PHOENIX - The result of the Haskell may be a sure thing. That does not mean that it isn't a bettable race.
A few years ago I loved Cigar, but for a different reason than you may think. Cigar's reliability provided the opportunity to make money. We're not talking retirement money, but enough to make you feel good about your wallet.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In spite of its nickname, the Graveyard of Favorites, the first seven racing days at Saratoga proved to be chalk-friendly. The public choice won 29 of the first 66 races, for a success rate of nearly 44 percent, well above the statistical norm. Through Thursday, there had not yet been a two-day carryover in the pick six, which is most unusual this far into a Spa meet.
DEL MAR, Calif. - While handicappers are accustomed to a share of tough beats, trouble usually is confined to the racetrack. Not so this meet, where difficult trips have been replaced by difficult calls. From their booth on the sixth floor of the grandstand, track stewards have breathed new life into the phrase "please hold all tickets."
PHILADELPHIA - A noble experiment died Monday. The Racing Network, without warning, ceased operation.
Serious horse players around the country were disenfranchised. Handle will be affected, especially at some smaller tracks that can least afford the hit.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Depending on whom you ask, the best summer racing takes place at either Saratoga or Del Mar. Easterners always choose Saratoga, and those out west always go for Del Mar.
Being virtually smack in the middle of the country, Kentuckians consider themselves impartial, which is why I can say without hesitation that Ellis Park offers the best racing in the country.
LAS VEGAS - Trainer Bob Baffert has the favorite in both the Jim Dandy Stakes and Haskell Invitational Handicap this weekend, and while Congaree and Point Given are the colts to beat, they are not mortal locks.
Without much speed in the race, Congaree will have a decided tactical advantage in the Jim Dandy Saturday at Saratoga, but don't dismiss A P Valentine. Point Given, fresh from victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, faces a formidable challenge, as he must overcome Monmouth Park's notorious speed-favoring surface in the Haskell Invitational Handicap on Sunday.
NEW YORK - Thoughts about recent happenings in the greatest game played outdoors:
The weight. That's all you heard about from Albert the Great's corner after he was upset by Lido Palace in Saturday's Whitney Handicap.
Let's put this issue in perspective. Albert the Great conceded eight pounds to Lido Palace on July 1 in the Suburban Handicap and beat him by a decisive 2 1/4 lengths. In the Whitney, Albert the Great had to concede one additional pound to Lido Palace.
LEXINGTON, Ky - Kona Gold's victory in last Sunday's Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap was much more impressive than his three-quarter length win margin suggests. If you'd like to fully appreciate the strength of his triumph, take a close look at the fractions of the race.
PHOENIX - Funny how a horse's stock can be as volatile as a dot-com on the NASDAQ.
But that's the way things have been for Captain Steve. In the winter, Captain Steve won the Donn at Gulfstream with disdain. That was no small feat. A horse named Albert the Great was in his wake. Then came a strong win in Dubai, and even though he lost in his comeback in the Foster at Churchill he had excuses (shipping back from Dubai, the layoff, etc.).
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - No sooner had we settled in then here comes the first surprise rain of the meet, which turned Saratoga's main track into a sea of slop Thursday morning.
Hopefully, this isn't a sign that things will be like last year, when dozens of turf races were rained off the grass during the first three weeks of the meet.