Random Thoughts

re: Random Thoughts

Karen in Indiana — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:13:25 GMT

Dr. D,

You crack me up!

re: Random Thoughts

Rhymetime — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 07:11:33 GMT

Thanks for your thoughts, Steve. Since we're on the topic of random thoughts, do you have any news about the status of The Factor and Premier Pegasus? I'm wondering how they are progressing with recovery from their injuries. Thanks for any updates if you have them.

re: Random Thoughts

Paula Higgins — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:16:03 GMT

Mike Relva you got that right about John (Shelby too). Love Mike Repole also. He is a dream owner, like Ann and Jerry Moss. Very nice man. I am so hoping Uncle Mo can stay healthy and race again.

re: Random Thoughts

Linda in Texas — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:01:40 GMT

Brenda From Texas - thanks so much. 15.3 and 980, even smaller than i had her figured to be, she is just almost exactly the size of Brown Bess a little ball of fire that died last week.

Alex'sBigFan, i hope you have a grand ol' time at Monmouth this week end. No place i would rather be than there for The Haskell and then go back to Saratoga. I am dreaming, just too far from me.

Weather.com as of this morning is showing isolated thunderstorms on Friday but i bet those winds blow them on out.

Winter Memories ran an amazing race today. Whoa, and her brakes are working fine! But her acceleration is to be admired. Every muscle in her body works and she is simply a joy to watch. She has a stocky build like Skip Away. And she is a gray.

ABF!!Have you seen Zenyatta's new paddock gal pal? I believe her name is Tasty Temptation, a great big gray and she is pretty. She had one of those tags on her bridle like Zenyatta has and Pirate Queen.

I will be watching The Haskell, have no favorites, frankly i hope they all cross the wire in a photo finish!

Thanks Steve.

re: Random Thoughts

Alex'sBigFan — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:07:02 GMT

Dr. D,

Agreed, one of the top 10 of all time. I think he played at a place called, of all things, the Stone Pony in NJ in the 70's I guess.

I was saying in Jason's blog that at Monmouth this week during "school in the paddock" that they should be proactive and play the song for ROI as he walks about. He was afraid and freaked at the New York song, this way he'll recognize it as something he's used to and cannot hurt him and he'll say, "oh, yeah, I know that one, it's just a two-legger crooning!"

re: Random Thoughts

Smoking Baby — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:25:53 GMT

WOW!!! Frankel's back.

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calico cat — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:16:15 GMT

I just know that Bobby is having one of his big grins right now:

"Frankel Simply Devastating In the Sussex."

His record is 8 for 8. My fingers are crossed that this brilliant colt comes to CD for the BC.

re: Random Thoughts

Footlick — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:59:46 GMT

Frankel just showed us who the top three year old in the world is. Devastating performance.

re: Random Thoughts

Dr Drunkinbum — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:38:17 GMT

Alex'aBigFan

Horses were born to run and Springsteen was born to perform. Certainly in the top ten performers of all time. I saw him at Winterland, 1978, San Francisco, one of the last concerts there about three hours non-stop all out performance. He was able to do that because he wasn't on Lasix.

re: Random Thoughts

Bob from Boston — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:57:49 GMT

The Boss is the best. I can hear him now, "So, you wake up and find out the love of your life has packed up all of her things and moved out in the middle of the night, and she took your dog. Well, here's another song about a car."

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Smoking Baby — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:46:46 GMT

Alex'sBigFan. That's so cool. I need to get to Monmouth one of these days. Sunday would be good. Don't you think?

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Brenda from Texas — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:43:57 GMT

Hey Linda - Blind Luck is 15.3 hands & weighs about 980 so slightly is a good discription, but she has the heart of true race horse ...

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Karen in Texas — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:48:12 GMT

Thanks, Alex'sBigFan, and I agree that the lyrics to "Born To Run" are totally appropriate.

re: Random Thoughts

Alex'sBigFan — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:10:46 GMT

Haskell notes:

(according to last reading of Monmouth Park's website):

Apparently Rattlesnake Bridge is now out and Joe Vann is in. Joe Vann is to be ridden by Joe Bravo.

Mike Smith will be in New Jersey too! He is scheduled to ride Astrology in the Haskell. Poor Mikey, hope his dui thing is ok. He's my west coast favorite jockey.

"Speedy Bob" has Coil in it to be ridden by Martin Garcia, who yes, won the Haskell last year on Lucky.

Could be a battle of the black-masked chestnuts! ROI and Coil are both chestnuts and wear black blinkers! They look so similar. And with Shack we could see a chestnut trifecta! But the dark bays are there too, JJ's Lucky Train and Pants On Fire! Shaping up to be a great race!

re: Random Thoughts

Alex'sBigFan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:51:28 GMT

Karen in Texas, Smoking Baby,

By tradition, Monmouth Park plays Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" as the horses walk through the tunnel from the paddock to the track. This actually does take place. Last year I was in my glory as Lookin' At Lucky was #1 and out first. A lot of little kids were at the rail and I was explaining to them who the horses were as they came out, i.e. Derby winner Super Saver, etc. I think I was jumping up and down more than the kids were when Lucky came out and won it too! I am not sure how long Monmouth has played the song but it is a GREAT idea. If you listen to the words of the song carefully it is really apropos,

"It's a death trap, a suicide rap, gotta get out while we're young, 'cause tramps like us baby we were born to run......" "Sprung from cages off of highway 9, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line...." The words are something like that, that's just off the top of my head without looking them up.

It is more like they are Lasix injected and sprung from stalls off of highway 34 or 36 in NJ but the song really fits. Monmouth is a beautiful track and I cannot wait to be there this Sunday! We've got Shack, Pants On Fire, ROI, Coil, Rattlesnake Bridge, Concealed Identity (Smarty's son),

Astrology, and one or two more in the Haskell.

Bad news on First Dude. Another injury and retirement. I was hoping he would make the BC Classic. Poor Dude, not to be.

Uncle Mo looking very good up at the Spa. Mike Repole must love him so much, he was up there for his first workout and was right there for Mo's bath, very cute video of it. Go Mo!!!

re: Random Thoughts

Mike Relva — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:54:22 GMT

GUINESS

Agreed!

re: Random Thoughts

Guiness — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:06:51 GMT

The one's still chewing on the 2 pds. are the same one's trying to find an excuse as to her losing by a nose to Blind Luck.

By now they have already chewed up and swallowed those two pounds that HDG carried. You would think they were full of it by now. Guess Not.

re: Random Thoughts

trackjack — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:51:55 GMT

Steve, thanks for your random thoughts. I was very impressed with Mr. Commons. As you said, there is no way of telling how good he could be later in the year, but I would sure like to see him in the BC Mile. That race could shape up as one for the ages if they all stay healthy.

Linda in Texas,

Thanks for the assesment on Mike Smith's problem.

One more tip: set your cruise control

re: Random Thoughts

Mary in VT — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:53:12 GMT

Ok. Unless Jones and Porter can show otherwise we don't have to keep chewing on that 2 pounds for the rest of the year. Thanks for posting the correction.

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Mike Relva — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:01:03 GMT

SHELBY'S BEST PAL

I agree,John is a wonderful trainer who loves horses and put their welfare above and beyond anything. It's absurd when another writer has in many instances thrown him under the bus. He doesn't deserve it!

re: Random Thoughts

greatbigbubby — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:35:04 GMT

is that a heart on Acclamation's forehead!!

re: Random Thoughts

Linda in Texas — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:16:15 GMT

Before anyone judges Mike Smith and his arrest for Driving While Intoxicated as it is called in Texas or Driving Under The Influence elsewhere, please let me remind you that blowing a .08 or over for Mike, because of his size, would not take massive quantities of alcohol to be over the limit.

Many factors are figured into his

actual level of inebriation. If he had not eaten as he no doubt had not prior to the race because he had raced the day he was stopped. Also, if he had just eaten and imbibed, then the food would not have had time to assimilate within his body to counter even the least amount of alcohol in one drink.

In other words, one drink to a diminuitive person of 120 pounds would have more of an effect than if a 200 pound person had imbibed the same amount.

I do not know what he showed on the portable breath meter being used. So my hope is that no one judges Mike and assumes he was passed out drunk driving home on his own road. He was driving slowly. And many people throughout the country have encountered the same thing, stopped en route and close to their homes. Driving slowly is one tip to police that one could be inebriated.

If Mike weighs 120 pounds and had consumed 4 Old Fashioneds in 4 hours and stopped shortly thereafter, his Breath Alcohol Content would be a .06. The level at which one will be arrested is .08 and above. You can access ou.edu/oupd/bac.html or go to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to access calculators of determining BAC.

Drink Amt. BAC

Harry Buffalo - 4 in 4 hours .24

at 120 pounds.

Black Russians - 4 in 4 hours .12

at 120 pounds.

Old Fashioneds - 4 in 4 hours .06

Beer -4 .12 oz.- 4 in 4 hours .03

120 pounds.

So Mike's lawyer will be able to discuss this and i am sure folks at the restaurant will know exactly how many hours and what Mike had to drink by the meal/drink receipt.

Having owned a Bail Bond Company for several years in the past,i dealt with this issue often.

There is no 100 percent accurate way to calculate the blood alcohol content because there are multiple factors even health and meds, etc.

Tip: Sip Slowly, If you don't,

Call a friend.

re: Random Thoughts

Footlick — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:03:06 GMT

Zookeeper- my home track is Arlington Park, but I have been to Del Mar, and the view looking toward the top of the stretch is just breathtaking. Imagine the horses turning for home with the ocean in the backround. Just stunning. It was awhile as I won alot of money on an unknown NZ bred named Black Mamba at that time in an allowance race.

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Rachel NH — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:40:04 GMT

Zookeeper...Saratoga 98' Delmar 73'...I live in the Northeast but this week I am in San Diego and going to Delmar today! Can you say timing is everything!

So far this week the fairgrounds have been jam packed..what a sight! Delmar is beautiful place.

MZ: I recognize all those names...now how old does that make me! LOL

re: Random Thoughts

Guiness — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:01:10 GMT

Deltalady,

Yes indeed, Blind Luck for HOTY. She deserves it.