Super Tuesday in Erie and I won't be on hand
 

Presque Isle Downs kicks off a new season with opening day this Tuesday.

83 horses entered over 8 races.

Including two different $100,000 stakes races --- and the 2012 return of Lisa's Booby Trap in the 5th race - a $53,000 allowance race.

Lisa's Booby Trap has won 9-of-13 lifetime -- including 3 straight late last year at FL -- two of which against males. Her kooky trainer Tim Snyder still has her.

Race #6 is the Inaugural Stakes. Gypsy Robin -- a 3 length winner of the Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland last out -- takes on Dance To Bristol (a filly who was 2nd to undefeated Agave Kiss last out. She has run Beyers between 88 and 91 in each of her last 3 starts)

This race also features the stakes debut of Mike Matz trained Brilliant Katie (a filly who made my Youtube bet back video for her 49 Beyer debut and has since improved her fig by 30+ points in each of her next two starts...with only a win at 9/5 odds and a 2nd place finish to show for it)

Race #7 features an interesting renewal of the Tom Ridge Stakes. Yes, they really did name a stakes race after Tom Ridge...he's the former head of homeland security with the hearing aid who invented the color coded terror alert chart.

The Tom Ridge features good 3yo colts like Town Prize (94 Beyer in his 3yo debut in a big stakes win at Woodbine) Hogy (won the Hansel Stakes with a 92 Beyer) Johanesburbon (Set the pace in the Grade 3 Lexington and beaten less than 4 lengths in only career start #2) and Sum of the Parts (92 Beyer at Kee last out -- Leperoux named to ride -- cross entered in Sat stakes at CD)

However, the most crazy horse in the field is the longshot Mountaineer invader Lomax.



Lomax won his career debut at Mountaineer Park by 23.5 lengths going just six furlongs a few weeks ago. He earned a 96 Beyer ... an unheard of figure for a Mountaineer debuter. Note, Lomax is out of a Salt Lake mare. Salt Lake and Dehere are kingpins as sires and broodmare sires of debuters.

However, the only reason why any of this is remotely thread worthy ... is because I won't be in Erie on Tuesday and thus will miss this fine opening day card at the picturesque 'Track of the infield eyesores and very nearby landfill and trailer park'

Yes, I will be on a mini 4-day vacation with my girlfriend and miss this great racing card -- as well as the free T-shirt and $1 Smith Hot Dogs to all people who show up. Admission is free. The track is certain to be crawling with 20-something single mothers and the bastard little kids they bring to entertain whenever a t-shirt promo is on.

Tom Ridge has a Stakes race named after him at Presque Isle and you don't? I find that absolutely appaling.

Where are you and the little lady going?

Is the Lomax race is a mile? If so, you always preach about speed holding at PI, is there a chance that Lomax gets absolutely dismissed at the windows and goes wire to wire?

Nothing to add except I'm impressed with a 23.5 length win at pretty much any level.

ETA - having checked out the race replay, it was visually impressive as well.

I'm guessing some place really exotic, like Ohio. Cincy or Cleveland?

i laughed

-bt-

The Lomax race is a sprint.

I narrowed down the vacation options to anywhere she wanted to drive...because I sure am not driving outside of the city limits.

Her gay roommate is encouraging her to choose New York City...so it probably will be there.

I was initially thinking Cleveland or Baltimore would be perfect.

Cleveland is perfect because they have the worlds best amusement park in Cedar Point near-by and because my dopey Air traffic controller brother lives there. But Cedar Point doesn't open until two weeks from now.

She can't get off of work on Friday or Saturday -- or Baltimore would have been the choice. Inner Harbor + Preakness.

Anything that doesn't involve roller coasters or horse tracks -- I'd personally have no interest in seeing. I'm probably the most boring person in the world...but that remains her problem.

scioto downs?

-bt-

Damn, I was soooo close!

I think you should take her to West Virginia. Some of the benefits?

1. Mountaineer Park.
2. Homeland of Randy Moss.
3. You'll be with your own kind.
4. It's a very scenic state, for the most part.
5. You can go visit that famous fat kid who didn't know that french fries and potato chips come from potatoes. Or something like that. I think he wasn't even able to recognize a whole potato in it's raw form. You would look like a genius in comparison!

If I go to West Virgina I will take her to the dog track at least once...and we will probably end up adopting a greyhound.

Wherever we go -- I'm bringing my laptop and phone.

You've never been to a dog track before, have you? You really haven't lived until you have.

If you both have passports try Toronto with one night in Niagara Falls. Toronto is only about 4 hours from Erie.

You guys are sleeping on Buffalo.

How bout this?

Six Flags Great Adventure
http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/index.aspx



only about 33 miles away from Monmouth Park.

Only downside Doug, there are no Subway's in the area.

Oh yeah and it's only 12 miles away from beautiful Freehold Raceway..............:o

If you go try this.

http://www.whirlpooljet.com/page/home

don't listen to that guy, he's a shill for jersey.com

stay classy and take her here :rolleyes:

http://www.800poconos.com/


-bt-

Nope. Never been.

I have been to Los Al though. Does that qualify?

Joisey might be a good idea.

I can alert Pippy.

Here's the video of the race for anyone who hasn't watched it and wants to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzRhU...ature=youtu.be

You might want to mute it. I spliced it and hit upload so fast that the call is pretty messed up.

:tro:

I realize we're talking about a horse winning its debut by a zillion lengths at MNR, but the jock never asked the horse to run even once. It will be interesting to see if there's anything more to the horse.

The Lomax win looks like it came over a speed-biased racetrack.

1st race of the day: wire-to-wire at 37-to-1 odds.

2nd race of the day: wire-to-wire by five lengths at 16/1 odds.

3rd race of the day: wire-to-wire at 9/1 odds.

4th: route -- pace setter was 2nd at 3/1

5th race: Lomax wire-to-wire by 23.5

6th - pace setter was 2nd at 3/1

Off the pace types won 3 of the next 4 races.

If you had to guess, what odds will he go off at?

He went 3.80 seconds faster than the split heat.

So, had he run in the other open MSW division for males that day -- he would have won that race by 20+ lengths as well.

That's by far the fastest Mountaineer Park debuter I ever recall ... but it looks like the inside-speed friendly nature of the track that day flattered him. He didn't even break all that well -- and a horse who had been 2nd in a MCL 25K at Tampa this winter was used up trying to hook. Bias aided or not -- still tremendously impressive for that level. The fact that he was wrapped up with the ears pricked isn't a big deal to me. The horse was sprinting home and it's doubtful he could have gone any faster. That's normally a pretty slow track down there.

He didn't run particularly fast early, so the 96 isn't likely to be repeated unless he is a total freak. This is what I gave the race on a Beyer scale:

So, yes, he flew home, but any good horse would have also given those numbers early.

Hard to say. That's a brutally tough spot he''s entered in for just 100K. There are five horses in there who are proven stakes caliber horses.

I would scratch him. Makes no sense rushing back in two weeks off such a huge debut performance. Wait for an entry level alw race here where he'll romp. Conditions are worth it in PA. They already wasted the MSW at Mountaineer for a lousy 17K purse.

Really, I'm just looking for another Fabulous Strike.

You'll be looking for a long time.

Fabulous Strike debuted at Tampa Bay Downs when I was there on-track --- he split the field.

He didn't become a sensation until he got hooked up with the alchemist at Penn National. But damn, was he tough.

I just recall him running some bang-up races at MNR before making it "big."

That's a good point.

But, he did run pretty fast early for a MSW horse at Mountaineer. For people who don't know, those type of races are typically won with Beyers of like 50.

The dam of this horse did route. She had won 5 in a row before finishing 4th in a Graded Stake (Delaware Oaks) going long.

He did. He ran 2 HUGE races at Mountaineer as a 3yo and one as a 4yo if I recall.

It is funny looking at the PPs of the other horses. The runner up, in a race where the winner was given a 96, gets a 36. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger gap, certainly not in a sprint.

Not a single horse has run back yet from the race. I'll be watching for the horse that pressed him for a while, Distinct Thriller. He was given a 25 Beyer, but he probably ran as well as he did the day he ran his top, a 51.

Good horses don't debut at Mountaineer, except for this rare exception. Most horses in a MSW at Mnr with those early pace numbers would stop like they're carrying lead weight. Color me impressed.

Douglas- if you change your mind on the vacation, there is a 20-25% chance I will be there on Tuesday. Long story, but I probably have to drive back to WNY again next week. If I do, I'll probably stop in drErie and ride the Ravine Flyer again and hit the opening night card at PID.

:D :tro:

Congrats on tabbing Distinct Thriller as a horse to watch. Sorry the price didn't turn out better for you in his win last night at Mountaneer. Your input on DT is appreciated and helps others improve their handicapping skills. Thank you.

If I remember right, he broke Talent Search's will pretty badly in one of those races.

CL...can you post Fabulous Strike's lifetime PP's?

I see some jockey's in the PP's, James Graham and C.C. Lopez. I wonder if they are just there for the day or for the meet? Graham wins the opener for Sheppard.

Leparoux also came in today. Only riding 1 race (Sum of the Parts in the Tom Ridge).

I also noticed that Matz has an entry in the Inaugural (Brilliant Katie). Leparoux was on her maiden-breaker at Keeneland, but Rocco has the mount. Think there is still post-Derby friction there?

Don't know about Lopez, but willing to bet Graham is in for just today. He has been riding at Arlington and haven't heard about him moving his tack to PID.

Leparoux rode for matz in race 6....jock change.....even money ??? Just crazy.