Laissez les bon temps roulez--sans Le Richiebee

[richiebee]

Thursday Thanksgiving will be the traditional opening day at Fair Grounds,
which along with Keeneland and Saratoga has a history going back to about the
mid 19th Century. DRF reports an insurgence of new blood in the training ranks
as Team Teflon led by Tricky Rick Dutrow will weave its magic down on Gentilly
Boulevard.

Fair Grounds one of the many tracks which could benefit over the winter if
Aqueduct is padlocked at the end of December. I wonder if the great innovator
Frank Stronach has contingency plans drawn up to run NY Bred races at the Gulf
this winter if AQ is dark.

Spitzer Administration does not seem to be overly concerned with NY racing\'s
plight. Amazing that said Administration is currently bogged down in the
aftermath of Spitzer\'s ingenious idea to give illegal aliens driver\'s licenses.
(Even more amazing that Hillary got involved with this issue and ended up in
the same bog).

Anyway, les bon temps will not be roulez-ing in Living Room Downs (LRD) (where
racing is usually enjoyed half drunk and half naked) this winter because I will
not bet on that which I can not see, and HRTV not TVG will be carrying the FG
races this winter. I am currently thinking of bringing a second cable provider
which carries HRTV into Chez Richiebee, and transforming one room into a New
Orleans themed room,but she who always has final word on such home improvements
is currently voting \"Neigh\".

Message to Magna and the Twin Spires crew... make your product more accessible.
Your quest for exclusivity is penny wise and pound foolish or however that
saying goes. With the possibility that AQ will be boarded up this winter, now
is a good time for additional, not reduced, exposure.

Observation about T(itanic)Vision Games (TVG) network. Its 2PM EST on a winter
Saturday and you\'ve got Philly, Tampa and a whole lot of time for most of your
on air \"personalities\" to expose their ignorance about racing and handicapping
...not a good scenario. Maybe Frank Lyons and Simon Bray, who certainly have
good racing knowledge, will return to the UK to cover Lingfield\'s world
renowned all weather meet.

No FG live feed in LRD. No racing over the inner tube in 2008? As they say
\"en Francais\", \"c\'est f-----g dommage\".

[Rick B.]

richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyway, les bon temps will not be roulez-ing in
> Living Room Downs (LRD) (where racing is usually
> enjoyed half drunk and half naked)

I\'m trying to not form a mental image here, as I am eating my morning Cheerios, but the fractions are lost on me: would half drunk, half naked make 1/4 of you both drunk *and* naked?

[miff]

Bee,

In desperation,you could always venture out to Hylan Blvd or Richmond Ave OTB.I hear the Woodbrige NJ OTB is excellent. Also, right over the bridge at 92nd st exit there is a nice OTB restaurant.


Mike

[richiebee]

Miff:

I have noticed improvement in the surroundings at the facilities on both Hylan
Blvd and Richmond Ave but this is a backhanded way of saying there are fewer
and fewer people there. I have always said for free admission the OTB folks have
historically given you your money\'s worth.

They closed my favorite OTB, in Tompkinsville on Water Street. This small OTB
was located next to a methadone clinic and as such you could always overhear
some interesting handicapping theories.

Will have to check out the Woodbridge facility in the near future.

Should I put any money through the windows at FG or GP this winter? Should I
reward their shortsightedness with my support?

[miff]

Bee,

GP,i.e.Stronach should be tried for crimes against horse players. The destruction of the beautiful Gulfstream Park is tragic.Many winter days I could not wait to get down there to just hang around the clubhouse walking ring with half of New York swapping notes.The decline in purses makes it tough to race there but the unbeatable So Florida winter weather will always trump the idiot Stronach.

Personally, you may be shocked to hear that the inner tube meet at the Big A is good to gamble if you are a speed bettor,like me.


Mike

[marcus]

1st time in France they kept asking if I bet \'Angry and of course I told them \"No\" and finally after a day I mentioned that I did get \"Hungery\" however ... And where\'s the nearest Mickey Dee\'s ? They rioted in Brittany when they heard \'Born to Lose with \"Born in Toulouse\" juxtaposed on top ... But I felt like Clarence the cross-eyed Lion trying to read their version of the racing form . The TVG contest this wknd 11-24 is a good cure for anyones Holiday Blues  and a last chance Vegas qualifier  ...

[richiebee]

Marcus:

Good luck in that contest -- last week I spent about 45 minutes handicapping
the 10 races and finished in a tie for about 1450th place; will try to handicap
for an hour this week and break into the top 1000.

I do not know how to link it or retrieve it online, but there was a copy of
Sunday November 18th\'s New York Times lying around my office; in the features
section a well written article about the many small time owners who make up the
Karakorum Racing Syndicate-- just some \"everyday people\" who love horses and
racing and the action, a nice counterpoint to reading about the millionaires
who say how much they love racing but really do not do anything to protect or
preserve it.

[marcus]

Thanks richiebee - that times article sounds like an excellent read , I\'m going to track down a copy of the 18th  ... My instinct tells me that the small outfit could make a comeback ( of sorts ) in time .
Last week in the TVG contest  I opened up with Cardiff Road , got show and got \'capped ( just to add insult to injury ) - then it all went south from there with not too much else afterward ,but now the slate is clean and I\'m looking forward the the contest and looking to put up winners ... Good Luck in the TVG contest and hopefully I will see you in Las Vegas my friend  ...

[magicnight]

link to NYT article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/nyregion/thecity/18hors.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Thanks, Richiebee

[richiebee]

Magicnight:

I am glad you found and enjoyed the article.

Note the picture at the top of the article: A little depressing when there are
more folks in the win picture than there are in the grandstand.

[marcus]

Thanks guys - that was a nice story to read . I would love to own races horses one day ...

[Dr. Fager]

Thoroughbred Times reports that Maryland Racing Commission Chairman John Franzone called Frank Stronach about the Magna firing of Lou Raffeto, former president of the Maryland Jockey Club (Laurel and Pimlico) and said \"Frank, this is without a doubt the dumbest decision you will ever make, and you guys have made a lot of dumb moves\".  Nothing earth shattering, but shows that many racing officials need a good swift kick in the rectum. Especially because of their horrible treatment of bettors, the lifeblood of the industry, on matters ranging from takeout and breakage, Caribbean rebates, service, racing policy, etc.  Does anyone have Stronach\'s cell phone number?

[Boscar Obarra]

MECA stock in the toilet.

 Disaster.

 Suggest MECA, Countrywide , and Etrade merge so there can be only one massive failure instead of three.