Clones Meet Again Today

The mule clones, Idaho Gem and Idaho Star are entered in the third second race at Stockton today. One mystery has been solved, as Roger Downey, owner/lessee of Idaho Star, has named Don McDaniel as trainer of his charge. During the Winnemucca meet the cloned mule ran in Mr. Downey's name as the trainer of record. Mr. Downey does not have a California trainer's license, although it is widely known that he directs most of Idaho Star's day to day activities.

Frank Mirahmadi Delivers

Check out the nightcap from Stockton [free, registration required] on Thursday for Franks classic Rodney Dangerfield call, or Saturday's nightcap for a spot on Harry Henson. Thanks Frank! I'm looking forward to seeing what else he has in his bag of tricks during the balance of the fair season.

From the Really, He Doesn't Have One? Department: Would someone please write a wikipedia entry for Harry Henson.

NorCal Fair Season

The California Authority of Racing Fairs kicked off their season yesterday. Items of note for the fairs include new track announcer Frank Miramahdi and that the cloned mules will be racing.

Mr. Miramahdi was formerly at Louisiana Downs, where the very talented up and coming track announcer Travis Stone has since taken over. The former LaD Racing secretary, Pat Pope, was also replaced. When Mr. Miramahdi was replaced, management stressed their appreciation for Mr. Stones "traditional" approach to race calling. This may be a reference to Mr. Miramahdi's occasional foray into impressions during race calls. He has been known to imitate other track announcers, with grand aplomb I might add, as well as Rodney Dangerfield and Porkey Pig.

I love when a track announcer can do an good impression and think Mr. Miramahdi is among the best there is at it. Some connections complain vigorously when their $5,000 claimer is in a race that is called, seemingly by a fictional character. Some think the practice degrades the game. Some think it's down right circus like. Those folks are twits, as these types of calls are a hoot. Anyway, the last time I was at the circus there were a lot more butts in the seats than the last time I was at the track. I hope we hear lots of impressions this Fair season.

I listened to all of his calls from opening day at the San Joaquin County Fair (Stockton) and there wasn't a single impression. I'm hoping that he's just getting himself settled in, because the fans want LOTS of his exciting trademark calls. This is California after all, and we like lots of sizzle, we like it a little bit gaudy, and we love talent. That's Frank Miramahdi, so lets have some fun!

Arlington Park on Belmont Stakes Day

I spent Belmont Stakes day at the impeccably manicured Arlington Park. It's a wonderful place to enjoy a day of racing. The paddock area, with its expansive lawns, is well lent to both play and reflection.
Apparently, it is also a great place get married.

I also watched and listened to each one of the gorgeous Bonnie Brown's calls to the post. Pictures don't do her justice. She has an energy and presence that is adorable. When she tips her hat and offers a modest curtsey you can't help but smile wistfully. After her last call, she was off in a flash.

State Street OTB

I'm in Chicago for the Blues Festival, but had to ferret myself away to the OTB to get my fix yesterday. The facility is far nicer than I remember it, and is a considerable step above NYC OTBs. But the city dump is a considerable step up from the NYC OTBs, save the new "Teletheaters".

Tomorrow I'm skipping out on blues altogether in the afternoon in favor of Arlington and the Belmont Stakes.

Movement on Sidelines

Movement is out of training after developing a cherry splint. This condition is similar to buck shins, in that a sliver of bone separates, but is located near the knee. It is not a terribly serious condition, I'm told, but is uncomfortable for the horse. The vet treated the splint with a shot, and she will be on stall rest for the next few days. Then she will walk for five days, and then if she's recovering well she'll jog for a few days then return to training.

Clones Finish 3rd, Next to Last in Futurity

Sunday, when the cloned mules faced each other head to head, offered less drama than Saturday when the police carted off jockey Alejandro Garcia who had been slated to ride clone Idaho Gem. In the end, the Ruby Thomas trained Idaho Gem came in third. Still, she was in the winner's circle after the race with her husband Ray Thomas who won the race with naturally bred mule Bar JF Hot Ticket.

Here Gem, the 4 mule, is seen in third place passing the tote board with Abraham Arriola in the irons with the red cap.

Quick Update - Both Clones Win in Trials

Both clones won their respective heats and they will race against one another tomorrow. The high drama was a late jockey change on the Ruby Thomas trained Idaho Gem. The named jockey, Alejandro Garcia was falling down drunk, and fell off of the mule in the post parade. Ruby nearly killed him. Jesse Perez got the pickup mount. The Gaming Control Board called the bulls, who gave the disgraced jock a breathelizer and then took him off to the clink. He resisted arrest, so they had to cuff and stuff'em in grand fashion, I'm told. More to come.

Before Alejandro Garcia fell off Idaho Gem in the post parade, Ruby led them in the walking ring.

After collecting the loose mule Ruby was exasperated, as she led Gem back to the paddock. Not seen in this picture is the drunken jockey stumbling behind. One groom yelled to her that her jockey was walking after them, presumably to regain the mount. Ruby exclaimed, "I don't like that jockey. I want a new one."

Idaho Gem is seen here going on to win his trial on Saturday with Jesse Perez up.


Idaho Star also won his race, carded one race before Gem ran. His win added to the pressure, as Ruby dealt with circus like antics. After Star's win, Roger Downey, owner/lessee, hugs his jockey Jesse Perez. This picture was taken by a freelance photographer that gave it to me for this blog and thus its quality is far superior to that of my pictures.

Media descends on Winnemucca

News outlets from across the country and world have flocked to this northern Nevada town to witness the cloned mules race. Correspondents from Wired Magazine, London's Daily Telegraph, Associated Press, a documentary team, and many other news outlets were all plying their trade at the meet.

Reporters looking for a technical angle concentrated on the scientists and geneticists. Everyone wanted to get a word with mule enthusiast and clone project funder Don Jacklin, pictured on the right with one of the project scientists. Mr. Jacklin campains cloned mule Idaho Gem.

Roger Downey, in whose name Idaho Star races, was also a popular interviewee, seen here chatting with rival Jacklin. Mr. Downey is not just a deep pocketed mule owner, but also participates more directly. Yesterday he won the Mule Endurance Challenge, a 26 mile mule race through the rugged Humboldt terrain. Mr. Downey was owner, trainer and rider.

Ruby Thomas, trainer of Idaho Gem, solidified her credentials as press darling today after appearing on the front page of the Reno Gazette yesterday. Ruby is seen here answering the same question for seventieth time, as the documentary film makers gather material. And here she is seen explaining how to read the Form to a British correspondent.

Countdown to Mule Racing

The mule racing season starts in two days. I'll be back with a full report on Monday.

Morning Works 5-27

Movement worked three furlongs in a recorded time of 37 flat Saturday morning. It wasn't terribly quick, but she wasn't being asked for run, either. More importantly, she didn't dog it in the final sixteenth and wasn't taxed after the work. She didn't go straight for the water, and she did clean up her feed.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic of the work, as I didn't pick her up until the three sixteenths pole. I did get a good spot in the grandstand for future shots though.

While at the Jamey Thomas Barn, I took a look at an old workout log that included Furando, the first horse I ever owned.

Cloned Mules Racing Debut Nears

Ruby Thomas conditions the feisty Idaho Gem
Cloned mule Idaho Gem has shipped from the Sacramento area training center where she had been stabled to the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds where he will continue his conditioning. He is set to ship to Winnemucca, NV early next week where both clones are set to race the following weekend. The third clone, currently in Idaho, will also be in Winnemucca. The three are expected to garner more media attention that Winnemucca has seen in some time.

Mystery remains over trainer of Idaho Star
Also on track at the Fairgrounds was Idaho Star, Gem's younger brother. He is being campaigned by Roger Downey, American Mule Racing Association board member. Mr. Downey has been very coy about who will train his charge, however. I have not inquired personally, however I have heard multiple reports that when asked who the trainer is, Mr. Downey has responded with "You'll find out" or other words to the effect.

The mule has recently been at J. Browning's farm in Petaluma, CA. Mr. Browning is a horse breaker, but is not known for starting horses in his own name. Per a search of the CHRB license database, Mr. Browning does not appear to have a trainer's license, either. While on track at Stockton, Star was in Ron White's Barn. Mr. White is not believed to have trained or started any mules in the past. It is more likely that Mr. White was merely offering his backstretch operation for the mule care while he was on track for the recent media event. He has since shipped out from Stockton.

Mr. Downey has employed several trainers for his mules in the past, but broke ties with one trainer that had the bulk of his mules in the last few years. In whose name the clone will start remains a mystery.

Tears & Prayers

Please, please, please be ok. We can't stand to lose you.

Movement Update

Movement worked 2 furlongs in company last Friday in 24:4 according to the official clocker and Jamey got her in 24:2. This morning she went in 24 flat, this time with two other horses. Both Jamey and the clocker caught her in 24 this time. She was within herself for both works. She has shown at least a modicum of speed that may make her worthy of starting in a maiden claimer this summer, but whether she can take it past two furlongs remains to be seen. I just hope she stays healthy.

Things Left Unsaid

Enough. Stop with the mail. I acquiesce.

Both of my readers, apparently with the help of one of their moms, have begun a letter writing campaign to attack my inept blogging, given my lack of Derby and Triple Crown coverage. I admit it. I have never once mentioned the Kentucky Derby, or the Triple Crown. One reader is right that I may "regret never mentioning" this years edition, if it turns out to be historic. I had best go on record now: Barbaro will win the Triple Crown. Right, wrong, late to the party, or piling on, I've got it out there.

Of course if you want real insight, go see these folks. Alan offers some of the most in depth coverage anywhere. Railbird hosts as professional a site as you will ever see. Patrick even declared This Is The Year months ago. I can't complete with these folks. I promise to offer more coverage if Movement makes it into the Oaks next year, though.

Top Ten Sources on Horse Racing

Despite being misquoted, a recent T10S post alerted me that several of the TBA blogs have been deemed as elements of the Top Ten Sources on the sport. Top Ten Sources scours the web for the "blogs, podcasts, wikis, news sites, and every kind of syndicated source online" to come up with a list useful to their readers. Yours truly just snuck in under the wire in the ten spot while Turf Luck took top honors. Not that their list is ordinal, but that's the way I like to think of it. Still, it's an oversight that Turf Luck wasn't also included in the blogging librarians top ten.

Update: The Harvard kids and their friends that operate this sight have retooled it, killing all the old links in the process. Alan at Left at the Gate is still off the list, but this is less of an oversight and more along the lines of when the NBA decided they could not give the MVP to Jordan every year. The list is for amateur bloggers, a category Alan doesn't fit into.

Et Tu Christina?

Tonight on the set of Lady Luck, TVG's answer to The View, Christina Olivares declared she had not been involved professionally in the sport "before coming here". Of course, readers of this blog will recall I nominated her for a Viewer's Choice Award last year for her outstanding work on HRTV, where she worked both behind and in front of the camera.

I fear TVG management has brain washed her, as they wish to do with their viewers in their effort to convince them there is no other horse racing network, nor are there any races which aren't shown on TVG. Just as TVG will not so much as mention even the biggest stakes race run at a Magna track, much less show them on tape delay, clearly Tony Allevato has implanted a chip in her brain to block out the memories of her past.

Regardless, I wish her the best. She's always been one of my favorites.

Backstretch Dodges Bullet During Immigrant Boycott

I spoke with a couple of trainers about Monday's boycott, and each said they did not notice major absenteeism. The small number of mostly young backstretch workers that were absent could have as easily been missing due to "bottle fever," one trainer noted. Another trainer said one of his exercise riders was missing, but that the rider in question had a less than stellar attendance record to begin with.

MSNBC reports similar results at Churchill and the nation's tracks in general. Last month the Blood-Horse noted that the industry and the American Horse Council, of which I am a member, were voicing their concerns on capital hill given the reliance on immigrants on the backstretch.

Readings: Murray

Given that plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery, I'll take a page from Railbird's playbook and offer a vaguely misogynistic passage I was drawn to from William Murray's swan song Dead Heat.

"How's she feel about you and the horses?"
"She doesn't give a shit, basically," he said.
"You ain't going to marry her?"
"Not unless I can get her to run a mile in one thirty-four and change for me."

Unmucked Stalls and Bare Produce Shelves

All the produce markets in my neighborhood are closed today. I had to go to Safeway to buy leeks. (gasp!) Of course the produce is of low quality and horribly over priced at the megamart, so I passed altogether.

I hope the backstretch operations across the country had ample help to muck the stalls and feed our beloved horses today. As a fan of both produce and horse racing I am keenly aware how much we rely on immigrants, particularly Latin immigrants.