Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance : Dana Byerly

Derby Dating 2009, I Saw You in the Hallway

cdawahare — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:38:00 GMT

By Dana Byerly, greenbutgame.org

It isn't easy finding the right date for the big dance. (ronstarr64)

Let's face it, we know just enough about our Derby suitors to start some serious speculation. Have you been writing The Pamplemousse over and over again in your notebook? Did your mom totally yell at your for doodling I Want Revenge on your new sneakers? Join the club... and welcome to the first installment of Derby Dating 2009, I Saw You in the Hallway!

Bandwagon jumpers, believers, non-believers, and hype haters… we’re all looking for the same thing, right? To fall in love. But we’re skeptics… hurt so many times in the past, afraid to open our hearts again and be made a fool of. So we’re cautious, asking our intendeds to jump through hoop after hoop after hoop before we’ll say with certainty “I love [horse name]!”.

Maybe I don’t believe in monogamy… I believe it’s ok to love one and bet on another, or even multiple others! I like to have an open relationship with a horse. I may love you with all of my heart, but if your odds are too low I’m probably not going to bet on you. Sorry honey!

It’s close enough to the big dance now that I can start to evaluate my Derby suitors. For the most part I’ve seen enough to know who’s just a fleeting interest and who’s got some real potential.

Just a crush? Let’s be friends? Or I really think we could be something special… only time will tell! Until then, here’s how they’re stacking for me.

Like, as in Like Like:

Stardom Bound: It's no secret that I prefer the ladies and with lookers like this roaming the halls is it any wonder? She's got it all... strength, class, heart and beauty! But like all smart kids who rocket to the top of their class early, she's gonna have to buckle down now that others are catching up with her. And then there's that small question of dirt. I know she can do it, she's dreamy!

Friesan Fire But then there's this guy, over shadowed by his more popular stable mate, minding his own business and clearly not napping in study hall. He certainly has been looking hot lately, Old Fashioned who? Is he summa cum laude this year? Perhaps...

Interested in, if all goes well, next stop Like:

Old Fashioned: Maybe now that his perfect reputation is tarnished he can relax a bit... he's been chasing some wicked paces lately! I guess he hasn't seen the after school special about keeping up with the fast kids only causing trouble in the end. If he sticks to his game plan and runs his own race, he'll be fine. Good thing he's got a good coach!

I Want Revenge Moving in the middle of the school worked out great for this guy! He can go the distance, sitting off a hot pace while throwing in a little duel to boot. Sweet! Hopefully he can do the same thing as kids the bigger and more tough too. But what about that green rider with a lot to prove? There was some speculation at the parent/teacher conference about whether this could be his undoing.

Quality Road It's hard not to like like this guy after his last performance, rating beautifully off a hot pace and putting away a somewhat accomplished field. But I want to see if he can go the distance before I start sending signals that I'm really interested.

Desert Party It's always a bummer when a hottie gets shipped to boarding school. We keep hearing that he's doing well and he definitely looked great the last time we all saw him. Do those fancy boarding schools really prepare students for the real world? I hope so!

Imperial Council I only caught a glimpse of this fine looking fellow's last performance but he sure did look promising darting in front of Mr. Fantasy in the last moment to catch second. Needless to say, I want to see more!

Want to Like but:

Pioneerof The Nile: Here's a guy that's hard not to like but call me old fashioned, I want to make sure they like the dirt before I can give my heart away. Obviously I've made an exception for my beloved, Stardom Bound... she's dreamy!

The Pamplemousse: There's always a hot guy at a neighboring school that everyone is crazy about, and I can see why. But the big dance isn't at his school and he's not going to have the home court advantage. How good will he look then?

Like with a small "l":

Theregoesjojo: His name is fun to say and he's always near by but not quite when you want him to be. I don't know, I think he could turn out to be big dance material.

Beethoven: Is he putting it all together or falling apart? I can't tell. I think he's probably got it going on but only time will tell. I hope time tells soon!

Not Sure about:

Dunkirk: Dunkirk, Dunkirk, Dunkirk... why do I keep hearing this name? I haven't really seen him yet but so many people are totally saving a seat in the cafeteria for him. Whatever, I'll wait and see what the deal is when he actually shows up, it's not like there's no one else to be interested in.

Rachel Alexandra: I'm pretty sure I'm not giving this gorgeous thing a fair shot out of loyalty to my dreamy beloved. But quite frankly Rachel, I'm a little afraid who know who might kick my you know what if she found out I thought you were hot! Let's put this way, I've got my eye on you... did you get that note I left in your locker?

Papa Clem: I'm glad to see your parents had the sense to switch schools but I still can't tell if you fit in or not. I'll just give you a chance to get settled in and see what you've got next time out.

West Side Bernie: I like this guy's style, he knows he's already got a spot at the big dance if he wants it so he doesn't have to sweat it like the others. The only thing he has to do is stay focused on himself... and that kind of cool confidence is mighty attractive! The only problem is since he never comes to class we can't really get a good look at him. Is he just another pretty face or could he be the real deal? We should know more Saturday... and by the way, thumbs up on the jockey change!

Chocolate Candy: Mmmm, candy. Yes, please! Wait, it's a horse? Ok, I guess I'll wait and see what his deal is. I had no idea. I hope he's hot!

Mr. Hotstuff & Mr. Fantasy: Is that really your name? Yeah right!

Mafaaz: Accents are totally hot. Is he cute?

Broken Up With:

Hello Broadway: Hello, turf? Maybe he should follow in his half-brothers footsteps and try the turf. Even though I don't want to go to the dance with him, I'd definitely be seen in the hallway with him, you know, later in the year.

Flying Pegasus: He would so totally be on my "Next Stop, Like" list if his connections hadn't taken him off the trail. I was willing to give him one more shot given the slop last out. Oh well, I'll see you over the summer hot stuff!

I caught a little flack last year, and rightfully so, for not also doing an Oaks Dating counterpart. So this year I'll be channeling my inner-tween puppy love style of evaluation towards the fillies... look for "Oaks Dating 2009, I'm Coming Out" soon! Original post at greenbutgame.org.

Yes We Can, Can't We?

cdawahare — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:38:00 GMT

By Dana Byerly, greenbutgame.org

Hopefully you exercised your civic duty earlier this week by voting. Americans often forget how fortunate we are to have a voice in the process. Regardless of where you stand on any issue or how you feel about the outcome of the election, there's something positive we all can take away from the experience. When people make up their mind and take action, change is possible.

I'd like to think we can apply that lesson to racing. Changes have already started in the industry and to hear Alex Waldrop tell it, bloggers have been a major catalyst for some of those changes citing the new Safety & Integrity Alliance as "a direct result of the bloggers."

While this is great news, we bloggers certainly don't represent every point of view and don't even have all the good ideas (gasp!). And while some of the best insights and ideas are proposed around the web as comments on blog posts or discussions on boards such as PaceAdvantage, the odds of anyone who can act on those excellent ideas actually seeing them is probably hovering generously around 50-1.

Enter Self Appointed Fan Committee. The only agenda at SAFC is to make sure you're heard. SAFC is a website, not an actual committee, that Jessica Chapel of Railbird and Raceday360 and I started over the summer.

From SAFC's homepage:

"It's come to our attention that we're not going to get invited to share our thoughts or provide our feedback in a formal setting any time soon.

In light of this discovery we've created this site to do just that."

SAFC offers a way for fans and players to share their ideas, provide feedback and/or positive reinforcement to the industry as a whole. Since so many of the issues cut across organizations and jurisdictions, it's hard for an individual with a good idea to be heard by all of the appropriate stakeholders. To counter this, we collect all of the submissions and create and deliver reports for any and all organizations that have a stake in the issues at hand on a (somewhat) monthly basis.

For instance, this submission went to ARCI and NTRA:

"Set A Standard Release Time For All Entries and Morning Lines - Why are the morning line odds not released at the same time for every track? Santa Anita is notoriously slow while Keeneland is generally a full day ahead of every other track."

And this submission went to the Jockey Club and NTRA:

Breeders should be charged $50 more to register their foals and that $50 should go into a fund such as the TCA which provides money to the people who care for and rescue thoroughbred horses.

Take a look around the reports section to see what's been sent to whom.

As more proof that change is possible, the Breeders' Cup, the seemingly last bastion of impenetrable decision-making, has propped open its doors to fans. Peter Rotondo Jr., VP of Media and Entertainment and Peter Land, CMO have agreed to meet with Self Appointed Fan Committee (and a few friends!) next week to hear what the fans have to say as they evaluate this year's Breeders' Cup.

Now that the Breeders' Cup is over and we've all had a chance to experience the changes, the time has come to share your thoughts. Get thee over to SAFC and let the Breeders' Cup know what you think! Hate the purple saddle cloths? Love the new Filly & Mare Championship Day? Still think the name Ladies' Classic has to go? Love or hate the amount and type of races? Tell them.

SAFC stands a chance of affecting change, in part, by collecting all the feedback together in one place. So, for example, Land and Rotondo can make a much more compelling case to the BC board to change the saddle cloths if there are 300 submissions about it, or 3,000 as compared to the current three.

While it's certainly a great sign, this meeting is a first step and our gracious and well intentioned hosts can't make too many, if any changes without first discussing it with their board. But let's help them out and make their job easier by giving them a LOT of feedback and ideas to mull over for Breeders' Cups to come.

To be included in the process, one must actually participate. The door is open and they're ready to listen, but it's up to you to shove your foot in the door and make your voice heard.