Ladies Day at the Races

Today's bill of fare includes the Gr I Alabama at Saratoga (and not named the Cottrill = http://horseracing.about.com/library/blalabama.htm), the Gr I Del Mar Oaks, the Gr III Arlington Oaks, the Gr III Gardenia at Ellis Park and the Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs.

How about a National Ladies Day at the Races with free admission to all females entering North America's racetracks and special filly and mare races everywhere?

Just an idea......

Lady Blue Sky wins 10th in a row at Remington Park

The five year old mare Lady Blue Sky continued her winning streak with a length victory as 2-5 favorite in the 6th race at Remington Park on Friday evening. The mare has now won 10 consecutive races - the longest streak in North America - dating back to Oct 6, 2006 at Hoosier Park. She has won races at Hoosier, Charles Town, Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, Prairie Meadows, Indiana Downs and now Remington in the streak. She was stabled over the summer at Canterbury Park but did not race there. Dick Jerardi had a nice story on her in DRF awhile back:

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=86996&subs=0&arc=1

DRF Letter to the Editor on Hialeah

Daily Racing Form published my letter to the editor on the Hialeah situation in Sunday's edition (August 19). The post is below on August 13.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/87736.html

Roarofdefeat at Prairie Meadows

Somebody went off the deep end in the 6th race tonight at Prairie Meadows. The Maggi Moss owned Roarofvictory went off at 1-2 and took $5,222 of the $7,292 bet in the show pool in finishing a distance 4th - show payoffs of $11.20, $12.20 and $21.40.

Prussian takes the field

Bill Mott debuted a very impressive two year old colt today at Saratoga named Prussian who took the maiden race in the 4th on the grass by almost seven lengths going wire to wire. The horse is a homebred from Monticule Farm in Lexington and from the final two year colt of the great stallion Danzig. He must be considered one of the early favorites for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf event.

Indian Charlie is a Beauty

He had a couple of classic items in Sunday's edition:

1) Marylou Whitney's husband John Hendrickson won the Rolex watch that was given away on Funny Cide day at Saratoga

2) "Of all the people who own a piece of Curlin, the ones who are now being bedded down behind a screen, are the best of the bunch!" - referring to the incarceration of two part-owners of the Preakness winner involved in the Fen-Phen scandal - Shirley Cunningham Jr. and William Gallion.

Hong Kong season starts Sept 8 in North America

Dick Jerardi has a column in the DRF highlighting the great opportunities in being able to bet into the massive Hong Kong wagering pools beginning this fall. This is truly a major step towards the globalization of wagering that is needed for the economic future of the sport in all countries.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=87420&subs=1&arc=1

Save Hialeah Park

Bill Finley on the ESPN web site has a great story on a local, grass roots effort to save and revitalize Hialeah Park for horse racing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=finley_bill&id=2971851

The two largest operators of racetracks in the United States - Magna and Churchill Downs - both run facilities in the South Florida area (Gulfstream and Calder). They have shown absolutely no interest in any plan to open Hialeah again. This is a classic example of the short-sightedness and lack of vision within the racing industry. A short, boutique meeting at Hialeah in March would be a natural in the simulcasting era. It doesn't matter anymore that affluent South Floridians may not want to venture to Hialeah. 90% of the money wagered will be off-track anyways. Hialeah is a racing treasure that legitimized winter racing and was the foundation on which Florida horse racing was built. Back in the day, this would be a no brainer. The money would be found from people named Widener, Galbraith, Phipps, Kennedy, maybe even from someone like Meyer Lansky. Now that's not an option. So here's an idea. Seek sponsorship from Sheikh Mohammad, Juddmonte Farm, Florida breeders, or Keeneland for the meeting. Get the state involved for alternative gambling - there's more than enough space. Run half the races on the turf. Restore the Flamingo and the Widener.

This can be done and I urge all to support this effort to preserve the past and protect the future of horse racing.

http://www.myspace.com/savehialeahpark

http://savehialeahpark.com/ (not online at this time)

Horses in Training - Expected Starts for Top Horses – August 13:


Admire Moon – 4yo c – Matsuda – Godolphin – Tenno Sho Autumn – Tokyo Racecourse - October 28
Adore the Gold – 3yo c – Gorham – Murphy -
Afrashad – 5yo c- Suroor – Godolphin –
After Market – 4yo c- Shirreffs – Wygods – Del Mar Cap – August 26
Alexandrova – 4yo f - A O’Brien - Coolmore – Yorkshire Oaks – August 22
Any Given Saturday – 3yo c – Pletcher – Stonerside – Brooklyn – Belmont – Sept 22
AP Arrow – 5yo h – Pletcher – Paulson Trust –
AP Xcellent – 4yo c- Shirreffs – Fulton – Pacific Classic – Del Mar – August 19 or Del Mar Handicap – August 26
Araafa – 4yo – Noseda – Homaizi & Sagar
Arch Swing – 3yo f – Oxx – Garvey -
Areyoutalkintome – 6yo g – Manzani or Sarno – O’Neill
Arravale – 4yo f – Mac Benson – Costigan –
Arson Squad – 4yo c – Headley – Jay Em Ess – Pacific Classic – Del Mar – August 19
Art Master – 6yo h – Frankel - Juddmonte
Ashkal Way – 5yo g – Suroor – Godolphin – Out with injury – return uncertain
Asiatic Boy – 3yo c – De Kock – Bin Khalifa Al Maktourm – Juddmonte International – York – August 21 – then rest until Dubai meeting
Asi Siempre – 5yo f – Biancone – M Schwartz –
Attila’s Storm – 5yo h – Schosberg –Barry Schwartz – Forego – Saratoga- Sept 1
Aussie Rules – 4yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore –
Authorized – 3yo c – Chapple Hyam – Juddmonte International – York – August 21 – then Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp – Oct 7
Awesome Gem – 4yo g- C Dollase – West Point –
Balance – 4yo f – Hofmans – Amerman Racing Stable – Molly Pitcher – Monmouth – August 25
Baroness Thatcher – 3yo f – Biancone – Zayat -
Bayou’s Lassie – 4yo f – Gold – Jacks or Better –
Becrux – 5yo g – Drysdale – Team Valor & Barber – Del Mar Mile – August 19
Belgravia – 3yo c – Biancone – Tabor –
Better Talk Now – 8 yo g – Motion – Bushwood – Sky Classic – Woodbine- Sept 23 or the Hirsch Turf Classic – Belmont – Sept 30
Big Timer – 3yo c – Semple – McKenzie
Boboman – 6yo c – Mandella – Wertheimers –
Boca Grande – 3yo f – McGaughey – Phipps –
Bob & John – 4yo c – Baffert – McNair –
Bordonaro – 6yo g – Spawr – Carrillo or Cassella –
Boscobel – 3yo c – Johnston – Darley – break
Brass Hat – 6yo – Bradley – Bradley –
Bright One - 4yo c – Romans –
Brillant – 4yo c – Howard – Mill House
Brother Derek – 4yo c – Hendricks – Peacock – out until 2008
Buffalo Man – 3yo c – Ol Memorial Stable – Gambolati –
Burmilla – 4yo f- Hardy – Darley – Ballerina – Saratoga – August 26
Can’t Beat It – 4yo c – Wolfson – Live Oak –
Caradek – 6yo c – Suroor – Godolphin
Cesare – 6yo g – Fanshawe- Cheveley Park Stud – Celebration Mile – Goodwood – August 25 – then QE II Mile – Ascot – September 29
Chatain – 4yo c- Penna – Lazy F Ranch – BC Dirt Mile – Monmouth – Oct 26
Chelokee – 3yo c – Matz – Centennial -
Circular Quay – 3yo c – Pletcher – Tabor –
Citronnade – 4yo f – Frankel – Stronach –
Cobalt Blue – 3yo c – Doug O’Neil – Estate of Merv Griffin-
Cockney Rebel – 3yo c- Huffer – Cunningham – QE II Mile – Ascot – Sept 29 – then Champion Stakes – Newmarket – Oct 20 or BC Mile – Monmouth – Oct 29
Colinda Verde – 4yo f – Drysdale – Team Valor – Late summer –fall campaign – Brazilian TC winner
Collier Hill – 9yo g – Swinbank – Hall, Crowe, Abell – will train up to Irish St. Leger – main goal is to defend Canadian International 2006 win
Commentator – 5yo c – Zito – Farmer – Forego – Saratoga – Sept 1
Corinthian – 4yo c – J Jerkins – Centennial – Woodward – Saratoga – Sept 1
Cosmonaut – 5yo h- Biancone – Flying Zee –
CP West – 3yo c – Zito – Farmer – Travers – Saratoga – August 25
Creachadoir – Suroor – Godolphin – likely to be rested for Dubai meeting
Curlin – 3yo c –Asmussen - Stonestreet & Padua – Jockey Gold Cup – Belmont – Sept 30
Daiwa Major – 6yo h – Uehara – Oshiro
Danak – 4yo c- Oxx – Aga Khan – Irish Champion Stakes – Leopardstown – Sept 8 or Hong Kong Cup – Sha Tin –Dec 9
Darjina – 3yo f – Royer Dupre – Princess Aga Khan – Prix de l’Opera – Longchamp – October 7
Dark Islander – 4yo c – John Hills –
David Junior –5yo c- Brian Meehan –
Devil’s House – 3yo f – Gestes – William Stiritz
Diabolical – 4yo c- Klesaris – Puglisi Stables & Klesaris – Vosburgh – Belmont – Sept 30
Diamond Stripes –4yo g- Dutrow – Four Rose – Woodward – Belmont – Sept 1 or Brooklyn – Belmont – Sept 22 or JC Gold Cup – Belmont – Sept 30
Discreet Cat – 4yo c – Suroor - Godolphin – working for Fall campaign
Dixie Meister – 5yo g – Canani – Tanaka –
Dominican – 3yo g – Miller – Silverton Hill –
Dreaming of Anna – 3yo f- Catalano – Calabrese- Pucker Up – Arlington – Sept 8
Dream Rush – 3yo f – Violette – West Point- Breeders Cup F&M Sprint – Monmouth – Oct 26
Dutch Art – 3yo c- Chapple-Hyam – Roy & Cheveley Park Stud – Haydock Sprint Cup – Sept 8
Dylan Thomas – 4yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore – Prix d l’Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp – Oct 7
Eagle Mountain – 3yo c- O’Brien – Coolmore –
Echo of Light – 5yo h – Suroor – Godolphin –
Einstein – 5yo h – Pitts – Midnight Cry
English Channel – 5yo c – Scatuorchio – Pletcher – Man o’ War – Belmont – Sept 8 or Hirsch – Belmont – Sept 30
Ermine – 4yo f – Werner – Oxbow – break in training
Excellent Art – 3yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore – Moulin – Longchamp – Sept 9 or QE II – Ascot – Sept 29
EZ Warrior – 3yo c- Baffert – Zayat – King’s Bishop – Saratoga – August 25
Fabulous Strike - - Beattie – 4yo c – Teddy Drone – Forego – Saratoga – Sept 1
Fast Parade – 4yo g – Miller- Barbers –
Fed Watcher – 2yo c – Violette – Saratoga 2yo campaign
Finsceal Beo – 3yo f – Bolger – Michael Ryan – Matron – Leopardstown – Sept 8
First Defence – 3yo c – Frankel – Juddmonte – King’s Bishop – Saratoga – August 25
Folk – 3yo f – Albertrani – Hamdan Maktoum – Alabama – Saratoga – August 18
Forever Together – 3yo f – Sheppard – Augustin Stable -
George Washington – 4yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore – Juddmonte International – York – August 21 or QE II Mile – Ascot – Sept 29
Germance – 4yo f – Rouget – Radwan –
Get Ready Bertie – 3yo f – Flint – Klein –
Ginger Punch – 4yo f- Frankel – Stronach – Ruffian – Belmont – Sept 8
Glacken’s Gal – 2yo f – Pletcher – Let’s Go Stable–
Gold Coyote – 2yo g – Calhoun – C. Scharbauer Jr. – Arl-Wash Futurity – Sept 1
Grand Couturier – 4yo c- Ribaudo – Keller -
Great Hunter – 3yo c – Reddam – O’Neill
Half Ours – 4yo c – Pletcher – Aaron Jones – injured out indefinitely
Haradasun – 4yo c –Vasil - Coolmore et al –Bletchingly –Long Term Goal - Cox Plate –Moonee Valley - Oct 28
Hard Spun –3yo c - L. Jones – Fox Hill – King’s Bishop – Saratoga – August 25
Henrythenavigator – 2yo c- O’Brien – Coolmore – Champagne – Doncaster – Sept 15
High Finance – 4yo c – Violette – West Point – Forego – Saratoga – Sept 1
High Heels – 3yo f – Hartlage – Anita Ebert
Honey Ryder – 5yo m – Pletcher – Glencrest –
Idiot Proof – 3yo c- Sise – Wygods -
Indian Flare – 4yo f – Frankel – Juddmonte – Ballerina – Saratoga – August 26
Indian Vale – 5yo m – Pletcher – Melynk -
In Summation – 4yo c – Clement – Waterford Stable -
Irridescence –6yo m – Arnold – Royal Lantern Stable -
Jambalaya – 5yo g – Day-Phillips – Kingfield – Man o’War – Belmont – Sept 8 or Sky Classic – Woodbine – Sept 23
Jazil – 4yo c – McLaughlin – Maktoum - Injured
Jeremy – 4yo c – Stoute – Elizabeth Moran
Joint Effort – 4yo f – D Romans – Dizney –
Jump On In – 3yo f – Sadler – CRK Stables –
JZ Warrior – 2yo f – Mott – Zayat – Spinaway – Saratoga – Sep 2
Karen’s Caper – 5yo f – Stonerside –Frankel
Kastoria – 6yo m – Onyx – Aga Khan –
Kelly’s Landing – 6yo g – Kenneally – Summerplace Farm -
Kip Deville – 4yo c – R Dutrow – IEAH Stables –
Kodiack Kowboy – 2yo c – Asmussen – Saratoga Special – August 16
Lady Venice – 4yo f – Biancone – Schwartz – Beverly D –
Latent Heat – 4yo c – Frankel – Juddmonte –
Lattice – 3yo c – Mott – Dilschneider & Claiborne –
Lava Man – 6yo g – Doug O’neill – STD Racing – Pacific Classic – Del Mar – Aug 19
Lawman – 3yo c –Beguigne - Ciampi - – then Irish Champion – Leopardstown – Sept 8
Lawyer Ron – 4yo c – Pletcher – Hines Racing – Woodward – Saratoga – Sept 1
Lear’s Princess – 3yo f – McLaughlin – West Point – Alabama – Saratoga – August 18
Lewis Michael – 4yo c – Catalano - Calabrese –
Light Shift – 3yo f- Cecil – Niarchos Family – Nassau – BC F&M Turf – Monmouth – October 27
Liquidity – 3yo c – O’Neill – Reddam –
Listen – 2yo f – O’Brien – Derrick Smith – Debutante – Moyglare – Curragh – Sept 2
Mach Ride – 4yo c – Standridge – Rustlewood Farm – Vosburgh – Belmont – Sept 30
Magna Graduate – 5yo c – Pletcher – Elizabeth Alexander –
Mahler – 3yo c – O’Brien – Coolmore –
Maimonides – 2yo c – Baffert – Zayat – Hopeful – Saratoga – Sept 3
Mandesha – 4yo f – Royer Dupre – Princess Aga Khan – Prix Foy – Longchamp – Sept 16 – then Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp – Oct 7
Magnificience – 3yo f – Headley- Sikura, Headley, et al- Injured – Santa Anita return
Manduro – 5yo h – Fabre – Baron George von Ullmann – Prix Foy – Longchamp – Sept 16 – then either Prix l’Arc de Triomphe- Longchamp – Oct 7 or BC Classic – Monmouth –Oct 27
Maraahel – 6yo h – Stoute – Hamdan Maktoum – Juddmonte International – York – August 21
Marchand d’Or – 4yo g – F Head – Giral – Haydock Sprint Cup – Sept 8 or Prix de la Foret – Longchamp – Oct 6
Master Command – 5yo c – Aaron Jones – Pletcher –
Meisho Samson – 4yo c – Takahashi – Matsumuto – Arc de Triomphe – Longchamps – October 7
Meteor Storm – 8yo h – Dollase – Horizon Stable -
Michael Lewis – 4yo c – Catalano – Calabrese -
Midnight Lute – 4yo c – Baffert – Pegram –Strub – Injured
Minted – 2yo c – Fabre – Aga Khan – Prix de la Rochette – Longchamp – Sept 9
Mistical Plan – 3yo f – O’neilll – Reddam
Molengao – 6yo h – Lobo – TNT Stud – Pacific Classic – Del Mar – August 19
More Happy – 2yo f – Baffert – Zayat – Adirondack – Saratoga – August 15
My Typhoon –5yo m - Mott – Live Oak –
Nannina – 4yo f- Gosden – Cheveley Park Stud –
Nashoba’s Key – 4yo f – Gaines – Williamson Racing –
Natagora – 2yo f – Bary – Friborg – Prix Morny – Deauville – August 19
Nobiz Like Showbiz – 3yo c – Tagg - Valando – BC Mile Dirt – Monmouth – Oct 26 or Hollywood Derby – Nov 25
Notional – 3yo c – O’neilll – Reddam – Injured – Malibu – Santa Anita – Dec 26
Notnowcato – 5yo c - Stoute – Rothschilds – Juddmonte International – York – August 21
Obrigado – 4yo c – Drysdale -
Octave – 3yo f – Pletcher – Dogwood – Alabama – Saratoga – August 18
On the Acorn – 6yo g – Indizguys Stable – Mitchell – Return for winter campaign at Santa Anita
One Hot Wish – 2yo f – W. Ward –Tanklage & Ward –
Out of Control -4yo c – Frankel – TNT Stud –
Panty Raid – 3yo f – Pletcher – Glencrest – Alabama – Saratoga – August 18
Papi Chullo – 5yo h- Contessa - Winning Move et al – Iselin – Monmouth – August 18
Passage of Time – 3yo f – Cecil – Juddmonte – Juddmonte Internatioanl - York – August 21 or Yorkshire Oaks August 22 or Prix Vermeille -Longchamp – Sept 16 or Prix de l’Opera or Prix l’Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp – Oct 7
Patriot Act – 5yo h – Howard - Farrish – Ben Ali –
Peeping Fawn – 3yo f- O’Brien – Coolmore – Yorkshire Oaks – August 22 or Irish Champion – Leopardstown – Sept 8 or Prix Vermeille – Longchamp – Sept 16
Point Determined – 4yo c- Baffert – Lewis Trust –
Pop Rock – 6yo g – Sumii – Katsumi
Political Force – 4yo c – A Jerkins – Joseph Allen – Woodward – Saratoga – Sept 1 or possibly Iselin – Monmouth – August 18
Precious Kitten – 4yo f – Frankel – Ramseys -
Premium Tap – 5yo c- Kimmel – King Abdullah bin Aziz – Saudi Arabia campaign
Price Tag – 4yo f- Frankel – Juddmonte – Palomar – Del Mar – Sept 1
Proud Tower Too – 5yo h – S Gonzalez – Tricar Stables – injured – out for 6 months
Quijano – 5yo g – Schiergen – Fahrhol
Rags to Riches – 3yo f- Pletcher – Smith & Tabor – Ruffian – Belmont – Sept 8
Ramonti – 3yo c – Suroor – Godolphin – QE II Stakes – Ascot- Sept 29
Ravel – 3yo c – Pletcher – Smith & Tabor – out of training until June
Ready’s Image – 2yo c – Pletcher – Scatuorchio – Hopeful – Saratoga – Sept 3
Red Evie – 4yo f – M. Bell – Neill –Hungerford – Newbury – August 18 or Matron – Leopardstown – Sept 8
Red Giant – 3yo c – Pletcher – Peachtree Stable -
Red Rocks – 4yo c – Meehan – Reddam – Irish Champion – Leopardstown – Sept 8 and/or BC Turf – Monmouth – Oct 29
Remarkable News – 5yo c- Angel Penna – Rincon – Red Bank Handicap – Monmouth – Sept 1 –or Woodbine Mile – Sept 16
Rio De La Plata – 2yo c- Suroor – Godolphin – National – Curragh – Sept 16 or Lagardere – Longchamp – Oct 7 or Dewhurst – Newmarket – Oct 30
Rob Roy – 5yo – Drysdale – Newton
Rondo – 4 yo c – Suroor – Godolphin –
Royal Highness – 4yo m – Clement –
Safari Queen – 5yo m – Pletcher – Arindel Farm –
Sakhee’s Secret – 3yo c – Morrison – Swire – Haydock Sprint Cup – Sept 28 – then Prix de L’Abbaye – Longchamps – Oct 7
Salute The Sarge – 2yo c- Guillot – Southern Equine Stable – Del Mar Futurity – Sept 5
Satwa Queen – 5yo m - Roualle -
Scorpion – 5yo h- O’Brien – Coolmore –
Shakespeare – 6yo h – McLaughlin – Dell Ridge Farm – Baruch – Saratoga – August 25
Shamdinan – 3yo c – O’Neill – Triple B Farm – Del Mar Derby – Sept 3
Showing Up – 4yo c – Barclay Tagg – Jacksons – injured – out indefinitely
Sightseeking – 3yo c – McGaughey – Phipps – Travers – Saratoga – August 25
Silent Name – 5yo c – Gary Mandella –Stronach & Wertheimer
Silkwood – 3yo f – Jarvis – Darley – Yorkshire Oaks – York – August 22
Silver Wagon – 6yo h – Dutrow – Four Roses – Out until 2008
Simply Perfect – 3yo f- Noseda – Derrick Smith – Sun Chariot – Newmarket – October 6 – EP Taylor – Woodbine – Oct 21
Sir Greenley – 5yo c- Jerkins – Sport Page – training at Saratoga
Sixties Icon – 4yo c – Noseda – Susan Roy –
Sky Conqueror – 5yo c – Banach – Sorokolit –
Smokey Stover – 4yo g – Gilchrist – Aleo –
Soldier of Fortune – 3yo c – Coolmore – O’Brien –St. Leger – Doncaster – September 15Soviet Song – 7yo m – Fanshawe – Elite Racing Club
Spring at Last – 4yo c- O’Neill – Reddam – Sidelined with bone chip
Stage Gift – 4yo c – Suroor – Godolphin – Juddmonte International – York – August 21
Stoneside – 3yo c – J Canani – Naify – Del Mar Derby – Sept 2
Stormello – 3yo c – Currin – Currin – Stephens – King’s Bishop – Saratoga – August 25
Street Sense – 3yo c – Nafzger – Tafel – Travers – Saratoga – August 25
Subtle Aly – 2yo f- Dutrow – IEAH Stable – Spinaway – Saratoga – Sept 2
Sugar Shake – 4yo f – Frankel – Stronach – Personal Ensign – Saratoga – August 24
Surf Cat – 5yo c – Headley – Naify & Headley – O’Brien – Del Mar – August 19
Summer Doldrums – 3yo c- Violette – Klaravich –
Sun King – 5yo c – Zito – Farmer – Woodward – Saratoga – Sept 1
Sunriver – 4yo c- Pletcher – Aaron Jones – Man o’War – Belmont – Sept 8 or Hirsch Turf Classic – Belmont – Sept 30
Sweetnorthernsaint – 4yo c – Tombetta – Balsamo & Theos
Sweet Return – 6yo h – McAnally – Red Oak –
Take D’Tour – 6yo m– Fawkes – Muller – Ruffian – Belmont – Sept 8 – then BC Distaff – Monmouth – Oct 27
Takeover Target – 8yo g – Joe Janiak – Austrialian races
Tariq – 3yo c – Chapple-Hyam – Homeizi & Sagar –QE II – Ascot – Sept 29
Teammate – 4yo f – A Jerkins – Allen -
Teuflesberg – 3yo c –Sanders - Singer et al – King’s Bishop – Saratoga – August 25
The Leopard – 2yo c – Pletcher – Saratoga campaign
Thor’s Echo –O’Neill - Sheikh Rashid –
Three Valleys – 5yo h – Frankel – Juddmonte
The Tin Man – 9yo g – Mandella – Todds –
Tiago – 3yo c – Shirreffs – Moss – Travers – Pacific Classic – Del Mar – August 19 or Pennsylvania Derby – Philly Park – Sept 3
Tiz Wonderful – 3yo c – Asmussen – Stonerside – Travers – Saratoga – August 25
Turbo Linn – 4yo f – Swinbank – Nelson – Geoffrey Freer Stakes – Newbury – August 17 – then Park Handicap – Stockholm Cup – Taby – September 9
Unbridled Belle – 4yo f – Pletcher – Team Valor -
Unbridled Express – 3yo c – Flint
Utopia – 7yo h – Suroor – Godolphin – Minor injury out indefinitely
Vacare – 4yo f – Clement – Kellys – Ballston Spa – Saratoga – August 23
Vadapolina – 3yo f – Fabre – Aga Khan – Prix Vermeille – Longchamp – Sept 16
Valbenny – 3yo f – Gallagher - Wellmann – Del Mar Oaks – August 18
Vengeance Of Rain – 7yo g – Ferraris – Chow -
Visionario – 3yo c – Fabre – Aga Khan -
Wait a While –4yo f – Pletcher – Arindel Farm – Ballston Spa – Saratoga – August 23
Wanderin Boy – 6yo h – Zito – Arthur Hancock – Woodward – Saratoga – Sept 1
What a Tale – 3yo c- Biancone
Wild Desert – 5yo c – Borislow – Dutrow -
Wild Fit – 4yo f – Patrick Biancone –
Winker Watson – 2yo c – Prix Morny – Deauville – August 18
Wordly – 3yo g –Ben Cecil - Christopher Wright –
Yeats – 6yo h – O’Brien – Coolmore – Summer break- return perhaps in Irish St. Leger – Leopardstown – Sept 15 – then Melbourne Cup – Flemington – November 2
You’resothrilling – 2yo f – O’Brien – Coolmore – Moyglare Stud Stakes – Curragh – Sept 2 – then Cheveley Park – Newmarket – Oct 5
Youzmain – 4yo c – Channon – Jaber Abdullah – Grosser Preis von Baden – Baden Baden – Sept 2 – then Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp – Oct 7
Zada Belle – 3yo f – Harty – Godolphin – 3yo campaign
Zambezi Sun – 3yo c – Bary – Juddmonte – Prix Niel – Longchamp – Sept 16 –then Arc – Longchamp – Oct 7
Zanjero – 3yo c – Asmussen – Winchell –

Arlington delayed by Tornado Warning

Omen? Arlington Park's card on Wednesday was delayed for more than thirty minutes today due to severe weather hitting the area. This just happened to be the day that Arlington switched their television coverage from TVG to HRTV - owned in part by Arlington's parent company Churchill Downs.

Perhaps the Gods have DirecTV like I do and were annoyed by the switch. Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

It was a nice gesture for track President Roy Arnold to get on the public address system and the simulcast feed to thank everyone for their patience during the delay. I haven't seen that very often.

Zayat $4.6 million yearling wins by 11

Maimonides - 2 year old colt by Vindication - trained by Bob Baffert won the 2nd race easily by 11 lengths today in his first appearance on a racetrack. The colt was sold at the Keeneland September sales last year for $4.6 million. He was part of the Zayat stable that was shipped by his owner - Ahmed Zayat - from Del Mar to Saratoga after the trainer and owner both expressed their disenchantment with the slowness and condition of the new Polytrack racing surface.

I've been following racing in the UK closely this summer and one of the great things about racing there is that whenever you see a performance like this - an impressive win by a 2 year old - the bookmakers will immediately issue odds on the horse for the classic races in the next year. The odds are usually absurdly low - from 10-1 to 20-1 - and ante post betting is usually a sucker's game. But it does keep the faithful always thinking about the future and reminds you of the sporting aspect of the game.

It would be nice if American horseplayers could have a similar outlet to bet the 2008 Kentucky Derby at this point. There may be a few off-shore sites that do quote odds on the Derby at this point of the summer but I am not aware of any of them.

The Race Book at Turfway Park

I try to visit all the local racetracks and off-track racing facilities when I travel. Today I am at The Race Book at Turfway Park in Florence, KY. All the customers are placed in the basement of the facility with very little natural light. Television monitors are no bigger than 28 inches in any part of the building that I have seen. There is Wi-Fi access but very few electrical outlets in the area that I am sitting in. As usual, the smell of smoke if prevalent in every area you sit in and non-smoking signs are routinely ignored.

Simulcasting has been around for about 25 years now. Most of the places are still just a few notches above a New York City OTB parlor - the rock bottom of betting accommodations that I have ever witnessed. When you walk into such a place for the first time, I can't imagine what a person would think of such a dive.

I actually did take a newbie into an off-track facility near the Tri-Cities area on the Tennessee-Virginia border. The place was another dump and there was the usual screaming and pounding on the tables by the few souls occupying the place. She was obviously not impressed.

With the expansion of account wagering combined with TVG and HRTV in the past 10 years, I don't expect that the racing industry will ever get the "simulcast facility" concept right. Is it too much to ask for a clean, comfortable, well-ventilated environment with some of the newest LCD monitors to show the races? Canterbury - my home track in the Twin Cities - has done a good on this as I have seen by adding some larger monitors for the live meet. Makes it very easy to follow what is going on during the live racing. I know there are others - Delaware Park's Wall of Racing is very impressive.

This maybe a global situation - I haven't visited the betting shops in the UK for awhile and my recent visit to Paris did not produce much hope there either. Maybe when so many of these places quit requiring an admission fee that they begin their decline. But I keep hoping when I travel that I will find a Clean, Well-Lighted Place to play the horses.

Handle Totals Don't Matter - Churchill

http://www.drf.com/news/article/87414.html

In another sign of how the racing industry is slowly fading into oblivion, Churchill Downs has decided to discontinue releasing betting handle numbers at the end of each meetings saying they are no longer "key metrics" for the success of its organization.

I hope the financial analysts rip Churchill to shreds for this actions. They have a point to make - handle numbers need to be analyzed for the overall impact on the track's bottom line. But to not release these numbers shows how completely untrustworthy and cynically deceptive this industry is on its current state. The industry is no longer "maintaining" as it has been through the movement of handle ontrack to off-track but is now in fact "shrinking".

You can't trust this industry to do anything right - control their drug program, collaborate to promote the sport's best events, recognize and publicize the great history of the sport, and now to publish accurate numbers on betting handle. It is truly disgraceful.