We're not unreasonable, say stewards

They only want to eat your brains

Long time readers know this blog has often highlighted the CHRB's incompetence and lack of leadership. On Saturday the CHRB, as represented by the NorCal stewards, offered one more very small example of their inability to think critically.

If you recall, by Saturday Santa Anita had already cancelled racing on Monday the following week but had not officially cancelled Sunday yet. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE knew there was no way they could run on Sunday given the rain.

Many of those trainers with horses entered for Sunday at Santa Anita wished to enter those horses at Golden Gate Fields. The stewards would not allow them to do so because Santa Anita had not yet officially cancelled their racing program. Several horses that would have run at Golden Gate were thus turned away and may sit on the sidelines up to a month waiting for their condition to return, or worse yet, some will be shipped out of state for a spot in which to run.

This song reminds me of the stewards' only one way approach. Here are the Lyrics.

11 year old gelding claimed

While Heath Ledger has passed on, 11yo gelding Motel Staff, only slightly Heath's junior, is alive and kicking. In fact, he's turning a new page in his career after being taken out of a 16k claiming race from owner GCCI and trainer Cliff Delima by Steve Miyadi for CM Racing.

When asked why it was worth risking sixteen grand on a horse that is nearing the end of his career, Miyadi responds curtly. "He's finally learned how to run. He's really coming around now."

The stakes winning old timer has plenty of back class and can still perform at this level, evidenced by his second place finish Sunday. When pressed, Miyadi offers a more believable, albeit nefarious angle behind the claim. "Look, I kidnapped him. He's a member of the [DeLima/GCCI] family." Miyadi does not plan to drop Motel Staff into softer company to pick up a short priced win, as is often the approach with his claims. "They'll pay the ransom, so why should I give them a discount? They'll pay it, and in the mean time, he'll win."

Pic of the day

Horse racing commands a much greater mindshare in Japan. This translates even to top tier arcade games with spectacular intricacies and commensurate development costs every horseplayer stateside with an xBox or Wii can only envy.

Monty Meier, latest victim of the blog

In the continuing series of horsemen looking ridiculous, here is Monty Meier in the Golden Gate Fields racing office. Monty is one of the nicest fellows on the backstretch and has a horseman's resume a mile long, working with many legends of the game. By all accounts he is an exceptional horseman. Many readers will know his brother Randy Meier, a mainstay on the Chicago racing circuit and member of the 4000 win club.

As for Monty's broken glasses, he blamed the rigors of life on the backstretch, but rumors are circulating that Monty is the victim of domestic violence. Anyone who knows his longtime sweetheart Turtle, who also gallops for the Meier barn and is quite a horseman in her own right, would not quickly dismiss such a theory.

Super Likit 2nd

Super Likit finished an impressive 2nd this past Friday in a race so tough that three entrants were claimed. The winner, Kona Town Girlies, was very impressive and is now two for two, as she also won her debut in the maiden $8k ranks. That horse was claimed from the Sherman barn by Sue Gilmour. I would expect the filly to be stepped up, and I would rather not face that one again, even though Super Likit was closing ground on the winner. The filly came out of the race fine, and will be pointed for one more race over the Golden Gate surface she favors before the NorCal circuit shifts back to Bay Meadows in early February. There are no races in the condition book for straight four year olds that she fits, but we would hope to see such a race on the overnights. If not, she will have to take on older in open company. After Fridays impressive run, she just may be able to handle them.

Pic of the day

Trainer Steve Miyadi clocking a worker during morning trainging hours.

No, I'm not dead

Despite the neglect the blog has endured, it is not due to my untimely demise as one emailer asked.

Super Likit won her last start, in fact, and is in again Friday against a very tough field. She is entered in a 6 furlong affair run over the main track for three year old fillies. Eleven are slated to run. Either of the uncoupled Sherman fillies could win it, as could the Mathis or Lage entrant. Those four along with Super Likit will likely garner the bulk of the betting dollar. Even though Super Likit is 15-1 on the morning line, I'd bet she goes off somewhere closter to 8-1 in a very competitive race.

'Dorf acting a fool

This is the first in what will hopefully be a continuing, if sporadic, series of otherwise respectable horsemen (or those perceived as such) looking completely ridiculous.

Jerry Hollendorfer pictured putting up his dukes after someone dared mock his surname. You'd think he'd be used to it by now. In his defense, Jerry has gained new pride in his family name after learning Hollendorfer will be the named used in the next teen movie for the super dorky kid who is perpetually engaged in an online roll playing game and never gets any pussy.

Sanguinetti notches first local win

Blogger scores at windows


For this intrepid blogger, the best race of the day was not an east coast stake or even the local feature, but the 4th at Golden Gate today in which my new favorite jockey, Annie Sanguinetti, brought home a 6-1 shot on whom I'd plunked down more than a few shekels.

Carlos Nieto finished second aboard Phenomanal Star at 23-1 and Barrington Harvey again outran his odds on the 35-1 Thunder Bebe to round out a $1,587.70 trifecta. The Steve Miyadi trained odds-on favorite, Punch Maryland, finished a well beaten sixth after setting the pace and fading like a bad dye job.

Per the chart, Annie's mount, Luckyanunoit, broke alertly, took a favorable striking position into the first turn while three wide to the backstretch, remained a factor three wide on the second turn, rallied into the lane, gained command in mid stretch and won driving.

Above top, Annie charges to the lead aboard Luckyanunoit with interstate 80 and the town of Albany in the background. Above right, Annie hands out goggles to diminutive railbirds

New faces in Nor Cal

Mike at CurbBlog has reported the arrival of jockeys Rafael Bejarano and Julien Leparoux on the SoCal circuit. There are also several new arrivals at Golden Gate Fields to the north, and not just those fleeing the highly competitive SoCal circuit.

Carlos Gonzalez came in from Louisiana Downs where he had been a top 5 rider. Mario Gutierrez is in from Hastings Park and is getting good business from the Canadian contingency of trainers that always turn up this time of year. Annie Sanguinetti has come in from Thistle and Presque Isle and is the only female rider on our circuit. She was also the only jock to have previously ridden on Tapeta, winning on her first two mounts at Presque Isle Downs during their inaugural meet. There are also rumors that Omar Figueroa, who was a bug in NorCal, will be returning from a few years on the tougher SoCal circuit.

Super Likit 2nd; Golden Gate Fields debuts new surface, full fields

Super Likit finish a game second on opening day at Golden Gate Fields on Wednesday in closing fashion on a day when speed dominated on the new Tapeta surface.

As reported in the popular racing press, times were fast and the maintenance crew took steps to slow it down over the next few days. By Sunday, closers were dominating, although some attributed the change to rain the track took Saturday night.

One other item of note has been field size. This welcome change in the NorCal racing product did create one notable SNAFU. [style guide gurus please advise if snafu has ceased to be an acronym] Sunday's sixth race was originally scheduled for turf at a mile and drew twelve entrants. When the race was washed off the turf due to rain, no one scratched. This created a problem because only 10 horses are permitted to go postward in a one mile race on the main track due to how close the start would be to the clubhouse turn. Since no one scratched the stewards were in quite a predicament. They decided to simply run the race with all twelve. What was immediately clear was that the race was no longer a one mile race, though. The starting gate was set some fifty yards farther back from where it would be for a true mile race. At Golden Gate Fields, a one mile race on the main track almost always has a run up, but on Sunday this run up was significantly longer than usual. It is a shame the betting public was not made aware.

Picture of the Golden Gate Bridge taken from Golden Gate Fields

Super Likit tries to get off the schneid

Super Likit is back in action opening day at Golden Gate Fields facing a full field of $4,000 claimers [pdf warning] in a six furlong affair over the synthetic Tapeta surface. Super Likit drew post position three in the race, which is carded as the fifth on an eight race card.

She fits well in this group and has shown an affinity for Micheal Dickinson's Tapeta racing surface in the mornings. We hope these factors can get her home.

NaBloPoMo

Sure, everyone has heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) but today is also the first day of NaBloPoMo or National Blog Posting Month. I can't promise to post everyday, but I'll try to do better than recent behavior suggests.

Left at the Gate's Alan Mann blogs for NTRA

If you're not reading Alan Mann, you're probably not a serious racing fan

Alan Mann, long the title holder for best horse racing blogger, began blogging for the Breeder's Cup folks a few weeks back, in addition to keeping up his mainstay blog Left at the Gate. If you read Crist's or Illman's blog at drf.com and want to know what inspired them, it's Alan's slice of the blogosphere. Few have done it longer and nobody does it better.

John Henry was loved by all

John Henry, dead at 32
He stands for something that we so envy in today's game. He was tough, as in his duel with The Bart, and had stamina not just to go a route of ground, but to race at the top of the game at a shockingly advanced age. He was the first horse I was aware of, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

New Basset Hound on the Block

Finally the innerweb has expanded it's cannon of blogs embracing the nexus of blues and horse racing. Ernie Munick waxes equine and blusical at his recently launched blog. Craft shines through in his writing which reminds me how enjoyable noncommercial prose can be. I knew to expect good things when the gorgeous classicist, noted author and armchair handicapper Mandy Keifetz offered her endorsement. NY racing fans may recognize the Keifetz name as her brother has campaigned many useful horses including the G3 Affectionately winner Austin's Mom. The bee hive of witty, talented folks with engrossing ideas and novel ways to communicate them is, along with the food & art & racing, a great draw of New York.

Super Likit Update

Super Likit returned to action last week. After an offensive first after the claim outing, she turned things around and briefly flashed an impressive turn of foot nearing the wire to nose out the odds-on favorite for third. Check the chart (pdf warning).

Horsemen Turn Up When Least Expected

While taking a little R&R from the track in Kauai, I ran into trainer Eddie Truman on a hiking trail through a remote part of the island. Eddie too is taking a little break from the racetrack. We're pictured here looking ridiculous on cliff's edge over looking Waimea Canyon.

Super Likit Disappoints

Last week Super Likit ran a lackluster race. Even though we thought it a tough spot for her to win since it was too short and there were a coupla nice fillies with backclass in there, I was very disappointed with her effort. She just didn't do much running. Worse yet, Jockey Barrington Harvey said she was trying. I hope we don't discover that is the pinnacle of her abilities. Jamey said she came out of the race find and didn't find anything awry. Since we don't have any other explanation, Jamey might try taking the blinkers back off next time.

Tapeta Coming to Golden Gate Fields

While Bay Meadows is running in the South Bay, Golden Gate Fields is installing the synthetic surface Tapeta on it's east bay racetrack. Tapeta was developed by Englishman Michael Dickinson and you can read all about it on their website.

The new Eire, PA track Presque Isle Downs was the first to install Tapeta. You can read wonderfully comprehensive coverage--from horsemen's impressions to track biases at Valerie's Foolish Pleasure blog.