This saturday a clocker respected by all who knew him died at too young of an age.  Marty Katz was a mainstay at the track every morning and afternoon.  Used to work for NYRA I believe, but in recent years was a private clocker.  Many trainers would ask him to clock their horses, believing he was the most reliable guy to do it.  He and good friend and fellow private clocker Joe Petrucione were there every morning.  Horses were what he loved and he lived them morning,noon and night.  Have a feeling some who post here must have known him and just wanted to pass on this sad event.  

Interesting take on Superfly.  The kentcuky Oaks odds are up and I feel that there may be substanially more value in that pool than in the Derby Pool.  here\'s why, Folklore is a huge favorite right now and her debut this year was less than stellar.  I have always had doubts about her ability to go a mile and an eight also and because she will be prepping in Southern Cal with its dreadful concrete surfaces that break horses down, I would say its even money that she doesn\'t even make the race.  Outside of Folklore and the field noone else is less than 16-1.  May be some real value there.

The only and best thing we have going for us is that NYRA still claims(and most legal experts agree) that they own the land.  Very hard to argue that since they have the tax bills marked paid since the 1950\'s.  If the politicians get nervous about losing that legal battle they may come to their senses in the end.  
A question I have is that if the State asserts that they indeed own the land wouldn\'t NYRA have a claim that the state owes them the back money on the taxes they paid plus compounding interest over 50 years?  Imagine what that would come to?  

LOL!! Oh ok! I was gonna tell you to stock up on Maalox.

Jerry is Dickinson training Frolic now?  I hadn\'t read this but just read your post.

Funny you should mention this as I was on top op this about 2-3 weeks ago when I noticed he was off to a VERY slow beginning at the Big A since shipping in when Meadowlands closed.  The only winner he has had was a first time starter filly who won the 2nd race on a Saturday a few weeks ago.  I know the owner and he said she was for sale at what I thought was a reasonable price.  I called two guys up and got no interest in her principally because they didn\'t wanna buy from such a \"great trainer\".  When I tried explaining that he wasn\'t the same guy in NY and that it was actually a GOOD thing to be buying off of him as she was the only horse good enough at the time(at the time he was 1-14) to win for him they didn\'t understand what I meant.  So now hes 1-29?  Geez she looks even better to me now. O\'Neill bought one one off him and ran her back in the race that Adieu prepped in for the BC.  She was way up the track and from what I understand they paid a hell of a lot of money for her. She was a NJ bred.

All I know is that Trombetta said that he doesnt think he is for sale by the owner. Which I find hysterical since they ran him for maiden 40 last month.  

I disagree with the notion that Santa Anita will change its surface.  Stronach is a traditionalist when it comes to surfaces and has installed some pretty nice courses and tracks at Laurel and Gulfstream.  As long as he owns Santa Anita you can kiss that notion goodbye.  
I agree that at cheaper tracks where money needs to be saved that some will install it.  Its going to devalue the horses who run there though.  Agents used to comb Turfway for good buys.  Its now impossible in my opinion to buy a horse privately who has run there.  How the hell can you go to a client and ask him to pay money for a horse who you have no idea as to whether or not will run on traditional dirt tracks?  I think that the surface will always carry a stigma.  I highly doubt that the Breeders Cup commitee would ever be too keen in the next ten years to award the Cup to a track with this surface.  I also think that since CD will never switch to it that trainers who want to get to the triple crown races with horses will always want to run on a dirt surface rather than polytrack.  Then there is the problem of lack of off track experience for horses who race on these tracks exclusively.

NC Tony you have hit upon exactly what i am talking about.  When horses don\'t fire on that surface they don\'t even give you a 1/2 mile of run.  They sulk(as you put it) and just give up immediately.  To me this indicates that this is NOT a surface this as closely related to a real dirt track as they would have you believe(the makers and marketers of the surface).  I see horses in great form who make the switch to the Turfway track and just flat out do not run.  
I find it hard to believe that places like CD and NYRA(whatever it becomes) will ever switch to this surface.  
When I watched Stream Cat and Beau dare(?) win those two year old stakes races this past fall I knew this was gonna be trouble.  Neither one of them has duplicated those efforts before or since on real dirt tracks yet both look great on turf.  I know thats a very limited sample of one day but I see the races setting up very strangely there.  I\'m seeing horses who have always shown speed simply not firing out and as a result you get races where a speed duel looks like a big possibility and it turns out to be a parade with a single file lineup.   Horses win and lose, horses run good and bad races.  This we know.  But to me the biggest indicator I ever got that a horse wasn\'t grabbing a particular surface was when they failed to show their usual speed out of the gate.  I see this happening constantly and there is no way that anyone is gonna convince me that many, many horses are not taking to this surface whatsoever. I\'m also not convinced that this surface by itself is gonna avoid breakdowns to the extent that they claim it will.  

Jerry Byron King wrote an article in which he tried to rationalize that Polytrack does not favor turf horses.
I think the guy is an imbecile of the highest order to be honest with you.  Any novice can clearly see that turf horses who couldn\'t run a lick on dirt are now running very well on Polytrack.  Do you have any stats yet to support this?
I think the whole Polytrack thing is going to be disastrous in implemented all across the US.  Horses were wild for thousands of years and ran around on turf or dirt, not polytrack.  Its an unnatural surface.  Last week Turfway cancelled a card due to snow and it made me laugh.  They said it would avoid track cancellations and I found this also to be incredibly stupid.  There isn\'t anything in polytrack thats gonna melt snow.  
I\'m hoping this whole Polytrack thing turns out to be a fad like the hula hoop.

He, like many, has shipped his best stock to Palm Meadows to prepare for the upcoming Gulfstream park meet.  In addition he has not been very active at the claim box this past fall.  Means less new stock to run.  Hes also not supplied with very many two year olds and there has been a lot of two year old racing at the Big A recently.  Its a microcosmic sample by the way.  

Saddlecloth thanks.  

Horse goer I am NOT Dutrow!!!!!!  I wasn\'t asking for exact numbers from Jerry but more of a general idea about what he thought about her progression.
I met Jerry when I was a kid at Saratoga when he was hosting a seminar of sorts and he was the first guy who ever taught me to read any sheets that day.
I respect his views and his knowledge and was only asking a general question.  I wasn\'t asking him for specific numbers, just a view of what he thought of her and her win.  
Please do not make this a Rag sheets vs TG sheets kinda thing.  I was only asking him a general question.  I should have emailed it I guess.

Jerry, I am the agent who purchased Wonder Lady Ann L for Dutrow.  I was wondering what you thought of her progression line and chances to be a factor at age three in the big races.  I was thinking that since she only went 3 ticks slower than Bluegrass Cat yet lost ground on both turns that her number would be similiar to his(I was guessing a point slower, maybe a point and a half).  ANy input would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!  She is the first graded stakes winner that I ever purchased and I am obviously a little worked up about her race.  Was looking for an objective opinion.

Mr. Irwin I noticed that you moved Dynatonia to Weaver from Dickinson. Any specific reason that you can share with us?  Horse obviously moved up first time for Weaver when it won nicely.