How's Your Halo

The end of the day was near, and the Chalk Eating Weasel knew it. Playing 3 tracks in one day was not his usual habit, but the racing secretary at Calder Race Course had forced him to it. Imagine filling a card with Maiden Claiming and Claiming for non-winners of 2 for three year olds and up. A card full of races filled with slow horses whose names will never be mentioned in the same breath as the greats. The Weasel wouldn't call them chronic losers. He has too much respect for even the lowliest of the breed to hang such a denigrating appellation upon them, but they were slow.

So the Weasel was playing Churchill and Fairgrounds in addition to the playable races at Calder. He thought about playing Aqueduct, but decided, being a Southern man, that he wanted no part of that damn Yankee track. He'd keep it in the south. The Fair Grounds is definitely in the south. CRC at qualifies geographically if not in state of mind. Churchill, residing in the northern reaches of a border state qualified, barely.

Things started off poorly for the Weasel, getting headed in the 2nd race at CRC and watching Leparoux ride the Weasel's underlaid top choice pass his actual investing selection in the 1st at Churchill. Things weren't getting any better as he watched the logical choice, Democratic Taxes (Leparoux again), while his betting selection in this race was leading at the 3/4 pole but faded badly in that long CD stretch.

As the day wore on it got worse as the Weasel's contenders weren't even winning at Churchill. Luckily, the Fair Grounds had kicked in giving the Weasel a couple of winners to stay in the game with, but still he was down and doubt was gnawing at him.

By now the feature race at Calder was up next. The Weasel liked, in order, Golden Spikes (Trained by Marty Wolfson) at anything greater than 9-2, but he didn't expect to get that on a Wolfson trainee that was 4 for 5 at CRC. Paradise Dancer who had yet to win in 3 races in 2008, but had run some hot Beyer's in 2007. Still at 8 years of age, using 20/20 hindsight, perhaps Paradise Dancer's best days are behind him. Ikigai, another Wolfson trainee and a speedball who with the withdrawl of Machismo had the possibility of stealing the race on the front end. Finally, How's Your Halo was his 4th choice. How's Your Halo is a nice enough 5 year old that managed to finish a drafting 2nd to Benny the Bull in July. No shame there, but How's Your Halo had only managed to win 1 race in 2007 and all of 2008.

When the tote board posted the first odds for the race the Weasel was dismayed. The only overlay on the board was How's Your Halo at around 20-1. Normally, that would make the Weasel ecstatic, but his confidence was shaken. Too many times on this day he had dutifully played his overlays only to watch a horse he liked better beat him at the wire, or even worse, a horse he didn't even consider to be a contender win while his chosen decided to lollygag towards the rear of the herd. "Please, please" he pleaded with the tote board, "Give me another horse to play."

It has been written,"Be careful what you wish for. You just may get it." The Gods of racing granted the Weasel's plea. How's Your Halo drifted down to an unplayable 6 to 1 while Paradise Dancer drifted up to what the Weasel felt to be a much more comfortable 4 to 1.

Well lo and behold, How's Your Halo was first under the wire being chased futilely by the favored Golden Spikes. Paradise Dancer finished a non-threatening...last.

Now he was at the end of the day. His bankroll as diminished as his spirits. One more race, the feature stakes at the Fair Grounds. C Karma, Breeder's Cup juvenile turf participant and only Graded stakes winner in the field seemed the logical choice to the Weasel. The Weasel wasn't concerned about Karma's lackluster Cup performance. Many good horses had bad days that weekend. Of more concern was the fact that this would be Karma's first time running in anger on real dirt. For that reason he made her 3 to 1 rather than 2 to 1 and required 9-2 to bet her.

Steve Asmussen had a couple of entries in this race that the Weasel thought had a chance: Tiffany Royal and A Day For Dancing. They were his 2nd and 3rd selections. He also thought Kays and Jays trained by Bill Mott had a chance.

Imagine the Weasel's glee as the odds opened with C Karma at 6 to 1. He couldn't believe his good fortune as he had a really strong feeling about this race. If only the odds would hold he would finally be able to play his top choice. Tiffany Royal was the public top choice with Kays and Jays the 2nd choice. A Day For Dancing seemed to be getting over looked, but that was OK, because his top choice was alive! The clocked ticked down. By 1o minutes to post C Karma was at 5 to 1. Still OK, he really didn't expect 6 to 1 on such an obvious choice. At 5 minutes to post C Karma was at 9 to 2. "Please, oh please," pleaded the Weasel to the Racing Gods once again. "Blind the crowd's eyes to the merits of this horse." However, this time the Gods turned a deaf ear to the Weasel's pleas at Karma drifted as low as 7 to 2. What was the Weasel to do?

Well the Weasel remembered what had happened at CRC with How's Your Halo and dutifully laid his money on his only overlay, A Day For Dancing. When the horses broke from the gate, both C Karma and A Day For Dancing seemed to lag the rest. Oh cruel Gods! But wait coming down the backstretch, A Day For Dancing is passing horses! As they come around the turn for home, A Day For Dancing is forging ahead. As they move down the stretch, A Day For Dancing is drifting out in the stretch, obviously tiring. Oh hold on Dancing, hold on. The horses behind Dancing are a looming threat but they cannot pass. C'mon Dancing. Then a streak appears on the outside, its C Karma. C Karma has all the momentum. Keep moving Dancing don't quit! And Dancing didn't quit. However Dancing was not able to hold off the speeding C Karma. But even as Dancing was being inevitably passed, Weasel kept yelling,"Hold on Dancing!"

The race was over, but the Weasel was still smiling. He had remained true to his principles and his method. The Weasel had certainly got his money's worth from Dancing who gave her all in finishing 2nd. The Weasel also had a $2.00 exacta ticket worth $66.60 that not only brought him all the way back, but actually put him a little ahead for the day. Because, you have probably figured out that the Weasel not only played Dancing to win, he also took the C Karma/Dancing exacta.

What a great sport that enables us lucky enough to follow it to experience such depths and heights of emotion. Truly it was a day for dancing.

Addendum: No damn yankees were harmed in the writing of this blog, but I wanted to.

Back in the Saddle

I'm so sorry to have been away and let my tens of readers down. Where's the weasel? Is he coming back? Who's going to keep us updated on the S. Fla. racing scene?

Take heart brave readers. I had a near death bout with a nasty rhinovirus last week. In addition, my modem/router crapped out on Saturday and it took until today for ATT to get me a new one.

But I'm back now and will resume blogging just as soon I finish with Friday and Saturday's Golden Gate and Calder Cards, maybe Hollywood too.

Oh, and speaking of Golden Gate, BRIDGE JUMPER ALERT!!!!!!!!!

Multiple Grade 1 winner Artiste Royal comes back from frollicking in the pasture, no doubt, for the last five months to stretch his legs in the 3rd race at Golden Gate, an Allowance race worth 39K. A definite single in the pick 4!

Florida Million Day

I really enjoyed the day Saturday. The weather was perfect, and there was actually a decent sized crowd in attendance. It's amazing how many people will show up for a day at the races when the management makes only a minimal amount of effort to bring them in.

By minimal amount I mean radio advertising and having non-racing activities to keep the children entertained while the adults play grown-up games. Since Calder no longer gives out attendance figures, you just have to take my word for it that attendance Saturday was much higher than the typical crowd.

Sometimes I think the management operates as if it were 1978 rather than 2008 when the only competition they had were the Dog Tracks, Jai Alai, and the Dolphins. Jai Alai is hanging on by a very thin thread, and I suspect the same for the dog tracks. The Dania Beach Jai Alai Fronton offers poker and simulcast racing in addition to jai alai. I've never been there, but I've heard that it is a rather sad shadow of its former self. A local sports radio station now holds monthly events there, and I think they're trying to resurrect the place. They've got poker, ponies, and jai alai according to their radio jingle sang enthusiastically in a very dated manner that is certainly not designed to appeal to a younger crowd. Maybe they've given up.

Now the competition is fiercer for the gambling dollar. The state has a lottery. For one dollar you can make a life changing fortune, maybe. I don't play the lottery. The Seminole Indian Tribe has the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. For awhile it was limited to slot machines and poker, but now they have blackjack as well. Still as far as casinos go, I think it is something of joke, but it is the only place in mainland Florida where you can play blackjack. And blackjack is such a simple game to play, I'm sure it attracts many gambling dollars. The former Hollywood Dog Track, just up US 1 from Gulfstream, is now offering slots and poker. The Pompano Beach Harness track has poker and slots. Gulfstream has poker and slots. Sheesh, I didn't know there were so many poker and slot players in South Florida. Heck, there are even Casino boats available which just set sail for international waters and game away.

The point of this rant is simply to point out that Calder could compete better for these dollars with just a little effort and it wouldn't cost that much. Upgrade the facilities and put in a full fledged simulcast center with HD television sets rather than the vintage tube televisions they still have scatter all over the plant. They do have the option now of installing slot machines. Personally, that doesn't interest me, but if it would help them increase the purse structure then I'm all for it. Why not bring in up and coming music acts, not washed up has beens like Eddie Money, that appeal to younger potential fans. They don't have to get the top of the line acts. My daughter prefers the "indie" bands that don't have a regular record deal and there are a lot of kids like my daughter. Bring them in with music and let them fall in love with racing in the process.


I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take an ad hominum shot at Eddie Money, but I found it amusing last year when Gulfstream was trying to promote the Eddie Money concert the same night the Seminole Casino had Rod Stewart performing. Really, which, if either would you attend. I guess the difference is first tier has beens vs. second tier has beens. Buy why compete in the has-been market at all?


Well, this isn't the direction I meant to take at all when I sat down to write this. That's what I get for not doing the outline first. I was going to tell you about my day at the races. Briefly, I was unable to separate myself from the continuum in 8 of 12 on the card and did not play them, and in the four where there was separation, the continuum got the best of me on this day.

Also I was going to post some pictures, but I forgot to take my camera. Fortunately, I had my cell phone camera with me. Unfortunately, I think Todd Pletcher was a no show although Icy Atlantic showed up in the winner's circle for the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup.





That's Cornelio Velazques sitting on the winner and the guy in the pink shirt to the left, I suppose, works for Mr. Pletcher.

I thought I saw someone who looked like Bill Mott talking to someone in the paddock area, but I wasn't sure and opted not to make a fool of myself. At any rate, if he was there he wasn't saddling as some pretty young lady was doing the honors in the paddock. Tamborin was the Mott trainee that found his way to the winner's circle.




The young woman next to the guy in the orange shirt was standing in for Mr. Mott.

Then of course, a stakes day at CRC would not be complete without a visit to the winner's circle by our own Marty Wolfson.

Marty is the guy in the bluish shirt in the middle of the picture. The horse is Frolic's Dream winner of the Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies Stakes ridden by J V Bridgmohan.

Ok, I'm done. Maybe next time I'll complain about the silly dispute between Advance Deposit Wagering facilities and various horsemen's associtions.

Florida Million Day

The weather here in Miami is beautiful. The skies are expected to be partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 80's. There is a slight chance of passing rain in the afternoon, but, probably not enough to change the races from the Turf. So the track should be fast and the Turf firm, or maybe good if we get a shower.

There are 7 stakes races on the card today, many of which feature 2 year olds. So lets get to it.

Race 4 1 1/8 Mile Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicap for 3 year olds and upward registered Florida Breds. Purse = 150K



I expect It' A Bird will run in the 11th, so the 2nd odds set reflects this occurence.

Race 5: 7 Furlongs, Jack Price Juvenile Stakes. Purse $150,000 For Two Year Olds Registered Florida Breds



Race 6 1 1/16 Mile John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. Purse $ 100,000. For Fillies Two Years Old Registered Florida Breds.


Race 7 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies Stakes, Purse $150,000 For Fillies Two Years Old and Registered Florida Breds



Race 8 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap. Purse $150,000 For Three Year Olds and Upward Registered Florida Breeds.



Race 9 1 1/16 Arthur L. Appleton Juvenile Turf Stakes. Purse $100,000 For Two Year Olds Registered Florida Breds


Race 10, 1 1/16 Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap. Purse $200,000 For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward Registered Florida Breds.



Race 11 1 1/8 Mile Carl G. Rose Classic Handicap. Purse $200,000 For Three Year Olds and Upward Registered Florida Breds


P# 11th Race A A Current Odds Fair Odds Overlay Odds
#5 It's A Bird 1-1 3-1
#7 Atlantic Paws 5-1 8-1
#1 Dream Maestro 6-1 9-1

5. Five of the eight in this race were beaten convincingly by this one in G3 Spendabuck. 7 New horse in race has top local jockey and may be pointed for this one. 1 finished a gaining 3rd to the 5. The extra 1/2 f may help.



Well that's it, remember this posting is entirely my opinion and I don't make my living playing horses. In other words, these opinions are worth exactly what you paid for them

Florida Million

Tomorrow is one of the big stakes days at CRC with a Million dollars of purse money guaranteed. Lots of good 2 year old races. Who knows? Maybe one is the next derby winner. Bill Mott will be here, well at least some of his horses and Todd Pletcher too. Of course, Marty Wolfson will be prowling for some stakes money (I just recently learned he does not like to fly, so if you ever see Marty at a track other than CRC or Gulfstream, go to the windows).

In addition an old CRC favorite, Elvis Trujillo will be back for some rides along with Edgar Prado and others. Should be an exciting day of racing!

If I see Mott or Pletcher, I'll try to get a picture and post it. Maybe at the Winner's circle. Come back tomorrow and I'll give you some selections, for what their worth.