WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU??
Overlooked in the Eight Belles tragedy is the absolutely
tantalizing confrontation between Big Brown and Curlin in
this fall’s Breeders Cup Classic assuming what is
remains operative between now and then.
Imagine if Big Brown is indeed the real deal and sweeps
the Triple Crown and the other stuff, the stage will be
set for the confrontation with Curlin in what could be as
intriguing a match up as when 3-year-old Secretariat trounced
4-year-old Riva Ridge in the inaugural Marlboro Cup.
Imagine if we had a similar forum for Somebeachsomewhere
if he proves to be what the qualifier suggests he might
be!
THE MESSAGE
PART TWO
As testimony to the ‘gold in them thar hills”
discussion in last week’s trotlines, herewith is the
following for your inspection.
Chester Downs, Sunday April 20th offered 13 races with
cumulative purses approximating $360,000. The Monday April
21st card offered 13 races with cumulative purses of $263,000.
On Saturday April 19th, there were 13 races staged at The
Meadowlands for cumulative purses of $380,000. Woodbine
carded 12 races with total purses of $267,000. Yonkers offered
11 races with purses totaling $247,000. During the afternoon,
Pocono Downs featured 14 races with total purses of $167,000.
It should be noted that in the case of Pocono, several races
were for modest claimers in which the purse was fairly close
to the claiming value.
Isn’t there anyway to get this message out to the
general public? After all, they are potential customers
though most are blissfully oblivious to current realities
that there really is gold in them thar hills especially
at the slots fueled Racinos.
Even if this prosperity is but temporary as Andy Cohen’s
alarmingly illustrative wire to wire piece in the April
30th Horseman implies, it is worth shouting about loud clear
and often! In other words, we should make hay while the
sun shines bright.
LADIES DAY
Looks like Monday has become Ladies Day at Chester Downs
given the preponderance of races offered for the faster
class distaff set.
On Monday May 4th, Ball Gown A nipped Darlin’s Delight
in the $40,000 mares open. Commensurately there was a $35,000
for the mare’s winners over class, a $30,000 event
for non winners of $27,000 last six and a $27,000 event
for non winners of $22,000 last six. Thus there was a total
of $132,000 exclusively available for fast class fillies
and mares on the table at Chester.
TRACEABLES
Received a program from Sweden entitled OLYMPIATRAVET-the
official program for the Olympic Trot and other notable
races. On the under card noticed Hall Of Face, an Enjoy
Lavec from Toss Out who apparently has earned a kronor or
two on that side of the pond.
The problem here is that unless you were privy to this
Swedish race program you’d never know it as there’s
no data base in this country from which to obtain this information.
Conversely a horse named NICOLE IN ONE (Dream Vacation-Hornby
Nicole) was named horse of the month in Norway. A check
of the dam’s breeding history discloses that Nicole
In One earned $10,000 while in this country having last
raced in 2005.
Obviously he’s earned substantially more to warrant
horse of the month honors.
Gotta be a way of integrating these data banks so that
this information is easily accessible.
IT’S GOOD AND IT’S BAD
It is certainly wonderful when Open trotters have an opportunity
to race for $40,000 as did Buckeye St Pat and Vivid Photo
on a recent Thursday. It’s not so wonderful when horses
of that caliber get raced at 3:30 in the afternoon on a
weekday to the tumultuous applause and viewing pleasure
of a very limited audience.
BACK BURNING
Couldn’t help but notice the dialogue in Kentucky
pertaining to “in-breeding” which turned out
to be a testimonial to the upcoming implementation of the
stallion limitation rule scheduled for 2009.
With all due respect, this back burning issue of where
the breed might be in 50 years seems somewhat dwarfed by
the immediate issue of just who is going to buy the animals
we’re producing in the next five to ten years.
YOU SAID IT EYDIE
At the risk of showing the years, can still hear the jazzy
strains of Eydie Gorme’s signature classic What Did
I Have, I Don’t Have Now? Which might have been from
Mame but nevertheless is a passionate and self- indicting
lament at what used to be.
You look at those Derby Day betting numbers especially
those accrued at what are ostensibly harness tracks that
have never been as lopsided as they are now and you have
to seriously wonder just what it was we did we have that
we so obviously do not have at this point in time.
Bob Marks