|
Post by Hellcat on Jun 5, 2010 13:55:11 GMT -5
Belmont Stakes Day! As usual I'm parked in front of the TV watching the undercard. The race is more than three hours away, so I've got a lot of time to think about my picks. Right now I'm leaning toward First Dude. He has a lot of speed and right now the odds are favorable. Ice Box, who came second in the Derby, will probably be the favorite. I'll include him in my exacta. I might round things out with a third horse, maybe Fly Down.
I wasn't able to follow up my Derby triumph in the Preakness, so a win here would be really nice.
|
|
|
Post by ilmatto on Jun 6, 2010 6:16:53 GMT -5
Good luck on the ponies Hellcat! Baby needs a new pair of shoes!
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Jun 6, 2010 12:05:43 GMT -5
Thanks! I had luck, but it wasn't the good kind. That's the problem with the Belmont: you never know how different horses are going to handle the distance. None of my undercard bets worked out either. I actually fell asleep and missed a couple of races -- at least I didn't lose any money that way! I'm happy for Mike Smith, though. He's a good guy who deserved the win. And I'm thrilled that he dedicated the win to Richard Migliore, a jockey who was forced to retire due to a serious neck injury. Very classy thing to do. Back to the drawing board...
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Jack on Oct 7, 2010 3:23:35 GMT -5
So are you planning to see the Secretariat film? (I thought of you and this blog when I saw the trailer).
I think that's about when I first started noticing horse racing. I remember what a buzz the horse generated, and my relatives debating whether he was as great as Man O' War and whether he could win a triple crown.
Course a few years later we had our own home town hero... Seattle Slew. Man did I love 'em. And his baby Landaluce was amazing, but she had such a brief life, sad.
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Oct 15, 2010 0:04:41 GMT -5
Oh, I am definitely planning to see the Secretariat movie. Maybe I'll be able to do it this weekend. I want to see how they depict that Belmont Stakes victory. I was only about 5 when he won the Triple Crown, so I didn't get to see the races when they happened. But I get chills every time I see a replay of that Belmont win. He was something special.
It's funny that you mention Seattle Slew. I loved that horse when I was little. He was sort of a hero to me. I drew pictures of him, I wrote stories about him, I cheered for him every time I saw him on TV. Even before I knew what a bet was, I was hooked for life on horse racing. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Nov 5, 2010 23:45:48 GMT -5
It's Breeder's Cup time! The Friday races were a lot of fun to watch. We even had the extra drama of a big fistfight between jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano. Castellano made a wrong move on his horse and nearly caused another jockey to fall out of his saddle. That jockey's horse in turn impeded Borel's. After the race Borel and Castellano got into it, right in the winners circle. I've never seen anything like it on a big race day. Borel was like a wild man. The look on his face was truly scary. It took several men to restrain him. Who would've thought that Borel, who usually comes across as Mister Mild, would erupt in such a fury? I have a feeling that the stewards are going to hand out some sanctions for this little incident. The fight was pretty big news, but nothing could take away the attention from Saturday's main event: the Breeder's Cup Classic. Zenyatta is going to try and repeat her victory from last year, but that's only part of the story. She's a perfect 19 for 19, and is going for her 20th straight victory. I've had my issues with her connections, who have largely opted to keep her on her home turf in California, where she has feasted on second-tier competition. After watching her dominating performance in last year's Classic, I couldn't help wondering what she could have done if they had really challenged her by putting her up against the best horses out there. But I can't deny that winning 19 consecutive races without a single loss is an amazing feat. So many things can go wrong in a race. The horse can run into traffic, it can lose a shoe, it can be impeded by another horse, or it can simply have an off day. She always finds a way to win, and that demands respect. So, can she do it? She's going to have to work for it. This is a top-quality field, and the race is on dirt rather than the synthetic tracks that California has. I'd like to see her win, but when it comes to wagering I will look elsewhere, just because I don't like to bet favorites in these big races. I think I'll bet on Blame to win because he likes Churchill Downs, and maybe throw Musket Man into my exacta because he always runs an honest race and is usually in the money. But I'll be happy if Zenyatta wins. I'm sure it's going to be a very exciting race. This is the kind of stuff that I live for as a horse racing fan.
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Nov 8, 2010 2:19:07 GMT -5
Well. That was one hell of a finish. She almost pulled it off with that monster move in the last couple of hundred yards. The horse is all heart. Her people have nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes (hell, most of the time) the racing gods are cruel.
I did end up putting some money on Blame, so I'm happy to cash a ticket. He's a pretty nice horse in his own right, and by winning the Classic he's staked a claim to Horse of the Year. People will probably vote for Zenyatta, though, for sentimental reasons. Let the debate begin!
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Nov 24, 2010 17:07:59 GMT -5
Thanksgiving time again. Although I find myself alone again, with no real family (my brother seems to have forgotten that he has a sister), I still feel pretty upbeat. Why not? I'm healthy, I have high-speed internet, I live in a nice house on a quiet tree-lined street, I can pay my bills and feed myself, and I have friends. Plus I have a shiny new refrigerator with a ton of space to keep all the tasty stuff I want to cook. Those are all good things to be thankful for.
I decided to keep the dinner simple this year. I'm going to make a big pot of chicken and vegetable stew. Chicken thighs, potatoes, and root veggies. Prep and cleanup will be easy. Then I can sit back and watch some MST3K (yet another thing to be thankful for).
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 24, 2010 21:07:46 GMT -5
Thanksgiving time again. Although I find myself alone again, with no real family (my brother seems to have forgotten that he has a sister), I still feel pretty upbeat. Why not? I'm healthy, I have high-speed internet, I live in a nice house on a quiet tree-lined street, I can pay my bills and feed myself, and I have friends. Plus I have a shiny new refrigerator with a ton of space to keep all the tasty stuff I want to cook. Those are all good things to be thankful for. I decided to keep the dinner simple this year. I'm going to make a big pot of chicken and vegetable stew. Chicken thighs, potatoes, and root veggies. Prep and cleanup will be easy. Then I can sit back and watch some MST3K (yet another thing to be thankful for). It's nice to hear you have a positive attitude. Of course, you're always welcome at the Atari house, should you wake up and find yourself in Colorado.
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Nov 25, 2010 1:09:57 GMT -5
If I ever do, I will be sure to bring a covered dish. (Will the TSA even let you bring a casserole on a plane?) Thanks, Mr. Atari. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on Nov 26, 2010 1:14:43 GMT -5
I ended up having a really nice Thanksgiving. My chicken stew cooked perfectly, and I have enough left over for at least one more dinner. Then I had two lovely surprises. First, my brother called me and we had a nice conversation. He's not a bad person really, he just gets so wrapped up in his own life sometimes that he forgets to return phone calls.
Surprise number two came from my neighbor. She rang my bell at about nine pm and gave me a whole bunch of leftovers, including pie. I was stunned. I guess I don't have to cook again until Monday. I have some very excellent neighbors. ;D
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on May 7, 2011 14:09:54 GMT -5
First Saturday in May...I have a nagging feeling that there's something significant about this day, but I can't remember what it is...
I'm kidding. Of course I know what it is: Derby time again! This one is especially tough because there are no real standouts, in my opinion. Here are my picks:
Nehro Archarcharch Mucho Macho Man
I'm using them in my exotic bets, plus I'll make a straight $2 win bet on some live longshots like Santiva, Shackleford and Soldat, just to cover myself.
I'm staying away from the favorite, Dialed In, because he just doesn't seem like a very strong favorite, based on his record. I'm trying for value. I had some doubts about including Arch3 after he drew post #1 (the Post Position of Doom in the Derby), but he does seem like a really talented horse and his workouts have been very good. So I'll include him. If you can't take a shot on Derby Day, when else can you do it?
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on May 8, 2011 0:02:27 GMT -5
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother trying to bet on this race. Animal Kingdom? Seriously? He'd never raced on dirt before, and wouldn't you know it, he took to the damn stuff. Plus my Archarcharch got injured (not life-threatening, thankfully). Not a good day at the track for yours truly.
|
|
|
Post by Frameous on May 8, 2011 0:51:31 GMT -5
I have to say, knowing nothing about horse racing, that this glimpse into your life and what you are interested in fascinates me. I suppose that's what a blog should do. Bravo.
|
|
|
Post by Hellcat on May 8, 2011 14:27:58 GMT -5
I have to say, knowing nothing about horse racing, that this glimpse into your life and what you are interested in fascinates me. I suppose that's what a blog should do. Bravo. Thank you. I really appreciate that, Frameous. I like reading the other blogs here and getting an idea of what the other folks are like. When I started mine it seemed like a good way to share the stuff that I enjoy, stuff that probably doesn't neatly fit into the other subforums. Maybe I will start writing more about my other passions, just to change things up.
|
|