Monday, December 12, 2011

Monday Notes

Here are some things that caught my eye this morning, if you're interested:

It was downright fascinating to not watch Luck last night, but 'watch it' on twitter with racing peeps. Some of the 180 degree comments like "I don't think Tim Tebow can even swoop in and save this one" to "if this doesn't help horse racing, nothing will" were interesting.

I watched the first Deadwood long ago and thought it was the worst show on earth. I didn't like a character, everything was slow, it was too raw, and more. But I ended up liking the show. I didn't watch Luck, but if I did, I have a suspicion I would feel like the LA Times reviewer, who said:
  • it's difficult to imagine any show that would prepare an audience for the first episode of "Luck," which moves with slow and often maddening deliberation
and
  • Even the master of the multiple storyline, Charles Dickens, took pity on his readers and appointed a protagonist, but Milch and director Michael Mann steadfastly refuse
That's about what I would've expected.

Ted reviews Luck here.

From Luck to Chuck

Trot Magazine allowed HANA Blog to use their article on Charlie Davis. Charlie's a cool guy - he went from playing sports and not knowing a furlong from a furcoat to being a horseplayer and horse owner.

Awesome Racing

Lovely video of Ready Cash's win in France yesterday here. Some of our trot races truly match up well for two mile or more races. If that race was on Betfair, in-running, I think we'd get a big audience over time. I have one friend who plays in-running and all he bets are the really long steeplechases.

PMU, Peeewww.

Speaking of France, I can't help but comment about it, because we often hear from racing "I wish we were like France, look at the crowds and the betting!"

France has a monopoly. Of course we wish we had one, who wouldn't?

If we put the shoe on the other foot: Would those same people like a car monopoly, where a new Ford Focus cost $38,000? How about a toothpaste monopoly where you pay $10 a tube, or subsititute baking soda to brush your teeth?

We'll never be a monopoly again, so it's tough to look at that as a model, plus they suck for the betting consumer. With the internet, good luck.

Pick 4 or Pick 5 - What do you wanna hit?

The Pick 4 at Gulfstream yesterday paid $111,000. The pick 5 (same sequence, except we added one leg, won by a 7-2 shot) paid $28,000.

Don't Ever Send Me a Picture

A friend who trains horses pinged me via Blackberry Messenger on Saturday. "Do you want a piece of a weanling?". Usually my answer would be no, but he is well bred and the deal is good. However, I was going to think about it for awhile because I have so much going on right now.

Then he sent me a picture.

I now own a piece of a weanling.

Fines

Why if an NFL player does something bad, is he fined $50k and given two games (which can be 1/8th of a $10M annual salary, or $1.25M) but a harness driver who makes $800,000 a year is fined like $100 and given a week off when he was going to fly to Aruba for a vacation anyway?

Why I Like Owning Harness Horses

The two lil yearlings I bought are training away and doing well (touch wood). I get emails like "when are you coming over to jog them? Stay the weekend, bring your dog!" I can't imagine having someone ask me over to ride my thoroughbred yearling.

Swing and a Hit

Congrats to hard-knocker Silent Swing on his 50th win.

Have a great Monday everyone.


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