First Post: Thursday, October 10, 2013

L Z Granderson, outspoken professional journalist and columnist, says with authority what we have tried but f(l)ailed to say…

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/opinion/granderson-diva-kanye-miley/index.html

Free ones: Rundown…

Belmont 4, 9
Santa Anita 8

Pay-side: Today…

Hawthorne 2, 6, 9
Keeneland 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9
Laurel 5, 7
Remington 9

Today’s Stakes Pageantry: None today, but MC Burrell and the rest of Oaktown will pack into the cavernous O.co Mausoleum this evening for the series decider between their beloved Ath-a-letics and the visiting Tygres. How can you not root for the day-glo yellow jerseys with the patch picturing the precariously poised pachyderm on the sleeve? How?!

Yesterday’s Activity: Well, Honey Man, AmaZULU turned in a bunch of zed’s in a sleepy performance in the fourth, but what about the rest of the day’s festivities? Was there the opportunity for an instant revival?

Before that, as always, Welcome To The Home Of The Runner-Up Finish, courtesy of Second Bonkersmate Tubby Time, 12-1 in real life from an 8-1 morning line. No good on the winner, so no exacta opportunity. Sorry!

However, another Second Bonkersmate, Unbridled Fire, came through at a skimpy 3-1 (from 8-1 on the morning line) in Race 7 at Laurel. Third Bonkersmate in that race, Tru Greek at 27-1, did come in third, yielding the dreaded first-third split exacta.

Similar bet-down situation in Remington 7 via top-touted Prospect Knight, 12-1 on the morning line but a pounded-on 2½-1 second-choice on the toteboard. Thanks a lot, Oklahoma! Thanks a lot!

At least there were double-digits returned in WO 2 via top-touted Shop Gal, $10.80. Shop Gal was 10-1 on the morning line and a first-timer with a connection line of 19pc/14pc/20pc. Good enough. Thanks a lot, Rexdale-Etobicoke Int’l! Merci beaucoup!

Later there, the public showed a little mercy in the form of the $18.30 (nickel breakage!) win mutuel on top-touted Bilky Bluz, 8-1 on the morning line. This was a dismal race, with no definition on the Betting Line and none of the horseys able to emerge from the Me Decade (a k a the 70s) on the all-important LifeLiner Speed column.

And now to the highlight of this section, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the Keeneland card for your Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 A.D./C.E.

Once you got past the forgettable Amazulu (thanks, Honey Man! thanks, V6 Betting Line! thanks a lot, LifeLiner Speed!), it turned out OK. In the immediate aftermath of the Amazulu debacle, top-touted Holy Highway did indeed lead to the winner’s circle. This Holy Highway was third-choice on the Betting Line and 10-1 on the morning line. Holy Highway&rsrquo;s Fair Odds on said Betting Line were 5-1. LifeLiner Speed was OK with all this, registering 94. The win mutuel was $32.20.

Then it was yet another King of the NetCapper Bulliesz special, with Second Bonkersmate Peytonville (Denver!) delivering a last-gasp rally (LifeLiner 60-60-87!) to win at almost 10-1 ($21.40) from 15-1 on the morning line. First Bonkersmate Keiko, 29-1, ran third; however, the runner-up was OK on LifeLiner and so was the fourth-place straggler: $126 exacta, $2,030 trifecta, $10,014 super-duper. All prices quoted for $2.

Early again today at Lexington (Ky.), but so far so good!

WMF Report:

Early
Chas. Town 4½f
PennNat 6f
Remington 5½f, 1m
Santa Anita 6f (WMF 260)

Rally
Belmont 1 1/16m (InT)

Nocturnal Submission: Shane Victorino Single Stumper of the Night comes in PennNat 8 (9:10 p.m. EDT / 6:10 p.m. PDT): #4 Flyin Hawaiian L C. …

Thank you. Best wishes. Goodbye. Aloha.