RICH GET RICHESS
Can’t help but notice the wealth of riches at The Meadowlands given the impressive performances by several sons of Richess Hanover (Western Hanover-Rich N Elegant). Kind of bodes well for the upcoming produce of first full brother RED RIVER HANOVER and celebrated three quarter brother Rocknroll Hanover. Red River Hanover’s first foals will sell later this year and collectively they are an impressive lot.

PATERNAL REVENUE
The more foals we see by Revenue the more obvious it seems that we could be on the verge of something rather special. Despite being from a cross section of mares, the initial Revenues are uniformly bright, cheerful, leggy, good headed, racy and for the most part look like him. If they train and race like they look, a significant revitalization ingredient to the trotting gene pool could well be at hand.

A TRAINERS TALE
Way back when—when things good and optimism abounded at racetracks all over recall a conversation with a high profile though departed trainer concerning a marquee horse slated to start at a ridiculously easy class level.

Talk focused on this upcoming return and how “the horse’ would be in qualifier mode and would not leave the rail under any circumstances to which someone mentioned “that’s not exactly good for the fans who incidentally were in abundance at most racetracks at that time.

Our boy rather gruffly stated “What do I care about them (fans) for, they’re just suckers anyway” and left it at that.

Hate to say it but those “suckers” are as gone as our late conditioner happens to be.

CHESTER LIGHTS
What this? No lights at Chester Downs relegating the facility to an “afternoon delight” ala Freehold--which geographically isn’t all that far away and undoubtedly will be impacted sharing dates with a neighboring daytime facility. Oh well at least it will minimize traffic conflicts between race customers and the evening slot crowd. .

BUY BACK LISTINGS
Notice that Harness Racing New Zealand is publishing the buy backs and providing two separate lists of stallion averages-one including the buy backs and one without. Obviously the one without has more credence as far as real prices are concerned.

When you think about it, why should inaccurate numbers get listed as part of a stallion averages or the dam’s official history considering the distorted message it provides?

Time we in this hemisphere followed suit

CHRISTIAN CULLEN
Hard not to notice the impressive numbers registered by the sons of daughters of Christian Cullen at the New Zealand sales. The son of In The Pocket easily outdistanced all other stallions down there including some well known imports positively impacting what became a record shattering yearling sale.

TAHASH MAHAL
Just noticed that the top trotter in Denmark these days is none other that TAHASH MAHAL (Muscle’s Yankee-Tahitian Tasha). The same Tahash Mahal that we sold at Tattersalls in 2002 for all of $9,000 to Bruce Nickells. Got a Dream Vacation colt upcoming this year named TASHABLANCA who might get some attention now that the Muscles brother has come into his own.

HANDICAPPERS AND BETTORS
The USTA has allocated necessary web site space to contributions from a variety of relevant opinions which provide good reading and food for thought.

One major differential between a public handicapper and a gambler is that the public is obligated to provide selections for each race-even those he knows are unplayable. The gambler meanwhile has the luxury of passing what he perceives as tenuous scenarios.

PLAUDITS TO BRIGGS
Many kudos to Dave Briggs of the Canadian Sportsman for his comprehensive and sobering report on the happenings in Las Vegas last month. Should be required reading for ALL in racing.

Bob Marks