We have ourselves a racehorse

Sometimes events conspire to bury you and then confederate to lift your face out of the mud.

I have my own economy index, the number of charter bookings on our aircraft. The entire month of February found me sitting in south Florida, the Greyhound station of the contiguous forty-eight, without a damn thing to do. Not a single flight; it works out great for my tanning and handicapping yen, but not so good as an indicator of the economy as a whole. South Florida is one of the leading charter hubs in the U.S., right there with the NY area and SoCal. That not a single flight was booked on our aircraft in the last thirty days, is telling.

I, foolishly, figured my three weeks of duty would pass without event and I would have the opportunity to stop over in the DC area, on my way home, and watch Imalexus run.

As the philosopher, Mick Jagger, wrote: 'You can't always get what you want but if you try, sometimes, you get what you need.'

Apparently, scheduling skipped my recent post and decided to book a flight on this very day. Of all the insensitive and inconvenient bookings. Don't these people know we are in a recession and it is unseemly to flit around in multi-million dollar aircraft? Come on!!

I get the call last night, a booking for tomorrow, West Palm to Dulles, drop one and go to Teterboro. Then you can go home.

Fascisti!!!!!

Resigned to miss the debut of my very first ownership interest, I moped around the entire morning, scanning the clear blue Florida sky, for a hint of an excuse to keep the flight from going.

Twisting the proverbial knife into my side even further, the couple booking the flight, proved to be two of the nicest people I have ever met; I couldn't even hold a grudge against them. Oh, the humanity.

Of the two of us, my partner is the chatty one and in the course of his conversation with our clients, he informed them I had a horse running in the third at Laurel. The husband, soft spoken and blithe, with a tenor sax for a voice, immediately turns to me, reaches for my hand and shakes it. The grip, a promise inviolate; the bond of a man whose word is the only collateral real men need.

"Good luck. Here's hoping she gives you a good run."

He owns horses and has a few runners in NY and Florida.

"Enough to keep me from retiring." He chuckles.

We land at Dulles, at ten to one. The plan called for a quick drop off of his wife-we would actually stop the plane to do this-and then on to Teterboro. When we pull in to the ramp, this man offers to hang out until the race is run.

"I'm always looking to claim a good one." the wink frames the fillip.

Imalexus, buried in the one hole, loads like a thirty race veteran and then stands there, as cool as porcelain; the (5) R and A Valay, perhaps expressing her feelings about her name, holds up the show for a good two minutes. The favorite, (10) Lionheartisflippin, comfortably detached from the proceedings, loads last.

Imalexus, bet down to second favorite at 7/2, breaks well and presses the pace from the inside, to the half pole; then starts to fade on the turn, dropping back to fourth last. I am happy she showed speed and am just looking for her to get home without incident, take care of her for the next race. Maybe she needed the race to figure this all out. Maybe she dozed off in the gate and is just hoping to go back to the stall and snooze. This will make it tight trying to get the graded monies to enter the Derby but she only ran a quarter, maybe we can wheel her back in ten days or so and then make the Derby trial.

Maybe...

Coming out of the turn Imalexus switches leads on cue, in that moment I couldn't have been prouder of her if I had foaled her; I have no idea if she is talented but nobody can say my girl doesn't have manners. Elias Peltrouche, the jock who has been on her in the mornings, uncocks the whip and gives her a smack on the left side. Imalexus perks up. She seems somewhat indignant but appears to get the hint and rebreaks.

Lionheartisflippin has pulled away and has five lengths on Imalexus. She is running sixth when Elias reminds her again. By now they are inside the eighth pole and I think maybe we'll beat half the field.

"Come on, get up." a quiet appeal from my new best friend.

And then, as if it all clicked, Imalexus charges down in the final sixteenth, to take place money by a widening length, making up four lengths on the winner.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, "Looks like you have yourself a racehorse."

Lounges, catering to millionaires, don't stay in business long when their facilities are dirty and threadbare, so I am suddenly forced to track down the sirocco that just deposited a giant dust mote in my eye.

I would post the video of the race but I am unable to find it.

My gratitude to Rebate Stable and trainer Linda Albert; I am happy to be along for the ride.

What dreams may come...

"True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings;
Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures Kings."
-William Shakespeare, "King Richard III" Act V scene II

There is a sublime moment, before the tidal bedlam of enterprise washes over you, infinitesimal in span but timeless in scope, when chance and providence filter through the prism of possibilities and refract into the myriad hopes and fears of ones secret heart. A moment, devoid of rationality but suffused with sober thought, where the parturient permutations of delusion play out their string.

Imalexus returns to training on December 1_st, pending the final tests for EHV-1 at Laurel. Latest update shows all clear.

'Lex, does not sport the fanciest pedigree. Her sire, Alex's Pal, proved a productive runner, winning 6 of 19 starts and earning over $160k. Her dam, Dayjurs Deelites was unraced but is out of Afternoon Deelites by a Dayjur mare, also unraced.

Afternoon Deelites, a precocious juvenile, won the Hollywood Futurity GI, the Malibu GI and ran second in the 1996 Met Mile to Honour and Glory, when he set the race record.

Her second dam, Dayjurs M D, is out of Dayjur, who was a sidereal umbra away from taking the 1990 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

She is 5x5 to Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer and Shenanigans. Her broodmare sire's paternal granddam (there has to be an easier way to term that), shares the same line as Ruffian, except Bold Ruler is the sire instead of his son, Reviewer.

Her breeding indicates she would be do well between 6 furlongs and a mile and while she does have plenty of sprint pedigree, Afternoon Deelites has thrown horses that can cover a route of ground.

Every possibility of greatness is focused on 'Lex. She is all I have so all I know. She carries the nobility of her past with her, as all thoroughbreds do, and she is my manifestation of that ideal. Whether she runs up the track, into the winner's circle or somewhere in between, she carries the hope of my heart.

Godspeed Imalexus. Come home safe.

Stirring

Loss and regret bring existence into stark relief.

Imalexus broke her maiden a few weeks ago and within twenty-four hours my world caved in on me; absolutely nothing has mattered since. Blackwatch Stables is no more; Imalexus was claimed a few weeks later. Those two events are mutually exclusive.

Pretense and ego fall away when what one believes true is ripped from the sanctuary of home. I was a fool; enamored with my hubris, I wasted away everything that truly mattered until it was gone. How easily everything becomes ancillary and those extremities are severed when true loss blindsides you.

The soul is laid bare on life's stage and there is no exit. How painfully I look back, now, piercing through the veil of ignorance and selfishness I wore. I spent too much time on this game thinking it could make me whole; dreaming on clouds of fancy; Ozymandian in my vision; neglecting the absolute gift I already had, the wealth of nations at my doorstep. A king's ransom the likes of which has never been seen nor likely ever will be, since the sharing is the true gift.

I visited Arlington today; the first time in months I could bring myself to even care about horse racing. The day overcast and cold, the sun hidden and sullen; as if this place I foolishly called home knows it can no longer be that for me. I am still welcome and can shelter here from time to time but the comfort I mistakenly thought I could find here was somewhere else all along.

The horses still run, as they always do, and there is comfort in that. The faces are familiar and the flow of the day is wonted. The stubborn consistency of this game, today, is welcome; I am even wearing my coffee again. Not five minutes after I arrive, I am pierced by the loose horse siren but mercifully see nothing.

The drumming beat of hooves, that I thought was the tempo of my life, is now a poor substitute to the cadence I know I lost to pride. The beat I had is gone and I can no longer find my rhythm. Not having with whom to share this leaves a bitter taste and a dead, hollow echo.

In the dying embers of my cigar I lose the desire to stay; they haven't even started the renovation break.

As I leave the track , the sun breaks out and pours itself on the green. For that moment, Arlington is once again a promise. It won't ever be the same; nothing in this world remains constant. It changes, as all things do, inexorably becoming what we need them to become, as we dance like dust specks in the last of the light, drifting on our own eddies.

I am not yet ready to find my way back and I no longer know that I care enough to try but there is an exquisite pain in loss and redemption.

Empty words and failed promises are all I have left.

For now, they will have to be enough, because the horses do still run.

Legends. Past and future?

The problem with having an empire that consists of one horse, is that you find yourself with a lot of free time when that horse is relaxing at the farm. Fortunately, Imalexus will return to the barn of Linda Albert and start serious training by the end of this month. Too late to make the BC Juvenile but not so to get on the road for the first Saturday in May.

Speaking of two year old fillies, the GIII Arlington-WashingtonLassie Stakes (or the Todd Pletcher/Lion Heart invitational) goes off tomorrow. Pletcher/Lion Heart have three of the thirteen entries and Gomez comes into town to ride; dismiss Pride(2x2 to Pletcher and Lion Heart) at your peril. Free PP's for stakes can be found at the TBA website.

North American Trainer magazine has stepped up and agreed to sponsor the TBA 3yo division. Welcome. The TBA donates to Old Friends.

It is not too late to get in on this rapidly growing commodity, Standings. After the upcoming marketing summit in Vegas this thing is going to take off and you can say you knew us when.

Channing Hill is the leading rider at Belmont after his score in the opener.

Sandy Hawley was on HRTV, I am fortunate enough to have it on Comcast, discussing the upcoming Legends race on Oct 18, and how he has been in training for it for several months now. Stevens has been working horses in the mornings at Santa Anita and Del Mar and I am sure that the others are doing whatever it is they do. None of these greats are going to want to look bad.

The press release states that it is an allowance race but that every horse is assigned 126 lbs. Where does the allowance come in?

Great weeekend at Arlington and yours truly will be there.

Release the hounds

For those looking to add a dark horse to your Derby Watch, Imalexus runs today in the third race at Laurel.

Godspeed; safe journey for all.

It is, after all, my blog

For those of you, kind with your comments and well wishes, I have harassed the partnership manager, until he succumbed and posted a video of Imalexus's race.

Actually he did this on his own. Scroll down to the results section for the video link.

Point of order

What is so disappointing about vacations is that one must catch up to life when one gets back.

Imalexus is recovering well; she is walking and jogging and will probably go back to full training later this week.

Teresa, at Brooklyn Backstretch, very kindly linked a post of mine in one her entries and I am ashamed to say that I am only just now aware of it. I understand the indeterminate form discrepancy of zero being multiplied by any number but I have to say that her link to my blog increased my traffic by at least a factor of 20. Thanks Teresa.

The Self Appointed Fan Committee is up and running. Created by Dana at Green but Game and Jessica at Railbird. An astute and long overdue concept for the backbone of the industry. THE FAN. Go get heard.

It is surprising to me, how hard it is to get a volunteer job with a stable or equestrian center. A few weeks ago I called around to the various training centers in the area, looking for information about volunteering. The one farm that did get back to me and looked quite promising-they rehabilitated retired racehorses-went out of business, literally within a week of talking to me(they probably knew this before then but chose not to share that with me). The others, either never returned my calls or declined to take me up on the offer, stating that since I had no previous experience handling horses, I probably would not fit into their operation.

What kind of degree does one need in order to shovel SHIT?

The other thing I discovered is that there does not seem to be any up to date directory of horse boarding/farm operations anywhere to be found. Most of the numbers I could find are no longer in service and provided no further information. Granted, I am clueless when it comes to this mystical internet creation thingy and the directory is probably there for anyone who knows what the hell they are doing. Please clue me in.

I did manage to track down a trainer I met a few years ago. She trained with Lucien Lauren and is a pedigree aficionado. She is no longer in the business, her operation was too small to make it worthwhile but she was kind enough to me back then and after apologizing profusely for not keeping in touch with me (I don't get it either), she assured me that she would contact several trainer friends of hers that operate at Arlington/Hawthorne to see if they could use another hand.

I figure that if one is going to form an empire, then one should familiarize oneself with its inner workings.

Here's what I don't get

I had a discussion with my accountant (the man is brilliant) the other day. We soberly debated the finer points of my business plan and worked out the details of the racing empire. Actually, I think he was trying not to slit his wrists with an Oreo as I stumbled my way through a pathetic attempt at explaining what the hell I was trying to achieve.

After seriously reconsidering his acceptance of this burden, he graciously pointed out to me the basic requirements of bookkeeping and, you know, structure. Apparently one is supposed to retain these mythical parchments called receipts.

We discussed Imalexus and her dearth of actual races but a plethora of training expenses and the implications of those numbers on my tax returns.

"What implications?" I asked charmingly. "That money is just spent isn't it? I mean, I don't expect to actually make anything from this, if I do that's great but ultimately I am just hoping to enjoy myself and the horse and field inane questions on May 2_nd, from Quint Kessenich, as I pluck rose petals from my teeth ."

What else is there to this game? It is not a business. Breeding is a business; so is track management but racehorse ownership is not.

I don't understand the owners that get into this game and expect to make money at it. I am not saying a profit from the venture would not be welcome and there is no room for sound business practices in running the operation but the expectation of profit is deluded and not at all what this game is about.

Crushing blow to my novelty...Pullthepocket has a great post about this very issue on his site and he is far more qualified to discuss this than I am.

The game is not for everybody and especially so the ownership side. These are not shoes we buy and then throw out once they are out of fashion or a Betamax player we discard because they have this new fangled device called a VHS.

Owning and racing a horse is a commitment to something bigger and more pure. It is worthy of more than just a shot at the action.

There are many things wrong with this game and much blame to go around. Owners need to make themselves some room at the table of recrimination, they are not without fault.

Ennui

"One's real life is often the life that one does not lead."
-Oscar Wilde

There are days that pass, as most do, without consequence or note, into the mental dustbin of the extrinsic. Every so often, these fragmented files clutter up the system and require purging but their compass in and of itself warrants scrutiny. I think Stalin is the one who said 'Quantity has a quality all its own.'

I missed the dog days of summer, insulated by the heady notoriety (I am using it loosely but in its primary and negative connotation) of this 'blogging thing'. Like a kitten after a good snort of catnip, the sparkling ball of waste and stupidity rampant in the industry, distracted me; I see a soap-box and I just can't resist mountaineering my misanthropic ass onto it. As the days grow shorter and the cooler weather tempers my keyboard, I find it useful to assess my situation.

I started this shout into the void as a chronicle of my efforts towards racing empery. Coolmore would have nothing on me and Sheikh Mohammed would refrain from buying up any of my horses. My progress, albeit slower out of the proverbial box than Evening Attire is, still shows me with a rider so all is not lost; at this speed I would be hard pressed to lose an unsecured football let alone a rider.

I attribute this Silky Sullivan-like beginning to three factors:

1. I own a share of one horse who is yet to race and not even in training. Imalexus is still a few weeks away from her return.
   
2. My dowery resembles the profit and loss statement of Countrywide Financial.
3. I am inherently, incorrigibly and unabashedly lazy.
   

Any one of these factors is risible as it pertains to the Empire C.V. and all three are ruinous, yet here I am, pressing on. They should give out medals for this sort of thing, or is it barbiturates?

Time is one of my few luxuries. It affords me the...well, time, to pursue any number of interests. One could argue that time and horse ownership fit like the proverbial hand in glove but when it is combined with pecuniary insolvency however, it leads to a lot of reading, walking and introspection-none of which are good for you.

Margaret Thatcher once said, 'I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.' and I am learning that this game is not always, or mostly for that matter, about "race day". It is about the slow nurturing of hope and the gentle incubation of dreams. It is about the process and the revelation of character and whatever other broken metaphor you can throw in.

Ultimately, it is about the horse. I just happen to be attached to one that I cannot see, no matter how much time I have and that difference is all the difference.

Perfect Drift has retired. (The market/tech savvy folks at the NTRA might want to update their profile for the horse re:connections and age.)

When I was a child-chronologically, Mrs. Not Really has doubts as to my maturity quotient-Spectacular Bid mesmerized me; who doesn't like a two-word gray that tries hard? My infatuation though was that of a child, with all the blissful ignorance that that entails; I cried when Affirmed beat him in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. (I also usually cry every year in September, o.k. so it's more like June; this year, I might not have to until next month.)

For some reason I lost touch with racing after that magical year in 1980. Perhaps it was because I was abroad and learning the hard way, that biting girls to show them you liked them, was not the best way to win friends and influence people.

Perfect Drift is the horse that brought me back. His road, 'less traveled by', to the Derby and determination in the same, reinvigorated my dormant passion. I was all over him in the Stephen Foster and saw him win the Hawthorne Gold Cup in 2003. He was always there at the quarter pole and I never saw him quit in the stretch. He may have slowed down but it happens to us all and he remains the epitome of class. All that anybody could hope for in a horse, all heart and dead, game; my hat is off to his connections, past and present.

The voting for the DIY Selfappointedfancommittee contest is underway. Go vote.

TVG is now a sponsor of the TBA. Welcome.

The recently concluded NTRA marketing summit has released its report and it is worth a read. Some excellent ideas and methods of implementation are set down in that text.

It now remains to be seen if the dysfunctional members of racing's inner sanctum can bring themselves to take a look at it.

One small step for a man...

Blackwatch Stables LLC is up and running.

The partnership has agreed to purchase at least 20% ownership in a two year old filly: Imalexus. Workout at OBS

She will be trained by Linda Albert, at the Bowie Training Center, and will run in the Mid-Atlantic circuit. Her first start is yet to be determined but tentatively projected for the end of August. That will give her two starts before the BC Juvenile.

Shares are still available $500/share for 2% ownership and $50/month per share for training costs. Contact Michael: Blackwatchstables@gmail.com.

You can all say you knew me when...

Smelling roses and dodging bees

Imalexus worked yesterday at Bowie, 3f in 37.2 (3/9). Her first work in over seven months.

For those in charge of etching the plaques at the Racing Hall of Fame, there are two "L's" in Not Really.

Houston, we are go.

Imalexus received her gate card yesterday. Tomorrow, entries open for the 25th at Laurel; there is a MC$10k that we are hoping to make.

We (I'm along for the ride) figured this would make for a good story on May 2_nd, when Tom Hammond and Charlsie Cantey talk about how this filly was running in claiming races as late as February and is now the prohibitive favorite to win the Derby.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

"You know, you never handle your luggage in the Show " -Crash Davis

Kerry at Thoroughbredbrief has a great post about owners and responsibility. That made me consider my limited role as an owner and what responsibility I am shouldering.

My wife accuses me of being fastidious. I don't own a watch, the only watches I like cost several thousand dollars and at the end of the day only tell you the time. I can't justify that expense and am never really that hard up to know what time it is so I don't wear a watch.

Fastidious? I think not.

Before I formed Blackwatch Stables LLC (a little headfake), I gave serious thought to how I wanted to approach the business and what type of consultants I would employ. I envisioned rolling hills and immaculate paddocks, my band of broodmares placidly grazing and my one or two insanely successful studs, romping through the fields, their flowing manes matched only by the tendrils of flame shooting from their nostrils.

A few years ago I found a list of trainers on the Hawthorne website, which is far more informative and user friendly than Arlington's in my humble opinion, and contacted several of them. As is usually the case, only one was kind enough to return my call and she invited me to lunch. We talked at length about her background and philosophy and what it was that I wanted to get from all this. In the end, we never worked together because (unlike Fannie May) I could not reconcile my vision to fit within the given parameters of fiduciary obligation. (I didn't have that kind of money)

She steered me in the right direction, admitting that I could get in on a $5000 claimer but that based on what I was presenting to her, that probably was not the way to go. In addition, I did not have recourse to the requisite number of investors, in order to defray the cost of such a venture through a partnership.

I don't think that this server has enough memory available for me to list what I did not know regarding business or the business.

I have started taking riding lessons. I have devoured literature regarding equine exercise physiology, feeding regimens, gaits, conformation and training principles. I bought that study guide for the trainer's test but apparently, in Illinois, you need three years of experience and recommendations from someone in the industry so I am on hold there.

What is so surprising is the amount of contradictory information regarding the care and training philosophy for this majestic animal.

The partnership my partnership is in, seems to be doing the right things. Linda Albert is a conscientious trainer and the managing partner is all about the horse. After we got Imalexus from the sales, she appeared to be a little stressed out so Linda recommended, and we (HAH) all agreed, that the filly get some time on a farm to just decompress and remember what it's like to be a horse again. They could have pushed her into serious training, she handled everything to date so well, but they just figured this was the way to go. To my surprise and amusement, given my knowledge base, I was consulted.

Rebate Stable has done right by me and I ain't got no complaints.

In what I hope does not lead to anyone getting fired and what must surely be a mistake to be rectified forthwith, yours truly has made the Paulick Report. Thank you to whoever you are.

There is so much more I need to learn but that is what this game is all about; it might sound quaint and naive but there is something to doing things right. Nothing is sexier or more awe-inspiring than to watch something, anything, done well and if you haven't seen Maddux pitch or Shoemaker ride, then you haven't seen Shakespeare the way it was meant to be played.

Dream another dream

I found this video clip and thought it was hysterical. I bet Big Brown wishes he had thought of this. http://view.break.com/529682

Imalexus wrenched an ankle in a workout on Friday and will be rested a few days. X-rays revealed no broken bones so it is probably a soft tissue injury. I know that sounded professional and all but I am just regurgitating what the trainer said. All I know is that I have to cancel my reservations for Santa Anita this fall. Oh the humanity.

She schooled in the gate and entered and backed up like a pro, while two other horses were throwing fits right next to her. As she was being led away, two horses breezing in company came by her and startled her a little and she briefly bolted. She came back fine and cooled down well but the trainer saw some swelling afterward and checked it out.

I am going on vacation, a little camping and then the Sterling Renaissance festival in western New York, so I will be out of touch. Don't you all go solving the industry problems while I'm gone.

The road of roses

For all of you looking to place a future wager on the Derby, Imalexus had her second timed work, since she returned to training, this morning and was clocked 4f in 52.2 over a cold and muddy Bowie track.

This was her first time going this far in a work and given the conditions at the track, all parties were satisfied with her performance. She seems happy and willing.

Auld Lang Swan

Progression, while respecting the Black Swan theory, is all we ever aspire to.

This arbitrarily defined sidereal year, witnessed the first concrete steps I took to get this little Empire up and running. Looking back to where I was when I started this exercise in circumlocutory discourse, it is risible how little I knew and I am confident that this time next year will descry equal disdain.

The TBA stood for, to be announced, and I eschewed any and all social interactions. My idea of those that habituated the interwebs, envisioned the likes of those that go to Burning Man and the picture of PETA, Paulick Report always attaches to his articles concerning them.

I wasn't totally off base but that is another post.

This magical mystery box uncovered a macrocosm of the racing world. (I am led to believe that one can also access pictures and videos of naked women but that just sounds too crazy to be true.) Until then, I slogged through, with full cup blinkers on, my only tether, the DRF race of the week free PP's; free PP's for all stakes at the TBA website BTW.

Click on any link on this site or the TBA blogroll and you will find people with more knowledge and better insights than myself. They carried me all year and my deepest appreciation to them.

Imalexus and Rebate Stable gave me my first ownership experience and my best to her and us in the coming year. (She worked this morning, 4f in 49.4) Mrs. Not Really puts up with all my crap, so my thanks to her for that.

Recently, I discovered Gallop France and Korea Racing, and a serendipitous discovery it was.

As the ruler of an Empire, I am constantly seeking new shores to conquer and as a sporting man I am willing to give the Aga Khan a run for his money. Besides, once you get past what passes for hygiene and the socialist tendencies of the French, they really have a good thing going over there with the chain smoking, women and wine.

I am not provincial enough to think that the only racing in the world happens near the Hudson estuary or the San Gabriel Mountains.

There is a greater world out there, Virginia, and unlike Ratty, when he says '..beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World... and that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or to me', I think there is more that unites us than divides us.

Ultimately we have the horse and that is a good enough reason to do damn near anything.

Comments to ponder

The only sucker investor, I could find to buy into Blackwatch Stables' shares of Imalexus, is my wife's, best friend's, husband. (whole lotta' sentence structure issues there).

He is not a horse racing insider. In fact, he knows almost nothing about the game but he enjoys watching the Derby and thought this would be a good experience.

I sent him the DRF chart for the race and I forward all the updates I receive from the partnership manager-which are frequent and thorough; Rebate Stable is a quality operation.

Here is an excerpt of my friend's response:

"I did not expect them to be running during the week, that early in the day. I do not know how working people can be expected to be there for the races. Seems pretty dumb to me."

If tracks are worried about handle, as a result of falling attendance, perhaps holding the bulk of your racing days during working hours, is not the best plan.

I'm just saying.

Lights, tunnels and trains

I received some welcome news this morning. Imalexus is back in training; she broke from the gate this morning after entering it with aplomb. The video is the avi-most people probably know that intuitively, ME-I was hitting links left and right.

NYRA announced that they will add purse monies to existing races depending on the field size. This is great stuff and from what I have been reading from N.Y. area bloggers, a surprisingly heads up one from the apparently dysfunctional organization. The purse additions are for route races with entries above six...well you can read the article.

If all tracks could implement this type of forward thinking the ship might not be lost.

Kerry at Thoroughbredbrief has a great piece about the roadblocks that some good ideas might face but the tide does appear to be shifting; industry insiders are beginning to think creatively about the problems and how to remedy them.

One of my favorite runners, Lonhro, has been getting it on and passing it on which I like to see. Outriderclarice did a nice piece on him a few weeks ago which is where I discovered him. I have looked into his record since then and it is impressive.

In more good news for yours truly, Red Rocks is pointed towards the Sword Dancer, which means that Curlin might head to the Arlington Million. Valerie at Foolishpleasure had a great argument for why Curlin should target the million. Makes sense to me.

Steve, Jess, pay attention.