Harry’s picks 091814 I don’t know the exact reasons for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission decision to let the racing industries of the Bay State suffocate and die- what a cruel twist of fate for Suffolk Downs and its vast lot – where parking and other things were ample and awaiting development by the Last of the Mohicans Indian nation- Alas poor Suffolk Downs-I knew it well- The Gaming Authorities bit into the Wynne “hot dog” ostensibly because it had more relish “jobs” mustard, the jobs would be higher paying- Mr. Wynne in his winning proposals also claimed that more of his consequential “loot” would go to services and laborers in the township of Everett, than the Mohicans would be spending in Revere (Suffolk Downs)- both Everett and Revere are located nearby the Atlantic Ocean and Boston Bay and both communities are hardly “garden spots”- There is Revere Beach and the Dog Track at Wonderland- but Everett, with its spoils of industrial wastelands and traffic bad enough to drive even the most placid individual to call for their meds” seems a short sighted and mean spirited choice by the “suits” as they try to plan a “casino Paradiso” in the land of Tom Paine and Samuel Adams and Paul Revere and the Cabot’s and the Lodges………….. The few times I visited Everett, I saw a gigantic High School built upon a bluff overlooking some narrow streets and I think I saw a huge cemetery out that way as well! – Are the dead to be disposed and the “crap table bosses and pit crews” and casino penny slot players moved in? To Everett!?- A newly minted Casino + Hotel + Resort and all the attendant vices of such a landmark certainly would be better suited to a zone already concerned with “gambling” as is Suffolk Downs- nay- Steve Wynne and his associated ruled the day and the Boston area “house of games” will rise in Everett- which is nestled between Somerville, Medford & Chelsea- a couple of miles east lays the soon to be ghost town of Revere, snubbed by the Boston Casino builders governmental arm- People knowledgeable about the Massachusetts Horse racing “world” have almost in uniform sung a refrain of “doom, dammed and the end is near” throughout the hours following the Commissions announcement that Wynne had indeed won-…heck, I was just getting ready to spent the rest of my natural born days as a resident of Suffolk Downs and now it seems the “track” will soon be as defunct as a gaggle of Dodo birds!! Casinos have emerged everywhere in the last decade- I visited some in New Mexico and on the Nevada/Utah border- in Sparks and Shreveport and Davenport -and there are a few in Mississippi and numerous Riverboat halls of chance along great rivers of America- there is a joint or two ready and open to take some donations in Joliet and in western New York State I saw a beautiful Seneca Indian Casino-- there was a fun casino in Palm Springs in which I won 75 bucks pulling a slot machine lever!! And another along a freeway not far from Riverside, California- Casinos so plentiful they are now even closing their doors and shuttering their race books and bingo parlors in Atlantic City! When I go to a casino I expect a good well stocked “Buffet” and a nice mattress to sleep on and a HD TV or close to it to unwind looking at after a hard day’s drive- like a cowboy on a cattle drive, a “saloon” for refreshments a hug & a spin on the wheel of fortune and a few hands of poker- (I liked playing cards before my eyesight failed)- Bingo, Poker, Keno, slot machines, crape tables and black jack- video games with 36 lines or more to combine hopefully to that big jackpot- and roll out of town in a big car paid for in cash! That whole scene sure would have made a lot more sense played out at Suffolk Downs than in “strange” Everett, Massachusetts- a town which has no other distinction than being located exactly halfway between heaven and hell. Belmont Park >>Thursday 091814 1- Races over the jumps have enormous popularity in the British Isles and these type of races also have appealed to racing buffs on the western side of the pond- and the opening race is a 22 furlong affair with a big purse waiting at the finish- this stakes is named after Bakery king Bill Entenmann and there are few New Yorkers who have not enjoyed his cake along with their coffee Choral Society broke its maiden in June at Monmouth Park and steps up here- superficially the pedigree appears to be “grassy” as far as ability over jumps is concerned I like to see a good link to Man O War somewhere within 9 generations! Perhaps this is too liberal of a berth to sleep in? I can’t say there is much Man O War influence easily spotted so in line with that sort of thinking the sire of Man O War was Fair Play and we’ll find an ample sampling of his “blood” in the pedigree of Discovery, the latter sire of Miss Disco dam to Bold Ruler who in turn sired Irish Stronghold, a very powerful individual certainly a horse who appeared to have the power to leap over the county courthouse. ……..5/1 ML 2. this race is also a “jumping” affair and hurdles ace J. Sheppard sends out a entry of Bluegrass Summer & elderly Divine Fortune- the latter is a grandson of grass champion Theatrical while the former has Susan’s Girl & Lady Capulet crossed 4x3- the female family for Bluegrass Summer is 4-R the herd of mighty Zenyatta aka “The Queen”…………………….. 8/5 ML The remainder of the program is to be contested over the flats and my “picks” are 3. #3 Lemon and Honey a 8/1 long shot winner of 1 of 15 4. EZ Passer #1 is hotter than July and this 7yo mare by handsome Southern Image is listed 8/5 ML- 5- Winnitude is impossibility; seemingly, at a parsimonious 30/1 ML this offspring of NY state stud Utopia (JPN) will need a bottle or two of Uncle Joe’s Amazin Potion to get up here- but worth a gander in the paddock should it appear ambulatory- 6. Curious Cal is a gelded son of Cowboy Cal, a good runner for the McNair family- able to place in the 2008 Blue Grass Stakes- 8/1 ML- 7. drawing post 11 is Zo Zo by high totem Super Saver- it’s tough enough to win 1st time out in 1.5K maiden claimers- outside and on the grass is a double barreled shot- Tony Dutrow is there to supervise this filly and the ML of 8/1 will no doubt be aiming higher as the gates near opening- 8.Goodtimehadbyall has won 10 races in its career- Eddie Castro is a capable rider on this long shot gelding by Quiet American the latter sired champion Real Quiet and the dam of Preakness winner Bernardini (?)--- 9. Carl Domino needs the tiles to fall right for Wickapecko to arrive 1st in this test- after being sidelined for a year this filly by Corinthian showed some foot in its return- - this is its 2nd scamper of a mile- the odds in the morning are listed >10/1 10. the get out race is also a turf event and on the rail is 12/1 ML chance Confessa by Repent, the latter a likable runner and sire- her broodmare sire array is very pleasing on its surface >Awesome Again>Gone West>Damascus>Buckpasser! And the all important 5th dam Impish (1972) was sired by Majestic Prince out of a mare by Eight Thirty—this filly therefore appears ready someday to bring into the worthwhile foal- if we test breed her to current hot shot California Chrome let’s see what the WBH9GC factor amounts to- the total of nine generation crosses to Blue Larkspur & Mahmoud and Princequillo and War Admiral (big heart stallions) is “35”- Arlington Park 1-3 2-2 3-1e 4-7 5-1 6-1 7-8 8-7 9-6 LATB 1-7 2-1 3-5 4-4 5-2 6-4 7-2 8-2 h/
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 02:16:16 +0000