OP(ie) and Aunt(Richie)Bee

[richiebee]

OP entries already drawn for Ark Derby day Saturday.

Fourteen race card, split divisions of Ark Derby, 14 runner Ark Handicap, the
traditional end of meet 1-3/4 mile starter handicap as race 14.

Data will be available when?

[TGJB]

By tomorrow, maybe today.

[johnnym]

Awesome

[Strike]

I must say, Oaklawn has done a terrific job with their race cards. With especially Santa Anita being closed (maybe a new decision tomorrow hopefully), I have been drawn to that track and have even had some success with their P5 sequence. The card on Saturday will be a minefield with 14 races with up to 14 horses but it should be a lot of fun.

[richiebee]

I only play on Saturdays but the last few weeks the final race in the P5
sequence was won by a bomb so I hope you are cashing large.

Best case scenario is the week after Ark Derby NY-NJ golf courses reopen and I
can begin preparations for the 2020 (or 2021?) TG (Senior?) Socially
Distanced Open sponsored by Runhappy.

My guess would be that Santa Anita, Churchill and maybe Belmont could all open
in late May but that is a GUESS. What are the odds on ALL THREE being open by June 1?

I do not know what is going on behind the scene, but for the people who need
the wheel to turn to make a living, I hope these tracks all open (safely). Me I
am more worried about the golf courses, which will need to be carefully
maintained with double the amount of motorized cart traffic due to social
distancing.

One thing about OP -- all dirt racing. If you follow the major circuits, dirt
racing has become a novelty of sorts. I do not miss the glacial fractions
(malfunctioning teletimers?) and bizarre trips one sometimes sees in turf
racing. I do not miss runners breaking through the hedge or rail and going for
a swim in the infield lake. I do not miss not being able to judge the true
condition of a turf course until watching a couple of races. I do not miss
uneven courses. I do not miss trying to calculate the effect of temporary
rails. (Before anyone jumps me, yes I realize bizarre fractions and magical
mystery tours also happen in dirt racing, maybe not as frequently as on the
lawn?)

So lets all hope for golf courses and some of the larger racing venues
reopening this May (safely).

[bluechip21]

Perhaps we get a “first Saturday in May seminar” for old time sake? Gonna miss that “hello, I’m Jerry Brown and welcome to the 2020 Kentucky Derby Thorograph Seminar” and all those power point things!

[Tavasco]

While I contend it is a given that the horses do the running and not the jockeys, these days some genius is bound to take exception. With a big Saturday looming at Oaklawn Park I feel the urge to share a discovery I\'ve made this spring in the land of the Ozarks.

The OP Jockey Colony includes a couple of riders of the fairer sex. One an MMA fighter (Chel-C Bailey) and the other (Kelsi Harr) recognizable by her ponytail. It is the latter that I will be searching for in the entries Sat.

She has helped several of my bets this spring albeit most often in the lesser placing positions. She is noticeable by more than just her ponytail streaming behind her. She seems to ride motionless. Appears fearless and comfortable in close quarters.

I\'ve seen D. Wayne use her and according to the following article she is affiliated with both Michael Matz and Al Cates. It is with positive anticipation I look forward to seeing her aboard a contender this Saturday.

Kelsi Harr Alert --->

Good Luck - Stay Healthy.

[JohnTChance]

Kelsi Harr? My Oaklawn trainer wanted to use her but I said no. I liked the idea to take weight, but she’s better with lone lead types (like those from Larry Jones) than closers where she’ll necessarily have to go 5- wide. Experience will help. And I like her accent.

[Tavasco]

OP Race #3. 33/1 and the race is official.

Harr, Harr, Harr and I suppose the bus has left the station?

A good day.