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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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It’s never too early to talk Triple Crown. Here’s our preseason top-25 rankings plus 10 additional prospects that are “under consideration.” The rankings are based on performance, pedigree, running style, connections, and projections. Let’s see how many can make an impact in next spring’s American classics. Jeff Siegel’s Preseason 2018 Triple Crown Top-25 Rankings […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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The selections contained within are geared to rolling exotic players. The basic strategy is to isolate those horses that should be included in rolling daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and pick-6. It is recommended that Jeff’s selections be used to augment the reader’s own personal handicapping, though excellent results can be achieved by applying the exact rolling exotic […]
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The selections contained within are geared to rolling exotic players. The basic strategy is to isolate those horses that should be included in rolling daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and pick-6. It is recommended that Jeff’s selections be used to augment the reader’s own personal handicapping, though excellent results can be achieved by applying the exact rolling exotic […]
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Stellar Wind (#2, 5/2) is tough as they come and should be right there on the wire in this year’s Distaff after a disastrous start last year. Prior to last year’s Breeders’ Cup, she beat Beholder twice and contrary to the belief of many, I think she is just as good this year as last. She […]
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