Racing and Other Rants for Monday

[michiken]

Here are some thoughts for Monday off the top of my head. Feel free to whine along....

Whatever happened to Stuart Elliot who almost won the Triple Crown aboard Smarty Jones? Did he fade back into obscurity? Does he have nightmares about misjudging that ride?


Speaking of jockeys. I have come to the conclusion that many of them are dumb when it comes to pace. Will someone let them know that Presser and Sustained running style horses 'DO NOT NEED TO' contest the 2f opening quarter along with the Early Horses? Julio Felix are you listening?


I like the way that Alejandro Goncalves is riding at Turfway. He actually does seem to be a good judge of pace and how to ration speed. He may not be as big a name as Leparoux or Bejarano, but could he be a rising star?


After going round and round with Northville Downs, I still haven't gotten copies of my W2G's from last year! I even offered to go and pick them up. They keep telling me that they were mailed. I STILL DON'T HAVE THEM! Northville Racing Corporation is managed by buffoons!!


I am anxious to see how the Pro Ride Horses from Santa Anita perform on the Churchill Downs dirt for the KY Derby. That is assuming that a west coast conteder actually gets in.


Am I the only one tired of the One Horse Races at Mountaineer? Maybe they should stop paying purse money for anything but the Win position? Then we wouldn't have one solid contender followed by the future Alpo Factory. Racing there has jumped the shark.


Thanks to other PA posters who suggested Sundland Park. Nice full fields and the various distance from quarter horses to milers give me a chance to to handicap using different energy and pace method style. They just need to make their online tote board and results BIGGER so someone can actually read them!


I am looking forward to Evangeline Downs opening soon so I won't have to listen to Don Stevens canned speech 'We congratulate the whole TEAM behind ________ (Fill in the blank) '. This is becoming almost as annoying as Bataglia's 'Gaining Ground'. I wish Evangeline would get smart and offer free online video though.


I am begging the Detroit Lions NOT to draft Mathew Stafford. We don't need another Joey 'Blue Skies' Harrington.


Did anyone notice that CBS Sportsline is now offering free video in flash format instead of that dreaded .wmv? The quality seem much better and as a Linux user, I can even view it now! To get more than the 30 minute limit, I delete all cookies from the both the browser and from the hidden flash folder (Google about removing flash cookies). Reload the page and your ready for another 30 minutes of viewing.


There is a horseplayer at Northville Downs that goes around constantly claiming 'I know how to read the form' when a long shot comes in. He walks around telling people that he should of had it. I keep reminding him that although he does know how to read the form, he sure doesn't know how to bet!


Speaking of live racing, why is it that everyone expects you to buy hot dogs and beer when you cash a good score?


After sending out dozens of resume's, I have come to the conclusion that most online job postings are scams. I submitted my resume to a posting that had my qualifications to the tee. I got a F*** Off email response 10 minutes later. I just wonder how many evil companies are harvesting my personal info?


Is it time to eliminate show pool wagering and replace it with multiple place payoffs like the Europeans?




:bang:

[Doc]

Here are some thoughts for Monday off the top of my head. Feel free to whine along....

Whatever happened to Stuart Elliot who almost won the Triple Crown aboard Smarty Jones? Did he fade back into obscurity? Does he have nightmares about misjudging that ride?


:bang:

Elliott is back where it all began ... Philly Park. Don't know why he bagged New York, but he's a regular again at The Phabulous Pha.

[cj's dad]

"After going round and round with Northville Downs, I still haven't gotten copies of my W2G's from last year! I even offered to go and pick them up. They keep telling me that they were mailed. I STILL DON'T HAVE THEM! Northville Racing Corporation is managed by buffoons!!"

Why didn't you receive the W2G's when you signed at the window??
Normally you get a copy which can be duplicated if needed.

[michiken]

"Why didn't you receive the W2G's when you signed at the window?? Normally you get a copy which can be duplicated if needed.

Northville has never given out W2G's when you sign. You always have had to wait til the following year to get them in the mail... they have one dedicated window for signers and do not have a copy machine nearby. Stupid policy.

[boomman]

Northville has never given out W2G's when you sign. You always have had to wait til the following year to get them in the mail... they have one dedicated window for signers and do not have a copy machine nearby. Stupid policy.

michiken: Not only a silly policy, but one that I'm not even sure is legal. I have received a copy EVERYWHERE at the time of signing for the last 25+ years. Call their accounting dept and let them know that your next call will be to the IRS and I bet that will get things moving, and demand you get copies at time of signing in the future...........

As for your other thoughts: Pace (or lack thereof) is the reason that the opening 1/4 is so crucial at just about any distance on any surface. And I agree that many riders (especially those that NEVER want to make the lead) have trouble judging pace and that is one of the contributing factors for good riders (like Daniel Centeno @Tampa) getting away with snail like fractions on the front end. I agree that Goncalves is riding well @ TP, although I thought his first name was Leandro?:confused: (Oh well that's close:) ) As for the pro ride, I think the horses (as evidenced by the Mullins trainee winning in New York) will handle the dirt ok. But as far as The Papplemouse, I was @ SA the day he won, and I really don't think he beat anything, but we'll see......I am also looking forward to EVD as I LOVE those 14 horse fields...........As for Sunland Park, I have been wagering there for years. Good solid racing and field sizes with one gripe: RUN ON MONDAYS!!! GRRR They would handle great on Mondays (ala Turf Paradise) and it is asanine to run Fri,Sat, Sun and Tuesday......I wouldn't be surprised if they handled more $$ on Tuesdays than Fri-Sun COMBINED............As for Mountaineer, I know what you mean about "the one horse races" as they really string out in the stretch there. But I find it to be a beatable track, ESPECIALLY if you keep track of the connections and track biases (which seem to change from day to day). The field sizes are solid, too, and I like their turf racing during the summer months. As for the Lions, they really have no choice but to draft a QB this year after drafting all of those wide receivers in the past. They have NO QB, and although I'm not a big Stafford fan either, he may be their best option. My Chiefs have the 3rd pick and now with the acquisition of Cassel the "sexy" pick would be Crabtree, but I know that Bubbles is right that they LOVE the linebacker Curry out of Wake Forest............I don't mind buying the hotdogs and beer at the track, so I guess I'm just a "sap" in that regard LOL.......Didn't know that about the CBS Sportsline, GOOD INFO..........As for the horseplayer who knows how to "read the form" after the race is run, EVERY TRACK has those guys........:lol: I told my wife recently that online job searchs indeed have MANY scam artists on there:mad: , and that's a shame because there are a few solid companies online, but not very many! And last but not least, the "multiple" place idea is not a bad one, saw that when I was working in Australia.............

Boomer

[michiken]

Boom, You are right about Leandro being the first name. My bad.

[Robert Fischer]

interesting rant :ThmbUp:

[michiken]

I guess this post put bad kharma on Northville Downs because they just called me and said I can pickup the W2G's tonight!

[rrbauer]

I guess this post put bad kharma on Northville Downs because they just called me and said I can pickup the W2G's tonight!

Squeaky wheel.........

[DeanT]

That's as good as it gets! What a great morning read.

Boomer - I too wonder why Sunland does not run Monday's. I find it a very good place to play and have done so since the HANA ratings fairly regularly. But I do not play it on Sunday's as there is too much going on. Monday afternoon after real work and the first several quarter horse races are done would fill a great spot for east coasters with real jobs like myself.

[Light]

Sunland is great. But what I dont understand is how can small tracks like Sunland consistently get nice full fields,(and not a bunch of maiden filler races on their cards) and major tracks with the bucks like Aqu and Sa look weak by comparison?

[boomman]

Sunland is great. But what I dont understand is how can small tracks like Sunland consistently get nice full fields,(and not a bunch of maiden filler races on their cards) and major tracks with the bucks like Aqu and Sa look weak by comparison?

Having worked in New Mexico for nearly 20 years, I am very familiar with the history of Sunland Park. Before slot machines were allowed, it was running for small purses and nearly bankrupt. Today it is a thriving, beautiful facility with a large population base with El Paso,TX literally sitting in its backyard. The full fields and major bucks are provided by the % of slot revenues that go directly into purses, and the racing continues to improve every year. I actually know the answer to my own question regarding why they don't run on Mondays: Several years ago when they were setting their new race dates they caught a bunch of guff from owners when they suggested running on Sat-Tues 4 days a week because the owners wanted to run their horses over the weekend. I would then expect that the slot revenues got so huge that they just decided to keep it that way as their business (unfortunately) isn't handle driven. I can also tell you that they have nice on-track attendance for both live racing and simulcasting as well................

Boomer

[onefast99]

Elliott is back where it all began ... Philly Park. Don't know why he bagged New York, but he's a regular again at The Phabulous Pha.
Yep just awaiting MP to open so he can ride Breens maidens and then watch as Breen names someone else in the out of town stakes races.

[DrugS]

I am begging the Detroit Lions NOT to draft Mathew Stafford. We don't need another Joey 'Blue Skies' Harrington.

Matt Stafford will be a good NFL qb. I think

[Track Collector]

Speaking of jockeys. I have come to the conclusion that many of them are dumb when it comes to pace. Will someone let them know that Presser and Sustained running style horses 'DO NOT NEED TO' contest the 2f opening quarter along with the Early Horses? Julio Felix are you listening?

:bang:

Is this not a good thing? Knowing that I jockey is poor at judging pace allows you to eliminate him/her from your selections, thus improving your chances at having a winning wager, right? :confused:

[Mineshaft]

Here are some thoughts for Monday off the top of my head. Feel free to whine along....

I am looking forward to Evangeline Downs opening soon so I won't have to listen to Don Stevens canned speech 'We congratulate the whole TEAM behind ________ (Fill in the blank) '. This is becoming almost as annoying as Bataglia's 'Gaining Ground'. I wish Evangeline would get smart and offer free online video though.







EVD had online video lst year.

[Market Mover]

Here are some thoughts for Monday off the top of my head. Feel free to whine along....

Whatever happened to Stuart Elliot who almost won the Triple Crown aboard Smarty Jones? Did he fade back into obscurity? Does he have nightmares about misjudging that ride?


Speaking of jockeys. I have come to the conclusion that many of them are dumb when it comes to pace. Will someone let them know that Presser and Sustained running style horses 'DO NOT NEED TO' contest the 2f opening quarter along with the Early Horses? Julio Felix are you listening?


I like the way that Alejandro Goncalves is riding at Turfway. He actually does seem to be a good judge of pace and how to ration speed. He may not be as big a name as Leparoux or Bejarano, but could he be a rising star?


After going round and round with Northville Downs, I still haven't gotten copies of my W2G's from last year! I even offered to go and pick them up. They keep telling me that they were mailed. I STILL DON'T HAVE THEM! Northville Racing Corporation is managed by buffoons!!


I am anxious to see how the Pro Ride Horses from Santa Anita perform on the Churchill Downs dirt for the KY Derby. That is assuming that a west coast conteder actually gets in.


Am I the only one tired of the One Horse Races at Mountaineer? Maybe they should stop paying purse money for anything but the Win position? Then we wouldn't have one solid contender followed by the future Alpo Factory. Racing there has jumped the shark.


Thanks to other PA posters who suggested Sundland Park. Nice full fields and the various distance from quarter horses to milers give me a chance to to handicap using different energy and pace method style. They just need to make their online tote board and results BIGGER so someone can actually read them!


I am looking forward to Evangeline Downs opening soon so I won't have to listen to Don Stevens canned speech 'We congratulate the whole TEAM behind ________ (Fill in the blank) '. This is becoming almost as annoying as Bataglia's 'Gaining Ground'. I wish Evangeline would get smart and offer free online video though.


I am begging the Detroit Lions NOT to draft Mathew Stafford. We don't need another Joey 'Blue Skies' Harrington.


Did anyone notice that CBS Sportsline is now offering free video in flash format instead of that dreaded .wmv? The quality seem much better and as a Linux user, I can even view it now! To get more than the 30 minute limit, I delete all cookies from the both the browser and from the hidden flash folder (Google about removing flash cookies). Reload the page and your ready for another 30 minutes of viewing.


There is a horseplayer at Northville Downs that goes around constantly claiming 'I know how to read the form' when a long shot comes in. He walks around telling people that he should of had it. I keep reminding him that although he does know how to read the form, he sure doesn't know how to bet!


Speaking of live racing, why is it that everyone expects you to buy hot dogs and beer when you cash a good score?


After sending out dozens of resume's, I have come to the conclusion that most online job postings are scams. I submitted my resume to a posting that had my qualifications to the tee. I got a F*** Off email response 10 minutes later. I just wonder how many evil companies are harvesting my personal info?


Is it time to eliminate show pool wagering and replace it with multiple place payoffs like the Europeans?




:bang:

Oh good 'ole Stewy is still riding hard and winning races at Philly Park. After he got cleared for that drunken debacle where he almost hurt someone really bad (and even faced deportation), he's tried to lay low and out of the limelight. I still question his decision not to ride Belmont the entire week (or few weeks) for that matter leading up to Smarty's TC bid. You'd think the jock in question would be obligated to try and ride every main track race, even participating in the ritualistic mile and half allowance race that they run that same week. I can't imagine how an experienced jock with so many years of riding under his belt can eliminate judgment of pace from a race of this caliber. Yes, I know Bailey and Stevens forced the issue, but a part of me thinks he could have waited just a hair bit longer. Then again I think about Kent D and that nose miss....I do wish him well and hope he picks up a Derby mount again...we all get redemption sometime in this life (unless your name is Kent Desormeaux)....

Don Stevens is a clown. How Delta Downs keeps this guy running the booth is beyond me. But then again when he's off, they just pull some redneck out of the stands, and you've got to hear the last race calls this other fool puts in. I'd seriously consider the mute button when watching those DeD races...
Is it really necessary for him to raise his voice so much when announcing the jockey's name? I know recognition is important, but this exceeds the annoying level!! And let's not even talk about when there's a photo finish involving a horse he's tabbed or played....he lets out a loud (and inaudible) stretch of the call that is just downright wrong...
However, I do agree with you: Nothing beats Battaglia's "GAINING GROUND" or nonchalant "gets the lead." I know Mike serves KY racing in a variety of venues, but come on!!! Is there noone else they could consider?