Favorite win of the weekend?

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

asudevil hit the nail on the head. Great cause, and for selfish purposes, definitely going to be THE story heading into the Derby should Autism Awareness make the starting gate. Good Morning America, the Today Show, everybody's going to be talking about the horse if he's a Derby entrant.

No offense to the autismatics but we'd all probably be better off to send an Autism charity $1 and hope MC Hammer get another runner in the race.

Well there is a possibility that Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise could attend the derby if AA makes it. That would be fantastic.

[asudevil]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I agree. It really is a nice story and a great cause. But not the kind of thing I hope is focused on come Derby time.

12 out of 15 mediocre contenders who are slower than the fillies and mares?...all with sub standard Beyer figures up to this point. You ever think a story like this might arouse some curiosity toward the game? Could people across the entire country who would never consider visiting a race track do so and become intoxicated with the atmosphere? Could it possibly expand the fan base? Might it intrigue folks to buy horses, whom never would have considered it? Could it possibly do enough good to wake up a dying industry and make it realize that preserving tradition without adaptation means nothing?

[Scav]

Originally Posted by asudevil

12 out of 15 mediocre contenders who are slower than the fillies and mares?...all with sub standard Beyer figures up to this point. You ever think a story like this might arouse some curiosity toward the game? Could people across the entire country who would never consider visiting a race track do so and become intoxicated with the atmosphere? Could it possibly expand the fan base? Might it intrigue folks to buy horses, whom never would have considered it? Could it possibly do enough good to wake up a dying industry and make it realize that preserving tradition without adaptation means nothing?

We should focus on Alaazo

[sumitas]

Autism Awareness humbled the big shots.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by asudevil

112 out of 15 mediocre contenders who are slower than the fillies and mares?...2all with sub standard Beyer figures up to this point. 3You ever think a story like this might arouse some curiosity toward the game? 4Could people across the entire country who would never consider visiting a race track do so and become intoxicated with the atmosphere? 5 Could it possibly expand the fan base? 6 Might it intrigue folks to buy horses, whom never would have considered it? 7 Could it possibly do enough good to wake up a dying industry and make it realize that preserving tradition without adaptation means nothing?

1. No. Unless this is some literal translation of Portuguese. Then still, probably not.
2. No.
3. No. And no offense, but if we let the autismatics in, how do we keep out the asthmatics?
4. Yes, maybe. There are probably a couple people out there looking for a new reason to get intoxicated at the Derby. Good one.
5. No. For every new fan of racing via autism over the next 8 weeks, 10,000 will die. Of old age.
6. No. I might have said maybe had Merv Griffin not passed.
7. Yes, maybe. Then again, I think replacing shuffleboard with Whack-A-Mole is the answer to reversing the economic downturn.

[slotdirt]

Aside from Barbaro, what was the biggest national horse racing story over, say, the last five years? St. Liam winning the 2005 Classic? Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun, and the other 2007 3YO's? Anything else racing-related? It's either Afleet Alex's connection with childhood cancer, Funny Cide's wacky owners and their story, or Smarty Jones. The only actual on-track story that even comes close is probably Ghostzapper.

I think it's foolish to suggest this kind of attention isn't a positive for horse racing. I'm definitely rooting for the long shot Autism Awareness to make the Derby and for the media scrutiny he'll receive because of it, even if the horse finishes 19th.

[Sightseek]

Euroears!

[brianwspencer]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Won't Autism Awareness almost certainly need to cash another graded check before the Derby just to get in the gate? Isn't the benchmark usually higher than the $90K he earned this weekend?

So, he'll have to do it again. And if he does -- then he deserves to go anyway.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Won't Autism Awareness almost certainly need to cash another graded check before the Derby just to get in the gate? Isn't the benchmark usually higher than the $90K he earned this weekend?

So, he'll have to do it again. And if he does -- then he deserves to go anyway.

It is usually right in that area I think, maybe a defection or two will be needed day of. But he can probably get extra winnings with the 4 horse stakes races they have in So. Cal

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Aside from Barbaro, what was the biggest national horse racing story over, say, the last five years? St. Liam winning the 2005 Classic? Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun, and the other 2007 3YO's? Anything else racing-related? It's either Afleet Alex's connection with childhood cancer, Funny Cide's wacky owners and their story, or Smarty Jones. The only actual on-track story that even comes close is probably Ghostzapper.

I think it's foolish to suggest this kind of attention isn't a positive for horse racing. I'm definitely rooting for the long shot Autism Awareness to make the Derby and for the media scrutiny he'll receive because of it, even if the horse finishes 19th.

The alleged buzzer/object in Santos hand.