know how to use it.

So sure, I stumbled onto Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS, and I paged through an Alistair MacLean novel, contemplating what would happen When Eight Bells Toll, but eventually I made my way to the children's section. Perhaps it's a bit sad to see corporate America invading the world of juvenile literature, but despite the Tonka logo on the cover, I simply couldn't resist I'm a Great Big Monster Truck.

Sadly, I leave on Friday for a conference in Texas and will actually be finishing up a scintillating meeting about digital media on Saturday when Big Truck and the gang take to the field. (The things I do for the good taxpayers of Pennsylvania!)

-------
Once again, a shout-out to the extraordinary John Blyberg and his amazing catalog card generator!

More blogging women

2008-04-30T02:55:00.005-04:00

In a recent discussion about women and racing, Green but Game listed a number of female TBA bloggers -- and apparently, our little alliance is not an aberration: blogs by women are turning up at non-TBA sites as well. Of course, the excellent Galloping Out by Maryjean Wall has been around awhile, but the exuberant RaceHorseGirl started up in March, while Becky at BlackTypeBlog has been tracking her Derby hopefuls since February.

And this week, the Courier-Journal launched The Jockey's Eye, authored by former jockey Kris Prather, who's currently offering up her take on the scene at Churchill Downs. While Prather's a big Pyro fan, I found her comments on another contender pretty interesting:

Cameras clicked and flashed as they followed Colonel John and as my eyes gravitated to the stately looking colt I could see what all the "ooh-ing" and "ah-ing" was about. He was impressive to look at and as he stood with his head erect as though gazing out over his subjects, an irritated snort drew me around. It came from none other than the proud filly Eight Belles. She stood, tossing her head and stamped her foot, as if to say, "it is a man's world" before being ridden off to get down to business. --The Jockey's Eye

Since retiring from racing in 2004, Prather has turned to writing books and is working on a young adult series about a female jockey. Here's hoping that Prather's The Horse Tamer's Niece will offer girls a view of racing that can compete with Alec Ramsey and his Black Stallion.

By the way, in Tuesday's post, Prather pointed out one of those crazy, historical precedence things that just capture our collective imagination at Derby time:

1979: LeRoy Jolley's entry, General Assembly, runs 2nd in the Derby.
1980: Jolley's entry, the filly Genuine Risk, wins the Derby.
2007: Larry Jones' entry, Hard Spun, runs 2nd in the Derby.
2008: Jones' entry, the filly Eight Belles, .....

Derby reading: The Longest Shot

2008-04-30T00:50:00.003-04:00

As the hoopla surrounding Big Brown reaches deafening levels, I find myself returning again and again to an old book that I only recently had a chance to read. It tells the tale of a fabulous favorite whose every move at Churchill Downs was followed by the oohs and ahhs of hundreds of reporters. At the time, racing was searching for a hero -- and suddenly, a star popped up on the racing scene, a star "so devastatingly quick that it left hardened racetrackers groping for adjectives." The horse went off at an unprecedented 2-1 in the Derby Futures wager. And jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who'd ridden Sunday Silence, called him "the best horse I've ever ridden" and claimed,"The other horses are running for second."

It was 1992, and the horse was Arazi.

What? Can't find that one listed on the back of your Derby glass? Me neither. Looks like a horse named Lil E. Tee won it that year. And in The Longest Shot: Lil E. Tee and the Kentucky Derby, author John Eisenberg tells the unlikely story of (I believe) the only PA-bred ever to win the Kentucky Derby. (And yes, he was named for the E.T. of the Speilberg film, though I'll let readers discover the reason for that on their own.)

The "longest shot" of the title doesn't refer to E.T.'s odds in the Derby -- though he did go off in double digits -- but rather references the whole improbability of the horse racing at Churchill Downs at all. Major surgery ("rerouting the intestine") as a yearling and x-rays that showed potential problems led a number of potential buyers to pass on purchasing E.T. -- and Eisenberg does a wonderful job showing the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" aspect of auctions and ownership. At last, he ends up being trained by Lyn Whiting and ridden by Pat Day.

While the book provides biographical background of Lil E. Tee's connections, the sections of most interest at this time of year cover the Derby winner's prep schedule and training goals. For example, Whiting was "as disgusted as you can be with picking up a check for $300,000" after E.T.'s win in the Jim Beam Stakes, since the horse just seemed to idle in the stretch. How Whiting turns this around in time for a win in the Kentucky Derby makes for an interesting contrast to current Derby discussion.

Eisenberg seems to have interviewed practically everyone who ever touched Lil E. Tee, and the numerous quotes from grooms, exercise riders, jockeys, agents, owners, and trainers that pepper nearly every page lend an authenticity and liveliness to the book that played well here in the Quinella Castle. The Longest Shot is a quick, read -- and very uplifting, especially for those readers who, like the King, are considering a longshot like Bob Black Jack in this year's Derby.

Eisenberg, by the way, penned the fine racing history book, The Great Match Race: When North Met South in America's First Sports Spectacle and has co-authored My Guy Barbaro with Edgar Prado. He shared a bit on his co-authoring experience over at The Rail earlier this week.

In the winner's circle at Castleton Lyons

2008-04-16T22:18:00.006-04:00

OK, I'll admit it. I think it's a fine thing that racetrack reading has its own award. At last, I have a way to work racing into all those mundane, little conversations at library conference buffets. (Amazing but true: if you simply say the words "book award," librarians will stop poking shrimp with their forks and listen to you.) But sadly, media coverage of the award has been rather sparse. Where's the hoopla? the glitz? the behind-the-scenes drama?

It turns out, it's here at Turf Luck. T.D. Thornton, author of Not by a Longshot, has graciously replied to my inquiry about his experience at the Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award ceremony; here's his description of the event:

No, I don’t mind sharing about the CL/T’Times book award ceremony with your blog readers. Thanks very much for asking. The whole experience was a blast.

As a New Englander who had never previously been to Lexington, it was impressive to see how everyone’s lives are so involved and intertwined with the Thoroughbred, all across the board. My only comparable frame of reference is Saratoga, and Lexington is like Saratoga on steroids. Everywhere you go—bars, restaurants, the rental car place at the airport, the front desk in hotels—the talk revolves around racing and breeding. I happen to be married to a horse-crazed wife, and within our first 15 minutes of driving aimlessly around the outskirts of Lexington to check out the wide, open paddocks, she said, “Can we ditch Boston and move here?” The girl might be on to something…

As for the main event—after an enjoyable weekend betting my brains out at Keeneland—the Monday book awards ceremony was held at a cocktail-party setting in a well-appointed room above the historic stallion barn at Castleton Lyons. The farm is a beautiful 1,200-acre spread on Iron Works Pike in the heart of horse country, and its signature stone castle (visible when you fly into Lexington airport) and massive front gates (featured in a number of horse racing films) lent an aura of awe and nobility to the whole experience.

After about an hour of mingling, each author (alphabetical order and asked beforehand) spoke for five minutes about his or her book. I consider Bill Nack and Rachel Pagones pretty classy company, and I felt privileged just to be in the starting gate with them as finalists for the award. After the writers had their say, Shane Ryan (his dad, the late Dr. Tony Ryan, was extremely passionate about racing and literature, and had inaugurated the award last year before he died) read the winner from a sealed envelope—Academy Awards-style.

As luck would have it, I heard “Not by a Long Shot” called out in Shane’s classic Irish brogue, and the next 90 minutes were pretty much a jubilant blur.

I do know that Mr. Nack was the first person at my side to say congrats, which I’ll never forget (a year earlier, I had cold-called Bill to see if he’d write a blurb for Long Shot, which he graciously did). The next thing I know, legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg was shaking hands with me (I was so respectfully stunned that I think I called him “Mr. Enberg” about four times in 30 seconds).

It’s a few days later, and I’m still walking on air, just trying to appreciate the whole experience. Aside from the prestige and honor, the CL/T’Times award is accompanied by a generous cash prize, and I plan to donate a portion of the money to organizations that support two of the cornerstone subjects of Not by a Long Shot—racehorse welfare and assistance for disabled jockeys.

Congratulations, Mr. Thornton! And thanks much for sharing. I can't wait to see what effect the words "stallion barn" have on the buffet line.

Note: An excerpt from Not by a Longshot, is currently available at Thoroughbred Times; it appears at the end of the article.

And the winner is...

2008-04-07T22:05:00.003-04:00

Here at the Quinella Castle, we've been following the contenders for the Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award with bated breath. After all, while handicapping the ponies is a hobby, playing the odds in the book world is what we librarians do, as we struggle to stretch those taxpayer dollars to the max.

So it's a validation of sorts to see that one of my favorite books has made it to the winner's circle: T. D. Thornton on Not by a Longshot: A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track has won the 2nd running of the Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award.

The Hard-Luck Horse Track of the title is Suffolk Downs; the season is 2000, the year Running Stag won the Mass Cap. But really, it could be any track, and darn near any time since racing's popularity took a dive. Concern about the sport's future, race fixing, callous owners are depicted "warts-and-all" with an insider's familiarity. But the book radiates a genuine fondness for the track's characters - both human and equine - that reminds the reader of those basic elements -- the horses, the jockeys, the trainers, the owners -- that bind racing so strongly to its tradition-filled past, and are so worth saving for its future.

While Thornton's behind-the-scenes description of the business side of the track are fascinating, while his of depiction of the Mass Cap is exhilarating, while his retelling of Suffolk's storied history is fascinating, there's more to this book than fading glory. While his portrait of injured jockey Rudy Baez is moving and his revelations of unscrupulous owner Michael Gill are disturbing, there's more to this book than trackside tragedy. And yes, his affectionate chronicle of the career of the gray gelding, Saratoga Ridge, and his amusing account of the maiden Ypres are charming, but there's more here than charm. Throughout, there's an awareness of and a respect for the essence of the track that rings true, no matter who the runners and connections. Late in the book, Thornton writes:

" Sometimes it's best to step back and take in the anonymous equine atmosphere without clouding one's mind with the myriad of names, statistics, and information that are so integral yet so overwhelming to the basic enjoyment of the game. Purses, betting handles, breeding fees, simulcast surcharges, and profit-loss ledgers drive the frontline economics of pari-mutuel racing. But the promise of possibility exists on every racetrack backstretch, and if you can spot that elusive quality in the eye of a run-of-the-mill racehorse trudging through the mud, you'll blindly invest your entire soul in this sport, no matter the cost."

Folks who've already made that investment will meet a kindred spirit in the pages of Not by a Longshot, and for those who haven't yet seen the "promise of possibility" at the track, the book is a fine introduction. Right now, you can pick up the hardback for under ten bucks at Amazon, or borrow a copy from the library. Either way, you'll know you've picked a winner.

Strike looms at Mountaineer

2008-03-27T01:12:00.003-04:00

Sad news from my "local" track: cashiers, video lottery clerks and other floor attendants have voted to reject the latest contract agreement from Mountaineer management. While it may affect some horseplayers' wagering, what is truly sad is this:

Union officials said the main issue is salary. Some employees make so little that they qualify for food stamps, the school lunch program and energy assistance."

Apparently, Mountaineer pays $2 per hour less than the casino at Wheeling Island Racetrack, or Presque Isle Downs.

This comes on the heels of news that Mountaineer has completed its sale of Binion's in Las Vegas for $28 million, which, according to CEO Ted Arneault will allow MTR "to focus on growing and optimizing its core assets."

I'm guessing Mr. Arneault doesn't realize that for visitors, those clerks and floor assistants are pretty darn essential.

Sigh.

Monograph Mile update

2008-03-27T00:36:00.003-04:00

The finalists for the Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award (aka the Monograph Mile) have been announced, and ... as usual, I had the exacta, but one of those darn shippers broke up my trifecta.

The finalists are:
* Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance by William Nack
* Not by a Longshot: A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track by T. D. Thornton
* Dubai Millenium: A Vision Realised, A Dream Lost by Rachel Pagones

According to the Keeneland website, the three authors will be signing copies of their books at Keeneland on April 6. We weren't planning a trip to Keeneland this year, but maybe I can sweet talk the King into gassing up the old bookmobile...

On the trail of the 2007 Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award

2008-03-16T01:16:00.001-04:00

At last -- spring! OK, it's still cold and blustery here in the 'Burgh, but nonetheless, here at the Castle, we're awakening from our long winter's nap to pay some attention to our virtual stables. While my sentimental choices have led to many a week in the cellar of the TBA's League in the Road to the Roses contest, they're faring a tad better in the Take Ten! intramural contest being tracked at Brooklyn Backstretch.

Still, I'm optimistic about my virtual stable for the Monograph Mile, otherwise known as the 2007 Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award. Nominations closed Dec 31, and I expect the semi-finalists to be named any day now, with the prize to be awarded in April.

So, here's who I see going to the gate for the 2nd running of the Monograph Mile, along with the Turf Luck odds:

The favorites:
These are those runners from the big stables who are almost certain to make it to the semi-finalists list:

Sean Clancy's Barbaro: The Horse That Captured America's Heart looks to be a sentimental favorite, and if the Friends of Barbaro had accounts at Turf Luck Wagering, Inc., the book would go off at something like 1-20. I'm a true fan of Clancy's writing, and the many photographs complement the text quite well. Since judges will consider "content, plus design, layout, and artwork, when relevant," the pics should be of great help down to the stretch. (Judge for yourself; an excerpt is still up on Blood-Horse's Exclusively Equine site.) TL odds: 2-1.

The tale of another beloved champion -- Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance by Bill Nack -- is a formidable contender. While there was a bit of a fuss when ABC aired its Ruffian movie last June, questioning the accuracy of Nack's depiction of certain events -- no one questioned his sumptuous descriptions of the fleet-footed filly. While it's possible that there may be too much Nack, too little Ruffian, for some readers, Nack understands the emotions of the railbird. (You can see what I mean in the excerpt posted at ESPN.) There are no illustrations in the book, but with the experienced Nack in the saddle, I can't see this one going off at more than 3-1.

More Old Friends: A Visit with My Favorite Thoroughbreds by Barbara Livingston pays homage to retirees -- some obscure, some not but all beloved. While the essays about each of the "Old Friends" are fine, it is undoubtedly the gorgeous photographs that make the book. Though I believe the Award was designed to focus on text, the artwork here is definitely "relevant" and might give this one the edge in the judging. You can take a peek at some of Livingston's work on her website, though this book isn't mentioned there yet.) TL odds: 4-1.

Possible upsets
I'm rather fond of these titles, and I think the betting bibliophile might find a value wager here:

Not by a Longshot by T.D. Thornton. This look at a season at Suffolk Downs resonated deeply with this small track patron. Though this is Thornton's first book, it's a good one, highlighting much of what's wonderful about the sport, yet never shying away from the shadier side of racing. I suspect his job in Suffolk's pr department was often a thankless one, but he's turned those memories into an engaging, thoughtful look at our sport. (You might glean more from Thornton's "Talking Horses" interview on Blood-Horse .) TL odds: 6-1.

Kelso: The Horse of Gold by newcomer Linda Kennedy is a tad uneven, but the subject is mythical: Kelso, horse of the year at three, four, five, six, and seven! Five Jockey Club Gold Cups! Winner of 24 major stakes! Truly the stuff of legend to someone like myself, who's followed racing for little more than two years. The book is extensively researched (more than 25 pages of notes), and Kennedy's description of races from the 1960's are superb -- she gets points in my book for depictions so clear and lively that I sometimes felt as if I'd actually seen the races she recounts. TL odds: 8-1.

Strictly sprinters:
Some fine books here, but it's unlikely they'll be able to hang with the favorites around the far turn:

Masters of the Turf: Ten Trainers Who Dominated Horse Racing's Golden Age is an enjoyable read, but I'm not sure this one can go the classic distances, even though the subject matter covers some pretty classic trainers: Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Max Hirsch, Hirsch Jacobs, John Madden, Ben & Jimmy Jones, James Rowe Sr., Sam Hildreth, Guy Bedwell, Derby Dick Thompson, and Preston Burch. While Bowen might jockey this one to finish in the money, I just don't see it winning the prize. TL odds: 9-1.

The Greatest Kentucky Derby Upsets authored by a stable of Blood-Horse writers, looks at ten upsets, including my favorite, Canonero II. It's perfect reading for this time of year -- as we dream of cashing that Derby futures ticket on Giant Moon. While it's a well-crafted, well-bred book, I think this one's a little light on the literary merit side of things. TL odds: 9-1.

May the Horse Be With You, a memoir from Saratoga fixture, Harvey Pack, is full of great tales of the track from a true horseplayer's vantage point. A quick and fun read , but ultimately, not built for the long haul. TL odds: 15-1.

Merryland: Two Years in the Life of a Racing Stable by Josh Pons. The author of Country Life Diary and a former reporter/columnist for Blood-Horse, Pons uses his diary entries to launch reflections on breeding, training and suburban sprawl -- all pertinent this year as Maryland considers adding slots. TL odds: 13-1.

Shippers from other lands
I'm at a loss on these possible runners. It's much like trying to decode a major turf race with all those foreign entrants and nothing to go on but a finish and those darn Racing Post/Timeform speed figures.

The Art of Losing by Keith Dixon comes from the strange land of fiction. Fast-paced, gritty tale of a film maker who gets in too deep while trying to score a big hit at the track. 30-1.

Dead Heat by Dick Francis and Felix Francis. Another fiction entry, this one from the King of Horse Racing Mystery and his son. Too much cooking, too little racing to fare well in this race. TL odds: 40-1.

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix by John Christagu. Here the foreign land is that of the academic press, as the publisher is the University of Nebraska Press. From the title we can tell it's about scandal in the 1930's, and Publisher's Weekly says, "Though inconsistent, history-minded handicappers will find much to appreciate." Still, I'm betting that the topic is not one the judges want to focus on. TL odds: 25-1.

Horse People: Thoroughbred Culture in Lexington and Newmarket by Rebecca Louise Cassidy. Another contender from an academic publisher, this time Johns Hopkins University Press. Perhaps that explains why it's the most expensive title ($50) on this list. It sounds pretty fascinating: "This engaging original study demystifies this complex world by comparing centers of excellence in Britain and North America. Drawing from intensive field work in Suffolk's Newmarket and Kentucky's Lexington, Rebecca Cassidy gives us the inside track on all players in the industry -- from the elite breeders and owners to the stable boys, racetrack workers, and veterinarians. She leads us through horse farms, breeding barns, and yearling sales; explains rigorous training regimens; and brings us trackside on race day.... Cassidy reveals the ethical, cultural, political and economic factors that have shaped racing tradition." All that in 224 pages! Sounds like something that might appeal to the judges. TL odds: 18-1.

Saratoga Stories: Gangsters, Gamblers, and Racing Legends by Jon Bartels. Though I'm notoriously bad with maidens, after my "summer of Saratoga" reading for Alan's Racing Saratoga 2006 blog, I think I could handicap this first book pretty well -- but since then, I've haven't been able to pick up a book with "Saratoga" in the title. Maybe I'll get around to it in August when the TBA's New York contingent start regaling us with their Saratoga stories. At any rate, considering the competition, I'd be surprised to see a win first time out of the gate for Bartels. TL odds: 25-1.

Ouija Board by Lord Edward Stanley Derby. British publisher Highdown brings us this portrait of the fabulous racemare told by her exuberant owner. Can Lord Derby write? I wish I knew. All I know is that I miss Ouija Board. TL odds: 15-1.

Dubai Millennium by Rachel Pagones. Another entry from Highdown, this portrait of the 2000 World Cup winner looks pretty interesting. And heaven knows we could use a decent book about Sheikh Mohammed. Apparently Pagones is bloodstock editor for the Racing Post, so this might prove to be the one. Still, it's hard to judge how this might appeal to the judges. TL odds: 18-1.

Memoirs of a Longshot by Cot Campbell. Here at Turf Luck, we tend to pass by the self-published titles, as we struggle to find a way to cope with so many books and so little time. So it's likely I'll not get to this title anytime soon. However, this autobiography from Dogwood Stable's president has possibly the only book review ever by Todd Pletcher on its Amazon record, and thus, gets a mention. TL odds: 50-1.

Turf Luck picks:
I'm putting $2 on this trifecta:

Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance - Bill Nack
Not by a Longshot - T.D. Thornton
Kelso: Horse of Gold - Linda Kennedy

No matter who makes it to the post in the Castleton-Lyons Thoroughbred Times Book Award, I think it's safe to say that 2007 was a pretty good year for race track reading.

Disappointing news from Presque Isle

2008-03-03T22:53:00.003-05:00

Presque Isle Downs celebrated its first anniversary last week with hot dogs and cake, and the racino already has plans for expansion. You can read the list of planned enhancements at the Erie Times-News website, GoErie.com or hear MTR Gaming Group Chief Executive Ted Arneault discuss them with reporter John Guerriero on "ErieTube".

What you'll find is that, despite the venerate opinion of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of TBA - and the fact that there is no grandstand - there are no plans for seating improvements to the track. Big race days, though, will see more betting windows and machines. And at least our comments about the poor traffic plans have been heeded, as the expansion will allow the betting windows to be moved away from the buffet line.

So, despite the fact that Pennsylvania is the only state to have a position dedicated to racing on its gaming commission (Blood-Horse), it seems that racing improvements come somewhere down the list from buffet decor. I'd say the Gaming Commission's Melinda Tucker has her work cut out for her.

Presque Isle Downs was reportedly named best racino in 2007 by Thoroughbred-Times, though I've yet to find it mentioned on the TT website.

Meanwhile, Presque Isle Downs is looking for a new simulcast host:

On March 12th and 13th, the casino will hold a Casting Call from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, and interested individuals with television experience and/or knowledge of thoroughbred racing should apply. To reserve your spot, please call 814-866-8770. Please bring a head-shot, demo tape and come prepared for a screen test.

Hmm... might be worth looking into. After all, the simulcast host probably gets a seat.

PA Horse Racing Commission marks milestone

2008-02-01T01:58:00.000-05:00

Despite the fact that, when I visit a track, it is usually in West Virginia, I generally limit my reading of racing commission news to that of my own dear commonwealth, Pennsyvania.

Sometime in the not too distant past, the December minutes of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission were added to the state's website. The meeting minutes make fascinating reading. Really. As with minutes of almost any committee, task force, or bake sale organizers, there's little explanation of decisions and actions ... and my imagination just starts filling in the blanks with all sorts of unlikely scenarios.

However, there's also a bit of interesting information buried between the various approvals of track schedules and wagering formats. For example, as of January 1, 2008, Clenbuterol has changed to a 24 hour withdrawal time prior to race-day in PA; Amicar is no longer allowed as a race day medication in PA; and come April 1, the State of Pennsylvania will prohibit the use of steroids in thoroughbred race horses.

And who knew it was the 40th anniversary of the PA Horse Racing Commission -- and pari-mutuel wagering -- in the Keystone state?

Racing Commissioner Richard Abbott, that's who. And, from the meeting minutes, it sounds like he was genuinely moved by the Commission's arrival at this milestone. He talked a bit about Pennsylvania's rise from a Commonwealth with "no real tradition in Thoroughbred racing prior to 1967" to "a tradition of enlightened and measured growth which has placed us in the forefront of the racing world." I'm not sure recent visitors to Philadelphia Park would agree, but I suppose a little hyperbole can be forgiven when you turn 40, right?

Commissioner Abbott also waxed lyrical about the contributions of all of the Commission's hard-working staff; I found this part particularly endearing:

"I cannot name every employee of the Commission but you would probably be surprised to see how many there are and each serves a vital role. From the euphemistically title “Farm Workers” who collect the post race samples, the licensing clerks, investigators, Veterinarians and Administrative officers at the racetracks to the Directors of Enforcement, Licensing, Wagering Integrity and the Breeding Fund and their staffs, all of the Commission employees work diligently to protect the integrity of the sport that we all love and from which most of those in the room derive their livelihood. The Commissioners thank each of them for their dedicated service from a sweltering afternoon at Philadelphia Park in August to a February night at Penn National they perform their duties admirably."

Maybe it's the cold medicine I've been downing like candy, but this just makes me smile. And it reminds me to say thanks, too. I can't imagine living in a state without any tracks - or off-track wagering facilities. So, here's a shout out to those legislators who made it happen back in 1967, and those who continue to support it today, and those Commission employees who work "to protect the integrity of the sport." But for the love of Pete, would someone at the Commission please look into adding the quinella to the wagering options?

Pennsylvania Racetrack Gaming Expo

2008-01-30T02:07:00.000-05:00

The PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and the PA Department of Agriculture are hosting our fair state's first ever Race Track Gaming Expo today to "highlight a successful first year of racetrack gaming and slots in the Commonwealth."

A recent Blood-Horse article hints that another purpose of the Expo is to educate legislators about racing. And it sounds like this sort of education may be necessary: Melinda Tucker, PGCB director of racetrack gaming, says that some lawmakers think the horsemen are track employees, rather than independent contractors.

I think it's worth noting that. by my calculations, nearly 20% of the Thoroughbred Blogger Association resides in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State has more representation than Kentucky, California, or even that state that's home to the Big A, a Triple Crown race, and some darn Spa. And maybe there's a correlation between all these talkative bloggers and this:

Pennsylvania is believed to be the only state in which the gaming control board has a dedicated individual who works closely with the racing industry and makes sure gaming law provisions related to racing are followed. (Blood-Horse)

I think this means a position dedicated to the racing industry, but even if it only means the Ms. Tucker is really committed to her job, it's still pretty cool.

But back to the Racetrack Gaming Expo. Despite the event's focus on legislator educating, the good folks behind the Expo have tried to include some attractions for fans. According to the PGCB press release:

"A unique display on Pennsylvania-bred horse racing legend Smarty Jones, and scheduled appearances by jockey Vladimir Diaz, a star of the ESPN movie “Ruffian” and Michael Jester, owner of Penn Ridge Farm where 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Real Quiet will stand for the 2008 breeding season, are among the highlights of Pennsylvania’s first Race Track Gaming Expo."

When: January 30, 2008; 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Where: East Wing Rotunda of the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg.

The Expo is free to the public, and no registration is necessary -- so hey, if you're in the state capital, go horse around at lunchtime!

Mountaineer to remember legendary trainer

2008-01-14T00:50:00.000-05:00

Mountaineer Race Track (actually Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort) will host a "Celebration of Life" gathering today in remembrance of the late Dale Baird who died in a highway accident on December 23. Racing at Mountaineer is on hiatus until January 19th, and the event is being offered to provide "an opportunity for the Mountaineer family, the community, his family and friends to reflect upon his life and to share their memories of a very special person."

The one-time "Wizard of Waterford" owned most of the horses he trained, purchasing them privately and at smaller auctions. In The Blue Collar Thoroughbred, Gene McCormick called him "a giant of the claiming game," an apt description, especially in light of the fact that in a career spanning 45 years, Baird never won a graded stakes. He did, however, receive a Special Eclipse Award after reaching 9,000 wins in November 2004.

After his death, Bloodhorse published a rather lengthy biography of Baird, as well as a more personal portrait of the man from David Mullins. Dan Liebman offered an argument for his inclusion in the Hall of Fame, while over at ESPN, columnist Jeremy Plonk used Baird's career to pay homage to the small tracks, the "backbone" of the industry.

While reading all of this coverage, I noticed that few of the articles mentioned any of the horses Baird trained. True, some note that his first winner was New York, and his 9,000th winner was Frazee's Folly. But what of his Boy Genius, who won the Slipton Fell Handicap in 1999, 2000, and 2001? Or The Dancer, who set the Mountaineer record for 5-1/2 furlongs? Or Hot Hand, who won a $15,000 claimer in a stretch duel one August night in 2005 and paid for the drinks at the Quinella table?

Thanks for the memories, Mr. Baird.

The Monograph Mile

2007-12-05T01:45:00.000-05:00

While more sophistiated horseplayers are already building virtual stables of promising 2-year olds for next year's Derby Trail, here at Turf Luck, I've got my eye on a different competition -- the Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award. The award recognizes the best book about thoroughbred racing published during the past year. Nominations for the award close on December 31, and the award will be announced in spring.

I suspect that the Quinella Castle is the only place on earth where there is wagering of any sort on the Castleton Lyons Thoroughbred Times Award, although around here we simply call it the Monograph Mile. "Monograph" because librarians like to say the word monograph. And as for the "Mile" designation: writing a book is definitely a route, not a sprint.

The list of contenders for the inaugural Monograph Mile (aka the 2006 semifinalists) is still available on the Thoroughbred Times website, so interested readers can do their own handicapping if they wish. Here's how I analyzed the race:

Though I was inordinately fond of Bloodlines: A Horse-Racing Anthology edited by Maggie Estep and Jonathan Starr, I suspected the short story collection wouldn't go the distance. I was also quite enamoured of Bill Barich's A Fine Place to Daydream, a sibling to classic runner Laughing in the Hills, but a book about a year of Irish racing didn't seem likely to fare well on the course in Lexington. And, while I liked Joe Drape's Black Maestro, a well-researched look at the life of Jimmy Winkfield, I worried that it followed too closely on the heels of Wink, Ed Hotaling's 2005 Winkfield biography, to capture the attention of the judges.

So in the end, my money was on Man o'War: A Legend Like Lightning by Dorothy Ours. From the venerable stables of St Martins Press, the book was authored by a former staffer at the National Museum of Racing and received a starred review in Booklist.

However, in the stretch, it was all Black Maestro; the sheer drama of Winkfield's life and a great ride from the experienced Drape simply dominated the other runners. A relative longshot, Patrick Smithwick's Racing My Father, got up for one of the runners-up slots, along with my pick, Man o'War.

Sadly, the win by Black Maestro led to two weeks of dishwashing for me (yes, these are the kinds of bets we take at Turf Luck Wagering, Inc.) But no matter who wins this year's contest, the award is a real boon for racing fans, I think, as it brings some attention to the best writing in the field. And of course, at this time of year, the list of last year's semi-finalists might offer some nice holiday gift-giving ideas.

Because it's getting late, I'll have to post my virtual stable for the 2007 Monograph Mile tomorrow. Stay tuned!

2007 BC picks - from the card catalog

2007-10-27T03:06:00.000-04:00

Yet again, the ace handicappers in the TBA are posting their picks. And yet again, I am overwhelmed by the handicapping acumen of my blogging colleagues. So what can a librarian with modest skill do but scurry to the card catalog for some guidance on racing's big day?

Sadly, I didn't get to post Friday's selections, where a peek at the the records for Maryfield Academy by Carla Tomaso, Now now now by Charles Plymell, et al, and Georgette Heyer's The Corinthian would have helped my intrepid readers cash some tickets. I'm hoping the catalog is on a streak and will turn up some winners for Saturday, too.

Juvenile Fillies
I expected the library catalog to have something on Phantom Income (finance), Indian Blessing (religion and inspiration) or even Smart Deb-utantes (Social life and customs). But I struck out with all of the entries in this race until, at last, I discovered Zee-Zee: A Comedy in Three Acts. Apparently, this 1927 play won a Penn Publishers prize; I'm hoping Zee Zee, until now a turf runner, can win on dirt.

Juvenile
Here I found plenty of options involving Globalization, and I was delighted to find that a search for "Wicked Style" leads to Tip on a Dead Jockey, a short story collection by Irwin Shaw, but in the end, the news from California led to my selection of Pyro, a novel about fire fighters.

Filly and Mare Turf
The catalog yielded a number of choices in this race: the novels Passage of Time, and Simply Perfect, a parent's guide called All My Loving, and of course, that whole long shelf of books on Argentina in the 982 section. Though all of these books for adults are hard to ignore, I'm going with a children's book: Wait a While, part of the Reading Rainbow series.

Sprint
It's hard to resist Bill Holman's 1938 novel Smokey Stover, The Foo Fighter, but I'm going with the even more wonderfully titled Idiot Proof: Deluded Celebrities, Irrational Power Brokers, Media Morons, and the Erosion of Common Sense by Francis Wheen. It's catalogued under "Thought and thinking -- History -- 20th Century"; who knew this was a subject heading?

Mile
The catalog is simply overflowing with Rebellion titles (including a romance from Nora Roberts!), and I was amazed by how many Jeremy's appear in titles. Still, I rejected them all, and narrowed down my choices in this race to Joseph Conrad's Typhoon and Purim! by Camille Kress. To help me decide, I took a peek at them in the paddock:

OK, that guy fighting the elements on the cover of Typhoon might indicate a lot of heart, but the exclamation point in Purim! makes me think this one's ready to run -- and I'm taking the backwards R as a wink. Since I always bet horses that wink at me, Purim gets the nod here.

Distaff
Here, my options were limited. There's the late David Halberstam's Teammates about 1940s-era Red Sox players (and geez, aren't the Sox in the World Series this year?) and not much else ... except Hysterical Fiction: The Woman's Novel in the Twentieth Century, a lit-crit tome by Clare Hanson. This is the sort of obscure suggestion from the catalog that I simply cannot resist, so the pick goes to (you guessed it!) Hystericalady.

Turf
No discussion here. Books about that grand couturier, Monsieur Worth and the English Channel be damned: Dylan Thomas rules. And he reads aloud on the audiobook that I've selected here, Dylan Thomas Reads.

Classic
OK, the father of our country gets loads of ink, but I think I'll have to go with the card that brought me the biggest payoff last year: Street Sense, It's Common Sense. Sure, it's getting a bit dog-eared, but isn't that appropriate when you're talking about a classic?

------
Once again, a shout-out to library guru John Blyberg and his awesome catalog card generator!

TBA: Another great year

2007-10-23T22:50:00.000-04:00

I've returned - uninjured! -- from yet another library conference to find that I've missed all the hoopla surrounding the Breeders' Cup advance past performances, the strange settlement in Cobra-gate, the arrival of the Keeneland sales catalog, and episode 973 of the NYRA saga. Fortunately, the fine folks of the TBA have been following these stories for us all.

So here at Turf Luck, we're taking a moment during BC week to say, Thanks, TBA-ers! And Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Our little band got its start two years ago this month, with our first press release:

(Oct 18, 2005) Today a group of seven thoroughbred racing bloggers announced the creation of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA). From the US to Hong Kong -- and all points in between -- these dedicated racing fans have banded together to support the game of horse racing by using a tool somewhat foreign to the Sport of Kings -- the blog. With the formation of the TBA, the group also announced plans to award their first ever Horse of the Year Award (HOY). Unlike similar awards that are given each year based solely on subjective media and industry voting, the TBA's HOY award will be given to the horses with the most points earned in Graded Stakes....

Yes, the TBA predates blogging efforts by Dan Illman, Steve Crist, Calvin Borel, and even Rags to Riches. In other words, the TBA has a history of being ahead of the curve and is a force to be reckoned with.

OK, I suppose we're still working on the "force to be reckoned with" part, though in the past year, we've seen Not to the Swift quoted (anonymously) in the Washington Post and Curb My Enthusiasm quoted by the Dallas Observer. Tote Board Brad was mentioned on SFgate, though that's probably small potatoes to someone who's also been mentioned on TVG. Tote Board Brad, Bob Ike, and Handride were all interviewed for the quirky Love Da Goat website.

And, of course, everyone who's anyone is quoting Alan of Left at the Gate, now that he's posting on the snazzy, official Breeders Cup website.

Meanwhile, our Average Horse Player was a presenter at the Symposium on Racing and Gaming in November, and Railbird was a panelist at the Thoroughbred Racing Association's Simulcast Conference.

Other milestones of the year include:

December 2006: John from Not to the Swift launches Birdbirdblog to follow the adventures of Birdbirdistheword on the Derby Trail.

January 2007: From Pittsburgh, by way of her native Erie, PA, The Last Filly, keeps us posted on the progress of Presque Isle Downs, complete with pics of the Tapeta surface.

March 2007: Two new members join the roster this month: the Monmouth Park blog offering handicapping tips for -- where else? -- Monmouth Park, while Canadian Gambling News and Issues provides pithy comments on track news from north of the border.

April 2007: As the Derby Trail heats up, the TBA is deluged with new members: the erudite Foolish Pleasure from track-less Johnstown PA, the distinctly West Coast Top of the Stretch, and Bob Ike Picks blog all come aboard. Meanwhile the TBA bids adieu to Up On the Roof, as Jason moves on to call the races at River Downs.

May 2007: Into the Bit brings yet another perspective of the California scene to the group, while Blinkers Off -- the only TBA blog based in Kentucky -- signs off.

July 2007: Graded Stakes, handicapping from slots-free Ohio, injects some youthful enthusiasm into the group.

August 2007: Down the Stretch proves that Arizona has at least one racing fan, and she packs a mean telephoto lens.

October 2007: Breeders Cup fever may be behind a veritable onslaught of new members, including a trio of New Yorkers. The ardor of a new thoroughbred racing enthusiast is apparent at Green but Game where Belmont pics (and picks!) are served up regularly, while Brooklyn Backstretch proffers grammatically correct postings on the New York scene, and The Chalk provides backside insights. Fortunately, all of this Empire State news is balanced by the addition of Thoroughbred Race Horse Blog, written by Texan -- and most glamourous woman in racing-- Donna Keen.

Somehow, I read all of this (and year 1, as well) as proof positive that racing still has widespread appeal. I believe the very existence of the TBA shows that there's still hope for our favorite sport, despite cobra venom, Frank Stronach makeovers, and the lack of quinella wagers at WV tracks.

So, take a break from the past performances, crack open a cold one, and raise a glass to ... yourselves!

------
Note to all you fans searching for free past performances for the Breeders' Cup races: check out the links on the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance homepage.
Updated: 10/23/2007.

Slight diversion

2007-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

I've been "tagged" by Rising Rainbow for one of those meme things that make their way across the Internet tubes. Apparently I'm supposed to post 8 things you don't know about me. I'll take a stab at it, because anyone who writes "QQ, the Quinella Queen, from Turf Luck my favorite horse racing blog," is someone we want to keep happy. (Yes, Rainbow, you made my day!)

And away we go:
1. I had my own booth at a local flea market at age 8, selling all matter of "junque". Even my mother doesn't know that while waiting for customers, I read the True Confessions magazines our neighbor gave me to sell for her. Pretty spicy stuff for an 8 year old.

2. I knew the Mighty Atom and his protégé, Slim the Hammer Man. Both performed feats of strength near my hometown. After performances, The Atom would sell bottles of his tonic to the crowd. When his throat got dry from talking to the crowd, I was the kid who would fetch him a glass of water. It wasn't until I read his biography that I learned his real name.

3. I've sold horse feed to Walter Farley, the creator of The Black Stallion. Every now and again, my grandparents would let me ring up the sales in the feedmill they owned. (OK, longtime readers may remember that I blogged about this some time ago. But I thought Rainbow would like it.)

4. I've only ridden horses bareback. Make that "horse". One of my high school friends would bring Ned, a dear grey gelding, to my house, then we'd ride, very slowly, throughout our little town. I had to stand on the porch to get on, and the lack of reins always made me nervous.

5. I got married on Super Bowl Sunday. We decided to get married on Tuesday, got the blood work done on Wednesday, and on Sunday, the wedding party walked from the JP's office to our favorite sportsbar. I think this proves that the King of the Quinella Castle is a lucky man.

6. I attended the 1999 Nebula Awards Ceremony. No red carpet, no swag, but those science fiction folks throw a really nice party.

7. I don't balance my checkbook. I have never won a dispute with bank, so this frees up some time for things like irregular blog posting.

8. I really do play the Breeders' Cup picks I get from the card catalog. It may sound crazy, but last year, that odd catalog pick in the Juvenile won at 15-1. Tomorrow, I'll see what the catalog holds for this year.

A legend is gone

2007-10-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

We've just returned from a weekend at Keeneland -- our third visit since being bitten by the racing bug. It's a long drive from Pittsburgh, made longer by the fact that we prefer the rolling highway of West Virginia's Technology Corridor to the flat, monotonous, and seemingly endless route through Ohio. Three trips, and after each, we always say that on the next visit, we'll make time for the Horse Park. We'll go say hi to those living legends Cigar and John Henry next time.

As it turns out, though we'll continue to have reasons to return to Keeneland, John Henry won't be one of them, as he was euthanized earlier this evening. Fran's got the press release posted at Hoof Blog, and there's similar coverage at Bloodhorse and Thoroughbred Times.

Stories about the irascible gelding abound, and Steve Haskin tells a number of them in John Henry, one of the Thoroughbred Legends series of books from Eclipse Press. Mary Simon summarizes the high points of his career in Racing Through the Century, and his inaugural Arlington Million win is described in Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, where it ranks #30.

In the coming days, it's likely that well-known journalists and lesser known bloggers will publish their memories of John Henry, but here at Turf Luck, we'll have nothing to say but that sad old racing adage, "Woulda, coulda, shoulda."

Nouveau riche at Presque Isle Downs

2007-09-17T01:55:00.000-04:00

"Actually the Clubhouse at PID is a great place to watch the races. If you don't mind being inside and if they actually haven't reserved all the tables for the "elite". Which they have done for all the big dates at Presque Isle."
--comment from Bill on the Foolish Pleasure

Ah, Gentle Reader, I could not resist posting this quote because it's the only evidence on the planet that ... for once in my life, I was smack dab in the middle of the elite. Yes, on Saturday, the King and I were at one of those reserved tables with honest-to-God real cloth napkins. We phoned in two weeks in advance to get "the last table," so we can report from the heady air of the clubhouse restaurant at Presque Isle.

There's Dom Perignon on the menu, but there's also Railbender Ale. And while you could drop some big bucks on gourmet offerings, there are also some reasonably-priced vittles available. But frankly, no seemed to be paying much attention to their food. Instead, they were either handicapping or trying to figure out how to use the snazzy flat screen wagering machines on each of the cloth-covered tables.

Based on our experiences on Opening Day, we knew lines at the windows would be long. We also anticipated technical difficulties with betting machines. We were right on both counts: lines did get long, except at the betting machines hidden behind plants in the bar area. Sadly, 2 of the 4 machines there were unwilling to accept cash, making it hard to place a wager.

So really, it behooved us to figure out the machine at our table. It's sleek. It's state-of-the-art. And it's so new, that only one out of 6 employees knows how to use it. We were quickly revealed as nouveau riche when our table required a visit from technical support.

Here's the scoop: the machines are easiest to use with one of Presque Isle's Players Club cards. You'll stand in line downstairs for this. Card in hand, proceed to a teller window where your card will be linked to your card, a PIN, and the amount of money you hand the teller. You'll get one little machine readable ticket for the day. To get your winnings, you return to the teller, hand her the ticket, card and PIN, and you'll be cashed out. I must say, this contributes mightily to your appearance as one of the elite, because there's be no tell-tale pile of losing tickets on your table.

The downside is that while the machines appeared to track wagers and winnings quite well, most of them had no sound. According to the tech support fellow, the audio works on well, like, every other one. My experience is that it's a much lower percentage. Thus, in the elite section, you have a spectacular view of the live races, and can even watch the simulcast program, but you cannot actually hear the program. Though the call is piped into the room, once the room fills up with the pleasant chattering of other horseplayers, you can't hear it.

Still, I was able to see:

* Some big name jockeys. Julien Leparoux came to town. So did Cornelio Velasquez and Jeremy Rose. Whoo-hoo! Here's a shot of last year's Outstanding Apprentice Jockey coming out of the paddock on Mama's Lil' Mon in the 2nd race.

* Some old friends. A number of Mountaineer horses, trainers, and jockeys were on the card: 9 year-old Capazuri picked up $9000 for placing in a $10,000 claimer for trainer Loren Cox (remember Lady Grace?), John Baird's Tidy Up took third -- and $4,000 -- in the same race. Jockey Andrew Ramgeet won both the first and the last races of the day. And, sadly, Deshawn Parker and my beloved Bernie Blue ran fourth in the Karl Boyes Memorial Northwestern PA Stakes.

* A new millionaire. Real Dandy, the winner of the 2005 West Virginia Derby, came in third in the Presque Isle Mile, picking up a check that moved his total earnings over $1 million.

I'm hoping they gave Dandy an elite stall to match his new-found status. Maybe one with better flooring than gravel.

Counting it up

2007-09-17T00:29:00.000-04:00

I met up with the scribes from Foolish Pleasure and The Last Filly at the track in Erie on Saturday for the 1st running of the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes. We were but three in a reported crowd of 13,451 to be on hand for Miss Macy Sue's lucrative win -- nearly double the number present for Rags to Riches' return to the track at Belmont.

This raises an interesting question: how accurate is the attendance at these racinos? There's no admission charge, and there are no turnstyles. Rather convenient, I suppose, when there is no grandstand. Folks might expect a seat if they had to pay to enter.

Presque Isle Downs is not unique in this respect; I believe most tracks that share entrances and parking lots with casinos are turnstyle-free. So how do they estimate the crowd?

I once asked this of a wizened security guard at Mountaineer, where the situation is similar. My Mountaineer Yodo was under the impression that someone counted the number of cars in the lot and estimated attendance from that. Not sure who.

Since I'm in the midst of reading The Super Crunchers, I'm well aware that petabytes of computing capacity are being used to analyze my every whimsical Internet search and impulse purchase, so I'm sure that someone somewhere has crunched the numbers to determine the average number of passengers in a car full of slots players. Maybe they've even done data mining on horseplayers. But somehow I doubt it, as the data's not there to mine, because -- gasp! -- there's nothing on my car that says "Count me for the ponies!" just as there's nothing on someone else's car to say "Horseplayer and Slots Queen" or "I don't leave the $1 machine until you turn out the lights."

Also adding to the vagarity of the racino attendance numbers is the question of when the supposed car counting is done. All day? Until the first post? Ah, these are questions my poor security guard couldn't answer.

While I don't think that imprecise attendance numbers matter much in the great scheme of things, I do wonder how the racing industry as a whole views these numbers. Do the folks at Belmont lose sleep wondering how Miss Macy Sue can outdraw the Belle of Belmont? Or do they simply smile to themselves when they look at all of the numbers at the bottom of the chart:

Presque Isle Downs Track Attendance: 13451
Handle: $122,376
Off Track Wagering: $654,879

Belmont Park Track Attendance: 7361
Handle: $1,777,572
Intra-State Wagering: $3,765,563
Inter-State Wagering: $11,749,249

QQ responds

2007-09-12T00:51:00.000-04:00

Since my last post, the King and I have been hiding out in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds -- far, far away from the basic accoutrements of modern life, like televisions, computers, or even cell phone reception. So, please forgive me for being remiss in responding to those dear readers who left comments while I was gone; I'll try to make up for it now:

alan - Yes, it was fun. The patio was pleasant, the beer was cold, and I went home a winner -- even though Presque Isle Downs, like other Pennsylvania tracks, does not offer my favorite wager. But you know my slogan: Box that exacta and call it a quinella!

saratoga shawn - I haven't seen any of the Presque Isle camera work, but I'm not surprised that it wasn't up to snuff yet. The good news is that it can only get better, right?

rising rainbow - Aw, two hours is nothing. We travel days to get to the Belmont Stakes!

lorelei - I don't think you have to worry about Kentucky Downs getting a bad rap. It's been my experience that folks in Kentucky know what they are doing. And yup, it's said "Presk Isle", though I kinda like saying Pikachu myself. What is a bit unfortunate is the track abbreviation that appears in the past performances, since "PID is often associated with sexually transmitted diseases." (Wikipedia) I'm guessing that's not the kind of association they're after. By the way what is the TPTB? Hopefully not a sexually transmitted disease.

anonymous - Gravel bottomed stalls? The Last Filly was right: they weren't quite ready for the big day.

suebroux - Yes, there is no jumbotron, we have no jumbotron today.

valerie - We, the PA taxpayers, paid for this?! If I'd have known, I would have demanded a jumbotron! And a grandstand.

Thanks all for stopping by, and thanks, too, for refraining from comments on the quality of the photos. Fortunately, The Last Filly has a great camera, and she knows how to use it -- those who would like a better idea of how things look can take a peek at her shots from Presque Isle's first day. Meanwhile, just so you know how much worse the photography at Turf Luck could be, here's one of our pics from Elk State Forest:

Adventures in Wonderland: Presque Isle Downs

2007-09-04T02:02:00.000-04:00

The intrepid Turf Luck travelers have returned from our visit to the first day of racing at Presque Isle Downs. By now, you've read Foolish Pleasure's recaps of the races and heard the Last Filly's disappointment. Now that the excitement and emotion of the first day have worn off, I'll weigh in with my impressions.

Situated right off of I-90 at Exit 27, Presque Isle Downs is really, really easy to find. From Pittsburgh, it took us only two hours of pleasant driving -- and no wrong turns! -- before the entrance beckoned us with promises of live racing. Succumbing to the siren lure of the dynamic signage promising live racing, we turned the Quinella Mobile into the main parking lot.

I had been warned that the terrain required a bridge between the parking lot and the casino, so I was not surprised when I found myself walking above butterflies and banks of Joe Pye weed below the bridge. I had not been warned about the greeter at the casino doorway. Unable to spy an entrance directly to the track, we entered the casino where we were welcomed by an aged woman in a fire engine red flapper outfit. Flustered I asked for a map of the track; our sprightly greeter seemed stricken when she discovered none of her brochures included a map. She did however point out the pattern in the rug which would lead us to the buffet, and beyond it, doorways to the track. I had one of those surreal moments when I felt like Dorothy in Oz, as the Good Witch of the North urges her to follow the yellow brick road. (And you know, the King does bear a slight resemblance to the Scarecrow.)

Soon, we were past the slot machines -- which I find I now associate with flying monkeys -- and we entered a bright room with a buffet to one side, wagering windows to the other, and flat screen tv monitors adorning the walls. Brightly colored tables were scattered throughout the large room. Surely we'd arrived at the Emerald City, for through the glass doors across the room, I could spot the gleaming rails surrounding the track.

Once we'd passed through the glass doors, we found ourselves on the trackside patio, lined with a row of silver tables and chairs. At one end of the patio, more teller windows and some tables of Presque Isle merchandise; at the other end, a row of potted shrubs hid the employee smoking area. At 3:00 in the afternoon, it was a delightful place to be. I wanted to sink into a chair, order a drink, and bask in the resort-like feel of the deck with the track sparkling before me.

Instead, I took a trip down the apron, where I discovered that the winner's circle is actually a rectangle. I half-expected the bricks to be yellow, but that's just the flowers.

And yet, even though racing was 2-1/2 hours away, there were cracks in the facade of the Emerald City. For example, it appeared that all of the tables had reserved signs on them. No one knew for whom. (Fortunately, we found a group of five or so tables at the paddock end of the patio that lacked these signs, possibly because the supply had run out.) At any rate, there were only three tables available when we arrived. At 3 o'clock. Two and half hours before the first race. Later arrivals would be relegated to standing or sitting in the three rows of benches on the apron in front of the patio.

Leaving the King (or Scarecrow, whichever you prefer) to handicap at our table, I felt compelled to visit the upstairs dining room. There's a large bar beside a substantial simulcast area on the top level of the upstairs restaurant; beyond this, are tiers of cloth-covered dining tables reminiscent of the Trackside Restaurant at Mountaineer. From the dining area, the view of the track is magnificent. I scampered down to the first row of tables to snap this picture before returning downstairs to snag my free poster and find Randy Moss's handicapping seminar.

As crowds started to arrive, it became apparent that we were in for some disappointment. Rather than continue with Oz-inspired similes and metaphors, I'll just spell them out here:

* Too few employees had been briefed on the day's schedule. Not one of the employees in business attire was quite sure about where Randy Moss would be holding his handicapping seminar -- or when. Not even the woman handing out media passes could answer this question. All of these staffers had "Marketing" on their name tags. Fortunately, I found Barbara, an employee wearing the casino uniform of blue vest and tan pants. I suspect that Barbara is far down the totem pole from the suited ones, but she not only knew where Moss would be, but who he was. She also knew that there 2500 posters to be given out to track patrons. Sadly, there were still some available after the last race, probably because no one, not even our Good Witch Flapper, told patrons they were there.

* There is no grandstand, indoors or out. By four o'clock, it was obvious that this was gonna be a problem. People had no where to sit down, and as they mingled on the apron, it became apparent that the track would not be visible from the lovely deck. Later, I discovered the race was not visible even from the apron, unless you were right on the rail. At right is my view from the patio.

* The brand new infield tote board does not have video capability. This would allow outdoor patrons a view of the race, something that was impossible on Saturday.

* The call could not be heard at the rail. At least not for the first race. I don't know if this was a technical problem or an oversight, but I do know that I had no idea what was going on for 99% of the first race. Not wishing to be in that situation again, I stayed at our table for the remainder of the card. By the fourth, I was standing on my chair during the race. As you can see at right, I might have teetered precariously, but at least I could see the horses.

* Poor traffic paths throughout the facility. I admire the experiment of mingling the buffet crowd with the simulcast area, as it seems to have two benefits: the slots players who come for the buffet disperse the air of desperation and exclusiveness that clings to off-track betting areas while at the same time, the arrangement exposes slots players to the excitement of racing as they refuel. However, the layout of the facility requires customers to carry their plates, piled high with morsels from the buffet, through the lines of folks waiting to make their bets. Also, the idea of having a hot dog stand, the stairway to the upstairs restaurant, the elevators, and the buffet all converge at the same point seems unwise to me.

* Not enough windows or machines were available. The lines for the inside tellers extended to the doors to the patio; outside, the lines were nearly as long, and often the queue extended down the stairs from the patio to the apron. Overall, it was extremely difficult to move. Lines for machines were little better, and generally moved slower, as many bettors were unfamiliar with the operation of the wagering machines, and slowed down the lines. Most worrisome to me was the breakdown of some of the outdoor machines later in the day. Somehow, I thought these were new machines and thus, less likely to fail.

Some of the other disappointments of the day were definitely technical difficulties that I assume are rather easy to fix: lights on half the patio didn't ever come on (yes, I was handicapping by candlelight!), and many of the heaters on the patio went out (and yes, that gentle lake breeze can be chilly!). Other mishaps could have been avoided fairly easily; for example, maybe someone could have checked Randy Moss's microphone before he actually needed it.

Still, there's a lot to like about Presque Isle Downs. The paddock is much nicer than Mountaineer's, and the general atmosphere is more resort-like. I loved being able to buy a drink or place a bet without going inside. The fact that it's the only track in the U.S. running races on Tapeta may lead to some interesting visitors. And I have to thank whomever was responsible for bringing Randy Moss to town; he was really accommodating to the fans and dealt with the technical difficulties gracefully. I overheard him conversing with someone about the West Virginia Derby, which Moss covered for ESPN. The fan mentioned how nice West Virginia was, and Moss concurred that yes, there was some beautiful country near Weirton before adding, "but this is nicer."

I agree. OK, it's not the Emerald City, it's an Emerald Village, but what with the state of racing nowadays, that may be enough reason to start shopping for some ruby slippers.

And they're off ... to Presque Isle

2007-09-01T09:49:00.000-04:00

After lollygagging most of August, it's September -- time for a brand, new track. The King and I are off to Presque Isle Downs for its inaugural day of racing, which kicks off with, fittingly enough, the Inaugural Stakes at 5:30. Bill Mooney's done a series of articles about the new track including an interesting article about the Tapeta surface and a nice piece about jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. who'll be riding Dicey's Girl in the stakes. You can read all of Mooney's coverage on the Presque Isle Downs site.

Gates open at 3:30, and there's a handicapping seminar with Randy Moss at 4:00 on the trackside patio. And, rather surprisingly to those of us familiar with Mountaineer management, there'll be free posters of the event!

WV Derby: thumbs up ... and down

2007-08-06T23:43:00.001-04:00

It's been a week, and I find I've been having trouble summarizing West Virginia Derby Day, possibly because I always try to follow my mom's old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Today, it dawned on me that perhaps if you do say something nice, you've earned the right to offer some criticism, at last freeing me to share some impressions of Mountaineer's Big Day:

Thumbs up:

* Mountaineer's new "signature" Derby drink: The Perfecta. For $3.50, one could obtain a refreshing concoction of lemonade and vodka served in a souvenir Derby glass. I may have enjoyed these a tad too much, as our supply of souvenir glasses filled the entire top rack of my dishwasher on Sunday.

* B.E.Taylor's soulful rendition of the national anthem. It's always shocking, and delightful, to hear a live performance of music at the track, even if it's only the Star-Spangled Banner.

* The WV Derby undercard. Eight other stakes races were run at Mountaineer on Saturday, and Steve Asmussen won two of them with a pair of impressive young 'uns: Crackalackin, who won the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes by 4-1/2 lengths and Elocution, who won the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes by 5. There's some nice coverage of the day's other winners at Bloodhorse.

* The WV Derby. A breath-taking finish to this one, as you can tell from Peter Berry's fine call on the replay (NTRA). Asmussen won this as well, with Zanjero, but Bwana Bull gave him a run for his money.

* Bernie Blue. Gotta love this gelding and his win in the WV Legislature Chairman's Cup Sprint. Here's his line from the chart of the 4-1/2f run: "blew by the pacesetter in upper stretch drawing off in the three path for a convincing win." Six lengths -- convincing, indeed!

* M B Sea. Though M B Sea won the 2005 running of the Governor's Stakes, my companions thought the 8-year-old might have lost a step and went with Mr. Pursuit. I passed on this one, so was free to cheer wildly as M B Sea pounded past Mr. Pursuit in the stretch winning by 7 lengths.

* Beautiful Venue. Though three horses scratched on the filly & mare turf event, leaving a poor wagering opportunity, the WV Senate President's Breeders' Cup Stakes (or as we call it, "The Lady Grace Stakes") was still pretty exciting as the youngest of the entrants, 3-yo Beautiful Venue emerged victorious from a speed duel with Afleet Angel while setting a track record for 1mile 70 yards.

* Rex Stokes. The King has often opined that Mountaineer regular Rex Stokes III could ride with the best, and on Saturday, Stokes faced some top-notch names, as Robbie Albarado, Shaun Bridgmohan, and Mark Guidry brought their skills to West Virginia for the day. Stokes held his own against the big boys, riding 4 winners on Derby Day -- Beautiful Venue, M B Sea, Country Diva, and Cowboy Hardware -- with Bridgmohan taking 3 races (the Asmussen entries). Mountaineer regular Deshawn Parker piloted Bernie Blue to his win, Albarado took the final race with Buckeye Buddy, and Guidry, who'd hoped to win three WV Derbies in a row, was shut out.

Thumbs down:

* The new "No coolers allowed" rule. This seemed harsh in the 90+ degree heat. Apparently many of the early arrivals were as surprised as I was to discover that Mountaineer had instituted a new policy and beefed up security to enforce it. Since the program says only "Bottles, Cans, or other containers of alcoholic beverages are not permitted to be brought into Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort," one might assume that unopened bottles of Aquafina and cans of Diet Dr. Pepper might be permitted. One would, apparently, be mistaken.

* The construction throughout the track's interior. Though I knew Mountaineer had been remodeling the ground floor of the track facility for some time now, I assumed that the work would be complete for the track's showcase day. ESPN was there, for goodness sakes! Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss, as well as 14,000 fans, got to walk past a quarter of the mutuel windows and a substantial part of the interior wrapped from ceiling to floor in some dirty white plastic sheeting. I tried hard not to be offended by the signs stating "Please pardon our construction as we upgrade our property," since the part of the construction that is finished -- the newly unveiled simulcast area -- is really lovely, with glistening monitors at roomy cubicles, and its own teller counter. If only those construction signs hinted at some customer, rather than stockholder, benefit.

* No cameras allowed. Yes, dear readers, for two years, I have been committing some sort of Mountaineer crime. That photo of Punk, those pics of the paddock -- all apparently in violation of a Mountaineer rule! A security official told me to "bury my camera at the bottom of my purse or it would be confiscated." Of course, your ever polite Quinella Queen complied, but I did ask why this was necessary. After stumbling a bit for an answer -- apparently nobody else asks these kinds of questions -- the official informed me that "people don't want their pictures taken, the numerous dignitaries, for example. You can't ever take photos at the track."

Huh? Though I did bury my camera and its brand new batteries in the bottom of my seemingly bottomless purse, there was much muttering at the Turf Luck table. Some questions we would have liked to ask, but didn't:

What dignitaries? The politicians who give the trophies for the events named for their positions? When was the last time you met a politician who didn't want to be photographed? And why is it ok to take photos at Saratoga, Keeneland, Churchill Downs? Are these not tracks? Are these not tracks that attract much more illustrious dignitaries than we can hope to see in Chester, WV?

The only answer we could derive, with the help of a few of those Perfecta drinks, was that Mountaineer is not really a track -- it's a slots palace with a track on the side, so slots rules are the rules. I suspect the ban on cameras is due to the fear that some camera-wielding slots spy will sneak upstairs and take a picture of the blinking lights that denote the real business at Mountaineer.

Sigh. Even on Derby Day, with ESPN covering the race, and Jerry Bailey sitting twenty feet away, even on this kind of a day -- it's not really about the horses, the trainers, the jockeys, the track records. It's not about the fans. Nope. It's all about the slots, baby.

Here, dear readers, is my last photo from Mountaineer. I took it prior to my encounter with security, about 2 hours before the first post.

Look at it, and imagine that it's five hours later in the day. Imagine it's twenty minutes before the West Virginia Derby. Imagine a group of seven or so, standing in the fresh mulch to the left of the ring of greenery before the horses arrive. Imagine this group of six or so men and one woman are all in race day finery. At the center of the group, there's a small gentleman wearing a suit and fedora talking with great animation. Every eye in the group is riveted on this dapper little man as Pete Anderson, former jockey of Forego, current trainer of Delightful Kiss, regales some of his rivals with a track story that causes the group to break into grins. It is a lovely scene, capturing that calm before the race routine begins and a respect among competitors, that hints at the marvel and mystery of racing.

It's an image I'll carry with me in my mind, because, of course, that's the only way: you can't take pictures at the track.

WV Derby now on ESPN Classic

2007-08-04T09:05:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Barry Bonds and his continuing quest for the home run record, the WV Derby will air on ESPN Classic. Reader Valerie said it best:

Urgh! Did you see that because of stupid Barry Bonds, ESPN has shifted the race off its main channel and to ESPN Classic? Bonds was a jerk when in Pittsburgh, and he still curses the region after all these years. Everyone should just walk him for the rest of the year.

Curses, indeed!

WV Derby Day overview -- and free past performances

2007-08-03T03:08:00.000-04:00

Though the $750,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby continues to garner some attention in the mainstream racing press, there's little attention being paid to the rest of the Mountaineer's stakes-filled Saturday card. Here's a brief overview of the card, with links to free past performances, where available:

Race 1 - Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. 2yo. (Past performances)

After a third place finish in the G3 Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs, Steve Asmussen's Crackalackin goes forth as the ML favorite. The field of 12 also includes Robbing the Bank, 2nd in the Prairie Gold Juvenile last month, Luvandgo, who earned an 81-Beyer while placing 2nd in a MSW at Churchill last out, and Preachin Man, winner of the Minstrel Stakes. At the rail will be Yonegwa with Mark Guidry in the irons; Guidry tends to do well at Mountaineer, and Yonegwa posted a bullet work at Churchill last week. With ML odds of 12-1, Yonegwa's one to consider.

Race 2 - West Virginia Legislature Chairman's Cup - $85,000.
4-1/2 f, dirt.

Joe DeVivo at DRF writes that this race "might pose the day's most intriguing head-to-head showdown, between Bernie Blue, the hottest horse on the grounds, and graded stakes winner He's Got Grit." I'm inordinately fond of Bernie Blue, who won the 5-1/2f Mountain Stakes in July and the 1mile-70yd Slipton Fell Handicap in June. He's the ML favorite, he's my favorite, 'nuff said.

Race 3 - West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. Fillies & Mares. (Past performances)

Rex "The Speed Doctor" Stokes will ride Country Diva, who's placed or better six out of her seven tries at Mountaineer. Her strongest rivals appear to be Trout River Red, Cajun Mistress, and Vote Early. I'm thinking New Year's Eve Stakes winner Excellerant, with Robbie Albarado up may have a shot, though her 1-post position might discourage those familiar with Mountaineer's periodic "dead" rail, so I'll be watching how Yonegwa does in the first race before I wager on this one.

Race 4 - Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes - $85,000.
6f, dirt. 2yo fillies.

Rumor has it that the North American Graded Stakes committee may grant this race Grade III status in the near future (The Review, 8/3), as two of last year's entrants -- Appealing Zophie and Meadow Breeze -- went on to win G-1's later in the year. This year, Steve Asmussen's Elocution is the overwhelming favorite at 3-5 in the morning line, with John Servis' Ms. Officer Rocket closest in the ML at 4-1. I want to have a look at Sumwhrovrtherainbw, who may have a horrible name, but is trained by David Markgraf, who's got a 33% winning percentage with 2 year olds.

Race 5 - West Virginia Senate President's Breeders' Cup Stakes - $125,000.
1 mile 70 yards, turf. Fillies & Mares. (Past performances)

Until this year, this race was run at 1 mile. Not sure why the distance was changed, but the race looks to be a grudge match between the top 3 finishers in Mountaineer's Decoration Day Handicap: Bold Passage (ML odds: 4-1), Afleet Angel (ML: 3-1), and Water Gap (ML: 5-1). Michael Matz is sending Miss Belga Bound to face the trio in her first race since an up-the-track performance in the All Along Breeders' Cup Stakes in June.

Race 6 - The Harvey Arneault Memorial Breeders' Cup Stakes - $125,000.
6f, dirt. 3yo and up.

The Student (ML: 9-5) and Forest Hill (ML: 8-5) top the Morning Line, but I'm wondering about De Brandon Boy. He broke his maiden last time out -- his first race after leaving trainer Bob Baffert. His speed figures jumped 28 points, too. Hmm.

Race 7 - The West Virginia Governor's Stakes - $125,000
1-1/16 miles, dirt. (Past performances)

Dale Romans brings M B Sea back to the Mountain where, in three previous attempts, he's never been out of the money. Surprisingly, the ML favorite is Mr. Pursuit at 7-5, who finished 3 lengths behind M B Sea in Mountaineer's Slipton Fell Handicap in June. At 5-1, the pace-setting Angler's Reef seems like a better bet to me.

Race 8 - The West Virginia Derby (G3) - $750,000.
1-1/8 miles, dirt. (Past performances)

A winner of a G-1 hasn't run in the WV Derby since 2000 -- so a visit from Blue Grass Stakes winner Dominican seems pretty special. In addition, the field includes Bwana Bull, Delightful Kiss, Dr. Googles Boogles, Moyer's Pond, Norjac, Sam P., Slew's Tizzy, Song of Navarone, Zanjero. Both Curb My Enthusiasm and Graded Stakes offer up some handicapping suggestions for this race, as does The Handicapper's Edge.

All I can say: trained by Forego's jockey! One horse barn! Shades of improbable Walter Farley books! Go, Delightful Kiss, go!

Race 9 - The West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup Stakes - $85,000.
1 mile 70 yards, turf. (Past performances)

Cherokee Prince is the 5-2 favorite for this one, and there's good reason: he's won three stakes at the Mountain since last July. (The chart for his most recent win, the Independence Day Stakes, is available on the Mountaineer website.)

Frankly, it looks like a great day is in store for those who stop by Mountaineer on Saturday. Free admission, tasty Blue Derby drinks in snazzy julep glasses, tons of sun, Jerry Bailey, and two turf races! What more could you ask for?

Quinella Queen asks -- and receives

2007-08-03T00:42:00.000-04:00

Put the message in the box
Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world
Until you get heard
--World Party

I've been heard! After last year's WV Derby, I mentioned being disappointed with the call of the race:

I'm not sure who ESPN brought in to call the race, but I was unimpressed. (You can visit NTRA to hear it for yourself.) Maybe some year they'll let Mountaineer's excellent Peter Berry make the call. (Turf Luck, Aug 12, 2006)

Well, some year has arrived. Bill Mooney reports that Peter Berry is to be the voice of W. Va. Derby. Ah, the power of the dreadful blogger! OK, it's more likely that there's some other cause for this, but still, it's wonderful that folks around the country will get to hear Berry's lovely Australian accent make the call.

Meanwhile, there will be some big names gracing Mountaineer on Saturday: Randy Moss, Jay Privman, and Jerry Bailey will be there, not to mention yours truly and the rest of the Castle crew. Hmmm.... let's test this powerful blog thing:

I'm thinking that it's a shame ESPN doesn't invite local bloggers to sit in the broadcasting tent with Bailey and Moss. Maybe some year they'll invite Mountaineer's own Quinella Queen to join them.

On the West Virginia Derby Trail

2007-07-31T00:26:00.000-04:00

From last year's experience, I know it's silly to speculate on just who of the 70 nominees for the WV Derby will actually go the post, as someone always chooses to go to the Haskell instead. Still, I've been piecing together a list of the likely runners for the benefit of the King*, and here's what we know so far:

Definite:

Bwana Bull - Jockey will be Dana Whitney, winner of the 2001 WV Derby. Shipped in from California on Sunday and has already jogged on the track.
Chelokee - Considered definite as recently as 7/26.
Delightful Kiss - Slated to arrive in West Virginia on Thursday.
Moyer's Pond - Jockey will be Mark Guidry, who's won the last 2 WV Derbies.
Slew's Tizzy - Is considered definite.
Song of Navarone - Shipped in on Sunday.
Try to Fly - Was slated to ship in to Mountaineer on Sunday.

Possibles:

Brownie Points (DRF, 7/10)
Nobiz like Shobiz (DRF, 7/19)
Xchanger - Last year, Flashy Bull was the gray who was pointed to either the Haskell or the WV Derby. This year, it's Xchanger. Looks to me like he'll go to the Haskell (DRF, 7/25).
Zanjero (Review, 7/26)
Most of the rest of the 70 nominations (PPs, pdf format)

I've gathered much of this list from articles by Bill Mooney, who writes for the Wheeling Intelligencer and the East Liverpool Review -- and is seemingly the only journalist on earth interested in the race. Of course, he's probably the only journalist in the area, what with all of the racing media off covering Saratoga, Del Mar, and that $1 million dollar race somewhere in New Jersey. I've enjoyed reading Mooney's pre-Derby coverage for two years now, and I really appreciate his entertaining features that provide well-written summaries sprinkled with interesting background facts that humanize the entrants without being sentimental. (Not surprising, perhaps, as he won an Eclipse for his magazine writing in 1985.)

Mooney can also be pretty insightful, as when he notes in the East Liverpool Review article cited above that the WV Derby might be a perfect fit for Zanjero's "late foot." Or as in his most recent feature, where he notes:

"The North American Graded Stakes Committee designated the West Virginia Derby a Grade 3 stakes in 2002, and it has retained that status ever since. According to the committee’s own point system, the West Virginia Derby now ranks higher than the Ohio Derby at Thistledown, the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park and the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, all of which retain a Grade 2 ranking. Logic would seem to dictate that the West Virginia Derby also should be accorded a Grade 2 ranking following this year’s running, which is luring the best field in the race’s history. "(Wheeling Intelligencer, July 31)

A Grade 2 at Mountaineer?!! I agree with Mooney, that it seems logical, but I think it's highly unlikely. Still, a girl can dream, can't she?

------
* The King would like me to make mention of the fact that with his $284 trifecta in Saturday's 8th at Mountaineer, he is now at the top of the Quinella leader board by more than $200 -- and is truly King of the Castle.

Mountaineer spruces up as WV Derby nears

2007-07-27T01:23:00.000-04:00

Here at Turf Luck, I've been known to mention my disappointment in the Mountaineer Race Track website. I've ranted -- in what I hope has been a charming, mild-mannered librarian sort of way -- about its lack of helpful information in at least two previous posts. (The mild-mannered ravings of a frustrated librarian may be found here and here.)

But the winds of change have been ablowin' on the mountain top, and recently, I noticed some improvements on the ole Mountaineer website. Yes, the casino music is still a bit annoying, but there have been some nice additions:

Charts of all of this year's stakes races. Yes, you can now discover the winner of all of this year's stakes races. Perhaps it's not earth-shaking, but I've enjoyed reading the results of those races I missed over the winter, and of course, we all want to know how Calvin Borel fared in the Slipton Fell Handicap. (Not so good.)
Photos of past winners Bright One, Real Dandy, Sir Shackleton, Soto, and Wiseman's Ferry. These really add a bit of pizzazz to the list of past winners that's always been on the site.
Brief biographies and photos of 2005's leading jockeys and trainers. Why 2005? I don't know, but at least there's now a photo of Dale Baird, winner of more than 9,000 races, on his local track's website.

But I've saved the best for last: Mountaineer has posted the past performances of all of the 70 nominees to the West Virginia Derby. In fact, the site has posted the past performances for all nine of the stakes races slated for August 4th. Oh, my!

I'm off to warm up the LaserJet for a marathon printing session ... but not before I send a shout-out to those oft-maligned folk at Mountaineer: THANKS!

May the horse be with you ... at Saratoga

2007-07-25T20:46:00.000-04:00

“The first thing that struck Bond about Saratoga was the green majesty of the elms, which gave the discreet avenues of Colonial-type clapboard houses some of the peace and serenity of a European watering place. And there were horses everywhere, being walked across the streets, with a policeman holding up the traffic, being coaxed out of horseboxes around the sprawling groups of stables, cantering along the cinder borders of the roads, and being led to work on the exercise track alongside the race-course near the center of the town. … It was a mixture of Newmarket and Vichy, and it suddenly occurred to Bond that although he wasn’t in the least interested in the horses, he rather liked the life that went with them.”
-- Diamonds Are Forever, Ian Fleming

Sadly, though I, like Bond, rather like the life that goes with a visit to Saratoga, a trip to the Spa is not on the Quinella agenda this year. Fortunately, for those of us left leading mundane, workaday lives during this coming month, some of the feeling of being at the Saratoga Race Course has been captured in Harvey Pack's May the Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track. With co-author Pete Fornatale, Pack relates the highlights of his long, rollicking career as, well, basically a horseplayer. From childhood days spent reading the Form while saving seats for his dad's friends until his present stint hosting the DRF seminars at Saratoga, Pack's fondest memories involve playing the ponies. Even during his stint in the army, Pack found a way to get paid (sort of!) for handicapping.

I found May the Horse Be With You to be a good book to read while sipping a Rolling Rock on the back porch, as Pack is the racing raconteur my friends wish they could be: witty, irrepressible, and genuinely entertaining. Sprinkled throughout his exuberant tales of life in radio, the launch of the NYRA Paddock Club, and experiences with his recurring nemesis Kenny Noe, Pack offers some insightful observations on the state of racing. One I found particularly interesting:

"What I really loved about the track was the camaraderie. That was the fun for me, and I think it's that way in every sport. In football, you'll hear a guy call in on talk radio, and he'll say, "I'm in Section 18, all my guys are there!" He's proud of where he sits and who his friends are, and it's the same thing at the racetrack. People congregate in the same areas every time they go and friendships are born just as they are in football or baseball between season-ticket holders. Personally, I think the fact that we have parimutuel wagering at the track only increases that feeling of camaraderie, because it becomes a friendly -- or sometimes not so friendly -- competition between friends."

Yet despite this potential for rapport between horseplayers, Pack notes that the track has become "a big TV studio because of simulcasting" and laments the decline of mentoring new fans. Going to the races with your dad is no longer the rite of passage it was when Pack was young, as folks bet the races in the privacy -- and isolation -- of home.

Which is one of the reasons Saratoga is so special. It's a place where you'll see racing forms everywhere, folks congregate in the same places every year, and traffic stops when a horse crosses the street.

Note: The first chapter of May the Horse Be With You is available on the DRF website, and Pack is scheduled to be signing copies at Borders in Saratoga Springs on August 2.

Punk update

2007-07-21T02:40:00.000-04:00

Punk, recent winner after 68 tries, is the high weight in Mountaineer's 7th race on Monday. What a difference a win makes, huh?

Punk rocks on at Mountaineer

2007-07-09T02:44:00.000-04:00

Recently I attended the American Library Association’s annual conference in Washington DC. And then I dropped off the face of the blogging world, as I am apparently the only person on earth who can attend a library conference and get hurt. All I’ll say is: 1 glass of absurdly overpriced chardonnay + 1 absurdly high curb cut in D.C. = 1 bruised and battered librarian + $500 worth of chiropractic treatments. Typing hurts. Standing hurts. Sitting hurts. Sleeping hurts. Even reading hurts.

But the Quinella Queen is nothing if not intrepid. So on Saturday, after consuming an odd remedy involving a bottle of sparkling zinfandel and some pineapple juice,* I agreed with the King that a trip to the track was just what the doctor ordered. OK, actually it’s what I would have ordered if I were a doctor.

Despite our late start, we made it to Mountaineer before the first race, though we weren’t early enough to get our favorite table. Still, we had time to handicap the first race, a $5000 Maiden Claimer. These can be sad affairs at Mountaineer, and this appeared to be the case on Saturday. The lineup included Six Pants, an unraced 7-year old horse (not gelding!) who scratched, Hope’s Trail, who received a –0 Beyer in his last two races, and Sandy’s K.O., whose 28 Beyer was stellar for the group.

Also entered was Punk, a 10-year old gelding with 68 starts -- and, yes, still a maiden. I made a mental note to mention this to Valerie, the blogger at Foolish Pleasure, whose search for the oldest current maiden has uncovered 69-time loser, Four Acres. Punk’s record was a tad better than that of Four Acres, with 12 second place finishes and 10 thirds. And based on that record, I even threw some money on a place bet on old Punk, who went off as the fourth favorite in a nine horse field. What the heck, it was the first race.

A minute later, I found out that “Punk” is a fun word to yell, especially when a perpetual maiden is making his move in the stretch right in front of you -- and you know he has second. And when he pounds ahead of the leader right before the wire, "Punk" can become a shocking, exhilarating word to say after the phrase, “And the winner is…”

Punk
B. g 1997
Uncas Chief - Pretty Two (Plugged Nickle)
69 starts, 1 win, 12 places, 10 shows

Thanks, Punk, for paying for the beer on Saturday. It was just what the doctor ordered.

---------------
* This was, sadly, one of our poorer entries in The Quest for a Quinella Quocktail. Don’t try this at home.

The Queen is back

2007-06-18T02:33:00.000-04:00

We've returned at last from our road trip to the Belmont via Baltimore, and as always, we had a wonderful time enjoying Maryland's hospitality. Sadly, after days of seafood and champagne drinks, it's time to return to the real world.

I've been trying to catch up with all of the racing world news that happened while I was computer-free, but this bit from the end of Steve Crist's "Grass sprints become tiring" (DRF+) caught my eye:

Speaking of too much of a good thing, is it possible that massive turnouts for the Triple Crown bids of Funny Cide and Smarty Jones a few years ago may have hurt rather than helped attendance at subsequent editions of the race?

This year's turnout of 46,870, the lowest in a decade, was surprisingly thin given perfect weather and the presence of Rags to Riches. This was bad for the house but good for those who did attend: You could get on line for a hot dog or an exacta with two minutes to post without getting shut out. The dominant chatter was about how surprisingly pleasant a day at the track it was for a major event.

Most of the hordes who turned out amid the six-digit crowds of 2003 and 2004 probably weren't coming back to Belmont until another Crown was on the line anyway, but the next person who says he had an enjoyable day at the track for those events will be the first. Horrific episodes of traffic and cargo-style train travel were enough to discourage almost anyone from returning, even though any other day of the year offers a far more appealing experience. (emphasis mine)

Crist is right that it was smaller crowds made the day more enjoyable for those at the track. But even with the "lowest attendance in a decade," there was one line that took forever:

Yup. That's the line for the ladies' room. Keep in mind that this is outside the ladies room. There are at least a dozen more women in line inside. Keep in mind there's a line of the same length at the other entrance to this restroom. If Crist thinks "cargo-style" train travel will discourage visitors, what do you think cargo-style restrooms will do?

While I hesitate to call this sexism, as Belmont is an old facility, the lack of adequate facilities for women does seem a mite short-sighted. If racing were serious about attracting female fans, it seems to me that they'd change a few signs on a few men's rooms for the day. But as Railbird recently pointed out, racing doesn't do a very good job at recognizing women in the industry or the stands.

Strangely, this sort of thing is apparently not a problem for casinos, as hard-core slots players have ways of dealing with this issue.

The poetry of the past performance lines

2007-06-08T02:40:00.000-04:00

The King and I are off to Belmont today; we're taking a long route that should get us to the Big Sandy for the first race on Saturday. Belmont is where I discovered racing. It's where I cashed my very first ticket -- a quinella, of course -- with Madonna Lily and Judy Soda.

And it's where Ruffian is buried.

On Saturday, ABC will air Ruffian, having reached some sort of agreement with Frank Whiteley and Jacinto Vasquez, who filed suit to have the station show a disclaimer indicating that the movie is a fictionalized version of true events and that the depictions of trainer Whiteley and jockey Vasquez have not been approved by them.

Nonetheless, viewers will tune in, and DRF's Jay Hovdey reports they'll be treated to "an agonizingly accurate re-creation of the impact and subsequent compound fracture, not to mention a graphic depiction of the injury's immediate aftermath, courtesy of some inspired horse wrangling." (DRF+)

I'd suggest those who aren't fond of "agonizingly accurate" breakdowns pick up a book instead. Ruffian: A Racetrack Romance by William Nack, published by ESPN last month in connection with the film, is a quick read that captures the filly's charisma with lush prose, as when Nack enumerates some of his memories:

"I saw the way she came to the paddock for the Astoria, so clearly up to no good, moving into the walking ring as through a lobby bar, like some willowy hooker on the make, that black satin dress pulled tight around her full and nearly perfect derriere. And I saw her brilliant final quarter in the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga that cloudy August afternoon, echoes from the ancient reaches of her pedigree, and heard and felt the electric exuberance of the clubhouse crowds, all those fancy breeders and owners, as it crackled like a blue spark up and down the rows of iron girders and box seats."

The book is as much about Nack as Ruffian, and I don't think that the subtitle, "A Racetrack Romance," is an accident; it sounds like he fell for that filly big time. Whether his memories are technically accurate or not doesn't seem to matter; it's clear that the emotion is true.

Of course, to me, the most moving description of Ruffian is undoubtly factual: row after row of 1's, and then, those final, heartbreaking dashes:

Am I reading this right? A Kentucky Derby winner at Mountaineer?

2007-06-07T00:13:00.000-04:00

While browsing the entries for Mountaineer Race Track, I was delighted to see that Belmont will not be the only track with a 1-1/2 mile race on Saturday. The 8th race for 3 year olds and up is a starter allowance at 1-1/2 miles with a purse of $20,600. The race includes Decoy Dan, Revered Soldier, and Kanani Roy -- the top three finishers from a May 19 allowance race at 1-3/16 -- as well as the poetic Jeffrey's Cat.

But there's another entry that really caught my eye: Humble Chris who's being ridden by .... Calvin Borel!?! Calvin Borel, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner? Calvin Borel, Kentucky Derby winner? That Calvin Borel?

It appears so. Borel seems to be the regular rider for Humble Chris; at least, he's ridden 6 year old to victory before. Borel is also slated to ride Trickeration in race 7 and Go Now in the ninth, the $75,000 Slipton Fell Handicap. Apparently, Borel and Go Now have been to Mountaineer before, as explained in this press release for the Mountaineer Mile in November, though Go Now was later scratched from that race.

All three of Borel's mounts are trained by Ron Moquett, who may be best known as the trainer of Seek Gold. You remember Seek Gold, who nipped past Pleasant Drift to win the Stephen Foster last year with -- of course -- Borel in the irons. So yes, I'm thinking that it really is that Calvin Borel coming to rural West Virginia on Belmont Stakes Day.

**start rant**
I'm wondering why the track hasn't advertised this better. There is nothing on the Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort website about this. The Clydesdales got more publicity for their 15-minute appearance. Surely, Mountaineer would like a few folks to visit the track and wager on the Belmont Stakes. The added benefit of hosting the most recent Kentucky Derby winning jockey might drag in more than a few fans from Pennsylvania and Ohio.

OK, I know advertising costs money, but surely the space on the Mountaineer homepage that's currently devoted to the "Taste of Italy" Tuesday specials (for $2.99) or the "Reggae Jammin' Fridays" (featuring 99-cent coconut shrimp) could be spared for a week. Heck, there's not even a press release about the race on the site; the most recent news is from February, when Humberto Soto and Humberto Toledo battled for the Super Featherweight Title. And the site doesn't even tell us who won that. Aaargh!
**end rant**

At any rate, it looks like a great day of racing in Hancock County on Saturday. If you're in that neck of the woods, why not stop by the track and cheer on that wonderful ambassador for racing, Calvin Borel? Parking's free, admission's free, beer's under $3, and you can get right up to the rail to see a great one pass by. And if anyone asks where you heard about it, tell 'em some librarian in Pittsburgh is outdoing the track's PR department.

The final foal - at Mountaineer

2007-06-05T00:37:00.000-04:00

A comment from Michael reminded me that Mountaineer was recently graced by Maggie Slew, the last foal to be sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Michael's been a fan of Maggie for some time, so it is with a twinge of sadness that I offer these photos of her in what's been called "the ugliest paddock on earth." She had post position 9 in the Decoration Day Handicap (Race 3 on 5/28):

Above, you can see the satellite dishes that send the simulcast out to OTBs everywhere. Below, you can see the face of the 2006 Indiana Horse of the Year:

Maggie Slew went off as the favorite in the $75,000 mile turf race. It was her first outing on grass, and it looked to me as if she didn't really like the surface. She finished last in a field of 11. At least she's been the star of an Eclipse award-winning documentary.

Derby runner at Mountaineer

2007-06-04T00:13:00.000-04:00

While the world seems full of commentary about a Kentucky Derby winner who's not running in the Belmont Stakes, last Monday the crowd at Mountaineer got to see a Derby winner make his turf debut in Mountaineer's Memorial Day Handicap.

OK, so it was the winner of the Tampa Derby. And the Ohio Derby. That's a G2 - bigger than anything run at Mountaineer; heck, even the wild and wonderful West Virginia Derby is only a G-3!

Of course the Quinella Castle contingent was on hand to cheer for the big-name horse, Deputy Glitters.

Deputy Glitters' connections tapped solid local jockey Scott Spieth for the 1-mile turf race. Even with my camera's snazzy telephoto lens, I couldn't make out what the trainer advised Spieth to do. (In fact, I couldn't even tell if this is Greg Fox, as the magnification seems to mainly magnify my unsteady hand on the shutter.)

While I wouldn't say the fifty or so folks at the paddock seemed unimpressed by him, the crowd was more familiar with Cherokee Prince, winner of last year's Independence Day Stakes at Mountaineer, sending the Prince off as the 2-1 favorite.

I, of course, found this a perfect opportunity to pull out my copy of Pedigree Handicapping by Lauren Stich. Though I yearn to be a true pedigree handicapper, because it appeals to my sentimental, family saga-reading side, in reality, I just don't have a handle on how sires, dams, lineage, stamina, and class all add up.

And apparently even Stich, whose pedigree columns frequently grace the pages of the Daily Racing Form can't help me.

Perhaps it is the lack of an index that makes this book hard for me to use. The entire section devoted to handicapping for 2-year old speed is organized by lineage: Mr. Prospector line, In Reality line, and the Bold Ruler line. An index of horses would guide me to Glitterman in the Bold Ruler line a lot faster than scanning page after page of sires and their offspring. But I suppose these are the kind of things that horseplayers with a lot more experience than me would know.

I was hopeful, though, that Chapter 4, "The Hidden Turf Factor" would come into play in the Mountaineer turf stakes races. Stich writes: "Pedigree handicapping encompasses a wide array of betting angles, but the most lucrative -- by far -- is what I call the hidden turf factor." Basically, a hidden turf sire is one who never raced on turf but was bred to love the grass. As the list of hidden turf sires is organized by stallion, I had no trouble at all learning that both Deputy Glitters' sire, Deputy Commander, and his damsire, Glitterman, are "hidden turf sires." So, of course, I expected Deputy Glitters to do pretty well on the grass, especially at the $75,000 ungraded stakes level.

As the chart says: "Deputy Glitters stalked the pace evenly to the half, abruptly flattened out on the far turn." The race was won by 7-year old Puppeteer. Deputy Glitters finished 9th out of 10 horses in the field. Sigh. I suppose there's something about distance I should know.

And, I'll give Deputy Glitters credit: he ran in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes last year. Didn't do too well, but he did run, unlike some horses I could name.

Book bargains

2007-05-12T01:44:00.000-04:00

Exclusively Equine, the online store at Bloodhorse.com, is holding its sixth annual book warehouse sale, and there are some true bargains available, like Bob Baffert’s Dirt Road to the Derby which is going for a buck. In fact, it looks like there’s something for many of our favorite racing enthusiasts:

For example, The Bug Boys and their fans might enjoy Ride of Their Lives: The Triumphs and Turmoil of Today’s Top Jockeys by Lenny Shulman. Or Women in Racing: In Their Own Words by John and Julia McEvoy. No ~~Rosie~~ Anna Napravnik in either book, but at $15 for both, a real steal.

And John over at Not To the Swift, the blog with a tabloid mentality, might find inspiration in Great Horse Racing Mysteries by John McEvoy, which delves into a number of track-related mysteries: Was Phar Lap murdered? Was the great stallion Shergar killed by the IRA? Just the sort of thing inquiring minds want to know. (Of course, that nasty Seamus fellow John’s brought on board might prefer The Greatest Kentucky Derby Upsets, as I'm sure he'll say he had the winners every time.)

Our well-educated Superfecta seems the perfect reader for The Equid Ethogram: A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior by Sue McDonnell, Ph.D., founder of the Equine Behavior Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, because in addition to the Penn connection, you know she won’t have to look up “ethogram” in the dictionary.

For Jen and the folks at Canadian Gambling, there’s The Kingmaker: How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty by Avalyn Hunter, highlighting the Canadian icon.

And surely Alan at Left at the Gate could use a copy of Belmont Park: A Century of Champions featuring 70 color reproductions of original paintings by Richard Stone Reeves. It’s not like he sees it all that often, right?

For the folks following Japanese racing over at Striding Thoroughbreds, there’s Sunday Silence: Thoroughbred Legends #12 by Ray Paulick to highlight one of Japan’s leading sires. (Sadly, there’s no Thoroughbred Legends book on Foolish Pleasure for Valerie.)

As for the accountant in the gang, Tote Board Brad might like Handicapping the Wall Street Way: Picking Xtra Winners at the Track by Mark Ripple. (I’m assuming the proprietor of Brad Buys a Yearling already has a copy of the New Thoroughbred Owners Handbook.)

For our Texan, Suebroux, there’s Assault: Thoroughbred Legends #23 by Texas native Eva Jolene Boyd chronicling the King Ranch’s little Triple Crown winner who could while highlighting the Texas racing scene in all its glory.

For our intrepid Derby blogger, Mike at Curb My Enthusiasm, there’s Diary of a Dream: My Journey in Thoroughbred Racing by George Rowand -- though it’s about raising thoroughbreds, the typewriter keys on the book’s cover just seem fitting for one of our resident journalists.

As for Patrick, our iron horse of an organizer, there’s John Henry: Thoroughbred Legends by Steve Haskin. I suspect Patrick would be shocked to see Haskin focus on only one horse!

And though Understanding The Equine Foot sounds like the perfect book for Fran over at Hoof Care, I’m guessing she doesn’t really need a copy, since she wrote it!

As for me, your sentimental QQ, I’m partial to Etched in Stone: Thoroughbred Memorials by Lucy Zeh which includes photographs of memorials to runners who are gone now, along with their biographies and pedigrees as well as –- here’s the clincher for the librarian -- an alphabetical listing of marked graves.

Yes, there's a lot diversity in the discounted titles over at Exclusively Equine; it seems to me you could start a nice little library from this online sales bin. If the racing section in your public library is rather sad (as most outside of Kentucky are), you might want to pick up a few books to donate to your library's collection. And wouldn't your mom be proud of you then?

Kentucky Derby pick -- from the library shelves

2007-05-04T00:48:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, like now, when Derby mania has reached a frenzied peak, I remember I'm still relatively new to all of this horse racing stuff.

After being dragged to the 2005 Belmont Stakes, I followed the horses I'd seen live, like Afleet Alex (not many races to follow, but lots of articles about how he was enjoying those peppermints while he healed up) and Giacomo (he finally won the San Diego Handicap in July 2006). Heck, I even have a soft spot for Pinpoint (whom we saw again last month at Keeneland.)

Then we trekked back to Belmont for the Breeders' Cup, and added a few more horses to the "Remember When We Saw Him Run at Belmont" Stable: Better Talk Now, who runs again today in the Woodford Reserve, and Ace, who merits mention after filling that nice exacta for me. And of course, Lost in the Fog, who broke our hearts.

So, when the Derby Trail of 2006 rolled around, frankly I was still more interested in horses I'd actually seen run and simply didn't pay attention to all of that "Sweetnorthernsaint worked 4 furlongs uphill both ways today" and "Brother Derek is receiving a special blend of California raisins and Kentucky bourbon" pre-race hype.

This year, though I'm finally catching on to the whole hoopla of the thing, I still find the massive amounts of pre-Derby information overwhelming. What does it all mean? For an answer, I can only turn, once again, to the card catalog. Though I expected the librarian's secret weapon to provide a playable horse, this time, it' given me a trainer with its selection of Traits of a Winner: The Formula for Developing Thoroughbred Racehorses by .... Carl Nafzger!

And we can't forget about this previous Card Catalog pick from November 2006 that paid something like 15-1:

Seldom is the catalog so sensible; let's hope it's lucrative as well! Good luck, y'all!

Note: Once again, a special shout-out to library techno-genius John Blyberg for his fabulous Catalog Card generator.

QQ conquers Keeneland

2007-04-30T02:16:00.001-04:00

OK, conquers might not be the most accurate word -- but on this, our second trip to the high holy place that is Keeneland, we did discover:

1. Those Tomlinson numbers really are kinda helpful. I'm still not sure how I did it, but rolling around those parenthetical Turf, Distance, and especially, Wet numbers in mind while looking at the past performances seemed to help me pick some winners on the polytrack. And, I find the Tomlinsons are easier to use than Pedigree Handicapping by Lauren Stitch.

An aside about the book: I believe that Stitch's book assumes the reader has some basic knowledge that I, regrettably, still lack. Since there's no index to the horses mentioned in the book, I had a terrible time looking for certain sires. I suspect more sophisticated horseplayers who have been following races for a longer period than I have might benefit more than I did from Stitch's summaries and sire lists, since experienced handicappers might already have an inkling where to look for a particular sire. I found that horses with Danzig in their pedigree seemed to do well on the poly, though I never located him in the book.

2. With practice, you, too, can be a star. Last year, we sat in front of a couple that cashed a seemingly endless series of tickets and felt like total morons. Such classy horses, such successful trainers, such acclaimed jockeys -- and we were yearning for the familiar $5,000 claimers at Mountaineer. Perhaps we were dazzled by the proximity of greatness. This year, however, was another story. We walked out substantial winners both Thursday and Friday. And the women sitting behind us thought the King was some kind of god when he hit the exacta, the trifecta, and the superfecta (for a dime) on Race 5 -- in between my two win bets in races 4 & 6. They actually asked our advice!

3. Sometimes, being at the track can give you an edge. OK, I already knew this one, from my experiences at Mountaineers paddock, but when the rain began to pour for the 4th on Thursday, I figured only a horse with blinkers could actually see the track -- and the blinker-wearing Whisper To Me came in first at 7-1. (To my knowledge, this angle has not been covered substantially in handicapping literature.)

4. Win bets are just fine. Though I have a fondness for the exotics, periodically I remember William Murray's advice in The Right Horse: "When a horse you like is going off at 4-1 or higher, you must play him to win." This would explain how I picked up $54 on Jade's Revenge. And I was shocked to find that over the three days, I hit 60% of my win bets -- compared to 0% of those addictive 10-cent superfectas.

5. Magic happens at Keeneland. After the 6th on Thursday, a horse went down on the track, possibly while being loaded into the equine ambulance. I believe it may have been Rahoo, but really, that's just a guess, as I'm fairly unobservant. At any rate, the green screens went up, and the crowd turned quiet. Some long minutes later, the screens came down -- and the horse was standing. He left the track under his own steam, with a lead pony to calm him. Not quite a miracle, but definitely magical.

6. Wherever the Quinella Queen goes, Clydesdales seem to follow. We've now seen the Budweiser brigade at Mountaineer, Pimlico, and, yes, Keeneland. And don't you know, I take a picture of them every time!

Keeneland is calling

2007-04-24T04:38:00.000-04:00

The King and I are vacating the castle this week to head down to Keeneland (home of my first superfecta win) for the close of the meet. Sadly, we missed the appearance of veteran mystery writer Dick Francis, who was signing books at Keeneland on Saturday. Still, I've got a copy of his newest, Under Orders to read in the hotel.

The good news is that I've already got my pick for the Grade III Bewitched Stakes: Zulu Queen and Safari Queen are both listed in the entries. Can you say Queen Quinella?