Uncle Mo usually works on Sundays.

From Meydan to the 4th at Penn National - I probably bet about 35 races today at 8 different tracks... and have looked at and passed on about another 40 or so races.

Howd you do?
Catch any supers at Meydan?

No luck at Meydan - I took the Japs in the wrong race.

I picked up $900 on a race at Laurel early on - thanks to winning a photo I still swear I lost.

An 8/1 shot had consistantly been running superior figures to the field - and was doing it by closing into slow paces. The horse was 1-for-34 though - and pretty much a refuser. The favorite had a huge pace advantage in a field of total slugs. The refuser almost nailed me in what would have been a bitter loss because I didn't turn anything.

I was down until the Rahy's Attorney - Muskateer exacta. Ended up $140 ahead after giving a lot more back in cheaper races.

Dougie,

Do you hold a get out of jail free card from the redboard police?

Not much of a redboard - he asked me how my day went betting and I replied.

Basically - I won a nose photo at Laurel that was ultimately the difference between winning about $140 instead of losing $760 for the day.

I doubt anyone who read that was saying "Damn, I wish I had a day like that"

Damn, I wish my 2010 went like that.

He would have been suspected of redboarding if he had written that he just missed a $40k superfecta at Turfway but was relived he at least had the $10k trifecta, or that he chopped off his thumb because he was distracted by cheering home his 25-1 over a 40-1 cold exacta at Tampa.

While at his wedding

Who would marry him?

His sock?

1 Uncle Mo Todd Pletcher $1,260,000 Wood
2 Gourmet Dinner Steven Standridge $780,000 FL Derby
3 Pants On Fire Kelly Breen $623,000 KY Derby
4 J P's Gusto Joseph Petalino $541,500
5 Soldat Kiaran McLaughlin $510,000 FL Derby
6 Comma to the Top Peter Miller $471,000 SA Derby
7 Master of Hounds Aidan O'Brien $441,884 Undecided or KY Derby
8 Twice the Appeal Jeff Bonde $400,000 KY Derby
9 Mucho Macho Man Katherine Ritvo $370,000 KY Derby
10 Decisive Moment Juan Arias $301,000 KY Derby

11 Animal Kingdom H. Motion $285,000 Undecided or KY Derby
12 Astrology Steven Asmussen $281,893 Undecided
13 The Factor Bob Baffert $270,000 AR Derby
14 Stay Thirsty Todd Pletcher $260,000 FL Derby
15 Jaycito Bob Baffert $250,000 SA Derby
16 To Honor and Serve William Mott $250,000 FL Derby
17 Santiva Eddie Kenneally $240,254 Blue Grass
18 Dialed In Nicholas Zito $240,000 FL Derby
19 Watch Me Go* Kathleen O'Connell $232,500 FL Derby
20 Premier Pegasus Myung Cho $228,000 SA Derby

21 Nehro Steven Asmussen $200,000 AR Derby
22 Archarcharch William Fires $180,000 AR Derby
23 Anthony's Cross Eoin Harty $162,000 SA Derby
24 Brethren Todd Pletcher $155,000 AR Derby
25 Madman Diaries* Wesley Ward $150,000
26 Blue Laser Mark Casse $143,502
27 Willcox Inn Michael Stidham $139,000 Blue Grass
28 Silver Medallion Steven Asmussen $124,334 SA Derby
29 Sweet Ducky Herman Brown $120,000
30 Maybesomaybenot* Michael Maker $111,196

31 Lou Brissie Neil Howard $99,043
32 Ruler On Ice* Kelly Breen $96,000
33 Air Support* Claude McGaughey III $95,000
34 Rockin Heat* Reade Baker $92,981
35 Flashpoint Richard Dutrow, Jr. $90,000 FL Derby/Swale
36 Joes Blazing Aaron* Allan Hunter, Jr. $90,000
37 Major Gain Wayne Catalano $86,370
38 Mountain Town* Richard Dutrow, Jr. $80,000
39 Caleb's Posse Donnie Von Hemel $71,504 AR Derby
40 Nacho Saint* Kelly Breen $70,500

41 Wilkinson Neil Howard $70,000
42 Crimson Knight* Gerald Bennett $70,000
43 Elite Alex Timothy Ritchey $65,000 AR Derby
44 Sway Away Jeff Bonde $61,500 AR Derby
45 Norman Asbjornson* Christopher Grove $50,000 Wood

Time to replace the Graded earnings rule with a Graded points rule such as the following:

Grade I -9 pts. for win, 6 for place, 3 for show

Grade II - 6 pts. for win, 4 for place, 2 for show

Grade III- 3 pts. for win, 2 for place, 1 for show

Horses like Twice the Appeal and Pants on Fire?:zz:

People used Mine That Bird as an example of why the Graded Earnings rule should be replaced before the 2009 Derby.

Decisive Moment!!

And they still should be, he wouldn't have won a 50nw3 at Tampa last year.

Probably true, but for 5 weeks in 2009 he was almost good enough to win the Triple Crown. Obviously the complexion of the Preakness would have changed had Rachel Alexandra not been sold, but he may have won that. And a better ride in the Belmont might have given him that one too.

I like a point system, but I think points for a graded stakes at age 2,
should be worth less than a graded stakes at age 3.

Yes, because the current system keeps worthy horses out of the Derby. Oh wait, it doesn't.

Not sure what to make of that, but felt it might be aimed at my post. Seems the above post suggests all the horses who want in can get in, which does not seem to make sense. Mine That Bird showed that even a horse who should not have been in can pop a great race and win the Derby. Don't ask me how he did it, he never did much since.Perhaps Mine That Bird's over-inflated Graded winnings kept out a horse who might have beaten him that day (maybe not), but sooner or later it seems anyone giving this a bit of thought would realize these Louisiana, Sunland and U.A.E. Derbies out of whack purses are a hindrance to the initial logic in using Graded earnings.

Let's be fair. Mine That Bird was Champion Two-Year-Old in Canada. While he was light on Beyer Speed Figures, his resume wasn't without its bright spots.