SAT - Fair Grounds
 

Rain is projected in Hallandale for the weekend, so the Fair Grounds will be the focus. I'm driving to Florida on Friday morning with my family, which should be an interesting trip with my 3 1/2 yr old son and 2 yr old daughter. My wife has packed plenty of DVD's. I'm planning on being at Gulfstream for the Sunshine Millions and start of the Magna 5 next week.


Fair Grounds

R1 - MSW 42k

#6 Captain Cherokee - Makes 2nd career start for Asmussen after walking out of the gate in debut as the post time favorite. Made a nice run to finish 2nd at Churchill Downs to a nice looking winner Sangre Frio on 11/22/08 - Race 10. The 4th place finisher from that race (Alma D'Oro) graduated at Gulfstream Park on Thursday 1/15/09 - Race 3. You're not going to get much of a price, but he's definitely one to keep on eye on. Chalk players should start the day backing him up.

R7 - La Bred Alw52k NC

#3 Tortuga Straits
#4 Power Surge
#2 Time Is Crucial
#6 John Charles

R8 - OC50k/N1X

#1 Map of the World - Stretches out here after showing little speed in the Sugar Bowl from an outside post. Robby reunites and should work out a nice ground saving trip from the rail. Expect him to take this event and make his graded stakes debut next month. Singleton

R9 - Truly Bound 60k

#5 Bear Now
#1 Rolling Sea
#3 Adhrhythm
#6 My Heavenly Sign

R10 - MSW 42k

#4 Hightap - in the Nightcap.
#7 Weekend Prospect
#5 High Quail

PK4 - 2 3 4 6 / 1 / 1 3 5 6 / 4 5 7 = $48
PK4 - 2 3 4 6 / 1 / 5 / 4 = $4

Good Racing Luck

Been there done that with my drives north to Saratoga.

DVD's and their favorite snacks, the only way to keep things at a relatively calm level.

Good luck with the card, but moreso, good luck with the drive.

Thanks Bigs, ETD 1 hour and counting.

You are braver than I. I dread drives a half hour away with my 2yo. :mad:
But I understand not buying 4 plane tickets as well.:$: :$:

30 below has to be an incentive. Have a safe trip.

1/19/09 IL OTB Access to Santa Anita
 

Hi Bogey,

Went to All Seasons OTB in Normal yesterday to play Santa Anita and was told they were unable to access CA tracks due to a "dispute." Do you know if this is a temporary problem or one that could linger? I have yet to create an on-line account as I want to support my local OTB but will have to if the OTB and CA tracks are grappling over revenue streams. Thanks for any info you have Bogey.

Santa Anita signal disrupted
By Steve Andersen

A contract dispute over simulcasting revenue between the Thoroughbred Owners of California and tracks owned by Churchill Downs led the owners' group to withdraw permission to send the Santa Anita betting signal on Monday to at least two major Churchill-owned venues, officials of Santa Anita and the owners' group said.

The simulcasting networks at Arlington Park, near Chicago, and Fair Grounds in New Orleans were cut off, as were satellites linked with those racetracks. The extent of the blackout to other Churchill-owned tracks or simulcasting networks was not immediately known.

The blackout took effect on Monday, a day in which Santa Anita ran a nine-race program.

Drew Couto, president of Thoroughbred Owners of California, said the dispute centers around the distribution of revenue among racetracks, simulcasting locations, and horsemen from bets placed through Churchill Downs-owned venues.

Couto said he was informed last Thursday that Tracknet, a simulcast-marketing partnership between Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Inc., wanted to alter the rates it pays to offer simulcasting. A contract agreement was reached with the Magna-owned tracks in the Tracknet group, but no resolution was reached with the Churchill-owned tracks, he said.

The blackout began Monday after negotiations reached a stalemate last week, Couto said.

"We gave them a 72-hour notice on Friday," he said.

Tracknet's chief executive, Scott Daruty, said, "I fail to see how that could and should result in the cutting off of the signal to other racetracks. I think this whole thing is thoroughly avoidable. I think the signals could have been left on while we try to find common ground."

Just when you think things can't get any worse they always do.