The rules stated that on Friday for every race (of the 5 mandatory) you failed to play you\'d be penalized $1,000 from your bankroll - so if he didn\'t play any Friday wouldn\'t that mean he\'d start Saturday with only $2,500.  On Saturday every one of the 5 mandatory races you failed to bet $900 on would penalize you $2,000; seems he shouldn\'t have had a bankroll left when he began to play.  Is the answer that the tournament doesn\'t apply the penalties until your final bankroll is determined?  If so then (to me) that makes no sense and he\'s a prime example - being able to hold your bankroll until the end and then be successful on a couple of shots, then have them lower your final tally by a few thousand doesn\'t seem like much of a penalty.

The ex/tri/Pic 3 all seem too small for Arrogate completely out??

Thanks TG  - seminar already paid for itself X100+ great job!  My sister (not a horse player) is there with her new beau (is a horse player) - he\'s been taking her to the track since they met 2 years ago and she has NEVER left a winner - I sent her your plays on today\'s BC races and she came out +$200 - you\'d a thought she just hit the lottery she\'s so damn happy I hope she doesn\'t hurt him tonight!

For the last few years I\'ve been dabbling in tournament play - had a little luck but nothing major.  I follow tourney play and see a lot of folks that are very consistent - my question is: do you think a majority of those \"consistent\" tourney players use handicapping soft-wear or just employ their own methods using paper products?  Reason I\'m asking is I\'m a paper player and go thru a lot of hot and cold periods - wondering if I should/shouldn\'t test the high-tech waters.

I think this is a fast horse.

How about after Bill Murray\'s famous quote from Caddyshack - Gunga Galunga

I don\'t post often but need to vent.  I had a good bet on the 2 at 22-1, wins the race in photo and is almost in the winners circle when inquiry comes up (the horse he nosed was Ramsey\'s) after a long look they switch the order.  If anyone saw this race or the replay (especially head-on) it was nothing but robbery - I like to think this game is pretty straight (besides the doping) but sometimes I wonder.  Thanks for listening.

I don\'t post often but read always.  Occasional TG user but just a small player that loves horse racing.  Couple of questions for anyone willing:

1.  I love Oxbow\'s breeding for the 1 1/4 mile trip - from a TG standpoint can he improve enough to be competitive, especially with Stevens riding him once and getting to know him?

2.  I\'ve been paying close attention to Kerry Thomas\' insights on the Derby since he came on the scene 2 years ago - I think his observations are amazing.  Does anyone here incorporate his thoughts into their Derby tickets?

Also off subject but to Mr Covello - don\'t know you from Adam but always enjoy reading your posts and hearing your thoughts.  Hope you enjoy this coming week, should be amazing, you\'re living my dream.  Good on ya and best of luck!

I really like Brilliant Speed in this race.  He was cranked and ready at CD in a race that looked to set up perfect for him when they let Little Mike crawl around the track.  I see ML isn\'t out yet, any thoughts on what you think fair odds on him would be for him to be playable?

Folks should really begin Paying attention to Kerry Thomas - has now nailed last 2 Derbys + Breeders Cup.  Although he said there were 8 horses this year with a high herd dynamic (as opposed to 2 last year) he clearly stated 3 were a notch above the others; Union Rags, I\'ll Have Another, and Went the Day Well.  One of the \"others\" was Dullahan and while Bodemeister was slightly outside the 8 he had a very high opinion of him, stating that he is like no horse he\'s ever seen in that his comfort zone is alone instead of around other horses.

While speed figures (and TG\'s are above any others) are and always will be necessary to form an opinion in this game, the dynamic of a horse\'s personality and it\'s relation to others in a \"herd\" (or race, isn\'t that a small herd running around a track) to me is amazing - and makes perfect sense.  If we took 50 of the best thorobreds somewhere and turned them loose, eventually they\'d form a herd and start displaying the characteristics Mr Thomas seems to be keenly aware of.

I missed the boat with him last year, only put Animal Kingdom in some Pic 4\'s and tri\'s, all dead tickets.  During Breeders Cup I was deployed to a resort in the desert and a little busy, didn\'t even know he had picked Drosselmeyer until I read a posting on here a couple weeks ago.  This year he helped me to  my best Derby score ever.  Hopefully I\'ll run into him somewhere in the future and buy him a beer or 30.

I\'ve watched the replay several times and in the Bluegrass it seems Dullahan is pulled-up very quickly, before even getting into the 1st turn.  Did any on the board this or am I seeing something that wasn\'t there?  If so, thoughts?

Also want to add my thanks to TG and to Rick for going out of his way to be available and get us the daily products.  It was my first tourney, got off to a slow start due to numerous cocktails Wednesday night and some good fortune on the craps table causing me to get to my room at 5 a.m. Thursday morning without having looked at a thing for Day 1.  Hopefully will learn from that but chances are slim; Vegas just does that to me.  Anyway it was a great  experience and I\'m looking forward to another.  Thanks again TG!

Thx to you & others for the sage advice...just watched the race...as I said just trying to learn the game.  Looked like they put him a little closer than in the past & wide around first turn.  Maybe just a work for better things to come?

I ususlly just read here trying to learn, rarely post.  I remember a couople months ago reading a post about a horse called Moon Town who is in the 7th at Saratoga today.  Any thoughts on his chances today?  

I see he\'s been off a while, never raced at Saratoga, and never on soft/good turf which is expected today, but those last 3 races are impressive.  I watched replays of all and that last race at Churchill was big.

Appreciate any insight.  Best of luck to all today!

I usually read and don\'t post but have a question.  I believe strongly in the explosive theory of 2 to 3 year olds, which SS fit perfectly going into the Derby.  I know pattern is to regress after the big effort but does anyone think that SS being able to run 2:04 + and still win believe that was actually a positive, leaving room for another forward move?