Venue thoughts for May 17

[JolyB]

One of the great things about winning the points contest before a triple crown weekend is that you don't have to choose the venue - we will be going to Pimlico for the Preakness and I have nothing to say about it.

However, I would like to share a couple of thoughts about how much of the card we ought to play for our points contest. In order to cash in on their one big day of racing for the year (well, the Black Eyed Susan day on Friday might count as another), Pimlico has carded 14 races, with lots of time in between each race. Post time for their first race will be 10:30 AM, the Preakness goes off at 7:01 PM and the final race for Arabians is scheduled to go to post at 7:43 PM as the shadows lengthen. The lines at the ATM machines will be very long.

I'd like to have a somewhat shorter lineup for our contest. I think that a contest card that begins at 12:16 PM with race 4 (the Maryland Sprint) and ends with the Preakness (race 13) could make for a very good day of racing. That would include all 9 of the stakes races for thoroughbreds.

I'd love to hear from all of you about your thoughts on including race 14. It is a Grade 1 race with a purse of $200,000; however, it is carded for Arabians. I don't think many of us actively follow the Arabian circuit, so we probably don't know much about any of the horses or trainers. They are very difficult for a neophyte to handicap but very beautiful to watch. How do we feel about ending our card with this race or concluding with the Preakness?

Please give me your reactions to these thoughts, and I'll post the threads based on what I can learn from everyone's reactions.

[RUFFIAN]

❣️🐎❣️ ARABIAN = MY FAVORITE ❣️

" THE EINSTEIN OF HORSES "

PHOTOS OF MINE ON MY WEBSITE
RUFFIAN333.com


MY VOTE = END WITH PREAKNESS 🏇🏇🏇

[Real Quiet]

Starting with Race 4 sounds good to me. Gives us a little more time to post and to check scratches. Of course you can use any race in the ROI but I would prefer to skip the Arabian race.

[Digger]

Ending contest with the Preakness is the best race to end our points contest.
When I was a young man I would be there at Pimlico with the sun rising at the same time.
Race 4 now seems the better time for start of our points contest but I'll be ready at 7 am.
Black Eyed Susan not interested in having in our points contest.
Old Hilltop was my back yard play ground when I was a younger man. Wish I could be there on Saturday from 7:00 am till 7:00 pm. 😊

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by Digger

Ending contest with the Preakness is the best race to end our points contest.
When I was a young man I would be there at Pimlico with the sun rising at the same time.
Race 4 now seems the better time for start of our points contest but I'll be ready at 7 am.
Black Eyed Susan not interested in having in our points contest.
Old Hilltop was my back yard play ground when I was a younger man. Wish I could be there on Saturday from 7:00 am till 7:00 pm. 😊

Digger, I have heard tales of the revelry in the infield on Preakness day, in which lots of beer was consumed by local college students and very few bothered to watch the races. Reference is often made to a race atop the row of port-a-potties. Can you vouch for any of this from your younger days?

[DonGuido]

Starting with race helps in many ways. Go for it JB and nice Pts win last week.

[JolyB]

Thanks for your replies. I got the sense from them that the preference is to begin with race 4 and end with the Preakness. That's what I'll post for the points contest, while the entire card and the Black Eyed Susan/Preakness double are all available for the ROI.

I'll get the threads set up early for those who are doing their homework early.