NYRA

[richiebee]

The nearest subway stop to Belmont is the \"F\" train stop at Hillside Ave and 179th
Street.

According to Mapquest this station is about 1.5 miles from Belmont.

Of special interest to Frank D, plenty of opportunities to stop for oxtail and
curry goat on this walk.

[FrankD.]

Richie,

Throw in a couple Red Stripes along the way and it could get interesting. Maybe Laura can speak Rasta MAAAN!

[rhagood]

I used to live on the track at Belmont in the late 80\'s and walked over that way for the good eats, went with a Jamaican groom so never got a second look.  We were stabled in the open air stakes barn near the track. My first year (1998) Risen Star shipped in and rumors about health were widespread. They were put to rest the day prior when he blew out 33 3/5 and we saw him come back good. He had not been going to the track for several days and wondered what Louisiana voodoo kept him together. He ran the 2nd fastest Belmont to that point disposing of Winning Colors:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/12/sports/risen-star-runs-away-with-the-belmont.html

The next year I watched Easy Goer pass by everyday on the way to the track en route to the 2nd fastest Belmont surpassing Risen Star\'s time. A crowd of just under 65,000 were on hand to witness Sunday Silence\'s Triple Crown attempt.

Fast forward to 2008, my next in person Belmont and the winner Da\'Tara, a big let down from the 2nd and 3rd fastest Belmont\'s on record.  Horses are certainly more brilliant than before but not at this distance. No one has run a negative number since 2007, Rags to Riches and Curlin. Anywhere from a TG 0 to 2 has been the norm. AP can X again as he did in the Preakness and prevail. Only an XX gets him out of the exacta and XXX out the super.

Paging Mr. Covello...........

[miff]

AP X\'d in the Preakness?.......tough crowd here!

[FrankD.]

Mike,

Let\'s re phrase that for Rob that he didn\'t pair his top. He did not X, liberal use of the term for sure.

Toughest room to work in the business for sure this board!

One could also say that a heavy ground loss Derby figure along with a monsoon stand alone race for the Preakness could be considered a pair or close to it in some camps?

[miff]

Frank,

There is some interesting stuff out there fwiw re AP\'s Preakness.

1. AP\'s pace adjusted fig came to TG -2.75

2. AP weighed out at app 133(7 lbs more than he saddled before race)

3. AP ran the fastest first quarter and 2nd fastest half in Preakness history after adjusting for track speed.

Could view the race as faster than given and make him coming off a pair too fast to win the Belmont, esp for those who don\'t like him.

From all watching the top contenders, AP working as well or better.Can watch AP work at CD at 8:30 this am, supposed to be 4f, shortest work for a Baffert potential TC possible.

Mike

[miff]

Mike Welsch:

American Pharoah couldn\'t have looked better or gone easier watching his work on live feed this a.m., strong gallop out, a perfect morning

Clocker;
Pharoah from the 4 1/2 and past the wire in 100.4, 113.4 and 126.6. See how he comes out of this but seems like tons more in tank

[FrankD.]

Mike,

Good stuff, I had an inkling that the \"speed boys\" would see the Preakness closer to the Derby figure.

[rhagood]

Thanks for the correction, off is the correct term.  But agree the internals etc point more to a pair up and would have him not ever going backward yet.

Buffers shows 38% X if off a top by 1 to 4 points, that\'s why the Preakness fig which was tough to come up with makes the pattern read tougher. The main argument against either way would be 3 negative numbers in a row and 4 races in 8 weeks.