Venue for August 1 . . .

[JolyB]

Sounds like a great way to start August to me.

I'm not suggesting this for our contest card, but wanted to call everyone's attention to the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday. It is listed as race 2 on the card, only drew 6 runners and only has a purse of $100,000. On the other hand, the race does have Kentucky Derby qualifying points, and has quite a field: Baffert has entered Uncle Chuck, Thousand Words and Cezanne. Also entered are Anneau d'Or and, oh yes, Honor A.P. Kiss Today Goodbye rounds out the field.

With the Kentucky Derby only a little over a month away, this may provide a final chance for some of these to qualify, or a final tune up for some others. Either way, it's an opportunity to see some of the potential west coast contenders. Again, I'm not suggesting this for our contest, only to watch and learn.

[DonGuido]

Thanks for the notes JB. Not sure if I'll be able to get DelMar or not here on Spectrum. Maybe NBC or NBC Sports will cover the big races there.

[JolyB]

Since it will be August and you selected the Spa, I had to post this trip down memory lane.

I was rummaging through some old papers a few days ago and came across some NYRA programs [I'm afraid that we are pack rats]. One on them had on the cover the slogan, "The August Place To Be". It was for August 11, 1990. The feature race that day was the 110th running of the Alabama. The race only drew three entrants, but what a trio: Charon, who had most recently won the CCA Oaks; Pampered Star, trained by Bobby Frankel, who had won the Monmouth Oaks; and the star-crossed Go For Wand, trained by Bill Badgett and ridden by Randy Romero, who had won the 7 furlong Test on August 2 and was now trying 1 1/4 miles only 9 days later. Go For Wand's race was nothing short of jaw dropping. My ecstatic feeling about her after witnessing that race only added to the agony of witnessing the on track tragedy in her BC Distaff only a few months later.

Incidentally, the next season the schedule was expanded to begin in July and the slogan changed to "The Summer Place To Be". That Alabama was won by Versailles Treaty after Meadow Star scratched due to the very sloppy track.

[DonGuido]

JB, do you really keep old news papers? Were do you keep them? May be a fire hazard??? But thanks for the memories..

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by DonGuido

JB, do you really keep old news papers? Were do you keep them? May be a fire hazard??? But thanks for the memories..

Not old newspapers - that would make me even more eccentric than I am. But I do keep programs from days at the races that have been memorable for one reason or another. Probably have two dozen, many of which are from the Spa or Gulfstream.

[RUFFIAN]

I have a huge collection of BLOODHORSE magazines
if anybody would like to have them and pay for the shipping

The collection goes back many years
but I do not have the heart
To throw them away

[RUFFIAN]

BLOODHORSE

Trainer Bob Baffert said July 29 that he intends to scratch
four-time grade 1 winner McKinzie
from the $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar.

The son of Street Sense drew post 4 for the Aug. 1 sprint,
a factor that the Hall of Fame trainer believes could adversely affect
the horse's chances at victory based on what he's seen so far this season.

"I didn't like what he drew," Baffert said.
"He drew the inside, and this track hasn't been playing very good.

It's been really deep and loose.
If it would have been a shorter field and he drew outside,
we would have maybe taken a chance at it
because he needs to get pace around there.

But right now it's playing sort of weird."