First Post: Saturday, March 12, 2011

Man, rooting for the Arsenal F.C. is like rooting for the cheap speed.

Flashy up front, involved in all sorts of competitions from August through March, and then it’s time for the real hoofing to begin — all of a sudden, poof!

Like an outclassed frontrunner who finally reaches his level of incompetence, that’s the Arsenal F.C., year after year. It’s predictable. Just as some overambitious horses start calling for a skateboard at the quarter-pole, the Arsenal F.C. begin backing out of the battle in March of every season. It’s like rooting for the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Vikings every year. Always a good record, plenty of skill and talent and flair, but nowhere when the trophies are handed out. “Our valued destiny come to nothing…” was how they put it in a recent song.

Ah, well. Silly to complain about football when the rest of the world is rocking and there’s real suffering to be endured. Utterly useless to make more than 45,000 posts to a noxious online message board. Was it really necessary to type all that? Could it have been that important? Someone will make a smart answer. And then the tally goes to 45,000 +1! Too bad Freud isn’t around to analyze that sort of thing.

Free ones…

Rundown
Aqueduct 2, 5, 8
Gulfstream 5, 7, 9
Santa Anita 4, 8, 9

Pay-side…

Rundown
Laurel 2, 5, 8
Tampa 6, 7, 10
Hawthorne 6, 7, 8
Fair Grounds 6, 7, 9
Oaklawn 3, 7, 10
Turfway 1, 4, 11

WMF Report: Remember that contrast at Golden Gate: 6f WMF 166, 1 1/16m WMF 20. …Gulfstream has two speed-friendly trips at 6f, 1m. …Hawthorne OK at 6f for speed. …Ditto Laurel. …Mountaineer 5½f has front-tendencies. …Philly Pharx 6f WMF 275. …Rallies still at the Tampa 1m (T), WMF 23. …Three fantastic leading trips at Turf Paradise: 6f, 6½f, 1m. …

Thank you!