Bob Baffert's Winning Streak

Bob Baffert has won with 16 of his last 17 starters nationwide. This is reported on DRF and SI websites. If you go to the official horse racing statistical website - Equibase - you can't find any mention of this. Nor can you find out Baffert's record in the past 20 starters or past month without paying for the information.

This is what is so wrong about the Equibase website and its approach to racing today. Not only doesn't it provide and updated site that focuses on daily racing events, if you do try to find out what is happening in the sport you are hit with paywalls. You should be able to search Bob Baffert's last 20 starts, 100 starts, 1000 starts, etc... and find out the results. Similar to a typical sports industry website like MLB or the NBA. Racing has no "unofficial" websites like Retrosheet or Baseball-Reference and the sport is much poorer as a result of needing to rely on a lame organization like Equibase.

Todd Pletcher & 3000 Wins

Todd Pletcher has won 2,999 races since beginning his training career in December, 1995 with his first victory in February 1996 with Majestic Number at Gulfstream. He will win the 3000 race of his career today either on Donn Handicap Day at Gulfstream Park or possibly at Aqueduct.

It's amazing how little coverage of this milestone there is and I put the blame squarely at the feet of the national racing information organization - Equibase. The only place that I could see that Pletcher is one win away from this milestone on their site is to search for Pletcher's career record and see that he is at 2,999.

This also shows the dearth of the old-time racetrack publicity staffers who would produce daily news reports from each racetrack. These folks have been gradually eliminated over the past few decades as the sport has declined.

Jockey Mike Smith is sitting on 4,989 wins - 11 away from 5,000. Don't expect much coverage of this milestone event either.

Correction: Nice item that Steve Byk pointed out today in his Gulfstream preview: Should Pletcher be shut out before the 4th at Gulfstream, he will have opportunity for this 3000th win with Majestic Number - horse named after his first winner of his career, a MD-bred by Polish Numbers that bested $80k MDN ClMers at Gulfstream on January 26, 1996 under Jerry Bailey.

North American Racing - Saturday, February 11

Gulfstream Park hosts 56th Donn Handicap day honoring the Donn Family who built Gulfstream with outstanding 12 race card.

1:45 p.m. ET - Aqueduct 4th - 19th Dearly Precious - evenly match quintet with Pletcher trained Lisa T. appearing in morning line at 8-1.

2:56 p.m ET - Laurel 6th - Maryland Racing Media - Jay Em Ess Stable's 5 year old mare Acting Happy returns off almost year layoff and hasn't won since last trip to Maryland in the 2010 Black Eyed Susan.

3:49 p.m. ET - Gulfstream 8th - 61st Hutcheson - Augustin Stable's Ever So Lucky will scratch and wait for the Swale making Starlight Racing's Thunder Moccasin trained by Pletcher a heavy favorite.

4:17 p.m. ET - Gulfstream 9th - 67th Suwannee River - Eddie Kenneally trained 5 year old mare Heavenly Landing tries to stay undefeated in fourth start on the lawn with Clement's Denomination likely to go favorite under Bravo.

4:45 p.m. ET - Gulfstream 10th - 56th Donn Handicap - Best Betting Race of the year so far? 11 in (probably 10 with scratch of Al Khali) including Preakness (Shackleford) and Belmont (Ruler On Ice) winners and lukewarm 2011 BC Classic beaten favorite Flat Out. Wise guy horses are Shug McGaughey's Hymn Book, Rick Dutrow trained Redeemed, and Frank Carl Calabrese owned Where's Sterling.

5:13 p.m. ET - Gulfstream 11th- 29th Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap - Get Stormy training "up a storm" for his 6 year old debut with Pletcher's Silver Medallion and Phipps Stable's Boisterous also likely to get betting action.

5:25 p.m. ET - Fair Grounds 9th - 20th Tiffany Lass - First two favorites haven't won for more than six months (Joyful Victory's last win was the Fantasy in April and Ravi's Song last win was the New Orleans Ladies in March).

5:33 p.m. ET - Oaklawn 8th - 34th Martha Washington - Oklahoma bred 3 year old filly Now I Know tries to stay unbeaten in 7th start with Lulu Wong (trained by hot trainer Steve Hobby) and Amie's Dini who was getting to favorite in the Dixie Belle.

7:38 p.m. ET - Santa Anita 9th - 60th San Marcos - First two in the Hollywood Turf Cup return in 2012 debut - German bred Sanagas running first time for new owner David Bernsen and trainer Peter Miller (who would like to travel to the Melbourne Cup in November) and the 6 year old gelding Bourbon Bay for Neil Drysdale. The Usual Q.T. and Old English Rancho's Cal bred Norvsky join them in 8 horse field.

North American Racing - Friday, February 10

Fair Grounds runs 3rd of six Twilight Racing programs with a 5:00 p.m. Central first post with a Carnival on track party theme.

1:21 p.m ET - Aqueduct - 3rd - 6F - OC75/N1X - Five "promising type" 3 year olds led by New Farm's Hard Spun colt Hardened Wildcat trained by Chad Brown - last seen winning a maiden race on the Aqueduct inner with an 86 Beyer. The David Jacobson trained Copy My Swagger may be the wise guy's choice after being claimed three starts back for $25k.

1-2 favs Hardened Wildcat wins three way battle to wire with frontrunner Perfect Trippi and Copy My Swagger.

1:34 p.m ET - 6 1/2 F- OC80/NW4 - Seven tough sprinters including five making their 2012 debut led by Godolphin's Tahitian Warrior, James Baker trainee Will's Wildcat, and Centennial Farms' Arch Traveler who hasn't been seen since running 5th to Caleb's Posse in the Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Will's Wildcat and Tahitian Warrior battle through the final half-mile with Will's Wildcat winning by a half-length in the slop and Arch Traveler finishing a distant last as 19-10 favs.

Don't forget that the unbeaten Black Caviar goes for 18th straight win in the 88th C.F. Orr Stakes at 11:50 p.m Eastern Time at Caulfield