The twinkling golden tree in the dining room stares at me in anticipation of deconstruction. Stockings above the fireplace hang–awkward, empty and fated so for another year. Additional assorted holiday decorations dot my cozy living spaces. Their shining moments, too, have come and gone; banished by the arrival of a New Year to dreary hiding […]
Read more
Santa Anita opened Christmas Day, 1934. No, I wasn’t there. Thanks for asking, though. I’ve personally experienced plenty of ‘Anita premieres, but they’ve all come the day after Christmas. Personally, ‘Great Race Place’ launches always have been special occasions. I vividly recall cracking the sealed edges of a crisp, virgin Daily Racing Form. Still can […]
Read more
Bob Ehalt recently conducted polls for Thoroughbred Racing Commentary that asked various people involved in the sport who they believed to be the best horses, jockeys and trainers to compete in North America over the last 50 years. The results were announced last week. Participants in the three polls included a wide range of people […]
Read more
Know how everyone complains that the holiday season is too busy? They’re right. My plate’s so full it looks like I just circled a Las Vegas buffet. Yesterday my in-box quit displaying the number of unread e-mails and now reads, ‘Enough already.’ Santa’s not the only one making lists. Except I don’t have time to […]
Read more
I’m not surprised that brush fires recently ravaged hundreds of thousands of acres in Southern California. In fact, at this writing, with more warm, windy, dry, low-humidity days in the forecast, thousands more acres may burn before fires are completely contained. Having lived in the Pasadena area for 30 years, I comprehend the ferocity and […]
Read more
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has become such a force these days that sometimes he manages to win a Grade I race even when he loses. For instance, in the Grade I, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 19, Baffert sent out Arrogate, the 3-5 favorite. Arrogate lost. He finished second. But […]
Read more
Even though Bolt d’Oro’s perfect record was spoiled when he finished third in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4, he ended up being the 7-1 individual favorite when Pool One of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) closed last Sunday. Listed at 11-1 among the 23 individual horses […]
Read more
Ever hear the proverb about how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? It’s supposed to teach us to be satisfied with what we have instead of envying a neighbor’s possessions. This past Thanksgiving holiday weekend at Del Mar racetrack in California, that message got the bird…and I don’t mean […]
Read more
I love Thanksgiving. And not just because I’m a staunch turkey advocate. As a meal, that is. Live turkeys are mostly unattractive–so homely they’re cute—like pugs. Appearance aside, I maintain that the turkey is a vastly underrated bird. A clear-cut culinary first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. Turkey brings it’s ‘A’ game 365 days a year. It’s as comfortable […]
Read more
According to Wikipedia, “Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for the arrival of someone named Godot who never arrives, and while waiting they engage in a variety of discussions and encounter three other characters….In a poll conducted by the British Royal National Theatre in […]
Read more
What in the heck happened to Arrogate after his spectacular victory in the Group I, $10 million Dubai World Cup last March 25? When Arrogate rallied from far back to win the race in Dubai going away by 2 1/2 lengths after a terrible start, he looked like a true super horse. Not only did […]
Read more
As painful as it sometimes is, after a day at the races it’s important for a horseplayer to compare predictions and wagers to results and payoffs. It’s an instructive exercise that identifies a player’s strengths and weaknesses—ultimately permitting the player to rely on the former and to improve on the latter. Below is a recap […]
Read more
VENUE: Del Mar on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 Main Track: dirt, fast Friday and Saturday; Turf Course: firm Friday and Saturday. $6 MILLION CLASSIC (NOV. 4) Results: (1) Gun Runner, who paid $6.80, (2) Collected, (3) West Coast. Winner: Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm; trained by Steve Asmussen; ridden by Florent […]
Read more
For the last few weeks, this space has been dedicated to handicapping discussions regarding the fast approaching Breeders’ Cup. Well, that train has just about reached the station. And, if you haven’t already attempted to unravel any of the 13 mysteries masquerading as Breeders’ Cup events, what are you waiting for? While we don’t know […]
Read more