THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

I figured it was time to post something of an update to let you all know where I’d been lately. 

Ever since Breeders’ Cup weekend, I’ve taken a bit of a vacation from the semi-daily grind of blogging.  Nothing major.  Just some time to spend with the family and recharge the old batteries - not to mention replenish the old wagering account and review how I did in the previous months.

I plan on gearing back up again very soon, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.  Now that the racing action in California is back to the more friendly confines (for my handicapping anyway) of Hollywood Park, it’ll be hard for me to resist jumping into the fray here shortly.  I’ve got the Saturday DRF, although as of this writing (late Friday evening), I’ve yet to do any serious handicapping. 

Things are rather awkward at the moment.  We’ve got a whole host of uncertainty brewing around the sport.

Starting with my favorite topic, Curlin, it remains to be seen if we’ve seen the last of the talented chestnut colt.  Rumors persist that perhaps the Clark or maybe even the Japan Dirt Cup are possible targets, although with each passing day the lack of an official workout makes it appear more and more that the Classic was indeed his swan song. 

Back home in Maryland things appear promising.  The proposal to allow slot machines in Maryland (or “limited slots” as it’s been affectionately referred to) passed during the historic election of November 4.  Will this be a savior to horse racing at my beloved home tracks?  I certainly hope so.  I remain skeptical to a certain degree about the overall “good” that slots money does for the horse racing industry at large, but it was clear that Maryland needed some sort of competitive boost in order to level the playing field with it’s neighbors.  Here’s hoping the slots initiative is just what the doctor ordered.

Outside of horse racing, I’m living it up enjoying the triumphant journey of my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide football program.  I follow them pretty closely over on the rivals network and have said since day 1 that Nick Saban was indeed the answer to our programs beleaguered recent history.  I never in a million years imagined he’d have us in position to compete for an SEC championship in year 2 though.  The road ahead is difficult, starting tomorrow at Baton Rouge against the infamous LSU Tigers, and then proceeding through Mississippi State and Auburn before (hopefully) the SEC championship game and beyond.  Who knows what the future may hold?

Connecting other non-related dots, does anyone else find it ironic that in the year of Goldikova, Zenyatta, and Zarkava, that the Philadelphia “Phillies” are Major League Baseball’s World Series champions? 

There have been some slight cosmetic changes to the blog here.  I’ve temporarily taken down the “horse watch list.”  To be honest, it hadn’t got the attention it deserved since around Triple Crown season.  I’ll bring it back once I start focusing on some of the 3-year-olds in January who could make some noise next Spring. 

That’s all for now.  I’m going to make an effort to post the Hollywood picks for Saturday sometime tomorrow morning, and may wind up playing some Laurel and Delaware Park plays along the way. 

Coincidentally - next week will mark the 1 year anniversary of this blog.  I’d just like to take a moment to thank the 86,000+ who have stopped over throughout the last year to see what’s going on.  I honestly never expected to get more than a trickle of viewers (especially with such a niche topic), so my gratitude to those of you who have made this last year so successful cannot be understated.   Without you guys, I’d never have had the opportunity to take part in the NTRA online marketing task force and visit Las Vegas in September.  Nor would I have had the opportunity to meet many of you during my all-too-rare visits to Laurel, Pimlico, and Belmont over the past year.