Monday Musings

A picture is worth a few words I hear, and these ones sure do(note they are not overly nice pictures of the neglected horses in New York). I am a bit of a sucker for taking care of horses that we bring into this world for our own financial gain. Not to mention I am an animal person (I think what very little TV I watch is dominated by Dogtown and the Dog Whisperer on Natgeo TV), so these things really bother me. I am also a realist and know that we can not take care of every horse out there, everywhere. But there has to be a better way.

George Will (h/t to Equidaily) has a piece on government intervention and the transfer of wealth to businesses who can not make it on their own, in which he includes horse racing.

Rampant redistribution of wealth by government is now the norm. So is this: This redistribution inflames government's natural rapaciousness and subverts the rule of law. This degeneration of governance is illustrated by the Illinois legislature's transfer of income from some disfavored riverboat casinos to racetracks.

On knowing who you are, what you have and appreciating it, how about golfer Kenny Perry yesterday in interviews? He just collapsed to lose the Masters at age 48. He has never won a major championship either. When asked how he is going to deal with the loss, he said "If this is the worst thing that can happen to me in life, I have had a pretty good life." I mention this because on Saturday I was watching Ramegade Bruiser win the Spring Pacing Championship. The Bruiser is owned by a small timer, and small time racing family. They purchased him for $3500 at a sale, and now he is the leading money winner in harness racing in 2009. I am sure they appreciate every day what they have and realize how fortunate they are. Looking at the beaming winners circle photo you see that.

I had a pick 4 going at Oaklawn Park last week. I had six horses in the last leg and it was not paying too badly on a couple of them. Right on cue a 75-1 shot takes the lead (who I do not have), and he looks good in the lane. Worried, I see that another horse is flying on the outside to bail me out (after all I have 90% of the other horses on my ticket). Who is it? A 45-1 shot I do not have. I could not even cheer. Those two came one-two, and I am sure I was not the only one who said "I should have taken an all" after that race.