First Post: Thursday, October 3, 2013

Suitable for work, even in the 1980s…

Free ones: Rundown…

Belmont 4, 5, 7, 9
Santa Anita 4, 5, 8

Pay-side: Today…

Delpark 4, 7
Laurel 2, 3, 4, 5
Remington 1, 5, 7

Today’s Stakes Pageantry: None today. In the American Baseball, we have two good National League matchups going. We have series that pit one racetrack state against one nonracetrack state. We have Penna. vs. Mo., and we have Calif. vs. Ga. We always are siding with the states that have racetracks. The denizens of the other states, they have to cross state lines to go to the races. What kind of life is that? How can you grow up or reside in that sort of deprivation? Even the severe New England Purtians of New Hampshire and Massachusetts and Rhode Island put racetracks in their states. Mo. and Ga., what happened there?

Now, as Filthadelfia Fillies (yes, they were the gentler gender during this past season and the one before that, surely) fans (hey, where’s all the usual ‘PH’ digraphs? oh, ‘digraph’ has one…), we have longstanding enmity for all these four teams. Given the underdog status of the Pyritesz, they are easy to choose. As for the Hotlantans v. the Angelenos, both of these are sworn enemies to the death. There have been near-yearly intradivision battles with the Bravos, and Los Doyers have played the Fightin’s in more than a few playoff series. This is a real headscratcher, a true Hobson’s Choice, like pestilence v. famine, frogs v. locusts, Chloe Cardassian v. Lamar Cardassian. That sort of thing.

In the end, we are probably going to have to go with the hated Braves. There, we said it. We are rooting for the Braves. Braves, Braves, Braves, Braves, Braves.

However, do not ask us to perform the Tomahawk Chop or do that chant.

Yesterday’s Activity: Cabo Cat won the second at Belmont. It was a typical race for a firster to win. One moderately talented experienced runner and a whole bunch of deubtantes. Cabo Cat got touted for his 8-1 morning line and his 15pc/22pc/33pc T/J/TJ connection line. Cabo Cat paid $18-even, exactly at his morning line.

Everything else good came from Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. Green Digger took the third at 7½-1, or $17-even if you’re a decimal-system lover. Green Digger was tops all across his LifeLiner array (Early-Pace-Speed), and ran to that forecast. Green Digger was bet-down from 10-1 on the morning line. The only other 80-plus LifeLiner Speed Column qualifier completed the perfecta at 4-1. In a seven-horse field, the exacta, which coupled the fifth public-choice on top of the third public-choice, paid $111.40 (for $2).

In Race 5 there, Weightlifter carried heavy public action, supporting a plunge to actual odds of 8-5 from a morning line of 10-1. The winner paid $5.20.

A natural double (with no actual double, natch) was realized in Race 6 via Racing Holiday’s score at $10.40. In a race teeming with firsters, Racing Holiday was the experienced guy who had the qualifying 80-plus on LifeLiner Speed, and 20-1 on the morning line was a stupid fantasy. Stupid.

N.B. A Bonkers Box was touted for the eighth at the Remington. The touted horseys were top-touted All About Brownie and Bonkersmate Heaven’s Rainbow. All About Brownie was 8-1 on the morning line and Heaven’s Rainbow was 20-1 on it. Yet the actual odds on the two were pretty much switched: ’Brownie was 20-1 in real life and ’Rainbow was 7-1.

Neither won. But the ’Rainbow ran second and ’Brownie came third. The 7-5 favorite won but got no love from any of our analyses. Nonetheless, classic saver-players might have gotten a sniff of the $250 (for $2) triactor. Maybe.

WMF Report:

Early
Chas. Town 4½f, 6½f
PennNat 6f
Remington 6f

Rally
Belmont 1 1/16m (InT) (WMF 8)

Nocturnal Submission: Sifting through the wreckage, unlike federal NTSB investigators. Should anything turn up, you’ll be the first to know.

Thank you. Best wishes. Goodbye. So long, Chief Noc-A-Homa. So long.