Derby vs. Preakness

The Baltimore Sun has an article comparing the Kentucky Derby with the Preakness. The Sun chooses the Preakness as the winner. I guess it all depends on your idea of fun.

The author Kevin Van Valkenburg describes the infield at the Preakness as follows:

Sort of like Caligula's Rome crossed with MTV's Spring Break but with less attractive people. More disgusting acts are committed per square foot during the Preakness than just about anywhere else in the country. About the only thing you cannot do is fight. Also, look out for beer grenades! Two must-haves when attending the Preakness infield: sunscreen and penicillin.

If this sounds like a good time to you.....I'll see you in Baltimore on Saturday. I'll be the one in the grandstands pointing and laughing at you/with you!

No More Beer!

The latest hit to Maryland racing has nothing to do with purse money or slots. The fine folks at the Maryland Jockey Club have announced that they will no longer allow patrons to bring beer into the grandstands for the Preakness Stakes.

"Fans at next year's Preakness will not be allowed to bring alcohol bought outside the track into the grandstand and clubhouse areas of Pimlico Race Course, ending a long-standing tradition."

I think this may have a greater impact than one may think. If you have ever gone to the Preakness, you would know that about half of the grandstand patrons bring beer, lots of beer! If these people are forced to purchase alcohol inside a $5 a pop, they will be taking away from the one one thing that matters most, HANDLE. If all 10,000 grandstand patrons buy 1 beer at $5, for a total of $50,000, that is $50,000 less they have to bet. OK, this is peanuts in the whole scheme of the total handle, but I did not have much else to post about today. My idea.......Not less beer, MORE Beer, and give it to the right people!

Preakness 2008

For anyone who cares.......Magna Entertainment has unveiled the logo for the 2008 Preakness Stakes. I personly would have liked to see a horse in the logo, or maybe some additional information added to the "133". Oh well, maybe the marketing budget for the Preakness was slashed along with the purses and races. Also, don;t forget....the Preakness is "A MAGNA ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE"

More Maryland racing stuff

- Dave Carey with the Baltimore Examiner continues the trend of being concerned for Maryland racing with this article. It is pretty much the same as all the other that have been written about the dying horse industry in Maryland.

- This article in the Baltimore Sun, Horse Racing Handicapped is an article we have seen before, but with a local flavor. The article talks about how immigration reform has hurt the workers in the horse industry.

- This is the good one. Baltimore Sun columnist, John Eisenberg tries to convince his readers that the purse at the Preakness Satkes (Gr. I), may not be enough to attract the Kentucky Derby winner. Well John, I think you are missing a few points here....

* You need the second jewel if you want the triple crown.
* It is a Gr I race. This kind of helps when setting your price in the breeding shed.
* It is a $1,000,000 race.

- I don't know if anyone remembers this, but " Barbaro broke down a year ago at the Preakness.

Tis The Season

Tis the season to talk about Maryland racing. With the Preakness Stakes (Gr.I) less than one week away, all the talk is about Pimlico Race Course, and the state of Maryland racing. Sandra McKee of the Baltimore Sun wrote another great article titled "Maryland racing could be on last legs". It is a shame that this type of press is only written for one week out of the year. Hopefully the right people are reading these articles, and things will begin to change. I hope to see and post more articles like this as the week, and (hopefully) year goes on.

Tuesday Morning News and Thoughts

- The Philly Inquirer has a story about Jayne Vaders drug positive and suspension. I know that I may get some interesting comments, but I am going to go ahead anyway. She broke the rules three times, and now she must pay the penalty. Some may say that the penalty is harsh, but I think it is fair. Fourteentwentyone (a horse she trains), tested positive for the tranquilizer acepromazine (AKA-Ace) after winning on Feb. 4. She was warned last year after two similar infractions that her license would be suspended if caught again. Well, she was caught again, and now she needs to pay the penalty. Just becasue she was the leading trainer last year at Philly Park, and leading this year, does not give her any special privileges. Maybe she leads the trainer standings because she cheats???? Some trainers say that Ace, a tranquilizer does not help a horse run. I agree, the tranquilizer does not help the horse run, but it does take away the anxiety of being in the paddock, post parade, and starting gate. Oh....and IT IS ILLEGAL! Suspend her for the rest of the year, and set the bar for future infractions.

- I don't know what talk is like around the rest of the world, but here in Baltimore they have all but awarded Street Sense the Triple Crown. I even heard a sports reporter on the radio say that you need to get your Preakness tickets now in order to get a glimpse of the future triple crown winner. If anyone has actually been to the infield of the Preakness, you would be lucky to see a horse at all, let alone Street Sense.

- Speaking of Preakness, here is a link for anyone who would like to catch up on Preakness History.