2007 - The Highs And Lows

[Borntorun]

Great idea.

High Point:

Illinois Ruling Stops Horse Slaughter in U.S. The only positive thing that has come out of decisions made by our State legislators and Executive Office thius year. Won't bore you with politics here but it's a mess:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/articleind...e.asp?id=40918

Best memories:
1) Having the opportunity to attend a Corporate Function in the Million Room at Arlington Park. I get to Arlington Park about 4-6 times a year with my wife and kids (ages 9 & 13) in the grandstand and it is a great place for family fun; but getting to see the races from the Million Room with an incredible view and fabulous food and service was awesome!
2) The winning jockey autographs goggles and gives them away to kids after races on the weekend at Arlington Park. My daughter got goggles from Robbie Albarado this year adding to her collection of signed goggles from Mark Guidy, Rene Douglas and Chris Emigh. Two Hall of Famers and the best two riders on the Chicago circuit!
3) Hitting the Turf Festival Pick 3 at Arlington Park on Arlington Million Day along with a win bet on Grand Couturier and an exacta with Grand Couturier and English Channel in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga on Million Day. Won over $650 in a span of an hour making my year at the races a profitable one.
4) Illinois OTB, NTRA, Monmouth allowing for advance wagering on the Breeders Cup. My father and I have a tradition of watching and wagering and Mom and Dad retired to Arkansas. They could not make it to Illinois this year so I bet our Pick 3s Friday ending in the 10th and 11th and went south to watch at their new home. Hit both Pick 3s we played and while they were chalky it ended in a profitable day that I got to spend with Dad.
5) On the phone with Dad watching the Belmont with both of us cheering on Rags to Riches over Curlin to get us profit on our Pick 3.
6) Street Sense. I picked him to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile based on his win at G3 Arlington Park and my daughter had him in the Ky. Derby. All of his races were incedible to watch. Even in defeat he proved a true champion who gave his best each time. Kudos to all 3 year olds, what a great year for the Derby Trial!

Lows: I too share the frustration over the loss of great equine athletes in their prime. I hope the synthetic surfaces which have disrupted my ability to effectively analyze past performances serve to diminish the loss of those we cheer to victory.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Borntorun

Great idea.

High Point:

Illinois Ruling Stops Horse Slaughter in U.S. The only positive thing that has come out of decisions made by our State legislators and Executive Office thius year. Won't bore you with politics here but it's a mess:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/articleind...e.asp?id=40918

Best memories:
1) Having the opportunity to attend a Corporate Function in the Million Room at Arlington Park. I get to Arlington Park about 4-6 times a year with my wife and kids (ages 9 & 13) in the grandstand and it is a great place for family fun; but getting to see the races from the Million Room with an incredible view and fabulous food and service was awesome!
2) The winning jockey autographs goggles and gives them away to kids after races on the weekend at Arlington Park. My daughter got goggles from Robbie Albarado this year adding to her collection of signed goggles from Mark Guidy, Rene Douglas and Chris Emigh. Two Hall of Famers and the best two riders on the Chicago circuit!
3) Hitting the Turf Festival Pick 3 at Arlington Park on Arlington Million Day along with a win bet on Grand Couturier and an exacta with Grand Couturier and English Channel in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga on Million Day. Won over $650 in a span of an hour making my year at the races a profitable one.
4) Illinois OTB, NTRA, Monmouth allowing for advance wagering on the Breeders Cup. My father and I have a tradition of watching and wagering and Mom and Dad retired to Arkansas. They could not make it to Illinois this year so I bet our Pick 3s Friday ending in the 10th and 11th and went south to watch at their new home. Hit both Pick 3s we played and while they were chalky it ended in a profitable day that I got to spend with Dad.
5) On the phone with Dad watching the Belmont with both of us cheering on Rags to Riches over Curlin to get us profit on our Pick 3.
6) Street Sense. I picked him to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile based on his win at G3 Arlington Park and my daughter had him in the Ky. Derby. All of his races were incedible to watch. Even in defeat he proved a true champion who gave his best each time. Kudos to all 3 year olds, what a great year for the Derby Trial!

Lows: I too share the frustration over the loss of great equine athletes in their prime. I hope the synthetic surfaces which have disrupted my ability to effectively analyze past performances serve to diminish the loss of those we cheer to victory.

may be the wrong place to quibble, but just as many horses are being slaughtered. they just have to travel a hell of a lot further to get to canada and mexico. numbers remain the same. not one horses life has been saved.
but of course the pols can say they cleaned up their backyard.

[Borntorun]

I did not think it through to this extent but you hit on the head for me as a citizen of Illinois, at least it's not in my back yard.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Borntorun

I did not think it through to this extent but you hit on the head for me as a citizen of Illinois, at least it's not in my back yard.

but a problem isn't eliminated, just moved. still a problem..well, actually more so. one of the things mentioned was the abhorrent condition these horses suffered when shipping to slaughterhouses, improper trailers for instance.
having to travel thousands more miles than before only made a bad situation so much worse for these horses.

[Borntorun]

What's a viable and controlled solution?

[Danzig]

well, in a perfect world, there would be no more slaughtering of horses. but a bad situation has been made so much worse. the road to hell/good intentions thing going on there.
out of country slaughterhouses are completely out of our control. if the slaughtering will continue (and until breeding practices change, they will continue) then the best thing for the horses would be the most humane treatment possible, in facilities that are strictly monitored. the shuttering of the slaughterhouses give everyone who digs no deeper a warm, fuzzy feeling. horses suffering increased dramatically.

[horseofcourse]

Highs...
1. SWLYs 3 straight 2nd place finishes
2. Funny Cide at Finger Lakes
3. Top 3 Derby finishers all having full successful campaigns and continuing to run.

Lows...
Someone stole all my cobra venom.

[my miss storm cat]

Highs...

Every race Darjina won, seeing Red Clubs win a G1, Apache Cat beating Haradasun, Vodka winning the Derby and showing the boys up, Vengeance of Rain in Dubai, finding Ace.

Lows.....

George Washington, and April 7th..... watching my favorite horse Hendrix who I still miss.

[jballscalls]

As far as racing goes:
Highs: Rags to Riches Belmont, Street Sense's Derby, Perry Ouzts winning his first Cradle Stakes.

Lows: Lethal Grande, the best horse in Oregon racing history, having to be euthanized after a career that saw him win 28 times.

Personally in racing

Lows: Calling the wrong horse last in a 100k dollar race and realizing when i got back to the front of the field into the stretch she was first, walking around Cincinnati wondering if i should switch jobs.

Highs: 2 days later nailing the call of our 200k race and once again feeling i can do this job.

[Dunbar]

As a bettor,

High point: Ellis Park offers a 4% takeout Pick-4 for the duration of it's summer meet. Horseplayers who are used to battling against 15-25% takeout have a chance to play against 1/4th the vig or less.

Low point: Horseplayers (mostly) choose to bet into 20-25% takeout pools at other tracks rather than play at Ellis, leaving Ellis and other tracks little incentive to try lowering takeout.

As a fan,

High point: Seeing Lava Man live at Hollywood Park winning the Gold Cup with an ultra-game run through the stretch.

Low point: The Barbaro roller-coaster finale.

--Dunbar

[JJP]

High points:

Ellis Park and their ultra low takeout Pic 4, Premier Turf Club for going up against the likes of CDI and Magna.

Low points: Pinny tossing in the towel.

[King Glorious]

Highs include Curlin's backing me up for claiming in March that by year's end, he'd be the best horse in the country; seeing the top 3yo's slug it out through the end of the main racing season; the return of Pat Valenzuela; the exciting prospect of watching War Pass become a hall of famer; the brilliance of Magnificience; the scintillating stretch running of Crossing the Line; Patrick Biancone being suspended (I'll never forgive him for running Lion Heart in the Preakness); people saying Baffert couldn't train anymore cause he couldn't win on that junk in Cali and then him going to NY and tearing it up and winning two BC races to further prove that it's the tracks that suck out here.

Lows include the entire older male division; the entire 2yo male and female divisions, save for War Pass and Indian Blessing; all the people saying that this average group of 3yo's were great (they weren't, they only looked that way because the older males were horrible); Crossing the Line, Rags to Riches, Notional and Magnificience being injured; the mass introduction of synthetic racing, especially that junk they race on at Del Mar.