ok carry on.

I am....but not about the part about dating their sisters...

As far as the derby....like 90 % of the horse racing world I think Street Sense will be very tough...but have a long way to go....Nobiz Like Showbiz is a serious horse....but again...I am talking about favorites here...which anyone can do....

I had thought Johannesburg Star was a one dimensional speed horse..but he proved me wrong in his last...was a very good race..not sure I trust his trainer though....Sir Whimsey had a rough trip/ride in that race...might be worth a bet next out...the winner Pink Viper will be run into the ground by Mr. Paragallo and have zero impact on the triple crown...

actually, it is you. reading 2 posts trying to get things back into the same universe of what this thread was about is quite different than wading through 2 pages of NASCAR posts.

in the grand scheme of things, yeah, off topic posts are pretty unimportant (like I said, that was the first time in over a decade i've made such a post).

however, in response to both you and the person who said i should skip those posts, that's pretty much what i did. unlike you though, i am unable to tell what a post contains without at least reading part of the post to determine what's inside.

two pages of reading about nascar boyfriends, even just partially reading about nascar boyfriends, was cruel and beyond what any rational person can withstand without getting at least annoyed.

danzig, if you could please use a better analogy next time you try to make a point, that would be just terrific. the waitress thing was cute, but pretty dissimiliar to excessive off topic nascar posts.

also, if you could enlighten me please as to how you know which posts are off topic without looking at them, i would be most appreciative!!

when things go off target, i tend to skim posts til i get back to the subject at hand.
sometimes if posts get really wacky, the powers that be remove them. it can get tiresome.

and i don't think it's just me, but maybe i'm one of the few who will post saying so. i can see why--it's not received well.

the ultimate irony--people have to read our off topic posts now, to try to get back to what the thread was about....so i'm done here on this.

Yeah, It almost inspired me to start a flurry of Emily threads......

watch vicarino come on like gangbusters, now that his pop has been sold to korea.

This weeks article has been released, looks like Any Given Saturday will be doing the Bluegrass Cat route.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=37200

I was curious what route he would go, and judging by the early nominations to some of the stakes at Tampa, he shouldn't have a ton of competition.

It'[s odd they they have selected this pattern for AGS. He debuted at Turfway (!) then won an allowance at Kee, then moved to a G2 in KY and now they choose the Tampa route rather than the Hallandale path.
I just wonder if they really haven't got a serious grip on his talent level.

I'm guessing they are going the softest route possible just to get him in the gate on Derby Day. I don't think it's a bad option really, not very "sporting" but only starting twice before the Derby isn't either. Seemed to work well for them and Bluegrass Cat.

Baze made his choice, and Gryder is beneficiary
By CHUCK DYBDAL

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Sunday's Grade 3 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint will include a familiar sight - Harry Aleo's bright orange colors aboard a heavy favorite. Aleo, who has owned such popular horses as Lost in the Fog, Vicarino and Victorina, will run Smokey Stover in the Bay Meadows BC. But there will be one thing different. Instead of Aleo's regular rider, Russell Baze, Aaron Gryder will be in the irons on Sunday.

Baze, the regular rider of Lost in the Fog, had ridden Smokey Stover in four of his first eight starts, including in a 10-length allowance victory at Golden Gate on Jan. 7. But Gryder rode Smokey Stover to victory in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Jan. 27 at Santa Anita, and trainer Greg Gilchrist has given him the call back.

Baze could have ridden Smokey Stover in the Sprint, but he and agent Ray Harris chose instead to ride the undefeated 3-year-old Another Kris for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream.

Baze was also supposed to ride Secret Scheme that day at Gulfstream, but Hollendorfer decided to run her the next day in the Grade 1 Santa Monica at Santa Anita where she finished third.

"Russell had to make a choice whether to ride Smokey Stover or Jerry's horse," Gilchrist said of Sunshine Millions Day. "My only leverage was if the horse ran well, that rider would be given the chance to ride him back."

Smokey Stover defeated two of the best sprinters in the country, Proud Tower Too and Bordonaro, in the Sprint, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 113, the top sprint figure in the country this year.

"The horse ran the best race of his life and is now ranked the top sprinter in the country," Gilchrist said. "I gave Gryder the choice of riding him [on Sunday]. If Gryder didn't ride, I would have been very happy with Russell."

Baze worked Smokey Stover on Saturday, which, Gilchrist said, "shows real class." Smokey Stover went five furlongs in 58.40.

"He told me to have some fun with him, and I did," said Baze, who is still looking for a mount in the race.

Gilchrist ran Smokey Stover twice in a 20-day period when he won the Sunshine Millions, and he has given him six weeks between races this time.

"I trained him a little lighter into the race, but timing-wise, it's good," he said. "I wanted to stay at home, so giving him six weeks and not having to ship is perfect."

Only Trickey Trevor, a Grade 2 winner last year, is firmly committed to take on Smokey Stover in the $100,000 Bay Meadows BC, to be run at six furlongs. He ran third in the Fairfax at Golden Gate on Feb. 3, his first race since last August.

Smokey Stover was assigned 123 pounds for the race, which Gilchrist thought was fair. Trickey Trevor gets in at 115. Britt's Jules, who finished second ahead of Trickey Trevor in the Fairfax, is likely to run at 114.

Three Southern California runners are considered possible, Areyoutalkintome, Bashert, and Turnbolt.