Polytrack, Hold the Curlin

In 'kinda sad but not really' news, Benny the Bull has been retired due to a chipped ankle. He won 9 out of 17 and was a sprinting beast in a good way.

To me, it's encouraging that Rick Dutrow was proactive about diagnosing the problem and making the best decision.

Meanwhile, Curlin is primed to run at the "Spa" in the Woodward on dirt this Saturday, August 30th.

I hope he schools the field and chalks up another win.

And I'm genuinely glad that he'll be racing on pure, natural dirt, mainly because of tradition. I really do like the way everything is at Saratoga...seriously.

So, it's not that I even want to specifically replace the dirt surfaces in New York.

Obviously, a state mandate would change the landscape at all NYRA tracks.

I do want to make racing safer. I think improving the surfaces horses race on would increase the safety of those horses and the jockeys who ride them.

As Bill Finley recently pointed out, maybe the difference between dirt and synthetic surfaces isn't as big as the hype would say.

From what I can gather, polytrack seems like it slows down all of the horses at all of the tracks where it has been installed, ala Kentucky and California mostly. That's right, I'm saying the horses all run slower on polytrack.

Yeah. I said it. So what?

Here's a little fact that about horse races: they last from just under one minute to just over two minutes...mostly.

Who cares if Curlin's owner ever took a risk and let him loose on synthetics, like say Santa Anita on Saturday, October 25th? Hypothetically.

My guess is that because he's so good the surface would slow him down a few seconds in a 9 or 10 furlong race, but another way of saying that is that instead of going 40 mph during the race, he'll only be going 37 mph.

Oh.

Yet another beat complaint about the ills of polytrack that I'm not buying.

Big Brown, Polytrack and Gay Marriage

All signs are pointing to Monmouth Park for Big Brown's next race, who was already scheduled to run on the turf on September 13th, regardless of the location.

The deal is not currently official, but Monmouth is whipping a turf race up out of thin air for Big Brown, whose participation would increase the stakes from $200,000 to $500,000.

To me, that means Big Brown is that important whether you think he could take Curlin or not.

Unfortunately, it looks like we're never going to see that because their schedules conflict until the Breeders' Cup on October 25th and Curlin's owner, Jess Jackson, doesn't want him running on synthetics at Santa Anita.

All I have to say is good luck with that philosophy.

Polytrack or any similar synthetic surface is like gay marriage because whether you support it or not, it's gonna be everywhere soon.

So maybe Curlin will avoid it for the rest of his racing career, but I promise you that in the long run, any strategy that aims to avoid the inevitable will probably fail.

Accordingly, whether they like it or not, horses, jockeys, trainers and owners are going to have to learn to adjust to the times or be forced to run at a significantly reduced number of tracks over time.

New York is a haven for polytrack opposers today, but over time that may very well change too.

My goal is to see that transformation ASAP.

Down and Out in Saratoga Springs

As much as I'd like to blame Saratoga for my recent gambling losses, it's really on me.

It sucks to put in the overall preparation I do, win multiple bets and still walk out of the place with less money than when I started the day. But I'm special.

The night before, I go to the NYRA web site and check the next day's entries. I'd like to think I specialize in sprints on the dirt, so I'm happy to find that August 16th and 17th (last weekend) is full of them. Good start.

For whatever reason, I left home at 11:18 both days and pulled into my $7 parking spot at noon.

Even with the long-sleeved t-shirt giveaway on Sunday, I'm still in my chair reading a program, dipping in to my cooler for the first time at 12:15. Perfect execution so far.

I'm the Michael Phelps of Saratoga racetrack handicapping because I only go for the gold and I eat 10,000 calories a day. Pre-game jitters? No way.

On Saturday I shake up my usual routine and venture into daily double wagering, picking the winner of two consecutive races. With the handicapping help of a real pro like Dave Gonzalez, I hit the daily double; 5-5. I won 120 bucks on a 3 dollar bet. Nothing beats establishing early fiscal momentum. I'm ready to take it to the house.

And even though I doubled my money up to $160 after the third race, I walked out with zip.

I bet too many trifectas and even when I wheeled them, I still lost all of them. No joke, I bet trifectas in at least four different races where I nailed the exacta, but didn't actually bet the exacta.

And I still bet on and nailed exactas in two other races! That means if all I did was bet on exactas all day, I would've done very well.

But, I didn't.

On the brighter side, I hung in on Sunday and only lost about 20 bucks.

Except, that if you were to judge my Sunday on opportunity cost, I lost a little over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Here's what happened. As I explained, I like to purchase Dave Gonzalez's daily picks at www.surethingselections.com. Trust me, he deserves this plug.

So, I examine the horses for race 2 and I'm all giddy because it's a 7 furlong race on the dirt which is my favorite kind of race in the whole world. It's not easy, but I decide the 1 horse looks best and he's at 3-1 odds.

But the 9 is favored.

The 8 is a 3/4 sibling to some really good horse.

And the 6 looks like the best of the rest.

And we all know that the favorite only wins 25% of the time and even if you correctly bet the favorite to win anything, it usually doesn't pay much. So there's too much risk, not enough reward.

My instinct is that the favorite (#9) will get 2nd place and if anyone can beat him, it's the #1 horse. So there's my exacta. 1-9.

The 8 just looks like a solid show horse. 1-9-8.

The 6 better do his job and get 4th. 1-9-8-6 it is.

1986 is significant to me for the following reasons:

• It was in the 80s. And the reason the 80s were awesome is because you could get away with anything compared to today and everyone seemed to have more money back then.
  
• The Mets won the World Series.
• The Giants won the Super Bowl.

It's all coming together like Celestine Prophecy.

But when I saw the 9 horse running around before the race, he looked good. So, I jumped ship and put the 9 on top of everything.

Specifically, I bet the bank on 9-1-8 and 9-1-8-6. Even though, the 1 looked really good.

The race goes off and the 9 grabbed a commanding lead in the stretch, but the 1 nipped him just before the wire. Awesome.

After a photo finish for 3rd place, the results were 1-9-8-6. HA!

I guess the nail in the coffin is that Dave Gonzalez picked 1-9-8-6, exactly.

It's not that I had the exact picks in my hand that troubles me or that the superfecta paid $479, but I abandoned my instinct when I had every reason to believe in it.

You win Saratoga. No Travers for me this Saturday. No Curlin for me on August 30th either.

I'll see you next August.

Kentucky Bans Steroids and Saratoga Update

Kentucky is banning steroids. In fact, the bluegrass state is going to lay down the law and is set to enforce the strictest ban on steroids that horse racing has seen.

Bam! Score another one for the good guys. Sometimes I think maybe mankind is evolving.

Come on New York! Where have you been for all this? Kentucky, California and New York are arguably the three biggest horse racing states, by almost every measure.

Kentucky and Cali installed polytrack and banned steroids. Not New York though. Neither one.

Why not? Would it be too trendy if we focused on the safety of the lifeblood of the sport?

But let's talk Toga. I'll bet NYRA is relieved that they've got Curlin lined up for the Woodward on August 30th.

Especially with the almost daily showers that the Capital Region has been getting since late July and a 2-race card dating back a couple weeks to a thunderstorm that apparently washed away part of the main track.

On a personal note, I walked right by Nick Zito at Saratoga last Friday. He was just standing there, messing with his cell phone, readily accessible.

I really wanted to ask him why he is opposed to synthetic racing surfaces, but I wimped out.

But, the more sweeping moves California and Kentucky make to clean up horses and horse racing, the more NYRA is going to be forced to react.

And this news is just the kind of fuel that adds to the trail NYSPI is trying to blaze.

Please feel free to participate in the NYSPI poll and share any comments.

Polytrack in New York's Future

I'm on the polytrack attack.

I've read and heard a slew of objections against using polytrack or synthetic racing surfaces at tracks across America.

If you ask me, they don't hold any weight.

Some trainers don't like polytrack because it's not natural. God didn't make it.

God didn't make rubber either. It's not natural. Rubber is made up of synthetics. But nobody minds the rubber that forms the tires on their cars.

Rubber saves lives...in many ways.

And what do you know, rubber is used in polytrack.

A slightly better argument against polytrack is that it may cause soft tissue damage to horses who run on it. This is potentially serious.

Except, are there any studies proving that natural dirt surfaces are good for soft tissue in horses? Please, feel free to share if you have a spare copy of that report that doesn't exist.

The clearest statistical trend about polytrack in relation to natural racing surfaces is that over equal periods of time, polytrack yields significantly less catastrophic injuries than natural surfaces.

I won't quantify this for several reasons, but if you don't believe me, try this thing called Google. Just search for "polytrack" and "catastrophic" at the same time.

Why isn't proof of this enough for New York's tracks to mandate the installation of synthetic surfaces? Why isn't horse safety a top priority?

I know something that many people would think is more important than the safety of stupid, smelly horses and that is the safety of jockeys. Jockeys are people too! It's true and you know it.

The most plausible argument I've read about is that polytrack doesn't seal up in wet conditions with the same quality as natural surfaces. That is probably more true than not.

Research never sleeps, so I'm confident the best of artifical racing surfaces are on the horizon.

I'm resolute that the use of polytrack and similar artificial surfaces in horse racing have so many more pros than cons, that I believe we're supposed to act on it.

Exciting Times in Horse Racing

If you haven't been paying attention, a lot is going on in the horse racing world.

The New York Task Force on retired horses will meet again on August 17th in Saratoga Springs to discuss safety in horse racing, including the prospect of installing synthetic racing surfaces.

Who knows if any changes will be made, but at least a dialogue has been started. Although, it would seem a waste to have created this task force and hold these meetings if no changes were made at all.

Whether the opponents of polytrack say it or not, many of them seem more concerned with how artificial racing surfaces will affect their financial interests than how they can mitigate risks to thoroughbreds and jockeys.

In other news, trainer Carl Nafzger and jockey Edgar Prado were inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame today. Prado is an exceptional jockey on dirt and turf and the one who did everything in his power to pull up Barbaro in the Preakness Stakes in 2006. I wonder how he feels about synthetic racing surfaces.

Big Brown returned for the first time since the Belmont Stakes yesterday, winning the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Unfortunately, despite the win, sports writers across the country are basically calling it a weak effort against a weak field of competition.

With the way Big Brown ran yesterday, I'm skeptical about how he will fare in the Breeders' Cup against much stiffer competition. He doesn't seem to have the same explosiveness he showed a few months ago, but maybe he's just getting back into the groove.

Meanwhile, 2007 Horse of the Year, Curlin, has continued training, but no one knows for which surface he'll be running on. He recently finished 2nd in his first graded turf race and an announcement is expected tomorrow as to which race he'll be pointing to.

And after California banned the use of steroids in horses, this year's Breeders' Cup races should be 'roid free for what I'm guessing is the first time in forever.

Like I said, exciting times in horse racing.

New York State Meets Polytrack Talk

The New York Task Force on Retired Horses assembled a forum that met in Saratoga Springs today.

A panel of horse racing officials and experts discussed the pros and cons of possibly removing the dirt racing surfaces at horse racing tracks in New York and replacing them with polytrack, which just so happens to be the exact mission/vision of this platform.

Funny Cide partner at Sackatoga Stable, Jack Knowlton, is questioning the move with concerns about the potential effects of a polytrack racing surface on the soft tissue in the ankles of horses. He added that trainer Barclay Tagg is also opposed to polytrack on many levels.

I respectfully and strongly disagree.

Last week or so, the California Horse Racing Board banned the use of steroids in thoroughbred racing.

California was already pioneering racing reform efforts from a statewide level when it mandated its tracks to remove all dirt racing surfaces and replace them with polytrack.

I am in absolute support of the exact same effort in New York State. California is a model for making horse racing safer by making safety a top priority. What a concept.

Back to Jack Knowlton. He owns one of the most famous horses ever from New York. Stewart's, the upstate chain of general food and ice cream stores, has a flavor called Funny Cide Pride.

But, to me, it seemed Mr. Knowlton's overall point was that the alleged damage that polytrack can incur would cause a higher number of horses to be retired earlier than usual.

Let's say that NYRA moves to install polytrack and as a result, more horses go into early retirement due to the damaging effects.

Wouldn't that be better than the horses potentially dieing from being injured on dirt surfaces?

My understanding, shared with the state of California Horse Racing Board, is that polytrack is safer than dirt.

Horse Racing Reforms

Kudos, props and fist bumps in the house for the California Horse Racing Board, which has unanimously approved a statewide ban on using steroids in horses. That's what I'm talkin' about. That's how you make it more humane and safer for the athletes. And that should be a top priority if it isn't.

I figure, thoroughbreds are the only athletes in the world that are using steroids without their own consent. The obvious problem is that none of them speak English and therefore they can't object to being injected with performance enhancers.

We all know that athletes don't physically require steroids, but it's all about getting an edge so the people that ride, own, train and care for the horses can make more money.

So, in a time where there's not a unified vision for the safer treatment of the athletes that represent the fiscal livelihood of a beautiful sport, I just want to say thanks to California for leading the way on an obvious choice to finally do the right thing.

Besides, is Big Brown gonna care if he loses half a second going six furlongs because he's not roided up anymore? No. Are horse fans going to become increasingly concerned that their favorite thoroughbreds will gain too much body fat if they get off the juice? Probably not. Are the owners, trainers and jockeys going to miss anything if their horses go clean? Not if all of their competitors are required (thank you CA Racing Board) to do the same thing.

And finally, will the horse racing gamblers of the world be emotionally scarred if steroids are banned in horse racing? The reason the answer is 'no' is because the only thing the gamblers want is to hold the winning tickets.

Trust me on this, I'm one of them.

Saratoga, Humidity and Steroids

Horse racing in New York will shift from the beautiful Belmont park on Long Island to "the summer place to be" in a land called Saratoga.

Big Brown won't visit 'Toga this summer, but there's sure to be a steady flow of some of the classiest dirt and turf horses out there.

Opening day is 10 days out and the weather in the Capital Region has been improving as it always does this time of year. And as a quasi-native to the area, it's not as humid in upstate New York during August as Rick Dutrow and others are indicating. I recall it typically being mid 80s, sunny and cloudless with low humidity in August, but I only live here so my argument may not be "credible."

Slowly, there seems to be a shift inside the horse racing industry to outlaw or voluntarily discontinue the use of steroids and other performance enhancers. I say this is the best thing going on for the sport right now.

But it's all talk until clearer standards with appropriate penalties are established for the cheaters.

I'll say it: Let's even out the field of play. For real. Actually do it. Come on. Why not?

Is that why Curlin finished 2nd yesterday in the Grade I Man O' War Stakes? Especially amidst this article claiming Curlin, the reigning horse of the year, was given anabolic steroids?

If a champion like this is found to have won his title by using a performance enhancer, what exactly is the makeup of a champion?

Come on, this is the only sport where we should be able to know for sure if the athletes are doping because we're higher on the food chain and we can test their blood without being sued.

Polytrack is a highly visible way to show strides for improving the safety of the sport. Stricter blood testing can improve the morale for everyone.

Mandatory blood tests can not only prevent doping, but they can exonerate trainers from accusations of using illegal methods and/or substances.

Feelin' Saratoga

I don't know how many Saratogas there are in the U.S., but there's only one to me and it's 25 miles north of my house. A straight shot up I-87 to the best horse racing track in North America...and that's coming from someone who's never been to another track, so there.

I think I'll roll up to 'Toga' for opening day on July 23rd blasting Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" because that's exactly what I'll be doing.

For those who haven't been to Saratoga, a lot of what makes it special is its suburban feel, tucked back in a neighborhood where the local residents repurpose their lawns as parking lots for a fee.

Personally, I like to get on Wright Street where it originates because it flows right into the nicest entrance of the park.

I park my car inches from the last person to park there and pay the attendant who wishes my wife and me good luck. She carries her purse and the Times Union while I cart the rolling cooler with lawn chairs resting on its top.

Cars roll by slowly, drivers avoiding the flow of human traffic, contemplating parking prices. You can tell it's going to be hot as you walk down the street, bubbling with hope, knowing that although you have 100 bucks now, there's no way you're going home with that much because it's boom or bust, just like always.

A block from the entrance is where it all starts. You've already noticed women a plenty bearing skin, flashing giant sunglasses, fashionable hats and jewelry while the men puff cigars and project successfulness.

A traffic guard motions us to cross the street. Kids run in between adults up the sidewalk while vendors push kids handicapping picks, ice cold beverages, newspapers and professional handicapper picks, all for a fee of course.

To the right behind a fence are dozens of televisions trucks with satellite dishes. In front is a garden of jockeys holding banners of famous winning horses from various races. You usually see a familiar face or two while waiting to enter, or if nothing else, a few characters. You get tickets for general admission or the clubhouse (for a slightly greater fee) and proceed through the gates.

What makes Saratoga unique is that the horses wait before the race in a paddock that's just 100 feet away from where a large portion of the patrons are seated. And the horses and jockeys access the paddock by walking along a fenced path that cuts through the middle of the grounds, giving fans ample opportunities to get the jockey's autographs.

There's alcohol, pizza, hot dogs, barbeque, ice cream, pretzels and lemonade to be consumed. If you want a great view of the final stretch of a dirt race, go to the rail a few minutes before it starts and claim your territory. It's a rush to see your hourses dueling it out in the final furlong from 10 feet away.

I always profess that upstate New York is an awesome place to be in July and August. The fact that this timetable conincides with the track season is by no means a coincidence.

Smart Horse Racing Bets

If you haven't heard, the horse racing industry operates with very few controls in place. As Jeremy Plonk from Horseplayerpro.com has pointed out, the one thing going for the government is that it can pull the plug on simulcasting if the industry doesn't clean up its act, which ironically would be devestating to all parties except the "degenerate gamblers" such as myself who wouldn't have as many tracks to choose from.

Currently, Congress' focus is to outlaw the use of steroids on all horses. IEAH Stable is backing this move all the way, but what about everybody else? This is the most important issue currently. I'm sure PETA affiliates would agree the sheer amounts of some of the drugs the trainers and their constituents inject into these horses seems abusive and hence, unethical.

Sweet move by Rick Dutrow getting caught using twice the legal amount of Clenbuterol in his horse, Salute the Count. Good job dude. Say one thing, do another.

But this initiative isn't about steroids or other illegal substances. It's a dichotomous, neverending rant that teeters between the pursuit of a safer racing surface (polytrack) at all tracks in NYS and the simultaneous quest for gambling riches. In the spirit of the latter, I hope you enjoy the following.

I personally consider the list below to be worth A LOT of money, with each conclusion drawn solely through blowing my dough at various OTB sites throughout the Capital area over the last decade.

• The favorite gets 3rd place: The more races you watch, the more times you see this happen. Plus, it pays a hell of a lot better, say, in a trifecta than if the favorite were to win. And that's why you always hear the old dirty guys at the track professing, "Don't bet the chalk."
• Box your bets: It costs more to box your bets, but any "degenerate gambler" can tell you about a hundred different times where they picked the right horses, but in the wrong order. It sucks.
• Bet any horse bred by A.P. INDY to win a 7 furlong race: It's in the blood.
• Don't bet on cheap races: They're too unpredictable. A smart better focuses on quality, like stakes races.
  
• Read past performances of the horses: If you don't know how to read these, then learn. You'd be surprised how much you can find out about a horse's tendencies.
• Diversify: It's like everything else. If you happen to be off with your picks on any given day, leave room for error by picking a few horses you think can win.
  
• Edgar Prado is possibly the best jockey on turf: He wins on the grass at all distances with favorites and longshots alike.
• Christopher Clement is possibly the best turf trainer: I'd probably bet on a horse Clement trains over a horse Prado rides, but if Prado gets the mount on a Clement horse in a turf race, BET IT.
  
• Bet superfectas in races with 6 horses: Overall the odds are decent because there are only two horses who won't come in the top 4. And these bets always pay well if you can pick 'em.
  

There are many more gems to learn, but this is a good start.

Let me know if any of these strategies ever work for you.

Just Accepting It All

Just a few minutes ago, and two days after the race where Big Brown didn't show up (even though he was there), I just came to terms with everything.

Again, I blew my dough on a Triple Crown race and again, I didn't care one bit when I saw Kent Desormeaux pull up Big Brown. I was terrified that my hypothetical scenario from NYSPI's virgin post would be prophetic.

Luckily, Big Brown hasn't shown any negative signs since placing last in the race. And yes, I think luck has a lot to do with it.

Come on. Even at 6:30 on Saturday, it was a 90 degree sauna at Belmont. Big Brown was running with a quartercrack. His training schedule was retarded because of the quartercrack, which, overall is good, but bad for training purposes. He broke from the starting gate badly and appeared to have brushed with Tale of Ekati soon after.

And how can any of us ever really know what it's like to run in the Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 miles), Preakness (1 3/16 miles) and Belmont (1 1/2 miles) during a span of 5 weeks?

To me, if you add up all those factors AND the fact that Big Brown was running on a dirt surface instead of polytrack, it was a damn miracle that so far, he appears to be in good condition.

Straight up, I'm not into scare tactics in order get my way, but just take 10 seconds and think of how gut wrenching it would've been if Big Brown fell and never got up.

When a horse dies on TV, I always wonder how many kids were watching. I can see them asking their parents what just happened, followed by an explanation and some tears.

And when kids see devastation like this, what they're usually seeking is an exact reason as to why and how this could happen. As adults and parents, it would seem to be our duty to provide this reasoning.

But, as with most loaded topics, it's not always possible to sum it all up in a phrase or two.

Instead of going on and on about how horse racing is about money and steroids, I think I'd just say that accidents will always happen, but there are many ways to make the sport safer and one of them is to mandate that all tracks install polytrack in place of dirt.

Big Brown and the Belmont Rollercoaster

The lovely month of June is here as a nation of horse racing fans set their site on June 7th at Belmont for a potential triple crowning in Big Brown.

Here we go again. It's all come down to 1 1/2 miles. An undefeated horse with untouchable class and speed in the uppermost echelon of racing with the regular talk about how this year's field is weak.

I've repeatedly seen the Belmont Stakes referred to as the most 'grueling' race in the sport. Even if that wasn't true, it couldn't be far from it.

That, paired with the recent reports of Big Brown's injured hoof have me concerned. Actually, I'm dually concerned.

From a betting perspective, I don't want him to come up limp at any point in the race (or ever) because he really shouldn't do any worse than 2nd place. So, I'm praying that Ian McKinlay is doing everything possible to heal that quartercrack.

But, regardless of any wagers that may be placed, there's an unmistakably clear voice in my head telling me there's something greater at stake than my financial prospects - the safety of the jockeys and the horses.

What could be worse than Big Brown losing the Belmont and his bid for the Triple Crown? How about Big Brown losing the Belmont, collapsing and getting euthanized on the track?

Just because that happened less than a month ago to Eight Belles after the Kentucky Derby doesn't mean that we should be in the clear for a while before another horse could be fatally injured in a race on a dirt track.

This is my favorite time of the year in horse racing, but only when we've got a shot at seeing a Triple Crown winner. A lot of people may only ever see it done once in their lifetime and it's the only sport I can think of where basically everybody is rooting for the favorite. That's what makes it special to me.

So, you can imagine how devestating it would be to me if anything happened to Big Brown.

Kind of like the last time I was crushed when Barbaro died as a result of his injury on the dirt at Pimlico. I got married on May 6, 2006, the day he won the Kentucky Derby. Two years after his win and subsequent injury, my wife still doesn't like to talk about him.

As adults, we've all seen dead animals, but to me it always strikes a different chord in me when a horse dies. Maybe it's because it brings my wife to tears or because of the pain in my mom's voice when she tells me how she watched the race.

I think what really bothers me is that I know more can be done and has been done in other areas to make the tracks safer for the horses and the jockeys. Polytrack is an artificial surface that has begun replacing dirt tracks throughout the country. It has been shown statistically to reduce fatalities.

In California, all tracks operating for four consecutive weeks were mandated to install synthetic surfaces by 2007. The same thing could and should be done at all thorougbred racing tracks in New York State.

The cost of installing the polytrack is a fraction of the money that flows in and out of these racing parks. Polytrack will reduce fatalities, increase safety for horses and jockeys and help to attract a wider horse racing fanbase that can begin to place trust in a sport that needs to improve its public perception.

Please share your opinion on the issue of mandating polytrack in New York State by participating in the survey on the right.