Thank you, Bluegrass Cat!

Earlier this year, I entered the Freshman Sire Contest sponsored by Thoroughbred Times.

Contestants were presented with six groups of sires whose offspring were racing this year for the first time. The goal was to choose one sire from each group and create a stable of six horses that would produce the most total earnings in 2010.

So far, it's not looking so good for me. My rank is 667 out of 1,507 contestants. While that does put me in the top half, I've got a long way to go to threaten winning this thing.

More than two-thirds of my $297,715 in earnings have come from one sire -- Bluegrass Cat. In fact, his two-year-olds are the top money winners in the whole competition. It's not surprising, considering that his pop, Storm Cat, is the most highly-regarded modern-day sire. And Bluegrass Cat's blood is infused with greats such Secretariat, Seattle Slew, AP Indy and Northern Dancer.

Still, great bloodlines do not always equate to two-year-old winners at the track (or any winners for that matter!)

But not being an expert on pedigree, for me, Bluegrass was a hunch play. I remember picking him at 30-1 for the exacta underneath Barbaro in the 2006 Kentucky Derby -- the first Derby I actually wagered on outside of living room bets with my family. I was still learning the game at the time, so I don't know where that pick came from, but Bluegrass Cat is etched in my brain forever.

Other horses in my stable that have produced a number of winners so far are Bandini and Borrego. I was told by someone with solid insight into breeding that one of my other picks, Niigon, might turn out to be a good choice as well. The two-year-old racing season is just ramping up, so there's a long way to go.

Good thing, too, as my remaining choices, Hurricane Run and Strong Contender, have just about been shut out. Strong Contender's offspring have made a measly $148 this year.

If you entered the contest, I'd love to hear about your stable!

A New Jersey state of mind

Who knew that New Jersey would become a hotbed of cutting-edge thinking in the world of horse racing?

First, it was the Jersey Shore's Monmouth Park shortening its summer meet to three days a week and fattening its purses. The experiment of having fewer but more lucrative race days has worked in every way possible. It has attracted bigger fields for each race, bigger crowds at the track, and more betting money through the windows.

Now, New Jersey is moving forward on a plan to introduce exchange wagering in the United States. Exchange wagering is a bit like Ebay for gamblers. Betfair, which owns the US horse racing network TVG, has been offering exchange wagering in Britain for about a decade, and the company is keen to see US states adopt it as well.

Customers on the exchange can offer each other betting odds. So, conceivably, you can shop around for the best odds on a horse you like. No waiting around until the race goes off, only to see your 5-1 odds plummet to 2-1 at post time. Plus, the exchange takes a much smaller cut of the action than bookmakers or casinos do, for those who bet that way.

It's still unclear how the US government might react to New Jersey's plan, and we still don't know how this might affect the normal parimutuel wagering in which the public sets the odds with their betting dollars. Tracks rely on a "takeout" from each parimutuel wager to run their business. Presumably, they would get a cut from exchange wagering, too, but it could be a smaller cut and exchange wagering could potentially eat into the regular parimutuel business.

On the other hand, offering a new form of wagering might attract new bettors. When I've taken non-racing fans to the track, they often ask -- can I bet against a horse? Technically you can, by not including that horse in exactas, trifectas and multi-race wagers, but exchange wagering would offer an alternative -- a direct bet on a horse to lose.

It's just one example of how an exchange might appeal to new fans and possibly make betting on horse races a bit simpler for some. Lord knows, it's hard to explain how to wager on the ponies to a novice. And that's not a good thing for the sport.

As the only form of legal online sports betting in the US, horse racing should look into this for sure. There will come a day when bettors can legally gamble on other sports online in this country, and something like exchange betting will be HUGE. Can you imagine the tax revenue exchange wagering could generate from the NFL season alone? At some point, states are going to realize this and go all in. The struggling horse racing business can get way ahead of the game by at least considering such innovative ideas.

Unlike some states, it appears New Jersey doesn't have its head buried in the sand.

Or should I say, shore?

Horses, hats and hangovers

I'm full of jealousy today. Friends sent me pictures from their recent trip to Royal Ascot, the oldest horse race meeting in the world. They've held the five-day Royal meeting at Ascot Racecourse near London every June since 1768. The Kentucky Derby didn't come along for another 107 years!

Since I've never been to Ascot, I must live vicariously through my friends, Eve and Rico Gagliano. They were kind enough to send photos Rico took.

As Rico puts it, Royal Ascot is the most British thing EVER. A dress code is strictly enforced in certain areas of the stands. Ladies must wear a day dress of a minimum length. They will toss you out if your dress is too short. For the gentlemen, grey or black "morning dress" is required. And of course, a top hat. The ladies can wear just about any hat they please, even one that resembles a barbed-wire fence.

The etiquette authorities are full of suggestions for enjoying Ascot racing in a graceful manner: "Eating in public requires all private habits be closeted. Pace yourself, so neither hoover like a wolf nor pick like a sparrow. Bring food to your mouth rather than drop your head."

"Hangovers are generally self-inflicted, so you should approach the day after an evening's over-indulgence with stoicism, and keep your misery to yourself."

"A man should stand up to greet a woman when she first arrives. There is no need, however, to jump up and down like a jack in the box every time she enters or leaves the room."

Sounds like it might make for a pretty stuffy experience, but Rico says in the general admission section, The Silver Ring, it's much more relaxed. You can bring a picnic and beer and wine if you like. And people definitely do. During the meeting, Ascot attendees drink 170,000 bottles of champagne and 160,000 pints of beer. They eat 4 tons of beef and 10,000 lobsters!

The Royal Ascot meeting would not be Royal without you-know-who. Every day at 2pm, the Queen and other royal family members parade up the stretch in horse-drawn carriage.

One drunk Brit told Rico: "God bless her, Liz is the only lady in the nation who can pull off an entire outfit all the same color."

Drunken fashion critiques aside, there is some fantastic racing at Royal Ascot. One third of Britain's Grade 1 races (the highest level) for the year take place during the meeting. The highlight for me was probably Goldikova winning the Queen Anne Stakes. Goldikova is like the Zenyatta of Europe. I love watching this mare run. The past two years, she's flown over from France to dominate the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park. In the Queen Anne, she was the only female and as usual, she made the boys look silly.

Rico got a nice shot of the Albany Stakes, a race for two-year-old fillies, won my Memory. You'll notice the horses are running clockwise around the track, the opposite of racing in the US. Brits and Americans have to do everything the opposite way, don't they? Royal Ascot's course is also triangular instead of oval, and at a mile and 3/4, it's longer than any track in the United States (Belmont Park being the longest at a mile and 1/2).

To me, horses racing on grass is just about the prettiest thing in the world. Soon enough, I shall don my top hat and tails and make my way to Royal Ascot.

I promise not to hoover like a wolf or jump up and down like a jack in the box.

Especially if I have a hangover, which I shall keep to myself.

Horse Racing 101

I'm hoping this blog will appeal to two groups of people -- those who already have a deep understanding of racing and those who might just be discovering its beauty, thrills and enjoyment. I'm creating a series of posts for the latter group.

If you've watched the Kentucky Derby or other big races, do you really understand what it is you're seeing? It seems simple enough. Horses run around the track in an effort to reach the finish line first. But it's a little more complicated than that, and knowing what to look for can make watching the races a more rewarding experience - financially too!

Every race actually begins in the paddock. The paddock is the fenced-in oval where the horses parade about 15 minutes before each race and where the jockeys climb aboard. To the trained eye, horses give clues about their upcoming performances. A fit horse will have a shiny coat and look well-muscled. He might prance around the ring and appear "on his toes." If he looks ready to run a big race, he most likely will. On the other hand, a horse with a dull coat or lethargic behavior might be telling you this isn't his day. A horse that is sweating too much (yes, horses do sweat!) or acting irritable might also be a bad bet.

Once the race begins, three things are vitally important in determining the eventual winner. One is the speed "fractions" that are usually given by the track announcer and shown on television. Simply, how fast are the horses going? The second crucial element is the race "shape." Where are the horses positioned in relation to each other? The third is the "trip" each horse is taking. I'll explain these further.

In the wild, horses run in packs, and that's exactly what they do in the Kentucky Derby or any other race. Each horse in the pack has a certain running style. Some horses like to run away from the pack as fast as they can while others -- called "closers" in racing -- enjoy loping along at the back, keeping their competitors in front of them before reaching their top speed. Still others, known as stalkers, run in between the frontrunners and the closers.

Before the race, do you know who the frontrunners are? The stalkers? The closers? Knowing this information can help you understand how the race might unfold. The Daily Racing Form (newspaper and online) provides past performance charts that show the "running lines" for each horse in their previous races. A horse that is consistently first or second during the course of his races would be considered a front runner. A horse that is usually 8th, 9th or 10th out of 12 for much of a race would be called a closer. Stalkers usually sit 2nd, 3rd or 4th as they make their way around the track, waiting to pounce on the tiring frontrunners. Horses are creatures of habit, and most of them have the same running style from race to race.

A horse that is the only clear frontrunner in a race has an important advantage. That horse and his jockey can dictate the pace. By taking the lead and then slowing things down, the horse in front can conserve energy and have something left for the stretch run. He often proves very difficult to catch.

But if there's more than one frontrunner, they might "duel" with each other, racing faster than either should be going early on. They often tire each other out and fade in the stretch, giving the stalkers and closers the advantage. For example, the Kentucky Derby is a mile and a quarter race. If the leaders run the first half-mile in 45 or 46 seconds, they are probably going too fast, and they are likely to run out of gas. But if they go a more leisurely :48 or :49, they should last a lot longer on the lead and could very well stay there all the way to the wire.

It's also important to note each horse's position vis-a-vis the rail. A horse running close to the rail is taking the shortest way around the track. A horse that is farther out from the rail is obviously covering more ground to get to the finish line. It's difficult to predict where the horses will be in a particular race, but the post position is an important clue. A frontrunner that breaks from the first spot in the starting gate is likely to establish his position on the rail. But a horse that starts the race on the outside farthest from the rail might be forced to race "wide" for much of the race and will have to cover more ground.

Finally, we must consider the "trip" each horse is getting. Is he being squeezed or bumped by the competition and possibly losing momentum? Or is he getting a smooth trip that allows him a fluid, relaxed motion? It can make all the difference. You can't predict trips either, but you can watch previous races (also online at the Daily Racing Form) and determine whether a bad trip might've cost a horse his last race. Maybe with a cleaner trip this time, he could be a good bet.

The 2010 Kentucky Derby provided an excellent illustration for all of these factors. Several horses in the race liked to run out front. Predictably, they ran very fast in the beginning of the race (:45 for a half-mile), and they were exhausted by the time they turned into the stretch.

Meanwhile, the eventual winner, Super Saver, ran a slower pace early, acting as a stalker. He also hugged the rail the entire race, giving him the shortest path to victory. Jockey Calvin Borel had Super Saver perfectly positioned to win. The horse that finished second, Ice Box, was a closer that also benefited from the frontrunners going too fast. Unfortunately, Ice Box had a horrible trip. He was forced to slow down and maneuver around other horses several times. He also wound up farthest from the rail at the finish, meaning he probably ran the most distance of all 20 horses. Second place was a pretty impressive result for Ice Box!

Every horse race is a new puzzle. They each have a different shape, a different pace and a different collection of horse personalities. The enjoyment comes from trying to piece it all together before the race and then hoping it unfolds as you anticipated. Knowing what to look for can make watching the races more enjoyable, and it might even help you pick a winner!

Remembering Ruffian

Every so often, I check Netflix for movies about horse racing. There aren't that many, so I figure I've seen just about all of them. But every once in a while, something new pops up, and lo and behold, there was a movie about Ruffian I hadn't seen.

Sam Shepard plays the starring role, so it immediately had something going for it. The veteran actor and horse lover is cast as Ruffian's trainer, Frank Whiteley. For those who don't know, Ruffian was a champion filly in the mid-1970's. She ran 11 races, winning 10 of them. At every point of call in every race she ran, Ruffian was in front. She was so remarkably fast that no horse ever passed her.

Until her 11th race on July 6th, 1975.

It was a match race, of the sort you might remember from the movie Sea Biscuit. One horse against another. Ruffian's opponent was Foolish Pleasure, the colt that won the 1975 Kentucky Derby. It was rare that fillies raced against colts. It still is, for the most part, in this country. But the race came at a time when America was obsessed with the battle of the sexes, personified by Billy Jean King's win over Bobby Riggs in a tennis match.

The problem is -- horses ain't humans. And the speed of a match race can be unusually taxing. Maybe that's what led to the tragedy at Belmont Park. Perhaps it was something else. But Ruffian broke down in front of a nationally televised audience, as she tried to beat Foolish Pleasure to the wire. Several hours later, she was put down.

I don't recall seeing the race on TV, as I was only 5 years old, but I do remember strolling through the Ruffian exhibit at Saratoga a couple years back. I remember breaking down myself, from the weight of her memory.

For someone who loves horses and racing, days like July 6th, 1975 are almost too much to bear. Those painful moments make me question why I love this sport so much. They make me frustrated that perhaps another legion of potential fans will turn away in disgust as they see how cruel the sport can seem to these fragile creatures.

But had Ruffian been running free in the wild, she might've met the same fate. She could've taken a bad step and broken her leg, trying to outrun the colt next to her. Thoroughbreds are born to run. They love to run -- as far and as fast as they can. Yes, they are fragile, but there's always risk in any athletic endeavor. Because of horse racing, Ruffian was able to share her joy of running with millions of people. She did it exquisitely.

Ruffian ran like another famous runner of the 70's who died too young -- Steve Prefontaine. They both ran their guts out from the beginning of every race until they had nothing left. Something Steve once said seems appropriate here: "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected by in as many ways as they're capable of understanding."

For horsemen like Frank Whiteley, the health of the horse comes above all. There is no questioning that. Whiteley clearly struggled with the owner's decision to put Ruffian in that race. And I'm sure it pained him for the rest of his life.

I can't say Ruffian is a top-tier sports movie, but it does the job of telling her important story. Her death resulted in a wake-up call for horse racing. Match races became a thing of the past. It moved forward the discussion about the care of race horses, one that still continues today.

Last year, the Ruffian Equine Medical Center was opened. It is adjacent to Belmont Park, where Ruffian is buried.

Her nose is pointed toward the finish line.

Don't Blame Me

Besides Zenyatta's amazing victory, I thought Blame's win in the Stephen Foster at Churchill and Rail Trip's win at Hollywood were the performances of the weekend. Rail Trip was pretty much a lock, but Blame was ultra-impressive. I have been on Blame's bandwagon for a while now. In his last race, he was even money or so, but this time, astonishingly, he was 7-2!

All this guy does is win, and he loves Churchill. Most impressive was the fact that Battle Plan got away with fairly easy fractions for almost the entire race, and Blame still nailed him at the wire. If you watch the replay, Churchill announcer Mark Johnson says "Blame, coming under a ride" at the top of the stretch, meaning Blame was asked for his best pretty early, and usually that spells defeat.

But Blame kept coming. And by the time he was approaching the wire, jockey Garrett Gomez had put away the whip, and Blame was under a hand ride. The horse was doing it himself.

Blame is the real deal.

Seeking Perfection

The six-year-old mare Zenyatta took her shot at horse racing history yesterday. She was attempting to break the American record of 16 wins in a row. A victory would give her 17 wins out of 17 races in her career -- a phenomenal, unrivaled streak.

I could've stayed home and watched the race on TV. It would've been easier than driving an hour each way to Hollywood Park and dealing with the *#$#!! 405 freeway.

I'm so glad I didn't stay home. For those who couldn't see it or be there, I've put together a brief music video of yesterday's experience. I'll tell you a bit about it as well.

Before the race, the paddock was packed with people hoping to get a glimpse of the Queen. In person, Zenyatta is just stunning. She's 17 hands tall, which in horse parlance, is HUGE. But what makes Zenyatta so special is her personality. When she hears people cheering and clapping, she does a little prancy dance in the walking ring and when jockey Mike Smith gets on board, she literally struts.

She also poses for pictures. She'll walk toward the crowd, stop and lift her head, hold it for a second and then turn the other cheek, like a model. It's incredible. You can see her doing it at the end of the video above.

Zenyatta's other trait is that she always, always, always comes from waaay behind to win. This makes her streak even more amazing. Horses with that kind of running style finish 2nd or 3rd a lot, if they even do that well.  They're at the mercy of the pace and are often forced to run wide and much farther than the competition.

This 17th victory would not come easy either. Zenyatta was facing a very sharp St. Trinians, a mare that had won four of her last five races, losing only to the boys at the top level of racing. Zenyatta would have to be on her A+ game.

As usual, she broke last and loped along at the back of the field for the first half of the race. She was 14 lengths behind at one point, but gradually started making progress. Still, at the final turn, she had quite a bit of work to do and was forced a good 8-10 lengths from the rail. That's a lot of ground to make up.

I was on the verge of tears as Zenyatta swept into the stretch. I so badly wanted to see her triumph. I could feel it in my bones. I was as close to the track as you could get -- right next to the finish line. At Hollywood Park, the stands slope down to the racing surface, so I was essentially at eye level with the horses' hooves.

The hooves were coming. Even with thousands of people screaming, I could still hear the hooves. One horse burst into my vision. It was St. Trinians, leading the pack. Zenyatta appeared next. She was chasing the leader, closing with every stride. She was desperately trying to run down her foe as she had every single race in her career. But the finish line was fast approaching, and St. Trinians was not backing down. It looked nearly impossible that Zenyatta would get there first this time. She dug down and cut into the lead again.

St. Trinians fought back. Zenyatta wasn't closing fast enough. In less than 5 seconds, the race would be over. Zenyatta came again, and inched closer. She would need something more now. There was time for only one more lunge before the wire. And in a breathless moment, everything slowed down. It was just the two horses, gutting it out, with nothing left but their will to win. Zenyatta was pouring her heart out. But I didn't... think... she... would... get... there.

Here's the wire... YESSSS!! Zenyatta by a head!

The stands exploded with hugs, high-fives and cries of joy. Zenyatta's people embraced and wiped away tears. She had done it. Zenyatta had come from 14 lengths behind to do what she was born to do. To do what she loves to do. To do what she always does.

Win.

It was the most emotion I'd ever felt watching a horse race. I was witnessing a true champion -- a horse that comes along once in a lifetime; a horse that never gives up and accepts nothing short of victory. I will never forget it.

I'm so far from perfect, I can't even imagine what it must be like. No human being can.

But among horses, the saying "nobody's perfect" is most decidedly still up for debate.

All Hail the Queen

Sunday will be a special day in the world of horse racing. A mare named Zenyatta will try to break the American record for consecutive wins as she goes for her 17th straight victory. This is an extraordinary feat. It's tough for most horses to win two or three in a row. 17 is incredible. Not only that, but Zenyatta has never lost! She's a perfect 16 for 16 in her career.

Zenyatta is owned by famous music producer Jerry Moss. Her name comes from the third album by The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta.

In the photo above, she's the black beauty wearing number 3. I took that picture at Hollywood Park a couple years back when Zenyatta had only won a few in a row. Look, I admit it. I have a crush on her. She's gorgeous!

As part of our recent wedding festivities, my wife and I rented a patio for the guests at Santa Anita race track and watched the races. It just so happened that on day, Zenyatta was going for her 16th win in a row at another track. Zenyatta is so beloved in Southern California that the live racing at Santa Anita was postponed so everyone could watch Zenyatta on the big screen.

As the race started, our guests were asking me, which one is Zenyatta? I pointed to the horse lagging waaaaay behind the other horses. They said, how in the world is she going to win from way back there? I just laughed and told them to watch. Part of the thrill of seeing Zenyatta run is that she's almost always in last place for most of the race. I'm pretty sure she enjoys toying with the competition.

Then, in a flash, she makes her move and blows past the field like they're standing still. I get goose bumps every time. Her most incredible performance occurred in last year's Breeder's Cup Classic -- essentially the Super Bowl of racing. She was the only female in the race, and girls don't often beat the boys in racing. At the top of the stretch, it looked like she was done. Somehow, she weaved through the field and exploded to the finish line in front. It was stunning.

It's also fun to watch her before the race, the way she prances in the paddock. She knows how good she is.

If you don't believe me, check out Sunday's race. You can either watch it on the TVG horse racing network (look it up on your cable or satellite channels) or you can watch online at NTRA.com. Post time is about 4:30 pm PT/7:30 pm ET.

I hope you can share in the moment. Go Zenyatta!