Gentlemen, longtime lurker, very seldom post, but habitually read every post.  

Will be making my \"first\" visit to the mecca from Sunny Arizona on Aug. 19-23 and can\'t wait to experience all that Saratoga has to offer for what I believe is America\'s finest historical race track.  

Thank you for the dining suggestions.  As the son of the very first butcher every hired by Omaha Steaks International, and as one of his 13 children, a good steak was easy for us to find. It was never any further than our backyard grill.   I only wish he were alive to experience this trip with me. So dining I got.  How about the drinking?

As for finding a place for revelry and storytelling where would I go?  And, if anyone wants to meet up at one of those $100 picnic tables, I\'m buying.  Would love to put the faces to the Expert profiles on this board.  

34 days and counting . . .

Good luck to all....and boy\'s may one of you BRING HOME THE GOLD.

Thanks for all the responses.  Just logged on to the registry . . .  and so far, my wife\'s suggestion is looking better and better.

When I told her it was either a corvette or a race horse for my mid life crisis . . . she came up with the name \"Theregoesmymoney\"  It\'s available.

Not sure what to think, you?

For a little board levity, I am thinking about purchasing a 2-year-old, or maybe a yearling for my 56th birthday and am trying to settle on a \"clever name.\"   So I ask you . . .

if you were going to name a horse, what are some of the most funny or memorable names for thoroughbreds you have come across in your gambling exploits.

As a kid from Nebraska, I used to hop the backstretch at Ak-sar-ben to walk hots.  I distinctly remember a three-year-old colt by Raise A Cup, trained by Gary Thomas that stole the hearts of bettors in Nebraska.

His name:  Drop Your Drawers!!!!!

I laugh every time I think of that name.  Your horse\'s name?

Small timer.....fellow Husker here; born and raised in Omaha but living in Sunny Phoenix.

You brought back many memories for this Husker fan. Thanks Let\'s go Riley, and to keep this board on topic  . . . can we some day bring back Ak-sar-ben?

I sure do miss it.

Agree, that he has made his mark on the early Derby trail. But I\'m not sure his In Summation breeding lends him the 1 1/4 mile distance.

Trainer Peter Miller has certainly raised his game regarding the national training spotlight, and his post race comments indicate that Calculator may be headed to the RB Lewis stakes Feb. 7 barring any setbacks.

The RB Lewis is shaping up to be a very strong field with potentials of American Pharoah, Dortmund, Texas Red and others, (however, we all know that Baffert will keep AP and Dortmund separated until the very last moment, assuming they both make it to the Derby.)

Also very interested in what the figs come back for Rock Shandy, the Lemon Drop colt, also trained by Miller.

In reviewing Calculator\'s race, I will agree with you he did look impressive, especially when you take into consideration how wide he was going around the Santa Anita oval.  

However, as I review the sheets, I can\'t help but notice that his previous figures were far more superior to his competition. So for this one, I\'m going to knock it down a notch and put it in the \"Who-did-he-beat?\" category.

Seeing that he eventually is going to run into the likes of Texas Red, American Pharoah and others out west, (or will he ship elsewhere?) the West Coast contingent should be a lot of fun this year.  

Looking forward to the Robert B Lewis on Feb. 7.

Watched El Kabeir and was somewhat impressed, but agree a Scat Daddy colt may not get the Derby distance even with a Unbridled Song mare on the bottom.  Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw General Bellamy picking up the pieces.  

Any thoughts, experts?

A Bellamy Road colt out of an Awesome Again mare sure got my attention for for the Derby distance.  And I get Bill Mott, too?  Hmmmmm.....

Will be traveling to LA from Phoenix beginning Wednesday of Breeders Cup Week.  Any other TG members going?  Anyone want to gather at a local hotel to go over notes?  Just a thought.  Probably staying somwhere in Pasadena.

JP . . . here\'s a tip, and one a group of guys and I did this past Derby Day.  We were in Vegas and on Derby Day sent the women on an all-day spa trip.  While we gambled at the sports book, they were in heaven getting facials, pedicures, manicures and massages plus an occasional Mimosa.  

They showed up dressed to the 9s an hour before post time, all relaxed and had a great time.

Enjoy the day Friday with the misses, and then casually suggest on Saturday she take a trip to the the Langham Hotel in Pasadena and enjoy their Spa, while you slave away at the races on Saturday.  It\'ll probably cost less than a seat in the long run.

Of course you could always explain it the way I did with my kids.  For years when we would take our annual Southern California summer trip, I would drop my wife and young children off for a day at Disneyland.  When one of my kids asked, \"why I never came to Disneyland?\" I told her that Daddy was going to his \"Happiest Place on Earth . .  the racetrack!!!!!\"

Take it from a fan who has been to several Breeders Cups and every one in California, and from Louisville to Chicago to Canada to Gulfstream Park in clubhouses and luxury boxes at the finish lines et al.   Unless you absolutely need the \"luxury angle\" or for some reason due to health must sit down, I don\'t think any inflated Breeders\' Cup seat price is worth it. (Just my opinion.)

We have successfully enjoyed ourselves with general admission tix in California and even in the infield, there is plenty to see and enjoy at Santa Anita.  (Plus I\'m one of those handicappers that absolutely needs to see the horses in saddling ring, so if I had a seat, I would be \"Up and Down\" any way.)

In April of this year on Santa Anita Derby Day, I was a special guest at the  New Chandelier Room, and watched California Chrome win the SA Derby from this luxury venue.  While the room is absolutely breathtaking, I was amazed at the $2600 price tag the Breeders Cup is asking for these two days, (and if you do choose this option, please be aware it doesn\'t include a seat.)  But again, I\'ll tell you, the room and the ambience is spectacular, (think the Great Gasby with live music and staff bringing hor d\'oeuvres and drinks around for your convenience.)  If \"luxury\" is your thing, go for it!!!  

The grandstand seats are your \"run-of-the-mill\" variety with further down the stretch you go the less expensive.  Club house and Turf Club seats are nice, but again, call me cheap, I would rather put the 2 grand in my betting bankroll before shelling out for these seats.

With that being said, and I understand you \"East Coasters\" probably would disagree about this for me General admission or at the very least a basic entry into the clubhouse is the way to go.  I\'ll forgo the seat because on Breeders Cup Day there is so much to see and explore, and again, I\'m up and down anyway.

If you do choose this option, keep in mind that earlier this year, Santa Anita ran a promotion where everyone in attendance on a certain day, got a free Friday Breeders Cup general admission ticket.  I was able to pick up a couple of these on EBay for about $10 bucks each.  I am thinking last year\' General Admission was $25 on Breeders Cup Saturday.  (Or it may have been $40 not sure), but its a far cry from the $600 to $2,000 they are asking for seats.

One last note. . .  if you do decide to pay for Upgraded tickets . . . enjoy, but the FIRST THING you must put on your BC Bucket list is to get up early and visit Clockers Corner for some trackside breakfast and Calfornia hospitality on either BC Friday or Saturday morning.  Then the absolute LAST THING you must do after the Saturday Breeders\' Cup is to truck on over to the 100-1 Club which is a bar just east of the Racetrack for some serious post race entertainment.  There, we will either \"drown our sorrows\" or pull a \"Wes Welker\" and buy every one we just met in the bar, a drink.    God knows, I\'ll be there at the end of the bar again this year regradless.  

Good luck.

Found this board about a year ago, and it has raised my level of handicapping expertise.  My pocketbook thanks you.

Question:  As I read the TG tea leaves is there any chance of Ria Antonia hitting the super? (Not saying she can win, but she has seemed to have paired up and if you believe Baffert would have got this one to improve in the short time he had her, wouldn\'t Amoss be the benefactor?)  If weight is worth 1 point, it wouldn\'t be a far fetched theory to believe she may run a new top (around a 2 or 3?)  which would put her close to what could be a super finish at a great price?  Don\'t bash me here, but  . . .  your thoughts?

BTW, my main play is a CC with Curlin, $100 straight exacta.  I\'ll throw in a $10 reverse to get my thrills.  Thanks guys.