Dark Day Afternoon

[richiebee]

Hey Marcus -- didn\'t realize you were such an action guy. Even God took the seventh day off...

Hey Shanahan -- when was the last time a Ky. Derby horse showed up at Fairmount?

Think Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron and Warren Spahn. Think Miller High Life. Think about the inane Laverne and Shirley and Lenny and Squiggy. Think (I think) the world headquarters of Harley Davidson. Think Marquette University and their snazzy uniforms in the 70s when their hoop team was coached by Al McQuire. Think Golda Meir.

Right now I\'m thinking on this dark day of a mare named for the City which is/was the real or fictional home of all of the above. Her first race in the US was 2 Fridays ago at the Spa in the 12 mark Waya Stakes. We rarely get to see races at this distance, so you rarely get to see a troubled trip which lasts almost 2 and 1/2 minutes.

How bad a trip did this Chris Clement 6YO get? The following popped into my mind (a) the Titanic; (b) the Andrea Doria (sp?); (c) Apollo 13 and (d) Ted Kennedy* at Chappaquidick. I will not recite the chart, but if you are curious, check out the replay or chart of the 9th race at Sara on 8/11.

One of my new pet peeves is to listen to trainers and jockeys who like to talk about how important it is that their turf runners be \"covered up\" during the running of a race. The problems for Garret Gomez on MILWAUKEE started somewhere on the second turn of this three turn race, when he realized he was \"buried\" as opposed to \"covered up\". Milwaukee showed a lot of class to make up a bit of ground at the end and finish third after being asked to start and stop a couple of times during the race and having her jaw yanked on pretty severely.

The F/M turf divison has some exciting runners this year. There is the still improving Angara. There is the electrifying Gorella, who appears out of nowhere (think Rosie Ruiz**) sometime during the stretch run and has shown awesome acceleration. Pletcher\'s Wait a While could have broken the Saratoga course record in the Lake Placid if she had been asked to.

All of these ladies of the lawn and others I am forgetting are racing in the shadow of the great Ouija Board, who has put together a nearly perfect campaign in Europe and will be short odds if run in the F/M BC Turf. I personally think she may turn up against males in the BC Turf (1-1/2 miles v males). Michael D is on record as saying she may be vulnerable on the narrow, tight turned CD turf, but we shall see.

____
* My favorite story about Senator Ted involves the time some European snapparazzi got a picture of Teddy and a female companion out on the ocean in a speedboat anchored off the coast. Teddy was trying (successfully) to initiate his companion into the nautical equivalent of the Mile High Club. When the photo was published, another Senator walked up to Kennedy and said \"Well, I see you\'ve changed your position on offshore drilling.\"

** If you \"google\" Rosie Ruiz you might get an account of one of the great NYC Marathon \"trips\" of all time.

[marcus]

richiebee , I remember that turf race a couple fridays ago , there  were alot of trouble trips on the turf course that card ( incl the ones i bet )  . always had my questions about that \" covered up \" business - specially with the potential for traffic problems w/ all those relatively young inexperienced horse\'s . I know I should know better than be a high action entreprenuer - but I\'m just trying to survive ...  Jerry did tell me to take that 7th day and now your saying the same , so it\'s official - I\'m going to take back that 7th day , besides I don\'t want to get a rep as a busy body ... anybody play 9 ball - how about a race to 5 for $ 200 - , I\'ll give you 3 games and the breaks ...          

[NoCarolinaTony]

Richie

Rosie Ruiz was the Boston Marathon for what it\'s worth, but you would have gotten an A, anyway,  for your writing skills bringing together a horror show of a horse race ride, together with American History, by at least one of the Jesuits up on Rose Hill. You even got in one of our fellow Jesuit institutes (Marquette) in your story. You use of analogies, solilloquies, and stream of consciousness writing is impressive.

So how are you hitting them these days? Both at the track and on the course?

I\'m playing to about 6-8 over par these days, mostly do to a strong short game making up for an erratic driver. If I ever straighten that out...been striking out on the online contests the past few weeks and looking forward to my trip up to the SPA closing weekend. Had a good opening weekend so I hope to close it out the same way.

On another note..........

Was with my son at the Mets Norfolk Tides AAA club playing the Charlotte Triple A club(White Sox affiliate) here in town last night. Saw Evan MacClaine pitch and was quite impressed, noticed a few scouts watching him pitch a 4 hit shutout. He ends up traded tonight to the DBacks for Shawn Green. I guess they waited for the news on Glavine before they pulled the trigger on that trade.

Nice comeback victory over the Cards tonight!!

Mets vs Yanks seems very plausible once again.

NC Tony

PS Speaking of Bad Rides, and Ted Kennedy ...what happened to the BOSOX?

[richiebee]

NCT:

Thank you for the kind words, professor, but please check the records for the NY and Boston Marathons and change my \"A\" to an \"A+\".

Six months before Rosie Ruiz was \"taken down\" in the Boston Marathon in 1980, she ran and finished in the 1979 NY Marathon. Her finishing time in the NY Marathon was fast enough to qualify her for the Boston race. It was later determined that RR rode the subway, rather than ran, for most of the NY Marathon and her NY result was retroactively discredited in what had to be one of marathon maven Fred Lebow\'s worst moments.

Golf-- Prof you would have to give me strokes if we ever play golf; I am at best a 14 or 15 handicap. I did shoot a season best 42 last Saturday, but on the back 9 I started sneaking peaks at my Racing Form as the round got slow and carded a 47 for the back 9. Like you I struggle for consistency off the tee and do not even carry a driver; I use 4 wood, 5 wood, 3 iron off the tee.

You should consider bringing your \"sticks\" up to the Spa one time. When I was up at Saratoga 2 weeks ago, I played McGregor Links and the course in the Saratoga Spa State Park; both were very enjoyable and was able to take an early tee time, play 18 holes and still have plenty of time to get to the races.

[1st time lasix]

A morning round of golf on a cool day and an afternoon at the Spa for racing.....it doesn\'t get much better than that. You are rubbing it in for guys in Florida dealing with 100 plus heat index and a day job!

[richiebee]

FTL:

    These things have a way of evening themselves out...

    Come visit me in February... we\'ll play 18 holes on a permafrosted municipal course and then go catch 9 live on the Inner Dirt at Aqueduct.

[Silver Charm]

>How bad a trip did this Chris Clement 6YO get? The following popped into my mind (a) the Titanic; (b) the Andrea Doria (sp?); (c) Apollo 13 and (d) Ted Kennedy* at Chappaquidick.

Richie think Jimi Hendricks.

>There is the electrifying Gorella, who appears out of nowhere (think Rosie Ruiz**) sometime during the stretch run and has shown awesome acceleration.

Richie as a TG customer I am ashamed of your criticsm of Rosies trip. Look at all the ground she saved.

Also the Inner Dirt at Aqueduct sounds pretty good. I\'m sure there is at least a place to sit.

[NoCarolinaTony]

Richie,

At least it\'s still DIRT and NOT POLY!!!

NC Tony

(Maybe I should change my Name to Fordham Tony @ NC)

[NoCarolinaTony]

Richie,

Speaking of other long Strange trips & races:

Ruiz has not been the only marathon contestant to earn a victory dishonestly. In September 1991, spectators noticed that the winner of the Brussels marathon, Abbes Tehami, had somehow shaved his moustache off during the race. It turned out that Tehami had only finished the race. His coach had started it for him.

Just to round out the picture.

RIP Jerry Garcia

NC Tony

[jbelfior]

Silver Charm:


Did Teddy \"bounce\" off of that Chappaquidick effort?

Did we really ever land a man on the moon??



Good Luck,
Joe B.  

[Silver Charm]

Silver Charm:

>Did we really ever land a man on the moon??

No the moon landing was similar to all Magna live racing. Totally studio enhanced.

[RICH]

And of Teddy, he bounced big time, and never got back to his top.