Play Of The Day

Aqueduct race 8

We cling to the last of the turf stakes action as we delve further into frigid Aqueduct nuclear winter.
From south of here Jonathan Sheppard ships in Royal Pleasure who is a stakes winner out of town. Slips into the condition by not winning a graded/group stakes. Looks somewhat fresh and cuts back in distance from a 10 furlong grade one race. Primed to run them all down here.

win #4 Royal Pleasure

53 8-8-9
strike rate 14%
cumulative return $94.20
$2 ROI $1.76

Play Of The Day

Aqueduct Race 9

More Than A Reason squeezes into this condition as a three year old. While most of the field has 2 wins this colt has 5 wins. 4 for 4 over a wet track and it will be wetter than a dip in the pool today. 15-1 morning line is a dream but hoping for at least 5-1 for a win bet.

Win #6 More Than A Reason

PowerCap Stats.

52 8-8-9
strike rate 15%
cumulative return $94.20
$2 ROI $1.81

Dog Racing Banned In Mass

A ballot measure passed in Massachusetts banning hound racing. Thoroughbreds will be on their hit list next. (check out the comments) In their eyes there is too much abuse in racing and banning it will make them feel really good about themselves. If there was a vote about thoroughbred racing in any of the liberal states along the coast it is a possibility that the flats could be shut down in places like Boston or Delaware. A government authority with a racino that wants to eliminate an unprofitable horseracing operation could manipulate this sentiment to its favor. While some would view the shuttering of Suffolk downs or Belmont Park as an injustice others will feel really good about it. Yet for those in power it will open up the door for the government to step in and fill yet another void.

To the common liberal type lacking experience in hard work or adversity racing is all about greed and fat cats. The complex racing traditions, hundreds of years in age and the hard work associated with racing are completely foreign concepts to most of these people. What they know is Barbaro, Eight Belles and whatever soundbite that reaches them through the media. The trainers, grooms and hardworking people working in racing are isolated from much of the population. The many groups and caring owners that save and care for retired racehorses are not known. The subject of horseracing was not covered at tennis lessons, MTV at indy rock concerts or in college. Racing fell out of the mainstream sports universe when TV favorable sports like football began to dominate at the down of the TV age. Racing needs to aquire political correctness in today's world.


The only thing many people know about racing is the cruelty of the whip and the troubling breakdowns. Unlike an organic frozen dinner horse racing makes them feel really bad about themselves. Horses are hurt, people that could take a nice job like them in a climate controlled environment are forced to work really hard and risk life and limb. The hard work associated with racing, the mucking of stalls, the smell of horse manure and the inserting of thermometers in a horses anus at 4am is completely foreign to these people who have been protected from this type of hard work. Racing has not been a part of most peoples lives in places like Boston or Manhattan where the life cycle starts with mommy and daddy protecting them and moves on to the carefree joys of college and then the office job making $100K+. This makes racing a target as it is a working class sub-culture which does does not fit into the modern culture of the crusading, do-gooder liberal. The fate of dog racing in Mass could be the fate fo racing as well.



The handicapping/wagering part of horseracing is really hard for most people to fathom. Handicapping horse racing is a sub-culture that is looked down upon in places like Manhattan or Boston. The fact that wagering is a game of skill where money moves from the losers to to the experienced well financed sharpies is an anti-liberal concept. Wealth re-distribution is not supposed to work like this. In their minds racing has to go and the cruelty and degenerate wagering has to go. In states from Massachusetts south to New York and in places like Oregon or California a horse racing ban is a reality in the next eight years if it could make to a ballot issue.

While a ban on racing would decimate tax revenues initially it could open the door for greater government control of wagering dollars. The profitable casinos are already in place at many racetracks. The racino is like the old automat restaurant opening up a McDonalds right inside of it's main location. When 95% of your customers are now eating Big Macs why continue subsidizing the part of your business where people have to pull a soggy tuna melt out of a dirty plastic machine. It would be very easy to eliminate the racetracks attached to these government controlled tax machine racinos. Public sentiment could easily be manipulated to close a track like Philadelphia Park and expand the profitable casino attached to it.

As a substitute for the lost racing tax money collected from horseplayers the Ministry Of Entertainment could program and computerize racing. Instead of employing grooms to rub horses and exercise riders to risk their lives working horses the game will become a computerized simulation of what it once was. Government has expanded like this in the past annexing the numbers game from independent civilian operators and calling it lotto. With racing banned it could become a government controlled an on-line game with no actual horse, trainers or grooms. These simulations are already available. Wagering will be run by the ministry of entertainment and taxed at 50% like other government parasite games like lotto. The proceeds will be split between parasitic programs with the rest being annexed by those in the party elite. This could happen in 1984 2014 or 2024.

Banning horse racing is a very real possibility in the next decade in places like Boston or Delaware. The sad part is that the trill of a stretch duel or the gameness of a horse like Holy Bull would be snuffed out for future generations. The beauty grace and knowledge gained from working with these magnificent creatures would be terminated.


Many people feel that they are just smarter than you and dictating what is best for everyone makes them feel really good about themselves. The 72 year old history of dog racing in New England is soon to be history. What will happen to those dogs? Who knows what will happen to those dogs but the fact that tens of thousands of Massachusetts voters feel like they did a good thing by pushing a button. For these people banning dog racing requires no effort but it provided lots of good feelings about themselves. It is only a matter of time before horse racing will come under attack from these do-gooders. It is imperative that horseracing aligns its humane ducks in a row. It is only a matter of time before racing is attacked from the left.

Good Thing The 2008 Breeders Cup Was Not At Belmont

Breeders cup day at Belmont started out okay weather wise but by the 5th race the winds must have kicked up to 50 kts. Trees were swaying violently, flexing there branches to their limits. It was cold, windy and it was raining vertically. It would have been a horrible day to sit in that grandstand and a unfortunate day to hold a breeders Cup meet. The only race I watched from my usual perch in the grandstand was my Formal Degree's romp in the Knickerbocker. I quickly ran for cover to my indoor seat.

Weather aside being said Belmont is a great place to watch the Breeders Cup while it is out of town. The underrated NYRA customer service office was kind enough to reserve a few personal workstation seats for me. When the new united tote terminals came on line four years ago horseplayers complained, but these modern terminals work great as a personal monitor. Instead of listening to nagging at home or standing at some urine drenched OTB and I had a my own personal monitor/wagering terminal right at my personal workstation. Nice way to watch the races and I was able to wager right up to the last second with no delay or issue. I pounded out bet after bet with clarity of mind in total comfort. I had sound and the choice of the ESPN or live feed along with every other track running in the USA.

Breeders Cup 2008 Debrief

Seemed like many people hated this years Breeders Cup. From the two day format, to the female races on Friday, to the surface and the European dominated results many people had a variety of reasons to base their gripes. The heat did not cause havoc like I thought it would and it was a improvement of bog/monsoon at Monmouth or icebox Belmont. What about Trevor Denman? Denman was the comeback of the year. After two years of calling the wrong names and missing moves I thought he was a toast and a clear has been. This year he did a 180 and prepped like a student studying for the SAT. He was prepared and ready. Trevor called 14 great races over the two days. This Breeders Cup was a rousing success and I enjoyed both days.

The day format is okay and I am glad the Friday races were a quick 5 race sequence. These races were over in two hours or so and did not drag on forever. The choice to move the female races to Friday was a sharp choice. It gave the day a theme in line with other classic race weekends and gave these races a stand alone stature of their own. The worst suggestion I read this week was to move all of the new BC races to Friday. A day of ungraded races with no tenure would provide zero interest in the Friday races and doom them to failure. Ladies day provided a theme and provided proper Balance two the two days. The idea was a winner.


For years Americans have bred cheap speed horses and run them over speed favoring bullrings. This is the valid argument for synthetics. The culmination of the cheap speed breeding was the GI win of Sinister Minister in the Bluegrass a few years ago. This short sighted breeding of horses have resulted in short horses that can not go a distance of ground and break down. This is where the synthetic factor kicks in. This is why the Europeans finished one-two in the classic. The bright side of synthetic surfaces is that it promotes breeding stouter horses that can run far. The days of cheap speed, precocious breakdown candidates and numbered. I thought the races were formful and all horses returned safe and sound.

Most of my buddies at Belmont and in the OTB's and simulcast joints did not share my feelings on the 2008 Breeders Cup. They did not care for the results and the surface. Politically correct people assumed an "I'm so offended posture" in reaction to Ladies Day. Horseplayers and horse racing fans are notoriously reluctant to embrace change. However with time I feel these changes will resonate and will ultimately lead to the expansion of the Breeders Cup.

Evening Attire Day

Evening Attire had his own day at Belmont on the 25th of October 2008. The old warrior is some ham and mugged for pictures in the paddock. NYRA put on a nice presentation for him and even customized the wagering terminals with his picture.

Ladies Day Picks

Ladies day has finally arrived. Looks like a gorgeous warm day at Santa Anita. Hopefully racing fans can open their minds and accept a new concept. Change is not always bad.

BC FM Sprint
Looks like a ton of pace in here. Using Magnificence, Intangaroo, Miraculous Miss and Ventura in pick 3's. Win money on longshots Magnificence and Miraculous Miss.


BC FM Turf
Think that Mauralakana can bounce back here and run them down late. Will also use Halfway To Heaven and Forever Together.

BC Ladies Classic
Zenyatta is undefeat but is facing the toughest field of her career. I respect her but will also use Music Note and Cocoa Beach.

Play Of The Day

Belmont Park Race 3

This is a non-winners of 3 lifetime or 3 year old condition. Love that Law N Dora sneaks in here with the three year old condition. Going to bet her to to win her on the drop in class. This speady colt should be able to blow out this field.

#1 Contessa Entry

Powercap Stats

51 8-7-9
strike rate 16%
cumulative return $94.20
$2 ROI $1.85