Any Ellie Sarama fans?

[RaceTrackDaddy]

With the absence of Ellie from the LBJ video feed show this week, I ended up contacting people to see if she was ok.

Well she is fine and well. It was Jeff Gural who wanted Wendy Ross to be on the show and Ellie got kicked to the curb and not one word on the LBJ show about her absence. I lost a lot of respect for Jeff Gural by that move.

[Stillriledup]

Gural owns the LBJ?

[RaceTrackDaddy]

Gural owns the LBJ?
It is county own fair but Jeff Gural is now the man of power out there. Just look at who is there. Jason Settlemore (announcer there but was or is GM at Tioga, Vernon, and The Big M) James Witherite (announcer and track handicapper at Tioga but the musician at the LBJ), Sam Mckee (Big M), Wendy Ross (was outrider at Tioga, then Big M then TV host) now Ellie's replacement, Roger Huston has been a mainstain out there but his daughter (Nevele) married a Ross (yes related) and works for Jeff Gural at Tioga and Roger did and has at times announced at Tioga for Jeff...and I bet there are a lot more behind the scenes people that I have not mentioned. It might as well be owned by Jeff Gural if Ellie can be replaced by a suggestion.

[lamboguy]

i listened to that show for the first time ever this year. the handicappers couldn't pick a winner to save their lives, but the show was a breath of fresh air and really was a great one. they did lots of interviews, asked good and tough questions, and got the answers. you really can't ask for more from a pre-race handicapping show.

[cmp92]

i listened to that show for the first time ever this year. the handicappers couldn't pick a winner to save their lives, but the show was a breath of fresh air and really was a great one. they did lots of interviews, asked good and tough questions, and got the answers. you really can't ask for more from a pre-race handicapping show.
I'd say that a lot of handicappers felt like they couldn't pick a winner if their life depended on it this year :D

[RaceTrackDaddy]

I'd say that a lot of handicappers felt like they couldn't pick a winner if their life depended on it this year :D

I was going to post this on a new thread but it really needs to be a response to your post Cmp92.

I was at the Meadows sports book area betting and could not get any exacta probables on the LBJ feed yesterday and had the MRN (Meadows racing network) call out to the LBJ video people to see if they could add it, to which they told the MRN people to mind their own show. So I left after the 10th race and bet from home where I can see the money.

I also tweeted the LBJ people about the problem with the extra cushion on the track and the exacta probables. They addressed both as the tv show today had the exacta probables and the track crew took about three inches off the cushion.

The reason behind the track adjustments on Monday never was revealed but here are the stats (I made it into a jpj file to post on twitter) attached.

The scary part of these track conditions will continue as this crew moves south west.

[Postime]

Was a good chance to replace a well worn Ellie thanks to the owner of M1, most likely the worst Jug program of all time and the crowd size showed. The results a winner who had not won a race in 2014, a Jug world Record.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

i listened to that show for the first time ever this year. the handicappers couldn't pick a winner to save their lives, but the show was a breath of fresh air and really was a great one. they did lots of interviews, asked good and tough questions, and got the answers. you really can't ask for more from a pre-race handicapping show.
If you think today's show was a great one, boy you would have loved the previous years broadcasts. They used to run past the last race of the day and Roger would join in with the crew and chat until they signed off the air.

The interviews is something the MRN started back at the Meadows and when they started simulcasting the LBJ week, the MRN Tv crew got the jobs of production of the show. Everything that you see on the video today, had its start back with the MRN (Meadows Racing Network). They brought in Sam McKee, Dave Bianconi (sp?), Gary Seibel for a while, they had another guy from Northfield, Ellie Sarama joined in when Trish Shaut Sheppard left the Meadows (that is another story).... the Jug people wanted to produce themselves and what happened was that the Jug could not afford to export their signal the whole week (cost 5k per day) so they cut back to sending out the signal on Tuesday through Thursday. At one time, they raced Saturday straight through Thursday with some horses getting two starts during that meet.

I have been there since 1980 through the time of my CML and the last year I went in person was 2003... I have seen crowds there in excess of 55k.."standing room only" would not do the place justice... they had so many people there, the water pressure for the county fair was a little more than a trickle..

The men's bathrooms had those all time urinals where it was shared by about six to eight patrons as it was a trough of porcelain. You had to stand in line just to get to the trough.

I have to go through my archive of past LBJ videos to see if I have anything of value so you can compare / contrast what you saw today and what it was like back in the good old days.

As much as I bashed it, I have to say that if anyone has a chance to attend one in person, you have to go at least once. I know you would not be sorry, even if they raced with all the problems this week. Of course it would helped if one drank a lot as those who attend the Jug, as I was sober all week.

[lamboguy]

If you think today's show was a great one, boy you would have loved the previous years broadcasts. They used to run past the last race of the day and Roger would join in with the crew and chat until they signed off the air.

The interviews is something the MRN started back at the Meadows and when they started simulcasting the LBJ week, the MRN Tv crew got the jobs of production of the show. Everything that you see on the video today, had its start back with the MRN (Meadows Racing Network). They brought in Sam McKee, Dave Bianconi (sp?), Gary Seibel for a while, they had another guy from Northfield, Ellie Sarama joined in when Trish Shaut Sheppard left the Meadows (that is another story).... the Jug people wanted to produce themselves and what happened was that the Jug could not afford to export their signal the whole week (cost 5k per day) so they cut back to sending out the signal on Tuesday through Thursday. At one time, they raced Saturday straight through Thursday with some horses getting two starts during that meet.

I have been there since 1980 through the time of my CML and the last year I went in person was 2003... I have seen crowds there in excess of 55k.."standing room only" would not do the place justice... they had so many people there, the water pressure for the county fair was a little more than a trickle..

The men's bathrooms had those all time urinals where it was shared by about six to eight patrons as it was a trough of porcelain. You had to stand in line just to get to the trough.

I have to go through my archive of past LBJ videos to see if I have anything of value so you can compare / contrast what you saw today and what it was like back in the good old days.

As much as I bashed it, I have to say that if anyone has a chance to attend one in person, you have to go at least once. I know you would not be sorry, even if they raced with all the problems this week. Of course it would helped if one drank a lot as those who attend the Jug, as I was sober all week.you just talked me into it, i am going next year! i was actually invited to go this year, i could have hung out in some tent. by the time i was invited the airfare to Columbus was $500 and i didn't feel like paying that much.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

you just talked me into it, i am going next year! i was actually invited to go this year, i could have hung out in some tent. by the time i was invited the airfare to Columbus was $500 and i didn't feel like paying that much.

COOL.. if you're coming by plane, I would suggest getting in Columbus on Tuesday afternoon... the best place for us was on Rt 161 (east - west route). Between Interstate 71 and Ohio Rt 23 on Rt 161 are a ton of hotels, eating establishments and different things. It is about a 15 minute drive up RT 23 to the Jug in Delaware Ohio. Many people try to get as close to the Jug as possible but tend to have more fun down below.

If you happen to belong to the Royal Order of the Moose, right in downtown Delaware (think on Sandusky street) is their lodge. We went in there the first year out there and had a ball. Think the main road in front of the county fair is Philadelphia Street..

If you want to take a two week vacation, Scioto Downs is south of Columbus on Rt 23. THe Columbus Zoo is one of the best and has been compared to the San Diego Zoo. Nightlife is wild out there.

The one thing I must warn you, the whole area Lives and Bleeds Ohio State Football. if you are a Michigan Fan or Penn State fan, be careful in the bars. I have seen a few fights over football at the bars out there. The only reason the Jug is on a Thursday is that they tried Saturdays and no body came as in the afternoon, there is only Buckeye football.

We used to get up early, get to the fairgrounds around 10am. Look for the 4H pavilion, as they make the best breakfast around and is relatively cheap for the amount and quality of the food.

Remind me before next year and ask me anything that crosses your mind. Hell, I might make it a mission to get well enough and head out there...

I went from trashing the place to almost reserving my rooms for next year.. I wish I had a beer...lol

[RaceTrackDaddy]

COOL.. if you're coming by plane, I would suggest getting in Columbus on Tuesday afternoon... the best place for us was on Rt 161 (east - west route). Between Interstate 71 and Ohio Rt 23 on Rt 161 are a ton of hotels, eating establishments and different things. It is about a 15 minute drive up RT 23 to the Jug in Delaware Ohio. Many people try to get as close to the Jug as possible but tend to have more fun down below.

If you happen to belong to the Royal Order of the Moose, right in downtown Delaware (think on Sandusky street) is their lodge. We went in there the first year out there and had a ball. Think the main road in front of the county fair is Philadelphia Street..

If you want to take a two week vacation, Scioto Downs is south of Columbus on Rt 23. THe Columbus Zoo is one of the best and has been compared to the San Diego Zoo. Nightlife is wild out there.

The one thing I must warn you, the whole area Lives and Bleeds Ohio State Football. if you are a Michigan Fan or Penn State fan, be careful in the bars. I have seen a few fights over football at the bars out there. The only reason the Jug is on a Thursday is that they tried Saturdays and no body came as in the afternoon, there is only Buckeye football.

We used to get up early, get to the fairgrounds around 10am. Look for the 4H pavilion, as they make the best breakfast around and is relatively cheap for the amount and quality of the food.

Remind me before next year and ask me anything that crosses your mind. Hell, I might make it a mission to get well enough and head out there...

I went from trashing the place to almost reserving my rooms for next year.. I wish I had a beer...lol
Hey Augie, if you are reading this, did I leave out anything about the Jug? If so, please add here. The million$ question for you Augie is "are you going back to requesting Jug Week off again?"

Sidenote, this was the first year in 24 years that Augie did not request the week off for vacation. For some strange reason I feel like a reunion might be setting up at the Jug in 2015.... I should start saving my change and see how much I can save for next years Jug..

[pandy]

I didn't get a chance to listen to the show this year, but I really enjoyed it the past few years.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

I have to go through my archive of past LBJ videos to see if I have anything of value so you can compare / contrast what you saw today and what it was like back in the good old days.


Lamboguy:
I loaded up the first Jug video I had in the archive..this is the first elim for the 2004 LBJ. The one thing I noticed at first was they actually posted the non exotic pools (WPS) with that breakdown in addition to their exacta probables.

Here is the link to what it was like in 2004 http://youtu.be/ZMFMHdLLKLs

[RaceTrackDaddy]

Just viewed that video for the first time in almost 10 years. In contrasting this year's video feed with this one I have to admit that the production of the show (with respect to camera angles, switching of cameras, etc) appears to be a professional job as to what the same angles used and in the manner they were put into use.

I was wishing that they improved over time and have to admit the announcers seemed more relaxed and less excited back then than today. One can see that the format of the show has not really changed much over the last decade. I really like the closeup following Brian Sears into the winners circle. It brought back memories of being in that same circle in past years.

Ah memories.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

Lamboguy:
I loaded up the first Jug video I had in the archive..this is the first elim for the 2004 LBJ. The one thing I noticed at first was they actually posted the non exotic pools (WPS) with that breakdown in addition to their exacta probables.

Here is the link to what it was like in 2004 http://youtu.be/ZMFMHdLLKLs

I couldn't leave everyone hanging, I loaded up the other two elims and final to youtube

2nd Division http://youtu.be/cKoXhXF_ZJs
3rd Division http://youtu.be/4zYtdE0Qlms
LBJ Final '04 http://youtu.be/vSsb5bMUhjk

[lamboguy]

another good place to go that i have been to is the Fryberg Fair in Maine. the racing isn't as good, but its a great time to be there.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

another good place to go that i have been to is the Fryberg Fair in Maine. the racing isn't as good, but its a great time to be there.
I was following an online friend who owned a home-bred named Frapper Joe back in 2006. I attached his first lifetime win at Bangor. I was intending to making a trip up there back then but just never was able to. Looks like one could really have a ball on those fair tracks.