http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robertkenn121273.html Maybe you should question your source, before challenging mine, huh?


It always surprises me by what people allow themselves to settle for, rather than trying to best, and most, to correct an obviously flawed system of operation. I don\'t have all the answers. I love the sport, and valued greatly the time in which I directly partook in it, and the various people I met along the way (and yes, even the corrupt ones), because I learned so much along the way. There was never a question that I wouldn\'t get the money, that my horse had earned (more than a few thousand), which I had requested, but had been denied. But, along the way, it wasn\'t just about the money, and the way I, and several of the other investors (who would become friends, and partners) were being treated, it was also about the sport. It still is, is my belief. No one should be above the sport, should they? And I believed regulatory entities should have been there to protect everyone involved in the sport, including the public and the bettor. Obviously, regulatory entities don\'t value everyone the same. Ah, and people wonder why the sport is declining, and is in such a dis-array.  

The irony exists, and I\'ll leave you with a Groucho quote to the above. No need to respond. I got the hint TG. I choose to withdraw voluntarily out of respect for what you do.

\"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.\"

There were many errors noted in note. I could respond, and correct, and clarify, but I choose not to, other than to respond with Robert Kennedy quote \"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why ... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?\"

The amazing thing is people have choices, and the ability to voice/publish their dis-satisfaction with something, if something is not working as good as it should be --- even if it has continued to exist and go on for a long time beforehand. If an Allemeuse occurrence can happen, if a corrupt racing outfit can be allowed to continue to bilk an unsuspecting public, aided and abetted by a regulatory group that chooses to look the other way, despite being given evidence to that fact, if a betting pool gets shut down 2 minutes earlier than it should have by the regulatory group involved, and that doesn\'t include the weekly/monthly/yearly changes in judgement concerning what the regulatory group saw, or didn\'t see, which profoundly calls into question the ability of the regulatory group to properly oversee anything.

Now, it is imperative they get rid of their antiquated steward system, that represents them, that particular racetrack, and that particular state. The current stewards, at least at NYRA are political appointee do-nothings, that ONLY represent the aforementioned interests, where there is extremely little transparency, and absolutely no consistency. The public and the bettor, who support the sport is never represented. It is ONLY a rumor.


It is time to end the charade. Time for a revolution --- no support for a sport that doesn\'t want to represent the public and the bettor responsibly with better transparency and total consistency, and meted out by those who have a thorough understanding of the sport, not the political do-nothing slugs.

I thought Rosario\'s herding out of Maragh and Wicked, going into the first turn with Tonalist, may have been the difference in winning, and finishing second. But, that\'s race riding, and Rosario knew exactly who was outside of him when did it.

Just a point to share, because there is a common thread. When Afleet Express won the Travers in 2010, a lot of people had earlier, questioned his ability after a 3 month layoff, and the Beyer he was initially given for his 7F race on May 22, 2010. He ran approximately 3 seconds faster than anything else running a similar distance, and he was given, I believe, a of 115. But, a lot of individuals questioned how a Beyer of 115 could be given out to a horse, who had never run a race with a Beyer higher than (I believe, but I may not be absolutely exact, but definitely in close vicinity) 90. So, people must have listened, because a week later Afleet\'s initial Beyer of 115 got reduced, to 108, and a week after that, down to 106.
    I happen to believe Afleet\'s 122 Beyer number was probably the most accurate number of his performance that day. But, jump-up performances are normally questioned as to their accuracy. But, I also found rapid changes in a horse\'s behavior/demeanor may be difficult/hard to understand/accept, because they can happen so suddenly. Some slight \"adjustment\" could be all that is necessary (I know some may be thinking along the lines of illicit things, that could make that kind of difference. And, yes, I recognize illicit things can cause dramatic reversals in horses), but, I am referring specifically to those that are legal and accepted.
    Just as with the demonstrated, dramatic improvement by Afleet Express, the blinker change for Wicked was something that I was screaming for since last year, and has me firmly believing that \"his game\" will be elevated to another level, as the former horse\'s was. I will be very disappointed if it isn\'t.

Richie, to answer your first question, I absolutely don\'t know if it\'s possible, but I would never attempt it. Yes, there are extremely similar points mentioned, or being cited by me, but I have too much respect for the people running each board, and the people on each, and consider each board separate, and distinct, and I don\'t mind the \"extra work involved in posting separately,\" as long as I cover the key points I\'m attempting to make.  I understand there may be a competitive rivalry going on, but I would choose not to choose sides.

Since being a recent newbie here, I have been impressed by many of the posters knowledge on racing, and their views being expressed. There are excellent ideas being posed here, and discussed on so many different areas, and I really enjoy reading them. Of course, the handicapping is important, too, and I enjoy the discussions that take place in that area, also. But, I\'m still learning. There are some things I know, or have an opinion on, and I try to post it, if it seems meaningful to express it. But, there is so much to know, and to learn about this sport, and I\'m still just trying to do my best about learning it. I\'ve been lucky that I was able to spend some time on the backstretch, and observe some trainers and their crews caring for, and training their horses --- and I really found all that stuff fascinating --- so, so many variables encountered trying to get their horse(s) to succeed. I miss being around it. It was a great experience, I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot, but there\'s so much more to learn. Maybe soon, I\'ll be back out there. I\'m trying.

Fully agree with Miff on the former. JAJ and the crew have been extremely patient bringing Wicked around. I was shaking my head last year at the raw talent being displayed, and then tearing my hair out, wondering why he hadn\'t tried him out with the blinkers, early on, this year. Then, I was trying to convince myself, he had already tried the blinkers on him, but didn\'t like what he saw. And then, finally seeing an announcement that he would have the horse work in blinkers had me excited but, exhausted --- believing it took way, way too long, for something that appeared pretty obvious, at least to moi, and I\'m not that smart.

I firmly believe nothing is beating Wicked Strong on Saturday. He is a completely different runner now, that the blinkers have been added. JAJ remedied the problem, which had caused the horse to look around during his races --- being unfocused, along with the head turning, veering in and out in response to the whip, making wrong lead changes --- which cost him valuable time, and distance.


Suggest people go back and review his raw talent, that was on display in the Remsen last year. He was thrust into the race just after breaking his maiden. All the negative items cited above were on display for all to see. And despite all that, he still almost pulled it off, and won the race. He was also virtually the only horse to make up any appreciable amount of ground in the Aqueduct stretch that entire day, and that was with Cairo Prince and Honor Code, (the two front runners), setting dawdling fractions to boot. So, how just how good was he, even with all the greenness and immaturity shown?


Granted, the Remsen was nine months, and we all know how much can change in that period of time, don\'t we? That applies to both, good things, as well as bad things. Now that the power and the raw talent have been harnessed, I believe strongly, we are not even close to seeing the best out of this horse. For me, he just moved to a different plateau. If I can get 7/2 on him, I\'ll consider it a gift.


As Always, the Best of Luck to All !!!

I am repeating myself, that the stewards at NYRA are part of a corrupt system and set-up. The stewards are incompetent and negligent. They proved it to me 8 years ago, when I went to them to report a corrupt racing outfit that was preying on the public. They chose to see nothing, because the crooked entity was supplying horses to the starting gates of NYRA, whom they represent along with New York State, and the Jockey Club. That\'s who pays them, and who they represent, clearly a conflict of interest. The public and the bettors are not on the list of who they represent, as mere afterthoughts.


Check out the structure and the set-up of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and their stewards. They have 12 stewards, and they\'re all volunteers. No one receives a salary. The HKJC realizes they are a business, and understands that their business depends on both, the public, and the bettor. Therefore, it was imperative that they represent both entities fairly, and properly, because their business depends on it. The HKJC and it\'s stewards has established a record of thoroughness, transparency, and trustworthiness to the public, and the bettors for whom they represent, making it the envy of racing establishments the world-over. The steward system and the set-up at NYRA is an abomination, as well as in most of the rest of the U.S.

The irony of the HKJC? They are a business, but after deducting for expenses associated with promoting their sport(s) (they have more than just one), --- purses, dividends, operating expenses, and investments --- then, any profits their business retains afterwards are donated to charity and community projects.

http://corporate.hkjc.com/corporate/organisation/english/structure.aspx

Who would you rather represent you as part the public, or as a bettor? A thoroughly dysfunctional racing system that employs incompetent and negligent people, that are paid to represent them, and NOT you? Or, would you prefer a change --- to be properly, and fairly, represented by thorough, focused, competent personnel, that will continue to convince you of their trustworthiness, each and every day, and even after they have disqualified a horse that you had a bet on, you would recognize that they were acting to make things safe, for the riders and the horses involved because it was the right thing to do, and they were being totally consistent and transparent?

Isn\'t it time to move forward for a change --- from a defective system, made up of incompetent and negligent slugs, and is designed specifically not to represent you in a sport, that we all very much enjoy, and care about?

No one should ever accuse you of not having an ultra-keen memory, Richie.

Carmine is now gone, and they gave the absolute slug, Lewandowski, his job. It will have everybody asking, \"Who stewards the stewards?\" That\'s because nothing really has changed. The same set-up remains, focused entirely on doing things that will be in NYRA\'s, the Jockey Club\'s, and New York State\'s interest. The public\'s and the bettor\'s interests are purely only afterthoughts. Think about it. Eight years ago, if they thoroughly investigated the complaint about the corrupt outfit, it would have opened another huge can of worms, something the sport could ill-afford. Imagine waking up and reading the newspaper headline, \'The NYRA Stewards implicated In Aiding and Abetting Corrupt Racetrack Outfits Preying On An Innocent Public\'?

I never shared this before. But, one official, (who had been thoroughly involved in the sport throughout his life --- as an owner, and as a trainer) I had made contact with knew exactly what was going on, and completely understood and agreed with what I was communicating and trying to do about the corrupt outfit, and what they had been doing. He had agreed to help me address issue, and he was doing so. That was until, there was \"a sudden change in direction,\"  which I sensed was brought on by \"the powers that be\" intervening in the official\'s pursuit in the matter. The official would later meet with me, sympathize and suggest I accept what had been offered, but related that he would not be able to help me any further with the issue. So, the corrupt outfit was allowed to continue to bilk an unsuspecting public for another 6 years.

And, please don\'t make the mistake of thinking that, I was the only one who noticed the significant discrepancies, and that the numbers didn\'t add up. Several of us did, but I was the one who sought a change, and tried to achieve one. The corrupt outfit? They wanted me banned from the barn, and outfit leader instructed the trainer not to allow me in the barn. I wasn\'t there, but several of the barn crew were only too happy to share, what had occurred with me. The barn crew were laughing, telling me the trainer told outfit leader to \'Go f___ himself, and never tell him who to allow, or not to allow in.\' We (my girlfriend and I) continued to go to the barn every week, as we had been doing all along, and we had become friends with so many of the crew --- and \"Yes,\" a lot of the barn crew were aware of how the corrupt outfit was operating.

I had to get a lawyer to get the money the corrupt outfit was withholding and  refusing to give to me, that my horse had earned. I eventually got what was being withheld, and made out a lot better than so many, many others, who the corrupt outfit was allowed to continue to bilk.

NYRA stewards protect NYRA, the Jockey Club, and New York State. Any thought that they represent the public, and the bettor, is merely a fallacy that people assume --- and you know where that leads to --- ass - u- me.

When evidence was presented to Steve Lewandowski 8 years ago about a corrupt partnership, he simply spent 5 seconds thumbing some 20 pages of proof accumulated, and declared, \"I don\'t see anything.\" That allowed the corrupt outfit to continue to exist, bilk any investor not aware of the scheme, before leaving their investors \'high and dry\' by declaring bankruptcy 6 years later and walking away untouched. The stewards cared more about the crooked outfit, providing horses for starting gate, than protecting the public from being preyed upon. The public and the bettor are odd men/women out.

We know how hard it is to be successful in these endeavors. But, to get to \"the top of the mountain,\" and then address the brutal (at times) reality he\'s conflicted by.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/the-turnstile/the-saddest-reaction-to-winning-15-million-you-ll-ever-see-134922851.html

Better to figure the danger factor for her and the amount of shells she distributed without supervision or guidance. Could anyone blame the Marines for adopting her? Semper Fidelis


http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/01/14/archives/post-perspective/marines-find-real-war-horse-1953.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIo3ZfA9da0

A barn notes story on Mullin, proving persistence can and does pay off.


http://www.monmouthpark.com/barn_notes.aspx?id=6195