Professional sports is an athletic competition. Professional sports is a business enterprise. But, most of all, professional sports is an entertainment spectacle, and nowhere else on Planet Earth can it be the kind of glaring, blaring, can’t-help-but-staring entertainment spectacle as it must be in Los Angeles, Lotusville, La-La Land. Especially on a picture-perfect, mellow-mild twilight Saturday for Game 2 of your 2024 World Series, with your sky-high palm trees and majestic Santa Monica Mountains serving as the seemingly painted-on backdrop of the immaculate Hollywood set known as Dodger Stadium: It’s a Western, it’s a beach movie, it’s a midcentury period piece with an elusive diamond-caper at its center. Athletics, yes; business, of course; but, most of all, entertainment.
The superzoom always lets our jaundiced eye capture the rarely remarked process of how the proverbial sausage gets made. We aim to show you some of the things that the highlight reels prefer to ignore. Thank you!
Probably later on in the week, as the Dodgers clinch a championship or the Jankies try to make a series of it, we’ll gradually pay-out even more photos & recollections of this special outing.
Gratuitous Horse Racing Tweet of Your Day:
BestLine Racing Society Recap:
Housekeeping! Some post-press-time connections to report from Friday’s late action: At Chas. Town, W.Va., #7 Quantico Creek (.215 Win Prob / 3.65-1 Fair Odds / 5.51-1 Premium Odds) won Race 4 for the Central Intelligence Agency at $15.40. At Grantville, Penna., #2 Socially Awkward (.379 / 1.64 / 2.17) in Race 7 made a winning date in the winner’s circle anyway at $7.40. At Oklahoma City, #5 Jolly Samurai (.324 / 2.09 / 2.70) took your Race 10 finale at $7.40.
As for yesterday (Saturday), some of your races went like this…
Starting as we often do in The Empire State of New York, specifically Ozone Park, whose opener was lousy with first-timers, giving the best of the experienceds, #1 Rookie Card (.931 / 0.07 / 0.29) the win at $3-even. In Race 3, #5 Digital Ops (.377 / 1.65 / 2.18) fingered a victory at $8.10. Next race there, another contest lousy with first-timers, so #1 Kenny Be (.714 / 0.40 / 0.68) won it for the non-debut-types at $8.20; your winning $38.20 daily double had a premium price of $10.68. In Race 6, #4 Hands of Time (.502 / 0.99 / 1.39) swept to a prompt score at $5.80. Next race there, #6 Runninsonofagun (.241 / 3.15 / 3.98) ran to that billing at $34-even; your winning $86-even daily double had a premium price of $23.80. In the race after that, #7 Coastal Mission (.286 / 2.50 / 3.20) was a shore thing at $11-even; your winning $168.50 daily double had a premium price of $41.83; as well, your winning $512-even pick 3 (for $2) had a premium price of $210.83 (again for $2). In your Race 11 finale, #2 Disco Star (.241 / 3.15 / 3.98) and #9 Forever to Go (.250 / 3.00 / 3.80) combined on your winning $43-even exacta whose premium price was $38.20.
Race 4 at Chas. Town, W.Va., had #6 Romantic Warrior (.531 / 0.88 / 1.26) prevailing at $4.60. In your Race 8 finale, #2 Stormin’ Runner (.768 / 0.30 / 0.56) ran to that billing at $4.60.
Over to Rocky View, Alb., for #4 C C’s Kitten (.216 / 3.63 / 4.56) winning Race 3 for the felines at $16.80.
#2 Jovie G (.251 / 2.98 / 3.78) and #7 Heza Royal Cat (.260 / 2.85 / 3.62) combined on your winning $38.20 exacta in Race 9 from Vinton, La.
The Collinsville, Ill., opener was won by #1 Valiantly Discreet (.293 / 2.41 / 3.78) at $20.60.
In Race 9 out of Hallandale Beach, Fla., #3 Alasdair (.133 / 6.52 / 9.53) won it for the philosopher MacIntyre at $22.40; completing your winning $358.40 exacta was #4 Acquired Class (.133 / 6.52 / 9.53), with the premium price on that comboa (comboa!) being $200.70. Next race there, #9 Amor Y Control (.203 / 3.93 / 4.91) loved being in command at the wire, returning $14.20 up top; your winning $289.80 daily double had a premium price of $124.46.
#13 Random Harvest (.318 / 2.14 / 2.77) reaped a win in Lexington, Ky.’s Race 5 at $7.66.
From Youngstown, Ohio, it was #12 Empire’s Fire (.105 / 8.52 / 12.33) and #13 Dougie D Oro (.182 / 4.49 / 5.59) combining in Race 9 on your winning $209.20 exacta whose premium price was $162.50.
In Race 4 out of Pleasanton, Calif., #5 Last Call Vron (.529 / 0.89 / 1.27) was first to the wire at $5.20.
Ending as we often do with Etobicoke Int’l., whose Race 4 had #1 Canyouhearmerunnin (.223 / 3.48 / 4.38) winning it for Mike & The Mechanics at $14.90.
As for today (Sunday), some of your races went like this…
Starting as we almost never do in The Land of Enchantment, specifically Albuquerque, whose Thoroughbred opener was Race 5 and won by #5 Mystic Gold (.173 / 4.78 / 7.09) at $22.20.
Race 3 from Opening Day in Louisville, Ky., had #9 Moral (.383 / 1.61 / 2.13) and #4 Coalmoon (.273 / 2.66 / 3.40) combining on your winning $27.38 exacta whose premium price was $18.74. In Race 7, #2 Lil Muggs (.404 / 1.48 / 1.97) was the best of the experienceds in a field lousy with first-timers, prevailing at $13.40.
#9 Trainer Please (.127 / 6.87 / 10.02) possessed the winning condition in Race 4 at Laurel, Md., at $24-even. In a Race 6 lousy with first-timers, #13 Sinetic (.313 / 2.19 / 2.83) won it for Chinese languages at $10.80. In Race 8, #9 Red Hat Hanna (.255 / 2.92 / 3.71) won it for fun-loving self-organizing women of all ages at $32.60; completing your winning $116.60 exacta was #5 Oncourtcommentator (.224 / 3.46 / 4.36), with the premium price on that comboa (comboa!) being $39.77.
#2 Fool for the City (.354 / 1.82 / 2.39) won your New Cumberland, W.Va., opener for urbanites & metropolitans the world over at $18.40; completing your winning $29.80 exacta was #7 Running Right by U (.258 / 2.88 / 3.65), with the premium price on that comboa (comboa!) being $22.22.
Pleasanton, Calif.’s Race 5 was lousy with first-timers, so #10 Unpretentious (.281 / 2.56 / 3.27), the third-best of the experienceds, had that seasoning pay-off at $10.40; completing your winning $28-even exacta was #7 Goin’ South (.316 / 2.16 / 2.80), with the premium price on that comboa (comboa!) being $24.85.
Ending as we often do with Etobicoke Int’l., where Race 4 had #1 Long Pond (.192 / 4.21 / 5.25) winning it for the Atlantic Ocean at $23.60. Next race there, #1 Poppy’s Joy (.182 / 4.49 / 6.69) won it for heroin, morphine & other assorted opiates at $18.40; your winning $202.10 daily double had a premium price of $96.12. As well, your winning $79.90 exacta was completed by #4 Wickenheiser (.228 / 3.39 / 4.26) and had a premium price of $70.37.
BestLine Racing Society Nightcap:
At this advanced hour, still some issues to consider from The Mountain…
Strongshots
Longshots
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