Bits and Pieces

The head and chest cold that hit me Thursday is starting to subside.  My nose runs and my lungs are full of gunk, and I keep coughing stuff up, but I no longer feel as if my head will explode each and every second.  Now the question is when will the sun shine and when will it get warm?  It's been raining for the past week, and the temperature have been running about 20 degrees (F) below normal.  It's 8:20 a.m. MDT, on May 20, and it's 36 degrees outside.  I'm in my apartment wearing a T-shirt, jeans, wool socks (and sneakers), and a cotton sweater - and I'm still chilly.  A large part of this is due to my cold, I know.
  Surfer Dude, my favorite Chincoteague pony stallion, had his death publicized in the New York Times yesterday.  It's odd how the love of millions of people can make a single pony famous - especially in death.  I bet his foals that are born this year bring high prices at the annual Auction of foals during Pony Penning at the end of July this year.
   My local horse track, in Aurora, (Arapahoe Park) will begin live racing on Friday, May 22.  They offer betting on races daily, and the live racing card will feature thoroughbred, Arabian, and Quarter-horse racing.  I just might have to go visit sometime soon.
   All the colts that ran in the Preakness Stakes on 16 May returned sound and in good shape, except Danzig Moon who had heavy coughing spells for 48 hours after the race.  Possible starters in the Belmont Stakes, run over the distance of 1.5 miles, with all three-year-old colts carrying 126 pounds, include:  American Pharoah, making a try for the Triple Crown championship;  three colts trained by Todd Pletcher, Madefromlucky, Carpe Diem, and Materiality; Mubtaahij, the horse with international connections; Tale of Verve, who finished second in the Preakness; and new-comer Conquest Culinate.  We'll see who is actually running as the 6 June running date gets closer.
   And, finally, both of Zenyatta's colts, Cozmic One and Ziconic, are on John Sherriffs shed row at Belmont Park.  Cozmic One ran poorly in his first race - finished last in a field of seven.  I think he was just having a good time, out playing, in the afternoon.  Hopefully he'll develop the need and drive to finish ahead of other horses.  Ziconic has just finished his breaking and training at Mayberry Farms in Florida.   Think the younger can teach the older what racing is all about?