WV Derby Day -- almost heaven, West Virginia

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.
  

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

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

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.

Royalty on the move

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.

Just another Saturday ... at Mountaineer

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

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

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.

Looking for a little love at Presque Isle Downs

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?

Love's Labor ... lost

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.

Some old favorites in the Slipton Fell

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.

Strike looms at Mountaineer

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.

Mountaineer to remember legendary trainer

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.

Mountaineer spruces up as WV Derby nears

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!

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

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.

What's up on the Mountain?

Recently, I've been planning lots of lovely Derby-related posts while waiting in a variety of dentist and oral surgeons' offices; unfortunately, by the time I leave the office, the lovely pain medications they've been giving me have pushed all thoughts of posting far, far away.

However, somewhere in the midst of a Vicodin-induced haze, I discovered that my local track has seen fit to make it just a bit harder to be a racing fan.

I suppose I should explain: We're not big gamblers here at the Castle. And unless some unforeseen windfall comes our way, we'll stay that way. We only visit an OTB on high holy days comprised of multiple graded stakes races. We only bet on races we watch. We don't have cable. We don't have phone wagering accounts. We don't bet online. Perhaps most damning of all: we've been known to play a dime superfecta now and then.

We are, dare I say it, the "little fan". But, as a cinematic Red Pollard might say, though we be but little, we are fierce. We're there in the stands for the maiden special weights and the N2L claiming races. We're there wagering when the top race of the night is a 27K allowance race.
We are spending an increasing number of weekend evenings over the border in West Virginia, watching lower tier horses race -- and enjoying every minute of it. Sometimes, during the week, we even watch live racing from the Mountaineer website on our tiny little computer screen -- just to see our favorite horse run.

I like to believe that with enough folks like us, thoroughbred racing can survive. I also like to believe that the tracks would like more folks to develop into fans. I like to think that while track management might not understand how to attract new fans, they aren't trying to alienate the fans they do have or placing unnecessary obstacles between fans and the sport. I like to believe that somewhere, someone is trying to think about the longterm benefits of growing a fan base for the future.

Of course, I am an idiot.

Instead of encouraging me to follow the careers of claimers like Blazing Countess and Deadwood Dame, or to see how that new bug boy (can't remember his name) handles the mud, Mountaineer would like to see me bet online. So much so, that the once free live video feed courtesy of Youbet.com has been replaced by a feed via RacelineBet.com which requires me to plunk down $100 in wagers a month. Here's the rationale:

"In order to maintain the highest video standards for our customers and to eliminate any unauthorized use of the Mountaineer video signal, we have implemented a subscription based video service. Through RacelineBet.com, you have access to our current live racing as well as a video replay library of previous races. In addition, you can implement a “Stable Alert” notification to keep you informed when one of your favorite horses is entered. To ensure unrestricted video access, minimum wagering requirements of $100 in the previous 30 calendar days must be maintained."

Sure, Mountaineer has every right to do this. And maybe it will bring in some bucks (especially since it appears that RacelineBet.com is some sort of Mountaineer Gaming subsidiary.)

Maybe it's just my pain medication, but I'm still missing the logic. Why would Mountaineer send me to a site that offers racing from a number of better-known tracks -- and make me wager $100 a month? Once I've got an account, I can spend it on races from the Kentucky, New York, or California tracks as easily as at Mountaineer. You know, those temptress tracks that get media coverage, race analysis and hype, even human interest stories in the racing media. The kind of track that has commentary about every horse right there beside the past performances. It might be nice to watch races from those tracks. It might be nice to follow those Saratoga two-year-olds and see some of them become household names the following year.

And I might forget all about Mountaineer, with its Deadwood Dames and Blazing Countesses. And who wins then?

Mountaineer ends 2006 with a bang

Between celebrating all week long -- aren't big families fun? -- I haven't had a chance to evaluate the handicapping books Santa left under my tree. I'll have to wait until after the house guests leave on Sunday before I can even glance at Dan Illman's Betting Maidens and Two-Year-Olds and Lauren Stitch's Pedigree Handicapping. And there's no trip to the track this weekend, which is a shame, because Mountaineer's Saturday card includes some familiar names:

In the 5th, a $27,800 allowance for 2-yo fillies, Spooked, who took third in the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes back in August returns to Mountaineer after disappointing runs at Prairie Meadows, Churchill Downs, and Hawthorne. Her stiffest competition looks to be Tin Angel, a Smoke Glacken filly who won her debut in the slop at Hoosier Park.

The 7th is a 6f allowance featuring Speedway, winner of the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes.
This time out, he faces Out of the Skip, who finished 16 lengths back in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, but always seems to run well at Mountaineer and B.B. Mancini, who won the Indiana Futurity stakes in November.

The 8th race is the highlight of the card, the 6f New Year's Eve Stakes which offers another opportunity to see She's That Cat, whose once perfect Mountaineer record has dropped to 6 wins in 9 tries on the Mountain. She hasn't run well since being claimed in November, but still her 4 victories were an exciting part of this year at Mountaineer -- it'd be nice to see her end 2006 on a high note.

And, perhaps just to keep things interesting, there's a 2-1/16 mile allowance in the 6th. Yes, two and one sixteenth miles. A slew of veteran geldings try to go the distance in this one; the field includes 6yo Blue Mon, 7yo Pleasant Company and 11yo Sir Dorset. Long may they run.

What a day!

It's been a week, but I still feel caught up in the festive air of Derby Day, West Virginia-style. Last Sunday, Mountaineer Race Track was festooned with pink petunias spilling out of planters and crisp red-white-and-blue bunting adorning the decks. Combined with the clear aquamarine of the Blue Derby (official drink of the WV Derby), it all added up to a colorful and spirited day at the races.

More than 13,000 folks were on hand to witness the day of stakes racing. Favorite Change Up won the Juvenile Fillies, and Outcashem made it 7 in a row with a win in the Chairman's Cup. Sadly, She's that Cat's streak ended at five; she never fired, and Hot Storm ran away with the Secretary of State Stakes. Speedway, as someone pretty smart expected, took the Juvenile Stakes.

Six horses scratched in the Senate President's Cup, including Lady Grace. According to Mark Patterson, Asst. Racing Secretary, the trainer Loren Cox was worried about the condition of the turf. That left the door open for Island Escape to edge past post-time favorite Stella Blue for the win. Gaff just didn't seem to fire in the Harvey Arneault Memorial Handicap; Yucatan surged past favorite P.Kerney in the stretch for the win. It looked like Cherokee's Boy was going to fade in the stretch, but he seemed to get a second wind and won the Governor's Stakes by a length. The Da Hoss stakes at Colonial must be some race; its second & third place finishers combined for the biggest perfecta of the day, with Legal Control coming out on top by a nose over Touched By Madness in the Speaker's Cup.

The Derby itself has been covered by Daily Racing Form and Blood-Horse. And Thoroughbred Times noted that winner Bright One "was no secret to the fans, who made him the even-money favorite, not only because of his impressive early success but also because of public comments by Romans, who has made no secret of his admiration for the colt."

To that I might add that Bright One simply looked the best in the paddock. In fact, the colts who looked sharpest in the paddock were: Bright One, Cielo Gold, More than Regal, and Ah Day. In other words, the superfecta. (Sadly, Mountaineer didn't offer a superfecta on this race, thus allowing me to play a trifecta that included 1,3,4. Sigh.)

Wanna Runner came to the paddock long after the other entries, wearing a blanket, which struck many of the fans as rather odd, since it was an unbelievably hot day. To my untrained (and myopic) eye, he didn't look like he wanted to run at all.

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.

We brought home some serious sunburn, some not so serious cash -- and four commemorative glasses. What can I say? The Blue Derby, essentially a blue margarita, is a refreshing drink, and Mountaineer sells them for $4, glass included. (Take that, $10 Belmont Breeze!)

Mountaineer roundup

"Libraries are brothels for the mind. Which means that librarians are the madams, greeting punters, understanding their strange tastes and needs, and pimping their books." --Guy Browning

For the past week, Turf Luck has received a number of visits from folks who arrived here by searching for "West Virginia Derby Entries". Oh punters, Madam QQ understands your strange need... here, dearies, let me guide you to those little corners of the Web that cater to your tastes:

Mountaineer Race Track hosts an entire card of stakes racing on Sunday. Entries were released Wednesday, and you can find them along with past performances at: Brisnet, Daily Racing Form, and Equibase. All of these sources charge a fee for the past performances, but viewing the entries is free.

Because Flashy Bull is entered in the West Virginia Derby, Darley, the home of his sire, Holy Bull, is providing free past performances for the race. Bob Baffert, trainer of Derby entrant Wanna Runner, also offers the Derby past performances at no charge. Likewise Stonerside Stables provides the past performances for the Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes (race 4) because they are the proud breeders and owners of Speedway, one of the entrants.

Daily Racing Form gives an overview of some of the races in "West Virginia Derby overflow field of 13". More pre-game analysis is available in "West Virginia Derby big test for Bright One", another DRF article that confirms that FLASHY BULL IS COMING TO THE MOUNTAIN! (Sorry, but madam has a fondness for the grays.)

DRF also previews The WV Governor's Cup and several of the day's other races.

Two articles from the Wheeling News-Register offer some information about the jockeys who'll be racing today: "Derby Field Ready" notes that three of the Derby jockeys have Kentucky Derby wins, while "Derby Brings Top Jockeys" focuses on Jeremy Rose, who'll be riding Regent Spirit in the Derby, Halo's Sailing Sain in the WV Governor's Cup and Senor Swinger in the WV House of Delegate's Speakers Cup.

Finally, here's an overview of the day, based on what grabbed my attention as my printer popped out the past performances ever so slowly:

Race 1 - The Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies Stakes. Purse: $85,000. 6f, dirt. Nine two-year-olds are entered, including Change Up, a Distorted Humor filly trained by Steve Flint and Cohiba Miss trained by Bernie Flint. Rex Stokes will be up on Meadow Breeze, who beat Cohiba Miss and Spooked, another entrant, in July. ML favorite: Appealing Zophie at 2-1.

Race 2 - The WV Legislature Chairman's Cup. Purse: $85,000. 4-1/2 f, dirt. For 3yo and up. Nine entries here, including Caller One, who's won more than $3 million in his long career (he's 9) and Bernie Blue, who won the Mountain State Stakes with a 102 Beyer on July 3. Pay attention to Scott Lake's Outcashem who's posted 3 triple-digit Beyer's this year. He's 6 for 6 in 2006, all in allowance or stakes races. And he's 2 for 2 at the Mountain. And he's the ML favorite at 4-5.

Race 3 - The West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes. Purse: $85,000. 6f, dirt, fillies & Mares, 3 and up. She's That Cat tries to make it 6 for 6 at the Mountain, but Hot Storm, who finished third in the G1 Princess Rooney in July looks hard to beat. There are 12 entries in this race; the ML favorite is Hot Storm at 8-5.

Race 4 - The Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes. Purse: $85,000. 6f, dirt. 2 yo. Eleven colts entered here, including Air Lord from Todd Pletcher (I feel oh, so Saratoga when I type that!) and Datrick, a G3 winner trained by Scott Blasi and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan. Datrick is the ML favorite at 5-2.

Race 5 - The West Virginia Senate President's Breeders' Cup. Purse: $125,000. 1m, turf, fillies & mares. The best event you won't see on ESPN. Lady Grace won this one last year; the running line reads, "dictated, stakes record". This year the going may be tougher for the 8-yo mare. She came in 1/2-length behind Rue de Reves in the Summer Finale here last fall, and won by only a length over Cat Alert in the WV President's Cup prep race run on July 18. Cat Alert and Bag of Quarters, who came in third in the prep, have the post positions that have yielded the most winners at Mountaineer so far, but Radiant Avie, ridden by Mark Guidry, looks to be the biggest threat in the field of 12; she's fresh off a win over Rue de Reves in the Lady Canterbury. ML favorite: Lady Grace at 5-2.

Race 6 - The Harvey Arneault Memorial Breeders' Cup Handicap. Purse: $125,000. 6f, dirt. 3 and up. Gaff comes to the Mountain! Shaun Bridgmohan will ride him as he tries to rebound from the disastrous last place finish in the Smile Sprint at Calder, while Mark Guidry will be on Wild Tale for Mike Dini. One to watch: P.Kerney, who posted a 109 Beyer last time out and has run first or second in all five of his races this year. Smallest field of the day at 7 entries. Not surprisingly, ML favorite is Gaff at 8-5.

Race 7 - The WV Governor's Cup. Purse: $125,000. 1-1/16m, dirt. 3 and up. Real Dandy returns; last year, Mark Guidry rode him to victory in the WV Derby. This year, the two team up to face Don't Get Mad, winner of the G2 Indiana Derby and Cherokee's Boy who came in 22 lengths behind Flower Alley in the Salvator Mile in June. There are 8 runners in the field. ML favorite: Don't Get Mad at 5-2.

Race 8 - The WV Derby. G3. Purse: $750,000. 1-1/8m, dirt. 3yo. Bob Baffert, Richard Dutrow, King Leatherbury, Kieran McLaughlin, Todd Pletcher, Dale Romans, Richard Violette, and Nick Zito are among the trainers sending out runners in the day's showcase event. In alphabetical order, because, doggone it, that's what I do, the field includes: Ah Day, Bright One, Cielo Gold, Circle the World, Crocodile Tears, Flashy Bull, High Blues, High Finance, Luxembourg, More Than Regal, Regent Spirit, and Wanna Runner. Bright One is getting a lot of attention; his trainer, Dale Romans, is spotlighed in the Wheeling News-Register, and his photo accompanied a DRF article about the Derby. Despite that, Wanna Runner is the morning line favorite at 3-1.

Race 9 - The WV House of Delegates Speakers Cup. Purse: $85,000. 1m, turf. 3 and up. Lac a Rock went off at 36-1 in July when he won the prep race for this event with a 100 Beyer. He faces Touched by Madness and Legal Control, the second and third place finishers in Colonial's Da Hoss stakes, as well as Buckeye Buddy, who placed 2nd in Mountaineer's Independence Day Stakes. Senor Swinger, with graded stakes experience and Jeremy Rose in the irons, is the 3-1 ML favorite.

And there you have it, the big day at Mountaineer. What, you wanted picks, too? So sorry, dearie, but Madam believes these things work out best when the punter chooses.

Far from the coast

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, it's all Saratoga, all the time. Other members of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance have been focusing on the Graveyard of Champions, but here at the Castle, we eagerly await the announcements of the entries for Saturday's Grade III West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.

It's been a long wait; unlike practically every race at Saratoga, there's been no advance coverage of the race -- except sad announcements of horses that won't be running.

First, we hoped for Sweetnorthernsaint; when he skipped the Belmont, it was reported that he was pointing to either the Haskell or the WV Derby. Then came the news that he would be resting until fall.

Next, we heard that the top three finishers in the Ohio Derby might be headed to Chester The three -- Deputy Glitters, High Cotton, and Flashy Bull -- had already shown a willingness to run at a midwestern track, so when little embers of expectation began to kindle in the cockles of my heart, well, I let them.

Then came the news that two of the three are now headed to the Haskell. (Darn that New Jersey track with its big money!)

At the moment, the only "certain" runner is a Dale Romans horse, Bright One.

Last year's event drew some pretty impressive jockeys; Gary Stevens, Edgar Prado, Mark Guidry and P-Val all made the trip to the Mountain. Whether jockeys of that calibre will be in West Virginia this Sunday is hard to say, what with that darn million dollar race stealing all the horses.

Still, no matter who ends up coming, the Derby might be a nice wagering opportunity; after all, last year's winner went off at 7-1. Don't remember just who won the 2005 WV Derby? Take a peak back at my post from last year, where I revealed for the first time my penchant for standing on picnic tables. (Or read a more complete coverage of the day -- sans picnic tables -- in The Daily Racing Form's archives.)

Back from the beach

We're back at last, refreshed and tan from a visit to the Jersey Shore, where, during our stay, the only horses running were in Showdown, the steamy romance that I read while soaking up the sun. It was a perfect beach book, full of poor little rich girls, ambitious real estate sharks, and handsome cowboys, rather like an episode of Dallas.

Written by Tilly Bagshawe, Showdown focuses on two rival teenaged girls who want to be jockeys. Both find some success, one on the quarter-horse circuit, the other riding thoroughbreds in England. Both also pose for Playboy-esque photo shoots, so no, it's not a deeply serious look at the racing world. (Both turn 18 before the photo shoots, so it's not illegal, either.) Amazon calls it "National Velvet meets Jackie Collins", and I'd say that's about right. Not the usual cup of Turf Luck tea, but it went quite well with wine coolers and waves -- much better than the Brad Free handicapping book I dragged along.

We finished our week with a couple of nights at Mountaineer, where I got a chance to see the replay of July 3's Firecracker Stakes. One of my picks for the exacta, Special Grayce, scratched, leaving Stormina, the Pletcher horse (how often can you say that at Mountaineer?) as Lady Grace's toughest challenger. It looked to me like Lady Grace held her off until a stride before the wire; the chart says she "got out nodded in the last strides, proved second best in a very game effort." And as I suspected, Kaylan's Rose got up for third, again. Hope some avid reader had the trifecta.

On Sunday we were worried about getting a seat; the place was packed more than an hour before the races. Turns out Mountaineer discovered the secret to getting folks to the track: Clydesdales. Of course, the $1 hot dogs and $1 Budweiser didn't hurt. Still, when the Clydesdales left at 6:30, so did nearly half the crowd. According to the chart at brisnet.com, attendance for the night ended up at 4,300.

We ended up with great seats and had a great night; the King hit a couple of exactas while I had some odd place bets pay pretty well (Tiger Slew in the 7th paid $12 to place; Many Times in the 5th paid $21.) When on vacation, the Queen likes to take a break from the exacting world of the exacta; fudging around with place and show bets was a wonderful way to end a wonderful week.

Now it's back to work and the precision of the Dewey Decimal system. Sigh.