TVG Pace and Other Notes

Who do you think is going to win the big race at the Meadowlands this weekend? The Standardbred Canada poll is currently running. If you want to have some idea of the odds board, these polls are sometimes decent to look at. This one, I think, is close to on the money.

Pet Rock and Foiled Again, around 2-1 each. Captain T around 4-1. The rest longer shots.

One horse that will not be 2-1 is Bee A Magician. She's slated to go for her last start of 2013 later on the card. She tries to make it 17 for 17.

Iliuvthenitelife was stopped with for the year yesterday, when she came off the track for her 2:15 training mile, lame. That's terrible news for a brilliant filly. She was certainly one of the best fillies we've seen since the clock changed to 2000.

A jockey in Hong Kong got an eight card banishment for not riding a horse to win. I know harness fans, we can only wish.

DeRosa at Brisnet is doing a hell of a job seeking out some of the big winners at Twinspires and interviewing them. Yesterday he caught up with a stats geek and pro bettor that nabbed the big pick 6 at Hollywood Park.

Game on Dude and Will Take Charge will face off in the Clark. One think I dislike about thoroughbred racing is that by racing so few times per year, a good horse can have an off day and be labelled a loser. Game on Dude, before the BC, was "a leader for horse of the year and a marvelous handicap horse." After his clunker you'd think he was a 10 claimer at Mountaineer. I hope he bounces back and shows his mettle.

Speaking of that, I am wondering if the Captain gets third over, with no flow, on a windy night and comes sixth in the TVG if he will be called a loser of some sort too. It's one start, so fortunately he will have next year to prove how good he is or isn't, like Artsplace, Real Desire, Art Major, Camluck, Gallo Blue Chip, Pet Rock, and dozens of others have before him.

There's a brouhaha on twitter talking about the New York Times number of "24 deaths a week at America's racetracks" or something like that. It might be closer to 14 a week, or maybe 12. If we add up all fatal injuries in training, including those that are unreported, it could be 40 a week, so take that. It's a death number cage match. My thoughts on that are pretty simple. In today's hyper-partisan age, scare stats are used and reused as commonplace. Before the health care law was passed I would think on my next visit to the States I would see everyone lying in the street without a doctor; it was so bad. Now because a website sucks everything was good before and new people are dying on the streets. This stuff just happens. The bottom line for me: Too many thoroughbred racehorses die on the racetrack. I hope someone helps them die less, because I hate watching it.

Alan over at View From the Grandstand gives us his Thanks list in harness racing. 

Have a good Wednesday folks.