Had some personal problems. I'm back on the job though.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
http://pick4pps.blogspot.com/
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Monday, September 15, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Tom Durkin
Today is the final day of legendary NYRA race caller, Tom Durkin, who has enriched the sport of horse racing with his dulcet baritone, expansive vocabulary and quick thinking. As a handicapper it has been a privilege to repeatedly listen to Durkins inventive race calls over the few years I have enjoyed the sport of kings. As you may have seen, TVG counted down their 10 best Durkin calls and NYRA has been showcasing some of his classic calls, featuring many graded stakes. But I can tell you there is no better voice to hear when your 16-1 shot rumbles by the field to win by six lengths, even if it's a $40,000 claimer at the Spa. Mr Larry Collmus has ginormous shoes to fill, in replacing the absolute best ever. I wish him the best of luck, it will not be an easy transition for him, as horse players are a notoriously cranky and stubborn bunch. I would also like to salute an absolute gem of a race caller, sports-caster, play-by-play guy; Tom Durkin, and wish him the best of luck with his next endeavor, possibly becoming a tour guide in Italy. The game will never be the same without you, Tom. Thanks.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Smarty Jones
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Sham Stakes Review
SHAM STAKES - Santa Anita 1m
TRIP NOTES: Only four horses made it to the gate in Saturday's Grade 3, Sham Stakes at Santa Anita with points on the line for derby qualification. Prohibitive, odds-on favorite MIDNIGHT HAWK took all the buzz leading up to the race and did not disappoint. Fleet of foot front runner, KRISTO, broke sharply from the rail and poured it on, taking the lead into the first quarter mile. Only to relinquish the lead to the gray son of Midnight Lute at the quarter pole. Unsatisfied with second, KRISTO, retook the lead just after the half mile mark. Showing the heart of a champion, MIDNIGHT HAWK, retook the lead before the quarter pole and swung out in the three path. Mike Smith shook the reigns and the Baffert trainee exploded into the stretch and cleared KRISTO, shifting in to the rail. Smith urged the roan colt again at the eighth pole, this time with the whip, the Hawk didn't have much left in the tank after the early battle, but he did have enough to stay clear of his rival across the finish line and is now ten points closer to the 140th Run for the Roses!
GOING FORWARD: MIDNIGHT HAWK showed us something today in his ding-dong battle on the front end in a short field, saving just enough for the stretch. He doesn't quit. A trait you cannot train into a horse. One of those "intangibles" you always hear human athletes blabber on about. However, I think we learned more about the limitations of this horse today than of his character. Mike Smith had no choice but to send this horse early, as KRISTO may have wired the field without any one to challenge him, but being on the front end clearly drained this horse. And this race was only one mile. You could make a good case that if he doesn't switch to the inside path, clearly cutting off his rival, they are taking KRISTO's picture in the winner's circle. I draw two things from this race going forward, KRISTO is a real contender, perhaps he could use more ground and Mike Smith should perhaps rate MIDNIGHT HAWK a bit more next time out. He had no choice in this race, but he will face far deeper fields in the future so he may be able to grind down a pace-setter. But setting the pace is just not his kind of race stretching out.
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: GOLDENCENTS didn't go on for an Eclipse nomination, as I had anticipated, but his return to the track is greatly anticipated after a disappointing last race in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.
NEXT: The LeComte Stakes! Free pp's here
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Sham Preview
SHAM STAKES - Santa Anita 1m
A short field of six heads to the gate this Saturday in Southern California, with more than a few making a surface switch. Seventeen points are up for grabs on The Road to the Kentucky Derby!
PREVIEW: This race begins with the likely post time favorite for Bob Baffert and Mike Smith, the highly touted, MIDNIGHT HAWK, who has crept up on everyone's derby watch list since his scintillating six length debut win going seven and a half furlongs over the synthetic, late in Hollywood Park's last ever meet. The son of Midnight Lute broke poorly, was hustled up to the quarter pole, Smith sought cover, letting the two inside horses over take him, before comfortably blasting them back to Pomona at the eighth pole. He's been firing bullets over the main track at Santa Anita, so the surface shouldn't be a concern. He loses the blinkers, so if he doesn't join the pace, he'll destroy this weak field. Mike Smith has been on fire this meet and last year won a ridiculous amount of grade ones and I think this Baffert fella might have a future as a trainer or something.
Next we'll go just inside of Midnight Hawk to a horse from much less known connections, but who ran just as incredible a race, a debut winner for trainer R. Kory Owens, TOP FORTITUDE. Jockey Kyla Stra found some traffic at the far turn, and bottled up before checking back, making a solid middle move going three wide on the turn, over taking the blistering pace setters. The Arizona bred has been training over the main track, firing a bullet in October. He hasn't raced in 56 days with Owens going 5/32 with a 45-90 day layoff, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Looks like he could use an extra furlong or two.
Inside of Top Fortitude is the multiple stakes placed son of Tapit, ONTOLOGY. Trainer Simon Callaghan rushed this colt to the track, entering it in four graded stakes and two ungraded stakes before recently breaking its maiden on the turf. The Reddam Racing owned colt likes to press the pace and shows good early speed on the grass, an angle I like in the surface switch, but zonked out in the Grade 1 Front Runner over this same track after tracking the pace closely in a big field. He didn't handle the first turn well at all, perhaps not anticipating the give of the main track. The one-two-three finishers were Bond Holder, Dance with Fate and Tamarando, nice company, he held his own until the stretch. Throw that race out and I think you'll get a nice price on this horse, who might perform better with less traffic around him. A big question mark still looms large, though, and will be answered Saturday.
In the three hole, Jerry Hollendorfer saddles LIFE IS A JOY. A homebred son of Globalize who started his career with three straight wins, topping it off with the Charlie Palmer Futurity at Fresno, winning by six lengths over eight furlongs, so distance on the dirt isn't an issue here. Last out, he was second best in a state bred stakes, but that was over the synth at Hollywood Park. However, his last out in the dirt, again against state breds, he slightly stumbled at the start before closing late among a pack of finishers. If LIFE IS A JOY can break cleanly and run this race, he will be in the money. Jockey Nakatani is a great rider, but his aggressive style is always a concern for DQ's.
The other son of Tapit in this short field is I'LL WRAP IT UP for Derby winning trainer, Doug O'Neill. Hard to imagine this colt having much of an impact in this race off of it's maiden win after five tries, a few in the claiming ranks. His jockey that day Rafael Bejarano has jumped ship to the horse on the rail, leaving O'Neill to tap ice cold Tyler Baze for the mount. Never a good sign when a good jock hops off your horse for another in the same race, but they've been wrong before. Just not this time. ;) And since i've panned him that means he'll win breaking the track record and make all our eyeballs fall out.
Bejarano jumped to this $500K son of Distorted Humor with plenty of early speed, the well bet KRISTO. He's been 3/5 in every race run for trainer John Sadler and last out opened up in the stretch, breaking his maiden at third asking. He'll most certainly be a part of the pace scenario and since he's slightly cutting back, perhaps will have a bit more in the tank to crank up for a battle with Midnight Hawk on the front end.
MY PICK: a blistering pace falls apart in the stretch for a closing TOP FORTITUDE. If you want to get paid. And the game IS about value! Otherwise, all the money is going to be on MIDNIGHT HAWK as an early Derby favorite. ONTOLOGY is a warrior and rounds out my exotics.
LAST YEARS WINNER: Goldencents went right to the front, set solid fractions and never looked back. He didn't beat much in a short field, except one of my favs, Den's Legacy, who hasn't gone onto greatness, but you can't leave him out of the exotics. Goldencents then went on to win the Breeder's Cup Mile for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Rick Pitino.
UP NEXT ON THE ROAD TO THE DERBY: The LECOMTE going 1m 70y at Fair Grounds in a week from Saturday, followed by the SMARTY JONES at Oaklawn going 1 mile on Monday 1/20.
A short field of six heads to the gate this Saturday in Southern California, with more than a few making a surface switch. Seventeen points are up for grabs on The Road to the Kentucky Derby!
PREVIEW: This race begins with the likely post time favorite for Bob Baffert and Mike Smith, the highly touted, MIDNIGHT HAWK, who has crept up on everyone's derby watch list since his scintillating six length debut win going seven and a half furlongs over the synthetic, late in Hollywood Park's last ever meet. The son of Midnight Lute broke poorly, was hustled up to the quarter pole, Smith sought cover, letting the two inside horses over take him, before comfortably blasting them back to Pomona at the eighth pole. He's been firing bullets over the main track at Santa Anita, so the surface shouldn't be a concern. He loses the blinkers, so if he doesn't join the pace, he'll destroy this weak field. Mike Smith has been on fire this meet and last year won a ridiculous amount of grade ones and I think this Baffert fella might have a future as a trainer or something.
Next we'll go just inside of Midnight Hawk to a horse from much less known connections, but who ran just as incredible a race, a debut winner for trainer R. Kory Owens, TOP FORTITUDE. Jockey Kyla Stra found some traffic at the far turn, and bottled up before checking back, making a solid middle move going three wide on the turn, over taking the blistering pace setters. The Arizona bred has been training over the main track, firing a bullet in October. He hasn't raced in 56 days with Owens going 5/32 with a 45-90 day layoff, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Looks like he could use an extra furlong or two.
Inside of Top Fortitude is the multiple stakes placed son of Tapit, ONTOLOGY. Trainer Simon Callaghan rushed this colt to the track, entering it in four graded stakes and two ungraded stakes before recently breaking its maiden on the turf. The Reddam Racing owned colt likes to press the pace and shows good early speed on the grass, an angle I like in the surface switch, but zonked out in the Grade 1 Front Runner over this same track after tracking the pace closely in a big field. He didn't handle the first turn well at all, perhaps not anticipating the give of the main track. The one-two-three finishers were Bond Holder, Dance with Fate and Tamarando, nice company, he held his own until the stretch. Throw that race out and I think you'll get a nice price on this horse, who might perform better with less traffic around him. A big question mark still looms large, though, and will be answered Saturday.
In the three hole, Jerry Hollendorfer saddles LIFE IS A JOY. A homebred son of Globalize who started his career with three straight wins, topping it off with the Charlie Palmer Futurity at Fresno, winning by six lengths over eight furlongs, so distance on the dirt isn't an issue here. Last out, he was second best in a state bred stakes, but that was over the synth at Hollywood Park. However, his last out in the dirt, again against state breds, he slightly stumbled at the start before closing late among a pack of finishers. If LIFE IS A JOY can break cleanly and run this race, he will be in the money. Jockey Nakatani is a great rider, but his aggressive style is always a concern for DQ's.
The other son of Tapit in this short field is I'LL WRAP IT UP for Derby winning trainer, Doug O'Neill. Hard to imagine this colt having much of an impact in this race off of it's maiden win after five tries, a few in the claiming ranks. His jockey that day Rafael Bejarano has jumped ship to the horse on the rail, leaving O'Neill to tap ice cold Tyler Baze for the mount. Never a good sign when a good jock hops off your horse for another in the same race, but they've been wrong before. Just not this time. ;) And since i've panned him that means he'll win breaking the track record and make all our eyeballs fall out.
Bejarano jumped to this $500K son of Distorted Humor with plenty of early speed, the well bet KRISTO. He's been 3/5 in every race run for trainer John Sadler and last out opened up in the stretch, breaking his maiden at third asking. He'll most certainly be a part of the pace scenario and since he's slightly cutting back, perhaps will have a bit more in the tank to crank up for a battle with Midnight Hawk on the front end.
MY PICK: a blistering pace falls apart in the stretch for a closing TOP FORTITUDE. If you want to get paid. And the game IS about value! Otherwise, all the money is going to be on MIDNIGHT HAWK as an early Derby favorite. ONTOLOGY is a warrior and rounds out my exotics.
LAST YEARS WINNER: Goldencents went right to the front, set solid fractions and never looked back. He didn't beat much in a short field, except one of my favs, Den's Legacy, who hasn't gone onto greatness, but you can't leave him out of the exotics. Goldencents then went on to win the Breeder's Cup Mile for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Rick Pitino.
UP NEXT ON THE ROAD TO THE DERBY: The LECOMTE going 1m 70y at Fair Grounds in a week from Saturday, followed by the SMARTY JONES at Oaklawn going 1 mile on Monday 1/20.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
The Jerome
JEROME STAKES - Aqueduct 1m 70y
A likely winner, notches his second victory in three races.
TRIP NOTES: The brown colt, NOBLE MOON, broke sharply from the rail, took over at the half mile mark and never looked back. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr knows the rail on the inner track at Aqueduct is typically gold and this day was no different. The Virginia bred skimmed the rail, only angling off slightly in the stretch, saved all the ground and had that extra energy to fend off hard chargers down the stretch. I'm not sure he faced that much, as this field looked pretty soft on paper.
GOING FORWARD: Earning an 85 Beyer while skimming the rail won't make your eyes pop out, but this colt did it with relative ease. It looks like this son of Malibu Moon will like a bit more distance than the mile seventy at the Big A. Keep an eye on this horse stretching out down the road, as he's two for three. Only finishing behind fellow Derby trail-er CAIRO PRINCE and FINANCIAL MOGUL in the Nashua.
LAST YEARS WINNER: The last rendition of the Jerome was two years ago and the winner is one of my personal favorites, the New York bred sprinter, THE LUMBER GUY. A need-the-lead type who went on win the Vosburgh and ran second to TRINNIBERG in the Breeder's Cup Sprint. I'm sure owner Barry Schwartz is expecting a bit more from his Virginia-bred colt.
A likely winner, notches his second victory in three races.
TRIP NOTES: The brown colt, NOBLE MOON, broke sharply from the rail, took over at the half mile mark and never looked back. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr knows the rail on the inner track at Aqueduct is typically gold and this day was no different. The Virginia bred skimmed the rail, only angling off slightly in the stretch, saved all the ground and had that extra energy to fend off hard chargers down the stretch. I'm not sure he faced that much, as this field looked pretty soft on paper.
GOING FORWARD: Earning an 85 Beyer while skimming the rail won't make your eyes pop out, but this colt did it with relative ease. It looks like this son of Malibu Moon will like a bit more distance than the mile seventy at the Big A. Keep an eye on this horse stretching out down the road, as he's two for three. Only finishing behind fellow Derby trail-er CAIRO PRINCE and FINANCIAL MOGUL in the Nashua.
LAST YEARS WINNER: The last rendition of the Jerome was two years ago and the winner is one of my personal favorites, the New York bred sprinter, THE LUMBER GUY. A need-the-lead type who went on win the Vosburgh and ran second to TRINNIBERG in the Breeder's Cup Sprint. I'm sure owner Barry Schwartz is expecting a bit more from his Virginia-bred colt.
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