I like to play some of the small tracks this time of year. Some I have a feel for while I find others just baffling. Some that I get a feel on are Mountaineer, Turfway, and Tampa Bay.

One way i look at it is like this is training in order to stay sharp and to practice good money management skills. Of course you don't handicap them like you would high end horses but it forces you to work hard to find winners.

Plus its just plain fun.

Jay Privman has a write up on DRF discussing Discreet Cat as a possible sprint champion if he wins the Cigar mile. This really pisses me off. I like Discreet Cat quite a bit, but he has done nothing to warrant an Eclipse award yet. Especially in the sprint division. Even if he smokes the Cigar mile field, its still a one turn mile, not a true sprint race.

I'm for Bordonaro, Siren Lure, or possibly Thor's Echo, should he win the De Frances.

Favorite P-track? Dunno yet. I live about 15 min from Turfway and have been able to see alot of that surface, so I am getting somewhat used to handicapping it. Not familiar enough with Hollywood and Keeneland yet.

I was just saying this tonight....as if Daylight Savings Time and the cold isn't bad enough...we hit the slow season of racing too. :(

Slow season? did you forget about Penn National?:D

I usually get ready for Tampa and Fairgrounds.Tampa ALWAYS has some real juicy mutuels,and Fairgrounds will be strong this year,so watch for the good ones to come out.One thing I am wondering about is if Eddie Martin is going to ride Fairgrounds or Aqueduct.I see his name at Aqueduct again for the wednesday card in the seventh race.

How could I EVER forget! ;)

Well the Fairgrounds reopens near Thanksgiving Tampa Bay Downs (Kev's Fav track) the first few weeks in Dec and a little farther out My Fav. Oaklawn opens the 3rd week in Jan.

Sounds like a sentence

He would be the first sprint champion that never won a stakes sprinting!

Exactly! WHY is he even being mentioned???

I can not figure out why the Met mile and cigar mile are considered "sprints" when determining th title. Thye are middle distance races, not sprints. They have sprint characteristics but if you look in the NYRA condition book index they are under the "long" not "short" .

Yes. I agree totally. This very situation was played out by Speightstown and Pico Central. Distressingly, unitl Pico lost the Cigar mile, he was NOT out of the running. What the hell? The 2 biggest sprint (dirt) races in the world are the BC Sprint and the Dubai World Cup Sprint, both at 6 furlongs. A SPRINT does not = a one turn mile....

Could not agree more

Well, now that's settled, care to take a crack at the war in Iraq?:o

Only if they put a track in there

Hah! I doubt they could run around the car bombing crators (sp?).. rarely used word.

Just put in slots and all the troubles will go away...race tracks mantra...hey maybe it'll work there too?

YES. Why not. That glazed over look seems to work wonders elsewhere.....:rolleyes:

caused by very full fields.

4 weeks from this Saturday....can't wait.

Dec. 9 until the first Sunday in May is my "on" time not my down time.

The rest of the year is just goofing around trying to hit a nice P4 or P6.