Sam Houston tonight

[cj]

Anyone know what the hold up there is tonight?

CJ

[GR1@HTR]

Looks like they gathered up the loose snow monkeys...The 1st race just went off...

[smf]

Some of the lights on the course didn't come on. This is the 2nd time in the past week it's happened. I was planning to drive down thurs nite to sammy h, but will just catch the card from LS. This seems to be a habit now, one that I don't want to drive 8 hrs to experience.

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by smf
Some of the lights on the course didn't come on. This is the 2nd time in the past week it's happened. I was planning to drive down thurs nite to sammy h, but will just catch the card from LS. This seems to be a habit now, one that I don't want to drive 8 hrs to experience.
Only information I could get out of adminsitrators working on the "light out" was "we're fixing it". I was stunned that the same thing that happened last Friday night (lights out on two poles in clubhouse turn) happened on two DIFFERENT light poles tonight(top of stretch). I still don't know what was "broke", but hopefully maintenance realizes that now we need to have some extra relay switches (or big fuses - or some dinner plates made out of copper or WHATEVER is necessary to keep those lights burning.)

Come on down SMF. All the lights (and tvs and sam machines and mutuel windows) in the building were on. BTW - What is with the three digit pick threes AND pick four pools at the Taj Mahal? Fans there don't like the broom tails seems like.

[smf]

Originally posted by PurplePower
What is with the three digit pick threes AND pick four pools at the Taj Mahal? Fans there don't like the broom tails seems like.

I think you're referring to LS? There was no crowd there tonight. I stepped out to watch one drag race and there were perhaps 15 people on the apron.

Our QH crowds are a different bunch altogether from the t-bred bunch. To be honest, I don't keep up w/ their QH meet so I dunno what the deal was tonite.

Speaking of your more elephantine sibling in grand prarie, tell the simo folks up here to switch on to the Hou signal earlier than 14 mtp for race 1, lol. Whenever "degenrates" like myself mention it to the guy in charge (while working on his crossword puzzle), he just mumbles to himself. Maybe you guys can get a pulse from him <G>.

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by smf
I.....Speaking of your more elephantine sibling in grand prarie, tell the simo folks up here to switch on to the Hou signal earlier than 14 mtp for race 1, lol. Whenever "degenrates" like myself mention it to the guy in charge (while working on his crossword puzzle), he just mumbles to himself. Maybe you guys can get a pulse from him <G>.

Yeah - we're the unwanted "first born" in the shadow of the more talented "baby" of the family. I'll mention it to our simo director -- soon as he finishes the cryptogram - maybe they can swap puzzles while they discuss turning on the right switch.

[GR1@HTR]

Re night racing: They need to put little coal miner head gear spotlights on the horses and turn signals for lane changes. It'll make the races much more safer and we won't have to worry about night lights going out.

[rrbauer]

GR1
Good idea. Will they be battery operated? Hmmm.

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by rrbauer
GR1
Good idea. Will they be battery operated? Hmmm.

Now I wonder about those red flashing lights on Lukas' (and others) exercise riders' helmets. And the headset ear pieces that Baffert's riders use. Must be a battery somewhere. To quote Richard --- "Hmmm".

[smf]

Reid,

This doesn't deserve a new thread, so i'll ask here if ya don't mind.

In tonite's 10th race, I had a bet on INTRODUCE A WINNER. Horse looked ok, had a good speed jock on a horse w/ some early foot, yada3, so I put a little bit on her.

As the horses were approaching the gate, I heard Mike Chaimberlain over my earphones say, somewhat with disgust ,"there will be a delay b/c of a rider change for #9". That's what I thought I heard and asked a guy a row behind me if I heard right. "Yes" was what he said.

So, I walk up to the mutuel windows to cancel the bet. I want to see on the monitor (if possible) how my bet-horse is taking the delay, which usually takes you guys 5 minutes or longer to get a substitute rider, just as had happened in an earlier race on the card. If my horse takes the mount well the 2nd time around, I simply punch in my bet again, and I'm down.

But, I get back to my carrel, and the gate is half loaded, already. The 9 had been scratched. Too late to get my bet in (again). Of course, my bet wins, pays a modest $8.80 and I'm left holding my.....uh, voucher, as it were.

Question for you is....did we hear Mike correctly? If so, that was a lousy trick <g>. My bet wasn't whale money, but I could take the gross proceeds x 5 nights a week and live quite well off it. Please let me know what the heck happened out there. If I heard wrong, then it's on me.

Please don't take this as a "jafbbc" (just another effin', bitching bettor complaining) b/c I consider your track as the one and only track in this state that has put the bettor's interest in your plans. Whether I heard right or wrong won't change the fact that I like Sam H..Honestly, I'd like to know if we heard wrong...., and if we heard correctly, 'whaaaa happen'?

Thanks,
signed,
bitterly disappointed (but not pissed) bettor.

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by smf
Reid,

...As the horses were approaching the gate, I heard Mike Chaimberlain over my earphones say, somewhat with disgust ,"there will be a delay b/c of a rider change for #9". That's what I thought I heard and asked a guy a row behind me if I heard right. "Yes" was what he said.

.....But, I get back to my carrel, and the gate is half loaded, already. The 9 had been scratched. Too late to get my bet in (again). Of course, my bet wins, pays a modest $8.80 and I'm left holding my.....uh, voucher, as it were.

Question for you is....did we hear Mike correctly? If so, that was a lousy trick <g>. My bet wasn't whale money, but I could take the gross proceeds x 5 nights a week and live quite well off it. Please let me know what the heck happened out there. If I heard wrong, then it's on me.

Please don't take this as a "jafbbc" (just another effin', bitching bettor complaining) b/c I consider your track as the one and only track in this state that has put the bettor's interest in your plans. Whether I heard right or wrong won't change the fact that I like Sam H..Honestly, I'd like to know if we heard wrong...., and if we heard correctly, 'whaaaa happen'?........

Yes you heard correctly. Yes Michael said "#9 is returning to paddock etc. etc." and he said it with the famous "Chamberlain disdain". He hates those changes -- I don't like those changes and most at the track don't like those changes. When a jockey does not want to ride a horse that he thinks is unsound, the Texas Racing commission hired veterinarian (he is NOT on the SHRP payroll) is the one that checks the horse and determines whether to reccommend to the stewards (also employees of TxRC and NOT SHRP) whether to scratch or not. Rules of Racing in Texas say that a rider cannot be MADE to ride a horse that the rider does not want to ride. Occasionally a rider has been fined for taking off a horse simply because the horse was acting up behind the gate. (That is know here as the "Steve Bourque take off".)

Earlier tonight Bobby Walker was thrown as runners were leaving chute and that was why there was a rider change in that race. In the tenth, #9 was sent back to the paddock for a change, but apparently there was not a jock left in the room that would ride the horse (same thing that happened with the "almost" quadruple rider change last night.)

I don't understand how we can "lead the league", hell, "lead the nation" in late rider changes. I see an occasional change at Lone Star -- ok the horses and purses are better there so that may be understandable. But, jockeys and horses are basically the same at Retama and purses are slightly lower there and I don't remember seeing as many changes there. There is absolutely nothing I can do about it, or I would. Texas is a "lawsuit friendly" state and our Racing Commission does not want to be held liable for making a rider ride a horse that rider does not want to ride. They also don't want to get sued by an owner because a sound horse got scratched at the gate because a jockey was pissed at the owner or trainer (and this DOES happen --happened to a client of mine -- Mr. Bourque again.) I forward these comments on to our administration. Maybe one day some oil will be applied to the squeak.

Now I best get to posting Purple Power for tonight so that the Pale Horse can find it before races tonight. :)

[smf]

Thanks for your honesty, Reid. Doesn't make the sting go away, but I appreciate the response.

Two I'll be looking at manana are Bausch and Pish's claim backs. Both look to be bet, tho. They gotta look very good, or no need to bet em. Most likely passes on both, but sometimes ya get get prices on these claimbacks.

Also, (no need to reply till next week) who is this Larcelles Wisdom guy? I'm trying to play catch up here, did Germany get suspended and this guy take half the barn over or something? I see they have the same owner (shaw) on some runners. Wisdom doesn't have any better luck w/ claims than Germany did I see, hehehe. Dixieland Lady is the 2nd that Wisdom's taken from Charlotte C. The first claim off her didn't work out so well, doubt this'n will either.

Last question for ya....I see that Pish has the Preston's runners from Navarre now. Is she (Cindy N) in bidness, still? She kicked my arse w/ some of her turfers here (betting wise) from the old LOR (Preston) group. Hope she's still around. Did well.

[Boris]

smf,

Just curious why you cancelled your bet on Introduce A Winner last night? I had that horse as well, but the rider change was on the #9 Freedom Warrior and not the #10 IAW. I got up and left when MC annouced the change as I was coming back tonight anyway. To me, it sounded like MC was trying not to laugh as he has been calling more rider changes than races this meet. Got a four bagger with the same horse this week.

[PurplePower]

Originally posted by Boris
smf,

....., it sounded like MC was trying not to laugh as he has been calling more rider changes than races this meet. ......
He's not stifling a laugh - more like derision.

SMF -- I'll check on Wisdom. Retama was the first time I saw him on the circuit. I'll visit the backside and get some information.

[smf]

Originally posted by Boris
smf,

Just curious why you cancelled your bet on Introduce A Winner last night? I had that horse as well, but the rider change was on the #9 Freedom Warrior and not the #10 IAW.

Boris,

Thought I explained it with this, in the original post....."I want to see on the monitor (if possible) how my bet-horse is taking the delay, which usually takes you guys 5 minutes or longer to get a substitute rider, just as had happened in an earlier race on the card. If my horse takes the mount well the 2nd time around, I simply punch in my bet again, and I'm down."

Some horses are wired to go when they see the gate. I've seen too many horses' disposition change when mounted the 2nd time, after having to wait for whatever reason.

[Boris]

Gotcha. I was a little cornfused when I read it the first time around.