First Post: Saturday, June 11, 2011

From the rheumy-eyed melancholy of “My Old Kentucky Home” to the old-world solemnity of “Maryland, My Maryland” to…“New York, New York”? Cazart!

In terms of American Triple Crown songs, leave it to the Gothamites to mix things up with a large dose of incongruity. But it wasn’t always this way. In a better, more-restrained time, the song played before the Belmont Stakes was “The Sidewalks of New York”. No waving top hats, no big toe-to-the-forehead leg kicks, no microphones.

Fear not, you can still hear the sentimental melody of “The Sidewalks of New York” played by the bugler before the Manhattan.

Free ones:

Rundown
Belmont 5, 10, 12
Calder 4, 8, 9
Hollypark 8, 9, 10

Needless to say, Belmont’s card is worthy, worthwhile. As is Calder’s. For the Inglewood fansz, sleep in until Race 8. Thank you!

Pay-side:

Rundown
Churchill 7, 8, 10
Monmouth 8, 9, 12
Woodbine 5, 8, 11
Colonial 5, 6, 7
Arlington 2, 4, 7
Louisiana 2, 6, 8

WMF Report:

Speed
Calder 6f
Chas. Town 6½f
Emerald 6f
Finger 6f
Lincoln 6f
Lone Star 5f (T) (!)
Mountain 5½f
Monmouth 6f
Northlands 6f
Keystone 6f, 7f
Presque 6f
Prairie 6f
River 6f, 1m
SunRay 4½f (a perfect WMF 1000), 6½f
Thistle 6f

Rally (Honourable Mention)
Hollypark 1 1/16m (WMF 26)

Nocturnal Submission: Chas. Town’s second (7:41 p.m. EDT / 4:41 p.m. PDT) features three horses ranked higher on the morning line than our much more sensible — ho-ho!— choice, #1 Jjalad. …In the 10th (and final) at Evangeline (10:43 p.m. / 7:43 p.m.), the live longshot has to be #6 Fourteen Hundred. …Finally, in Race 7 at Indiana (9:25 p.m. / 6:25 p.m.), #5 Royal Renaissance can post the upset. …

Thank you, and goodbye.