Team Belmont

The Worst Derby Ever...AGAIN.

2011-05-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Wanna know what the worst Derby ever is? Not just the one you don't win...but the one where you watch the finish and it takes you five minutes to figure out what saddlecloth color that is and who won the race. We don't get great audio in the Derby infield. This usually means you didn't have a touch on the horse. Nothing but the obligitory $2 win ticket you so smartly buy on every horse the Derby when chhasing the first Triple Crown winner in 35 years.
This is the situation Team Belmont found itself in this year with Animal Kingdom. Not a touch. Thousands of dollars of tickets...and no wise Guy horse anywhere. I for onewas dumb enough to buy into the favorite - and played an 8 with all exacta. I do recoginize deep down that I am chasing my next Barbaro, something I will probably do for the rest of my life...and will fall victim again to the Holy Bull/Florida Derby circuit. But still...not even a saver bet?
Its too bad too because we are being our own during the undercard and some nice tidy profits...most of which got doubled down into the Derby blowout. We'll hopefully have better luck at Preakness.
Otherwise it was a great Derby. We celebrated Derby Steve's 35th year in a row in the Derby infield. He was kind enough to thank his friends and remind us all of the humanizing beauty of Derby weekend. Life happens in 35 years and in bad years Derby Steve always had friends that shoved money in his pockets and made sure he got to Lousiville. This is how you know you live the life of a loved man. And now Derby Steve has the most amazing wife Jules...who can totally handicap excellently and is mad fun and an excellent addition to Derby weekend. He also has two beautiful sons who are learning to handicap and will one day carry on the Derby tradition. Hats off to you Derby Steve and Derby Jules. Y'all are good people.
Onto Preakness and the next 'jewel'inhe triple crown. Waiting for the draw and the rest of the entries...but I feel good about Animal Kingdom and his chances. I loved his Daddy, Leroidesanimeaux. Wouldn't mind one bit if he were the animal that broke the drought.

I see your mouth moving...

2011-05-05T05:06:00.001-07:00

But all I'm hearing is "Derby, derby, derby, derby, derby, detby, derby.''

Live tweeting the Derby infield...again.

2011-05-03T16:31:00.001-07:00

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? Well of course it does...on Twitter!

Once again, join us on Derby weekend for the live Twitter from the Derby infield. But I'm just going to warn you, its a lot more handicapping than tits and ass. I'm not saying there will be no tits and ass at all. Just a lot more handicapping and brilliant past performance based insight.

[URL]http://www.twitter.com/teambelmont[/URL]

Toby's Corner is our first Derby week victim

2011-05-03T16:18:00.001-07:00

Hopefully he's our last. I don't need any Sunland Derby craziness this year.

It kind of makes you wonder which potentially great 4 year old will get destroyed by this Triple Crown season.

Uncle No!

2011-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

What a bad week for the Derby trail. Lemme sum it up for you in case you haven't read anything about it.

1.) Uncle Mo got beat in a WEAK Wood Memorial. He got beat by the horse I bet to win. Only my horse run second. The horse that run first was the only stakes winner in the field besides Mo. I beat Uncle Mo and lost $20 dollar. Worst. Wood Memorial. Ever.

2.) Premier Pegasus is injured and off the Derby Trail. I love Premier Pegasus. Gorgeous FuPeg colt, home bred by his trainer with a great back story. Talking to Ernie made me look on the bright side, its a hairline fracture - he'll come back to racing hopefully.

3.) Jaycito is off the Derby trail.

4.) Long shots won both the Santa Anita Derby (Midnight Interlude) and the Illinois Derby (John Vann.)

And in even better news!

2011-02-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Eibar can move his hands and shoulders. He can also feel his legs but he can't move them yet.

Ahhh...we are sending all kinds of good horse player vibes from the NY circuit Eibar. Team Belmont loves you. Especially in Big Drama's irons. Oh yes. Team Belmont loves you! :)

The second most anticipated instance of horse sex this year...

2011-02-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

And we hope it was great for both of them...

My man E and Jelly Rolly - kicking it NYRA style!

2011-02-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

So here's a plug for Ernie Munick who got himself a show on NYRA network dark days...he'll be sitting tall with local hero, the Mig, Richard Migliore who should have been on board Artie Schiller in the Breeder's Cup but broke all his ribs or something the week before.

Ernie is amazing. He blogs, he writes, he shoots and edits his own videos, he give much love to the Jelly Roll. He runs Thoroughbred Racing in New York on Facebook. The Big E at the Big A is pretty much everything that is right with the sport.

His site is here: The Ernie Munick Show

Shameful

2011-02-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

With all the hullabaloo in Wisconsin...I neglected to post on the Oneida Nation's commercial protesting the State's deal with a tribe from Wisconsin that will allow them a casino in Sullivan County to compete with Aqueduct and Monticello. Now I'm not sure if their casino will have a harness track, but if not...then this deal could potentially hurt horsemen quite a bit.

I still have a feeling that Salazzar won't sign off on the state's deal, but still. I'm cautiously optimistic that Aqueduct can return to a shadow of its former glory. Even though the state got its $400 million franchise fee for the Big A up front, it shocks me know they would do something to jeopardize its future.

You can see the spot by the Oneida nation here.

Look at the gem I dug up today!

2011-02-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a play by play of the WORST.BEAT.EVER.

Brought to you courtesy of Christina and Bill. Download it in .pdf and email it to your friends!

http://teambelmont.com/ouchy.pdf

I take my bow and exit stage left.

Nominations are in!

2011-02-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

Bernardini leads the field with 18 nominations...this is the first 3yo Bernardini crop by the way. I for one am interested in seeing what his progeny run like around two turns - since he's first in line to cover Queen Z and all.

Uncle Mo is the big name on the list obviously for making everyone else look foolish in the BC Juvi at Churchill Downs. For the record he's an Indian Charlie. He'll never get two turns, unless that Playa Maya/Arch side has something to say about it. I never liked Indian Charlie and I refuse to get attached because I'm convinced Pletcher will butcher him like he did Eskendreya last year. He's still not a cross out yet though.

We've already lost Boys at Toscanova. Tragic since he picked up a lot of fans at Saratoga. He's out of training entirely.

The horses I'm hoping pull off a nice return race as three year olds are:
Jaycito - because I like Victory Gallop
Premier Pegasus - because he's just gorgeous from head to toe
and Soldat - he actually just crushed an allowance at Gulfstream and I like the McLaughin/Garcia team.

So now I gave you a preview of my virtual stable right...that one is for free. *wink*javascript:void(0)

Full article at Thoroughbred Times

The Road to the Roses Begins

2011-02-06T10:58:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day Folks!

Road to the Roses Fantasy Game

Derby Preps 2010

2010-03-17T23:43:00.001-07:00

Yeah...I'm getting to it. Don't worry kiddies. By the end of the month Team Belmont will be in full swing.

I haven't had time to manage my virtual stable yet this year.

But relax.

We're getting there.

Breeders Cup pics coming soon! Promise...

2009-11-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

Zenyatta! Queen of the Beasts!

Memorial Day @ Belmont Park!

2009-05-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

So the boss closed the office at noon on Friday. The boss happens to be Captain Bill by the way. It takes about an hour to Belmont from Union Square. First post is 1 PM. Is this a coincidence do you think? I didn't think so either.

I had nice hits with Dreaming of Maryland ($16.00) in the 2nd. Yes...I bet the name (see anti-Baltimore post below.) Also had the exacta in the 3rd consisting of Successful Sarah ($6.40, $3.60, $3.20) and Wyatt's Women ($7.50, $3.90) for a very square payoff of $43. I was proud of myself for not trying to get my money back on Typhoon Tycoon who finished last. I was more proud of myself for picking Proud Lisa ($21.60) in a race where the favorite opened at 1/5 and closed at 1/2 but ran 3rd.

So its off to the backyard tomorrow with some friends for some Memorial Day fun. Its the Grade I Met Mile tomorrow, so come on out to the park. The Queens Village shuttle is a ROYAL pain in the ass, but I'm glad the Belmont Special is coming back!

Mine that Jockey

2009-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

For all of you that need help making sense of the Triple Crown season...
http://drf.com/news/article/103872.html

Calvin Borel rode Rachel Alexandra in the Oaks. They won.

Calvin Borel rode Mine that Bird in the Derby. They won.

Calvin Borel rode Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. They won.

Mike Smith rode Mine that Bird in the Preakness. They came in a hard closing second.

Mike Smith is now riding Madeo at Hollywood Park on Belmont Day who has the same connections as his winning Derby ride, Giacomo...also 50-1.

The connections of Rachel Alexandra aren't sure if they are going to the Belmont since they may try to duck Mine that Bird...in which case Calvin Borel may get the mount on him back.

So to recap, the (arguably) best 3 yo colt in the country right now can't keep and find a jockey.

And if Calvin Borel doesn't ride Rachel Alexandra in the Belmont and wins on Mine that Bird, he will be tortured by knowing he may have had the Triple Crown, had his Preakness decision been different.

Do we need a flow chart for this debacle, or are we ok?

Oh, Triple Crown drama. If Mine that Bird wins the Belmont as handily as he looked like he would, this WILL be the most painful beat on our Triple Crown chasing resume.

The New Preakness Infield: A Review Part. 2

2009-05-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

Attendance was down 31% they say. The smart money is on the BYOB ban as the probable culprit. As I twittered yesterday, I had a great time and give the BYOB free infield two huge thumbs up! The people that bemoaned the BYOB ban, were probably the same ones who caused it.

I know most of the people I talked to mentioned the same things:
1.) the economy is bad, how could they do this us?
Team Belmont's response:
We don't know what the on-track handle was yet. But I bet it was up. Was this due to a competitive race without a 1-5 sure thing that sunk the handle artificially low last year? Sure...but I'm thinking it was also due to a smart decision to attract a "higher" class clientele to the infield, which basically means "people that (still) have jobs." One person with a $200 bankroll is worth more to Pimlico than 4 people who buy tickets to haul in beer, get drunk and pass out.
The Derby was off, what, 3%. Its not the economy, you just want to get really drunk for the sake of getting really drunk with other really drunk people. If it were the economy, you wouldn't be bitching over the lost opportunity to pay $45 to get drunk in a field in the first place.
2.) Oh no, Magna is in bankruptcy! Pimlico may lose the Preakness!
Team Belmont's response: Who cares? We'd rather go anywhere else for the Preakness (see previous anti-Baltimore post.) I'll go to the Preakness at Suffolk if I never have to go back to Pimlico/Baltimore again. We like tradition as much as the next person, but we don't use telegraph machines out of historical obligation. Maryland Racing is awful and everyone knows it. That's not all MAGNA's fault and everyone knows it. As bad as NYRA has been able to screw things up in times past, nothing can come close to the epic disaster that Maryland racing has become. Take the Preakness and give it to someone who can do something with it (not that the flavored oxygen bar wasn't a great attempt.) Things change. We're big boys and girls, we can handle it.
3.) The infield lacked energy! It was more fun and a bigger event with the party crowd!
Team Belmont's response: What the infield lacked was people vomiting on me, pissing on me, groping me, stealing my chair, pissing/vomiting on my chair, fighting, throwing beers cans, begging for cigarettes and eventually passing out in a pile of their own mess. If these things are the "energy" that makes Preakness at Pimlico fun, this is further support of our rationally stated position on issue 2.

Best thing about the new Preakness Infield? Did you all see our spot? At the Eighth Pole baby! It was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC to sit right by the course. No bodies, no funnels, no kiddie pools and slip and slides filled with Majorska. It was perfect.

The New Preakness Infield...had a name. InfieldFEST. All one word for you picky types. I talked to a lot of people about it, when I could, in the infield without doing any real journalistic interviews, because I'm way too lazy for that. I talked to the medical personnel, some Baltimore PD, those "Event Staff" people (I have no idea who they are and what they do to tell you the truth) and many first time, and longtime Preakness goers. The consensus seemed to be, everyone hated the BYOB ban, except for a few people that enjoy going to horse races like us. The handicappers, the horse fans, the people that following racing, all half dozen of them that is were almost unilaterally in favor of the BYOB ban. I talked to two people that did not come back to the Preakness after a bad infield experience until they heard about the ban.

And here's an amazing unintended consequence of the BYOB ban...you could actually BUY a beer! Amazing! $3.50 for 16 ozs was reasonable I thought. I don't bring coolers to any track but Saratoga. I handicap well enough and work hard enough, that I really don't mind buying beer. We can't carry a tarp, rain gear, binocs, three folding chairs, handicapping notebooks, boxed lunches, waterproof souvenir bags, a box of cigars....and a thirty rack on top of that. Team Belmont has priorities ya know? I remember one year Tecate apparently bought sponsorship of the Preakness. They had I swear, one beer stand that sold only Tecate in the entire infield. They probably sold about a dozen beers that day. All to us. It was terrible. But this year, vendors brought you beer! You didn't even have to get up! And they had Bud Light! And they didn't run out (yeah, I'm looking at you Kentucky Derby "Infield Club"!) It was luxurious.

The Black Eyed Susans were in plastic cups this year. How CHEAP! Plus, why didn't they think of plastic cups in the years drinks were still being used as weapon-like projectiles. I shudder to think of what could have happened if beer can volleyball got mixed with Black Eyed Susan volleyball.

I can't comment on the Beer Garden because I didn't partake. I was there by 11, but still sorting business. The people sitting next to me had about 30 cups of 1 dollar beer they got at last call. Smart. Very smart. They also had a bottle of vodka inside a large, hollowed out loaf of bread. Very very smart. Will smuggling booze into the Preakness become a new infield tradition? Will boozers even attempt to come back to the infield?

The InfieldFEST events were contrived and kind of silly. A Hooter's bikini contest? Really? The winner got a $500 gift certificate? I betcha she couldn't redeem it for 3 credits at the community college. Too bad right? I actually feel sorry for people who come to a race track in attempting to win a $500 gift certificate based on lewd cheers. I take it to mean they aren't clever enough to handicap. I can make more than $500 without wearing dental floss up my ass crack.

The beach volleyball (beer can volleyball...beach volleyball?) seemed to have an audience, I watched some of it but don't really care for volleyball. Then again, I can usually get into any sporting contest no matter what it is. I admire athletes tremendously because I am one and know how hard it can be to drag your ass to training every day...just not when there are horses to be bet. Sorry beach volleyball fans. Further down, The InfieldFEST tent consisted of a Rock Band set up with a TV screen, a tiny soap box derby car loosely painted as a NASCAR stock car and two "virtual running of the urinals" games where you press a button to throw cartoon cans of beer at cartoon jockeys running on top of cartoon urinals. One does have to wonder if the placement of the real urinals directly behind the virtual urinals was intentionally ironic. Oh...and the flavored oxygen bar. If it were a flavored nitrous oxide bar, I might have cast aside my swine flu fears and taken a pull...but naw...the convenience that is natural selection actually made me lucky enough to be born with lungs. I can get oxygen from Earth's atmosphere...without getting billions of germs in my nose! An oxygen bar may be necessary at Suffolk, or in the dead of winter at Inner Dirt Aqueduct...but not in the Preakness infield. I did walk in with a big fat cigar...just to add some "energy" to the day. No one seemed to mind.
I heard there was sumo wrestling, but didn't see it! Now that, I could spend a few minutes watching. Also...what happened to the flyover? Was the weather too overcast or something? I know they canceled the Stealth Bomber, and I typically don't like flyovers, but I've learned to love the one at the Preakness...and I can't seem to figure out why.

The bands were great fun. I liked the Charm City Devils though I had never heard them before. And I don't get the Buckcherry thing at all, so I only caught a glimpse of them. It seems everything they sing about is related to getting drunk, fucking and being crazy. Had there been free beer and Buckcherry in the same place yesterday, I think there might have been fatalities. But getting to see ZZ Top was really awesome (wait, don't they sing about getting drunk and having sex too?) The only time I'll agree with holding up a post parade is for ZZ Top to finish Tush in the final encore. Haven't they deserved it? I must admit the pairing of the two, Buckcherry and ZZ Top makes about as much sense as the flavored oxygen bar. The best way to make no one happy? Try to make everyone happy.

In any event, it was a great day! I've already sent my letter of appreciation to the Maryland Jockey Club. Please don't capitulate and let the booze back in next year....if the Preakness is in Baltimore next year. If not, it was nice knowing ya. Team Belmont will be moving on...

Preakness in Baltimore: A Review Part 1

2009-05-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

I know there are racing purists out there who think the Preakness should never be moved from Pimlico Racecourse. Those people probably don't drive to Baltimore every year to go to the actual race. As you may know, the single obsession of Team Belmont is being at all three triple crown races the year a single horse finally wins them. This means the first Saturday in May, we drive 800 miles each way from Brooklyn to Louisville and no matter who wins (even if he's 50-1), two weeks later we have to get ourselves to Baltimore. If the racing gods will it, we host a major celebration in Brooklyn with a Triple Crown on the line before the Belmont Stakes. But casting all my love for tradition aside, I would gladly go to Monmouth or even Delaware if the Preakness were moved there. And my heart wouldn't ache for old Hilltop for a second. That is how far it has fallen.

No member of Team Belmont has ever bought a seat a horse race. One time, I think the Monmouth Breeders Cup, we had to because there was no G.A. on day two, but literally standing on principle, we refused to sit in the seat the entire day, opting to hang out in the clubhouse instead. It's our view that the lack of class segmentation at the track is what separates horse racing from all other sports...and what makes it beautiful. You shouldn't be restricted by what you can pay. Come to Saratoga or Belmont, its $3 grandstand, $5 clubhouse...for everyone, everywhere. I get they sell expensive seats for the big races, but racing ain't all about the big races. And even when it is, you can go out the apron. You don't need an expensive seat. Its not like corporate stadiums where you are doomed to far right field unless you spend tens of thousands on a season ticket for $500 on stub hub. Keep your money and take it to the window. Even if you are $2 bettor, you get to see the race too. In the dogma of paramutialism (to borrow Ernie's phrase) all creatures great and small are equal in the eyes of the tote board. A 5-1 pays out everyone the same.

So no matter how bad it got, we never bought tickets to the Preakness, opting to stubbornly hold out for the year they finally banned outside booze from the infield. We knew it would come because every year was getting progressively worse. This was the subject of much consternation and debate in Team Belmont, and we lost some comrades because of it. But we knew...it was just a matter of time. In fact I remember the good Captain turning to me during the second beer can volleyball exchange last year. He said, "This is it. This will be the last time. I will not come here next year if they do not stop this shit." To make it worse, a G.A. ticket at Preakness doesn't give you access to the apron. Really. That's unacceptable. I'm not putting up with all things Pimlico just to watch horses on a broken down 1978 Zenith TV and not see the sun all day. We've missed graduations, weddings, babies being born, first communions and all other varieties of family milestones chasing our Triple Crown obsession. I tell you this to make you realize exactly how bad in context the Preakness infield was.

Needless to say, Preakness is our least favorite of the Triple Crown races. And I think I realized this year, it may not have been solely about the infield. It may just be because it's at Pimlico, or more specifically in Baltimore. I run the risk of drawing some fire, or isolating some Team Belmont groupies, but Baltimore has to be my least favorite place on earth. Really, I had a better time in Dar Es Salaam. So before I get to the InfieldFEST review, I need to elaborate on what I learned about Baltimore this year, in the absence of the usual anxiety of trying to keep myself alive in the Preakness infield.

We took a cab to the track from downtown as we do every year. We then always take the shuttle to the subway back to Charles Center. Its the ONLY way I've figured out to get out of that place. Obviously trying to park there in years past was not an option we wanted to take. So every year we ask a cab driver to take us around the back way on 83 to Northern Parkway and drop us off by the infield gate. Its not a long walk per se, but one year, one of the shopping cart kids grabbed my gear bag from behind, put it in his shopping cart and then demanded money for doing it. Welcome to Baltimore.

So, we ask the cab driver if he knows the back way down Northern Parkway to Pimlico. The cab driver says yes. As usual it turns out the cab driver is lying. As soon as he turns the meter on and we get underway where its impossible for us to find another cab he starts asking us for directions. Please, don't lie to me like that. If you don't know, I will find a cab driver that does. Really. I'm offering to pay for a service. I don't like getting stuck with a 30 dollar tab for a service I didn't want. But again, Welcome to Baltimore.

Baltimore's lack of hospitality for Preakness goers seems legendary. Arriving at the train station to go back downtown, you'd think there be at least one person to help us foreigners leaving the track. The ticket machines are archaic and the lines get long because you need both a PhD and it seems exact change to get them to work. There's no human being that can simply just give you a ticket in exchange for some money you have in your wallet. Trying to outsmart the Maryland Transit Authority this year, I bought ticket cards for the group BEFORE we went to the track at the subway station by the hotel. Turns out they expire after 90 minutes if you don't use them. Apparently a round trip ticket has to be used within 2 hours? What? Welcome to Baltimore.

But the worst thing that has ever happened to me at the track ever happened to me in the new infield. At the last race, most people were gone or on their way out. There weren't many at the windows all day (typical for Preakness actually), so I started with one teller and stayed with him throughout the card. I had a really good day; it was the type of day that had pace scenarios that compliment my kind of handicapping. So from cashing tickets, I had tipped this teller just over $50 in a 13 race card. I strongly believe in racing karma. I'm always good to the tellers on my home tracks. They help me out, they cancel tickets when odds go wrong, they make sure I don't get shut out. In the dogma of paramutualism, you get by with a little help from your friends right? Anyway, I bet the last race with 0 MTP, got my change, packed up my handicapping notebook and my beer and started to walk away without taking my tickets out of the machine. I turned back. There was no one at the window but me. But my tickets weren't there. This teller told me I took them. I know I didn't. Being a seasoned horse bettor, I KNOW where my tickets are. Its like being a smoker, I know exactly how many I have left in my pack without looking. I know the rules, check your tickets before leaving the window. I don't need a lecture on track rules. But still, I was floored. It was easily the shittiest, most desperate thing I've ever seen at a race track. I was never happier to completely lose a horse race. Welcome to Baltimore.

Last year there was a brawl outside Don Shula's steakhouse, where we have dinner after Preakness traditionally. It involved an intoxicated man attempting to hit another intoxicated man's girlfiend. Really, I swear. In case you didn't get enough in the infield, you can spend $200 for dinner for two, and see yet another brawl! This year, the worst thing that happened to me in the hotel was a man I never met or talked to randomly ripping flowers out of a planter and throwing them at me. At least it didn't hurt as much as a full beer can. God, Baltimore is so bad. But welcome!

What is it about this place that seems to bring out the worst in everyone? Why does it reek of that potent combination of desperation and mismanagement? I can't even count how many Grade I races I've been to, with just as much alcohol flowing freely. Derby parties after Oaks, giant coolers filled to the brim in the Saratoga backyard on Travers Day, the epic Team Belmont Stakes on the Friday before Belmont Saturday etc. It seems everywhere else in the world, people can both have fun, and reasonably behave themselves. In Baltimore, for whatever reason, these two great notions are, somehow, mutually exclusive. Team Belmont can be (admittedly) a rough group. But we don't (and won't) lie, cheat, steal, intentionally hurt anyone or intentionally do anything that could hurt someone. Yet at this race, in this town, it always seems to be par for the course.

My advice: from the time you enter to the time you leave, don't make eye contact. The intoxicated members of the Baltimore species take this as a sign of aggression. Keep a low profile. Get in, get out. Go to Belmont.

OK - Enough about Baltimore. Scroll up for the InfieldFEST review.

Headed to Preakness Baby!

2009-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.preakness.com/infield

The NEW outside booze-free Preakness Infield

ZZ Top and Buck Cherry, Guitar Hero Contest, NASCAR simulator, beach volleyball tournament and a flavored oxygen bar. If there's anything worse than the new Derby/Oaks Infield Club, this has to be it!

ETD: 0600 tomorrow. Reviews and photos will be placed here I promise.

Post in the comments who you like. I like Musket Man. So there.

To Derby - And Beyond!

2009-05-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we made it back from Derby alive. Much poorer, but alive. Actually I thought the Oaks card may have been the easiest to handicap in Derby Weekend history. I was plucking double digits horses right from everyone else's wallet. I thought the same about the Derby Day card, but I didn't cash a ticket all day. Except a show bet on Musket Man. Which was enough for pizza.

I knew it was going bad, when Lov Guv, who has run second every single time I bet him, finally broke his maiden.

Anyway, this is going to be the new site. In Blogger format. We'll start updating here but leave links to all the pertinant information. Photos will be coming soon. I'm working on it.

Sincerely,
Your Team Belmont Arts and Technology Director
Christina

Ugh...Mine that Bird?!?!?! Derby Post Mortem from the Captain

2009-05-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is worse than Giacomo.
He ran 4th in the Santa Anita Derby.
Mine that Bird ran 4th in the Sunland Derby.

Here's the good captains operations report:
"MINE THAT BIRD A WINNER, CAPTAIN BILL A LOSER"

Here's the full story from start to finish.

O.K. Here we go. As you might remember we have a regular crowd of friends from around the country who all meet the first Saturday in May for a horse race called the "Kentucky Derby". So this year we come up with a plan to make thousands of dollars on the Derby . It costs us around $120.00 a person as I remember. You have to excuse the rounding off with the dollars because we came up with this brilliant plan sipping Kentucky Bourbon.Anyway seven of us decide this is what we are going to do. Each one of us has to pick the first horse in the Derby . Nobody can pick the first horse twice. The next round all pick two horses to come in second. Same rules apply. The next move is that we all pick three horses to come in third. Same rules applies. The we all box all of this up into one big one dollar triple box. Easy . Real Easy. Land of plenty on the horizon. O.K. I pick my favorite horse I WANT REVENGE as my winner. No problem. I get up Derby morning to find out that he went to sleep in his stall the previous night, laid down and got up with a sore leg. Scratched. The groups tells me that I have to pick another horse to come in first for our megabucks triple. This is really where it goes bad. I had Chocolate Candy as one of my two horses to come in second. I can either move him up to first or pick another horse to come in first. I to my ever lasting regret move Chocolate Candy up to come in first and then decide for replacing Chocolate to first that "What the hell. Lets go with this three legs horse called "Mind That Bird." for second.YUP. You know the rest. None of us had him for first. A 40,000 dollar triple. Nearly $3,000.00 a piece! All because I did not move Mine That Bird up to first. No, idiot me decided that he only would come in second! After the shock of all this I continued to look at the Board and prayed that I must have made a mistake. Tell me gang that I did not do this. The gang could not ever speak. At least those of them them still standing. I look at the Board and prayed. I prayed for naught. Then I had another epiphany. I remembered that I had just boxed a one dollar triple just for myself. Before I opened my wallet to check it out I got down on my knees and looked to heaven. Please God I said. "I really am not that bad of a guy." I opened my wallet. I take out the ticket. I take three big breaths and then say to myself "Look at the damn ticket guy already." I had picked Friesan Fire (Number 19) Papa Clem (Number 7) Musket Man (Number 2) Regal Ransom (Number 10) and then to my everlasting disgrace I saw I had picked Mine That Bird (Number 8). Pain went to my chest. I went dizzy. I had a 2781019 one dollar triple. AND IT COMES OUT 8,15,2 7! Now I want to kill. There goes another $20,000 up in smoke. FIRST, SECOND AND FORTH !

What this all boils down to my friend is that because of this horrific experience is that I am still having nightmares. I am traumatized. I'm going to the gun shop.

Your friend always,

Capt. Bill

Mike and Tom, from Vegas!

2009-05-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

With the captain and his program. Getting ready to do what we came for!

Derby virgins!

2009-05-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

All the way from Vegas baby!
(And getting married in the fall!)

Papa Smurf

2009-05-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

He likes Papa Clem...says they're related.

The Designated Driver

2009-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Double fisting. Excellent.
Lookin' great Dawnie!