Be here. Nothing heavy though, so if the precip' holds off from here on out, Whitney Day should be fast and foam.
Not a whole lot to talk about tonight, just getting a little buzzed after dropping a little over $100 for the day. Just about gave back everything I took home on Opening Day. This dude Tom is busting my balls about not working this week. Fuck outta here with that, dude is leaving Sunday for Music Fest anyway, as Steve said, "what's it to him?" Besides, I'm having too much fun kicking it with the DT contingent. Thought the DT gathering would be full of weirdos, but everyone is surprisingly cool and people seems to be getting along perfectly, it's awesome.
Got to see Willie Martinez today, who's a very cool guy and who's got some swag in his step. Dude would fit in in the city that's for sure, and matter of fact, if I can get a hold of him after Brass Hat wins tomorrow, I'll try to get him to take me down to the city to party. That's my word.
Matt's brother has a ton of pics from the DT summit, so as soon as he gets those to me, I'll get 'em up here. Be back tomorrow, but in case I don't report back before post time, go rock that Whitney card, because it's reportedly fantastic (I haven't looked), and the rain might actually hold off. Tomorrow y'all.
Friday, July 27, 2007
You have now entered..
The Twilight Zone.
So apparently even though today's first post isn't until 2:45 and the first simulcast signal isn't until 12:50 (Monmouth), the track still must open at 11. I say "apparently" because I can figure no other reason why I'd be sitting here handicapping a $5,000 claimer that's two hours away at 10:30 a.m.
Going to be a scorcher today, probably with some rain as well. Too much food last night. Even Sciacca was stuffed. Willie Martinez just came by to say what's up, in town for Brass Hat tomorrow. Buff Bradley was at the restaurant last night, as was Phil Serpe.
First glance at the card has it looking tough, but of much better quality than yesterday.
Got an awesome picture of Fed Watcher yesterday that I'll post later, but apparently my flash fucked up his concentration, because he was sittin' sideways in the stretch. That Pletcher horse is a serious runner as well. Homeboy is having a tough meet thus far however.
Back in a few after I take a deeper look at the card.
So apparently even though today's first post isn't until 2:45 and the first simulcast signal isn't until 12:50 (Monmouth), the track still must open at 11. I say "apparently" because I can figure no other reason why I'd be sitting here handicapping a $5,000 claimer that's two hours away at 10:30 a.m.
Going to be a scorcher today, probably with some rain as well. Too much food last night. Even Sciacca was stuffed. Willie Martinez just came by to say what's up, in town for Brass Hat tomorrow. Buff Bradley was at the restaurant last night, as was Phil Serpe.
First glance at the card has it looking tough, but of much better quality than yesterday.
Got an awesome picture of Fed Watcher yesterday that I'll post later, but apparently my flash fucked up his concentration, because he was sittin' sideways in the stretch. That Pletcher horse is a serious runner as well. Homeboy is having a tough meet thus far however.
Back in a few after I take a deeper look at the card.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Going to dinner
In Gary Sciacca's car, just got back from Siro's with nine other DT'ers, fun time. Kevin bought a round. On the way to meet Sonny at an italian restaurant. Everybody had a pretty rough day, but no one rougher than Steve Dellinger. Still he said he had fun. Gotta love 'Toga. Back a little later.
Send Sonny a dozen roses for me
Sometimes you get a little help from a man in a bowtie. Is it just me, or did that 12 nose out the 7 in the last race yesterday? No sir! Good ol' Sonny the placing judge amazingly calls it a dead heat, saving me from some embarrassment after I began to celebrate hitting the Pick 3 with the 7. The dead heat cut the payout in half, but considering that I'm still pretty positive I lost that photo, I'll take it.
Posting from my phone as Steve is on the computer right now, so will keep this somewhat short.
The main track is tiring as hell, and the dirt races are being run like grass ones, with 5 or 6 horses being within 3-4 lengths of the wire at the finish. I'd avoid speed today unless the track tells you otherwise.
At the track today were Matt and his crew (Matt's wife, Dell, Barney, John), Kev, Bigs who kindly bought me a few beers, Hoff, Chuck, Serling, Sciacca and crew, Sniper (who reportedly made out like a bandit) and Sightseek. I'm sure I'm forgetting people.
Passed the hell out as soon as I got back to Steve's. Didn't even bother putting sheets on my bed (have my own room this year, awesome), and there are more people here than I thought there'd be.
Will post a few more thoughts after Steve bounces.
Posting from my phone as Steve is on the computer right now, so will keep this somewhat short.
The main track is tiring as hell, and the dirt races are being run like grass ones, with 5 or 6 horses being within 3-4 lengths of the wire at the finish. I'd avoid speed today unless the track tells you otherwise.
At the track today were Matt and his crew (Matt's wife, Dell, Barney, John), Kev, Bigs who kindly bought me a few beers, Hoff, Chuck, Serling, Sciacca and crew, Sniper (who reportedly made out like a bandit) and Sightseek. I'm sure I'm forgetting people.
Passed the hell out as soon as I got back to Steve's. Didn't even bother putting sheets on my bed (have my own room this year, awesome), and there are more people here than I thought there'd be.
Will post a few more thoughts after Steve bounces.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
That's it, I should just stop now
First bet of the meet ($1 Exacta Box in the fourth 1-4-8-9-10) is a $9.75 winner. By the way, I'm finally at the track after a delay-filled train ride. A recap of everyone in attendance later.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Let the headscratching commence
Actually, to be honest, this isn't an exceedingly tough Saratoga card by Saratoga card standards and especially considering the purse hike. That's to say nothing about the amount of enticing wagering opportunities there will be on Wednesday, but there will be days this meet where it looks like every last horse entered looks to fit, and at least things look somewhat discriminable for Opening Day '07. The only serious mitigating factor is the uncertainty over how the track will play, but any major biases should be detectable relatively early.
We start with the first, a race which gives me a weird feeling of deja vu, possibly because it's just about the same exact heat that kicked off last year's festivites. It's a $35,000 open claimer for elders, going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Massoud, the favored winner of that run, is back, with the same program number (3) this time around and the same conditioning pattern (coming off a long break), Forget the Judge and Noah A., two of the other major betting interests in that field, are back as well, and it's another large field assembled for the first call to post. Only significant difference is that this year's version is on the inner turf, rather than the mellon.
Being that handicapping this race feels so curiously familiar, it's probably a good idea to approach it similarly. MASSOUD should be tough to beat, being the only runner in the field with consistent figures in the mid-90 BSF range and 4-5 TG range, and he's proven he can win fresh, as well as adapt to numerous pace scenarios. PANGBURN has a big number jumping off the page three back, but his two races since then have been rather dull, and if I'm going to hedge, I generally don't like doing it with horses showing one big run and then subpar form since. SI O NO drops in class technically, but this isn't your typical field of $35,000 claimers, and he's shown an aversion to winning of late. Everyone else just seems slower than Massoud on his best form, which can be expected unless Tomlinson/Motion/Velazquez are trying to get rid of him, an unlikely scenario considering it's the Saratoga opener.
MASSOUD to win at 2/1 or higher. Hate to start off chalky, but there you go.
In the second, we quickly get to espy how impressive exactly the bizarre looking Fed Watcher's :56 MSW win at BEL was a little while ago, as third-place finisher IMMORTAL EYES should be heavily favored in this 11-horse MSW at 5 1/2 furlongs. The $220,000 2YOIT purchase (by $5,000 sire Greatness) earned an 89 BSF and 8 TG for his debut, while his closest competitors have blown only a 75 BSF and 11 TG (BOLD TRUST). A newcomer on the rail, NOBLE HERO is interesting, as he's by hot young sire Vindication and is a half to G2 Norfolk winner Ruler's Court and G3-placed Wise River. Julien Leparoux opts off both ECTON and IN ORBIT to ride Noble Hero, but that rail draw is tricky and trainer Dallas Stewart didn't have the greatest of meets last summer. FOREST PRINCE, the first Pletcher/Velazquez concoction of the meet, is by a homebred by Mineshaft out of a multiple G3 winner who is a full sister to sprint star Wildcat Heir. Stan Hough and Paul Robsham send out a $475,000 yearling purchase in Sargent Seattle, another son of Vindication. Aforementioned In Orbit is a half-brother to turf superstar Colstar, who was 11-for-18 and won the G1 Flower Bowl, and while In Orbit's debut wasn't too sharp, he broke badly and ran evenly, meaning he may have needed the start, and he posts a sharper than usual work since.
IMMORTAL EYES looks tough, and is a bet in the double with MASSOUD at 8/1 or higher, which probably isn't happening. Otherwise, just going to watch this one.
The third contains the smallest field of the day, eight horses, and is the first tough race, with three or four top contenders and a few other unknowns. SCORPIUS and GRAND CHAMPION tote big figures, and LORD SNOWDON isn't far behind them. SIR SILVER FOX comes into this off a 98 BSF/0 TG romp in the CRC slop, but we all know how reliable that form is. GSTAAD is slow on figures, but he jumped up to score at 15-1 last out and may have turned the corner. DEADLY DEALER, briefly on the Derby Trail, returns to action following a disappointing seventh as the chalk in the G2 Woody Stephens at BEL. Ex-Chuck Simon trainee BRILLIANT SON returns off a long layoff with a steady string of works for Kiaran McLaughlin.
Pass this race, unless you want to single Immortal Eyes in the Pick Four (not outlandish by any means), then I'd use SCORPIUS, LORD SNOWDON, DEADLY DEALER and GRAND CHAMPION.
The fourth is the first of what will undoubtedly be many grass sprints at the Spa, and it drew an interesting crew of 12 fillies, with two coupled entries, one from Gary Contessa (HOLY TROUBLE/SISTER DESIREE) and one from Linda Rice (MOTOR CITY MAMA/DRESSED TO WIN). Contessa's pair is imposing for sure, with the inconsistent but often sharp Holy Trouble complementing nicely with Sister Desiree, who enters this off a good fourth in an overnight at BEL. DATA might get lost in the wagering following her dull U.S. debut, but she's got talent to be sure, having scored by 17 at even-money in her native Argentina before promptly placing in a Group 1 turf sprint. That form isn't always a stellar translation, but Garret Gomez picks up the ride and she should be used. EGYPT LANE and SMARTGABRIELLE are both too sharp to ignore, SARAH'S SMILER comes into this off a sharp claiming win, and FOREST JAZZY attempts to revert to her 24-length maiden-winning form following a wack turf sprint try 6/30.
HOLY TROUBLE/SISTER DESIREE, EGYPT LANE, SARAH'S SMILER, SMARTGABRIELLE and DATA are all I need.
Fifth is pretty interesting. Tempted to use BORBUDUR, a Frankel shipper from overseas who's been working locally for a while for his four-year-old debut, VIRGINIA MINSTREL, who's got big figures and has run into some nice ones, TERROR ON TRACK, who gets John Velazquez even with a Pletcher in the race, and WARN, who narrowly missed after an awkward trip last out. But the inside is the place to be on the inner, so ROCKET LEGS, the Pletcher, excites a little.
See above.
Sixth is a $20,000 claimer. That came outta left field. Pretty wide open, but don't bet Multiple Choice. He's a hanger.
Seventh is the first NY-bred race of the meet, and if they're all of this quality, I'll stop complaining about NY-breds being allowed into the Spa. STATELY PEGASUS, KILL DEVIL RUM and HANGINGBYATHREAD look to be the class.
Eighth is an interesting optional claimer for Tree Plus, featuring 38-to-95 BSF runner GARIFINE, potential-laden JAMAICAN KEV, an impressive two-year-old from last summer, IRISH ACE, making his first start since October, with the same going for INCRIMINATE. BABY RUSCH will draw money off his 96 BSF last out, but he's yet to venture out of NY-bred company, and that's a big leap.
The featuerd Schuylerville, which we drive through every day on the way to and from the track, houses two very promising runners, first in Barclay Tagg's ACCORDING TO PLAN, who smoothly won her debut in :56 1/5 on 6/29, and SUBTLE ALY, who set a track record for 4 1/2 furlongs at CD (:50 2/5) despite being let go at nearly 14-1. She's since been purchased by IEAH and transferred to Dutrow, who employs main man Prado. Those two will be tough to corral, although YES BY WEST and DREABONS LEGACY could challenge if one of the top two should falter.
The finale? Throw some darts at that bitch.
Gotta go pack. Oh yeah, I'm still in Brooklyn by the way. Leaving tomorrow and should get to the track just in time for the first race. Once again, good to have you aboard.
We start with the first, a race which gives me a weird feeling of deja vu, possibly because it's just about the same exact heat that kicked off last year's festivites. It's a $35,000 open claimer for elders, going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Massoud, the favored winner of that run, is back, with the same program number (3) this time around and the same conditioning pattern (coming off a long break), Forget the Judge and Noah A., two of the other major betting interests in that field, are back as well, and it's another large field assembled for the first call to post. Only significant difference is that this year's version is on the inner turf, rather than the mellon.
Being that handicapping this race feels so curiously familiar, it's probably a good idea to approach it similarly. MASSOUD should be tough to beat, being the only runner in the field with consistent figures in the mid-90 BSF range and 4-5 TG range, and he's proven he can win fresh, as well as adapt to numerous pace scenarios. PANGBURN has a big number jumping off the page three back, but his two races since then have been rather dull, and if I'm going to hedge, I generally don't like doing it with horses showing one big run and then subpar form since. SI O NO drops in class technically, but this isn't your typical field of $35,000 claimers, and he's shown an aversion to winning of late. Everyone else just seems slower than Massoud on his best form, which can be expected unless Tomlinson/Motion/Velazquez are trying to get rid of him, an unlikely scenario considering it's the Saratoga opener.
MASSOUD to win at 2/1 or higher. Hate to start off chalky, but there you go.
In the second, we quickly get to espy how impressive exactly the bizarre looking Fed Watcher's :56 MSW win at BEL was a little while ago, as third-place finisher IMMORTAL EYES should be heavily favored in this 11-horse MSW at 5 1/2 furlongs. The $220,000 2YOIT purchase (by $5,000 sire Greatness) earned an 89 BSF and 8 TG for his debut, while his closest competitors have blown only a 75 BSF and 11 TG (BOLD TRUST). A newcomer on the rail, NOBLE HERO is interesting, as he's by hot young sire Vindication and is a half to G2 Norfolk winner Ruler's Court and G3-placed Wise River. Julien Leparoux opts off both ECTON and IN ORBIT to ride Noble Hero, but that rail draw is tricky and trainer Dallas Stewart didn't have the greatest of meets last summer. FOREST PRINCE, the first Pletcher/Velazquez concoction of the meet, is by a homebred by Mineshaft out of a multiple G3 winner who is a full sister to sprint star Wildcat Heir. Stan Hough and Paul Robsham send out a $475,000 yearling purchase in Sargent Seattle, another son of Vindication. Aforementioned In Orbit is a half-brother to turf superstar Colstar, who was 11-for-18 and won the G1 Flower Bowl, and while In Orbit's debut wasn't too sharp, he broke badly and ran evenly, meaning he may have needed the start, and he posts a sharper than usual work since.
IMMORTAL EYES looks tough, and is a bet in the double with MASSOUD at 8/1 or higher, which probably isn't happening. Otherwise, just going to watch this one.
The third contains the smallest field of the day, eight horses, and is the first tough race, with three or four top contenders and a few other unknowns. SCORPIUS and GRAND CHAMPION tote big figures, and LORD SNOWDON isn't far behind them. SIR SILVER FOX comes into this off a 98 BSF/0 TG romp in the CRC slop, but we all know how reliable that form is. GSTAAD is slow on figures, but he jumped up to score at 15-1 last out and may have turned the corner. DEADLY DEALER, briefly on the Derby Trail, returns to action following a disappointing seventh as the chalk in the G2 Woody Stephens at BEL. Ex-Chuck Simon trainee BRILLIANT SON returns off a long layoff with a steady string of works for Kiaran McLaughlin.
Pass this race, unless you want to single Immortal Eyes in the Pick Four (not outlandish by any means), then I'd use SCORPIUS, LORD SNOWDON, DEADLY DEALER and GRAND CHAMPION.
The fourth is the first of what will undoubtedly be many grass sprints at the Spa, and it drew an interesting crew of 12 fillies, with two coupled entries, one from Gary Contessa (HOLY TROUBLE/SISTER DESIREE) and one from Linda Rice (MOTOR CITY MAMA/DRESSED TO WIN). Contessa's pair is imposing for sure, with the inconsistent but often sharp Holy Trouble complementing nicely with Sister Desiree, who enters this off a good fourth in an overnight at BEL. DATA might get lost in the wagering following her dull U.S. debut, but she's got talent to be sure, having scored by 17 at even-money in her native Argentina before promptly placing in a Group 1 turf sprint. That form isn't always a stellar translation, but Garret Gomez picks up the ride and she should be used. EGYPT LANE and SMARTGABRIELLE are both too sharp to ignore, SARAH'S SMILER comes into this off a sharp claiming win, and FOREST JAZZY attempts to revert to her 24-length maiden-winning form following a wack turf sprint try 6/30.
HOLY TROUBLE/SISTER DESIREE, EGYPT LANE, SARAH'S SMILER, SMARTGABRIELLE and DATA are all I need.
Fifth is pretty interesting. Tempted to use BORBUDUR, a Frankel shipper from overseas who's been working locally for a while for his four-year-old debut, VIRGINIA MINSTREL, who's got big figures and has run into some nice ones, TERROR ON TRACK, who gets John Velazquez even with a Pletcher in the race, and WARN, who narrowly missed after an awkward trip last out. But the inside is the place to be on the inner, so ROCKET LEGS, the Pletcher, excites a little.
See above.
Sixth is a $20,000 claimer. That came outta left field. Pretty wide open, but don't bet Multiple Choice. He's a hanger.
Seventh is the first NY-bred race of the meet, and if they're all of this quality, I'll stop complaining about NY-breds being allowed into the Spa. STATELY PEGASUS, KILL DEVIL RUM and HANGINGBYATHREAD look to be the class.
Eighth is an interesting optional claimer for Tree Plus, featuring 38-to-95 BSF runner GARIFINE, potential-laden JAMAICAN KEV, an impressive two-year-old from last summer, IRISH ACE, making his first start since October, with the same going for INCRIMINATE. BABY RUSCH will draw money off his 96 BSF last out, but he's yet to venture out of NY-bred company, and that's a big leap.
The featuerd Schuylerville, which we drive through every day on the way to and from the track, houses two very promising runners, first in Barclay Tagg's ACCORDING TO PLAN, who smoothly won her debut in :56 1/5 on 6/29, and SUBTLE ALY, who set a track record for 4 1/2 furlongs at CD (:50 2/5) despite being let go at nearly 14-1. She's since been purchased by IEAH and transferred to Dutrow, who employs main man Prado. Those two will be tough to corral, although YES BY WEST and DREABONS LEGACY could challenge if one of the top two should falter.
The finale? Throw some darts at that bitch.
Gotta go pack. Oh yeah, I'm still in Brooklyn by the way. Leaving tomorrow and should get to the track just in time for the first race. Once again, good to have you aboard.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Off we go
First things first, good to have back those of you who graciously humored me last year, and a hearty welcome to any newcomers swinging their browser 'round these parts for the first time. My name is Joe Bianca, and I'm a 20-year-old horseplayer wannabe from Brooklyn, New York. Just to get you caught up on what you missed from last summer, Steve Byk is my hero, my new buddy Matt had a routinely sharp meet, taking in country life with some local fillies until puking all over one of their cars was cool, Bernardini became the apple of my eye, gave myself a drunken mohawk one night, bet some pitiful tracks on boring Tuesdays, lived and died on tips as a Carolina Barbecue slave, um..
Good stuff. All in all, it was a hell of a six weeks, but a few things irked me and left me with minor regrets.
For one, as much fun as upstate New York turned out to be, I really only got to see Steve's house and the racetrack while there. And while both are palaces in their own right, I think it sucked that I didn't experience and subsequently gab to you about the town of Saratoga Springs, which reportedly is pretty flippin' cool. Different story this year. I'll only be working/slaving weeks 2-5, and the rest of the time will be dedicated to consuming and sharing as much of the FULL 'Toga experience as possible.
Secondly, and this is a common gripe from people like me, I didn't do as well as I wanted to while playing the horses last summer. Broke about even, which can theoretically be viewed as a success and sure as hell beats losing, but didn't feel all that rewarding considering how much time was spent handicapping. Can't guarantee it will be a different story this year, but one can hope.
Thirdly, looking back on last year's blog, it.. well.. it kinda sucked. It was fun and everything, and I'm ultra-pleased that so many people enjoyed it, but there was too much filler, mad repetitiveness and way too much fucking swearing. Too god damn motherfucking much swearing.
However, there WAS substantial positive feedback on the thing, which gives me hope that if I really tried my hardest to make this a truly kickass blog, I could do it. So that's what I'm fixin' to do.
That's the main reason for the URL switch. I don't want last year's Diary getting its filthy cooties on the '07 version. Last year was basically random thought after random thought after random thought, which is cool, but that shouldn't be the recipe for every entry. This time around, there will be a discernable purpose to most entries, even if that purpose is just to kick an entertaining anecdote at you, and an underlying purpose to the entire blog, geared towards making this a USEFUL as well as fun blog.
On the handicapping side, there will be plenty of information gathered and dispensed on here, with the hopes of making this a successful meet for any and all readers as well as myself. As soon as I discover some to share, there will be constantly updated lists of developing trends (often the keys to big scores if properly used) and watch horses in addition to the daily observational entries.
On the social and even more frivolous side, there will be detailed entries undoubtedly chocked with bad jokes, stories of near-misses with chicks, pictures of adventures and people encountered along the way, and so forth.
Another note: Last year's format was too strict in one sense, that the one-entry-a-day thing was often too restrictive and also often too taxing. Expect multiple entries on most days, but a few days with no entries. You'll get your money's worth.
Think of it as a mix of DRF, Deadspin and the '06 Diary of a Summer.
There's plenty to look forward to this meet, with one of the best three-year-old crops of this decade mostly being aimed for SAR races, starting with Street Sense opening weekend in The Jim Dandy. There's the Sumwonlovesyou saga, as Derby Trail's pride and joy seeks her first win for the stable after a number of very solid seconds. There's the apparent scores of DT members converging at America's Racetrack, which promises to be a clusterfuck of historic proportion. There's the constant suspense over whether or not Steve's eyeballs will rocket out of his skull like water out of a fire hose with all of the stress he's bound to be under. I tell ya', it should be eventful at the very least.
Right now, I'm still in Brooklyn, but will be shooting up to SS sometime on Tuesday, from where we'll run through the opening day races and get things underway.
The forecast is dry, the first card is drawn, the flights and hotels are booked, the excitement is palpable. Very glad you're along for the ride.
Good stuff. All in all, it was a hell of a six weeks, but a few things irked me and left me with minor regrets.
For one, as much fun as upstate New York turned out to be, I really only got to see Steve's house and the racetrack while there. And while both are palaces in their own right, I think it sucked that I didn't experience and subsequently gab to you about the town of Saratoga Springs, which reportedly is pretty flippin' cool. Different story this year. I'll only be working/slaving weeks 2-5, and the rest of the time will be dedicated to consuming and sharing as much of the FULL 'Toga experience as possible.
Secondly, and this is a common gripe from people like me, I didn't do as well as I wanted to while playing the horses last summer. Broke about even, which can theoretically be viewed as a success and sure as hell beats losing, but didn't feel all that rewarding considering how much time was spent handicapping. Can't guarantee it will be a different story this year, but one can hope.
Thirdly, looking back on last year's blog, it.. well.. it kinda sucked. It was fun and everything, and I'm ultra-pleased that so many people enjoyed it, but there was too much filler, mad repetitiveness and way too much fucking swearing. Too god damn motherfucking much swearing.
However, there WAS substantial positive feedback on the thing, which gives me hope that if I really tried my hardest to make this a truly kickass blog, I could do it. So that's what I'm fixin' to do.
That's the main reason for the URL switch. I don't want last year's Diary getting its filthy cooties on the '07 version. Last year was basically random thought after random thought after random thought, which is cool, but that shouldn't be the recipe for every entry. This time around, there will be a discernable purpose to most entries, even if that purpose is just to kick an entertaining anecdote at you, and an underlying purpose to the entire blog, geared towards making this a USEFUL as well as fun blog.
On the handicapping side, there will be plenty of information gathered and dispensed on here, with the hopes of making this a successful meet for any and all readers as well as myself. As soon as I discover some to share, there will be constantly updated lists of developing trends (often the keys to big scores if properly used) and watch horses in addition to the daily observational entries.
On the social and even more frivolous side, there will be detailed entries undoubtedly chocked with bad jokes, stories of near-misses with chicks, pictures of adventures and people encountered along the way, and so forth.
Another note: Last year's format was too strict in one sense, that the one-entry-a-day thing was often too restrictive and also often too taxing. Expect multiple entries on most days, but a few days with no entries. You'll get your money's worth.
Think of it as a mix of DRF, Deadspin and the '06 Diary of a Summer.
There's plenty to look forward to this meet, with one of the best three-year-old crops of this decade mostly being aimed for SAR races, starting with Street Sense opening weekend in The Jim Dandy. There's the Sumwonlovesyou saga, as Derby Trail's pride and joy seeks her first win for the stable after a number of very solid seconds. There's the apparent scores of DT members converging at America's Racetrack, which promises to be a clusterfuck of historic proportion. There's the constant suspense over whether or not Steve's eyeballs will rocket out of his skull like water out of a fire hose with all of the stress he's bound to be under. I tell ya', it should be eventful at the very least.
Right now, I'm still in Brooklyn, but will be shooting up to SS sometime on Tuesday, from where we'll run through the opening day races and get things underway.
The forecast is dry, the first card is drawn, the flights and hotels are booked, the excitement is palpable. Very glad you're along for the ride.
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