Our family moved to Gainesville, Florida in July of 1961; Dad had retired after 22 years in the Navy, was going to get a teaching degree at the University of Florida using the GI Bill, and I had just turned 5 years old. Dad wanted to live in "a place where I never have to shovel snow again," and he had been stationed at Vero Beach and at Whiting Field, near Pensacola. I spent my school years, except the summers, in Gainesville, and I also attended the University of Florida after graduation from high school. We lived in the south east section of Gainesville, a relatively poor section of town, outside the city limits. We were friends with people of all colors, races, and religion. We frequently traveled to the island of Cedar Key, in Levy County, in the Gulf of Mexico. I had no idea we were going through what would have been the town of Rosewood, were it still standing. In 1982, information about Rosewood and the horrific racial injustice that happened there became common knowledge. Today, I was saddened by reading a newspaper article about the last house in Rosewood, and I am wondering what it's fate might be.... Please read this article. I wish I had the means to purchase, keep, and develop this building and the land around it, for the sake of all people who have had to withstand injustice - including the current owner. Her story, too, is heart-rending... http://www.tampabay.com/data/2018/06/06/the-last-house-in-rosewood/
Justify, the newly honored Triple Crown Champion, has returned to Churchill Downs and seems to have no ill effects from such a compacted major schedule. He ran in his first race 112 days before he won the Belmont, and won the 13th Triple Crown in 100 years. He will appear for racing fans on Saturday, June 16, in the paddock and on the track. Then he will travel back to Santa Anita, his home base.
And I had to laugh out loud at an owner of another horse in the Belmont Stakes, who claimed that Justify's stablemate, who is not even owned by the same people, was sent out to "run interference" for the big chestnut. Restoring Hope bolted at the start, under jockey Florent Geroux, went wide on the first turn and then moved back closer to the rail. He finished 8th. The horse usually runs back in the middle of the field and then runs in the later stages.
And the orange turkey in the White House seems to loose more marbles every day... First the G7 Summit, where he wanted his pal Vladi reinstated, and then refusing to agree to the final compact. Then he insults all of the members, except Abe of Japan, and tries to belittle and beat down Justin Trudeau of Canada. He leaves early to go to Singapore to met with Kim Jong Un, where he gives the North Korean dictator everything he wants, and gets nothing in return for our country. Stopping the US-South Korea war games is a significant concession to Kim, and to receive in return only a promise of a "complete" denuclearization - rather than the complete, verifiable, and irreversible kind to which the current administration has been referring in the entire lead-up to this summit - is NOT enough, in the immediate term.
Not to mention two of the orange majesty's comments in a news conference about the meeting:
1: "Honestly, I think he's going to do these things. I may be wrong, I mean I may stand before you in six months and say, hey, I was wrong - I don't know that I'll ever admit that, but I'll find some kind of an excuse."
2: "As an example, they have great beaches. You see that whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean, right? I said, "Boy, look at that view. Wouldn't that make a great condo?" And I explained, I said, instead of doing that you could have the best hotels in the world right there. Think of it from a real estate perspective. You have South Korea, you have China, and they own the land in the middle. How bad is that, right? It's great."
Showing posts with label Justify. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justify. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Thirteenth Triple Crown Champion in 100 Years
Justify became the winner of the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes today, and, doing so, became just the 13th 3-year-old colt to win the Triple Crown of American racing. He also joins Seattle Slew as only the second horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated. Breaking from the number one post position in a field of ten, the big chestnut colt led the way all around the race course. He was challenged twice, by Vino Rosso at the final turn, and by a hard-charging Gronkowski in the final furlong, but Justify had the grit and determination to kick on and win.
Gronkowski finished in second place 1 and 3/4 lengths behind Justify, and the same distance infront of Hofburg. Hofburg was a neck ahead of Vino Rosso, and they were followed across the finish line by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.
The fastest time ever in the Belmont was Secretariat's 2:24 in 1973. The times today were :23.37 for the first quarter mile; :48.11 for the half; 1:13.21 for three-quarters; 1:38.09 for the mile; and Justify crossed the mile and a half finish line in 2:28.18.
The payouts for $2 bets were s follows: Justify to win $3.60; Gronkowki to place $13.80; Hofburg to show $3.70; the exacta paid $89.00; the trifecta paid $459.48; and the superfecta paid $2,103.00.
Justify ran his first race in February of this year, and won by 9 1/2 lengths. At an early three years of age, he stands at 16.3 hands, and weighs 1,268 pounds. His sire, Scat Daddy was born in 2004, and died in 2015; Justify is from his last crop of foals. His dam is Stage Magic.
Here are photos of Justify, his sire, dam, and grandsires:
Gronkowski finished in second place 1 and 3/4 lengths behind Justify, and the same distance infront of Hofburg. Hofburg was a neck ahead of Vino Rosso, and they were followed across the finish line by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.
The fastest time ever in the Belmont was Secretariat's 2:24 in 1973. The times today were :23.37 for the first quarter mile; :48.11 for the half; 1:13.21 for three-quarters; 1:38.09 for the mile; and Justify crossed the mile and a half finish line in 2:28.18.
The payouts for $2 bets were s follows: Justify to win $3.60; Gronkowki to place $13.80; Hofburg to show $3.70; the exacta paid $89.00; the trifecta paid $459.48; and the superfecta paid $2,103.00.
Justify ran his first race in February of this year, and won by 9 1/2 lengths. At an early three years of age, he stands at 16.3 hands, and weighs 1,268 pounds. His sire, Scat Daddy was born in 2004, and died in 2015; Justify is from his last crop of foals. His dam is Stage Magic.
Here are photos of Justify, his sire, dam, and grandsires:
Justify and trainer Bob Baffert
Justify winning the Belmont Stakes
Stage Magic, Justify's dam, and her April 2018 colt
sired by Pioneer of the Nile - born 2007
Ghostzapper, Stage Magic's sire - born 2000
Scat Daddy, Justify's deceased sire - 2004-2015
Johannesburg, Scat Daddy's sire - born 1999
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Miscellaneous Photos
Goldfinch
Rift Valley, Kenya - broken dam/levee
Kileauea's lava on Hawaii
Townsend's big-eared bat - Colorado native
Justify during a gallop on 10 May
John McCain returning from 5 years of capitivity
Representative Jared Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis
This and That...
While sitting and working at my computer yesterday evening, I saw two bats fly by; and this morning, I saw the first goldfinches of the season. And I just had an immature house finch alight on the balcony railing, and inspect my desk and me through the window. It was very curious, and kept tilting it's head from side to side, while chewing on a pumpkin seed that was larger than it's bill. And there are now 31 foals kicking up their heels on the southern end of Assateague. - Today, if I were in Scotland, I'd say it was a soft day - overcast with a misty drizzle.
I realize that it's the normal course of Mother Nature and our Earth, but I'm appalled by the loss of life in the Rift Valley in Kenya. They had over a year of drought, and now have had two months of torrential rains. The majority of jobs and industries there are agricultural, and owners build reservoirs on top of hills. With the rains, the walls are breaking, sending floods down through the homes built below them. More than 157 people have died in the last month, either drowned or buried in mud.
Then, of course, there's the eruption of Kilauea on the big island of Hawaii, that began on 3 May. More than 15 volcanic vents have opened around the caldera, spewing lava and toxic gases. The latest warning say a large eruption could toss boulders as large as 10 tons in almost any direction, should there be an explosion within the caldera.
After all the crap coming from the White House since the last inauguration, I should not have been surprised or upset by the latest leak of information from a staff meeting held "behind closed doors." I'll be honest and say that I have rarely agreed with Senator John McCain's stance in politics. However, the man was a pilot in the Viet Nam War; his plane was shot down; and he was held prisoner in Hanoi for 5 years. He was a physical wreck when he returned home after his ordeal. But to have a White House staff member say that the Senator's opposition to the appointment of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA, "...doesn't matter; he's dying anyway" is disgusting. Special assistant Terry Sadler now claims that she said that as a joke, just as 45 always claims his disparaging remarks are jokes. Because a Senator is fighting brain cancer is no reason for Cadet Captain BoneSpurs and his chosen few to disparage an American hero.
Thoroughbred trainers are still deciding whether or not they'll have an entry in next Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Justify, the colt who won the Kentucky Derby, has already had a 1 and 1/2 mile gallop over the track there. Justify's regular jockey, Mike Smith, has received a 4 day suspension from the stewards at Santa Anita in California. His mount, under a right-handed whip, drifted to the left and interfered with Kent Desormeaux's mount. Smith's suspension will not affect his ride on Justify in the Preakness.
And I am throwing my complete support behind Jared Polis in his run for Governor of Colorado. Jared is a local from Boulder; he is gay, and he and his partner have adopted three children. I firmly stand behind all that Jared represents as a father and as a legislator, as he is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives, serving the Second Congressional District. He is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. - And I laughed out loud at one of his tweets this morning: You know you're living in the 21st century when your inbox contains an announcement about a "DNA Sale!" announcement for Mother's Day. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm getting Mom some beautiful flowers...
.
I realize that it's the normal course of Mother Nature and our Earth, but I'm appalled by the loss of life in the Rift Valley in Kenya. They had over a year of drought, and now have had two months of torrential rains. The majority of jobs and industries there are agricultural, and owners build reservoirs on top of hills. With the rains, the walls are breaking, sending floods down through the homes built below them. More than 157 people have died in the last month, either drowned or buried in mud.
Then, of course, there's the eruption of Kilauea on the big island of Hawaii, that began on 3 May. More than 15 volcanic vents have opened around the caldera, spewing lava and toxic gases. The latest warning say a large eruption could toss boulders as large as 10 tons in almost any direction, should there be an explosion within the caldera.
After all the crap coming from the White House since the last inauguration, I should not have been surprised or upset by the latest leak of information from a staff meeting held "behind closed doors." I'll be honest and say that I have rarely agreed with Senator John McCain's stance in politics. However, the man was a pilot in the Viet Nam War; his plane was shot down; and he was held prisoner in Hanoi for 5 years. He was a physical wreck when he returned home after his ordeal. But to have a White House staff member say that the Senator's opposition to the appointment of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA, "...doesn't matter; he's dying anyway" is disgusting. Special assistant Terry Sadler now claims that she said that as a joke, just as 45 always claims his disparaging remarks are jokes. Because a Senator is fighting brain cancer is no reason for Cadet Captain BoneSpurs and his chosen few to disparage an American hero.
Thoroughbred trainers are still deciding whether or not they'll have an entry in next Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Justify, the colt who won the Kentucky Derby, has already had a 1 and 1/2 mile gallop over the track there. Justify's regular jockey, Mike Smith, has received a 4 day suspension from the stewards at Santa Anita in California. His mount, under a right-handed whip, drifted to the left and interfered with Kent Desormeaux's mount. Smith's suspension will not affect his ride on Justify in the Preakness.
And I am throwing my complete support behind Jared Polis in his run for Governor of Colorado. Jared is a local from Boulder; he is gay, and he and his partner have adopted three children. I firmly stand behind all that Jared represents as a father and as a legislator, as he is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives, serving the Second Congressional District. He is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. - And I laughed out loud at one of his tweets this morning: You know you're living in the 21st century when your inbox contains an announcement about a "DNA Sale!" announcement for Mother's Day. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm getting Mom some beautiful flowers...
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Saturday, May 5, 2018
Justify Wins Kentucky Derby; Saxon Warrior Wins English 2,000 Guineas
The first races in both the American and British Triple Crowns were run today. At Newmarket, in England, the 2,000 Guineas, contested at a mile on the turf, saw trainer Aidan O'Brien take his ninth victory, with Saxon Warrior. Saxon Warrior is a bay colt by Deep Impact, and out of the Galileo mare Maybe. Aidan O'Brien's 19-year-old son Donnacha was the jockey, while O'Brien himself was at Churchill Downs with Mendelssohn for the Kentucky Derby. Saxon Warrior set off at odds of 3 to 1, and ran the mile over a course rated "good" in 1:36.55. Tip To Win, a 50 to 1 long-shot, was second with Masar in third.
In Kentucky, three inches of rain fell before the Derby and fell throughout the race. A full starting gate of 20 colts broke nicely while a crowd of 157,813 watched. The 5 to 2 betting favorite was Justify, a chestnut son of Scat Daddy out of the mare Stage Magic. Justify is trained by Bob Baffert, and was under the guidance of veteran jockey Mike Smith. Justify had never raced on a sloppy track, but several other colts in the race had, and those boys had won by impressive margins. Smith rode Justify out of the gate in a hurry, and settled about 8 paths out from the rail, with Promises Fulfilled in the lead close to the rail. The first quarter and half-miles were run in jaw-dropping times for a sloppy track - 22.24 seconds for the first quarter, and 45.77 for the half-mile.
But Justify just cruised on. He won the race in 2:04.20 - and without a speck of mud on his face or chest. This made the fifth Kentucky Derby win for Bob Baffert, and the second for Mike Smith. Good Magic tried to press Justify at the top of the stretch, under the whip, while Smith just sat still on Justify and pulled away. Good Magic finished second, with Audible third, Instilled Regard fourth and My Boy Jack in fifth. And Justify broke to so-called "Apollo curse" when he won the Derby today, becoming the first horse that did not race as a two-year-old in 136 years to win the first leg of America's Triple Crown.
For a $2 win ticket on Justify, the return was $7.80; for a $2 place bet on Good Magic, one received $9.20; for a $2 show wager on Audible, the payout was $5.80. Return on a $2 exacta bet was $69.60; on a $1 trifecta it was $141.40; and on a $1 superfecta, the return was $19,618.20.
In Kentucky, three inches of rain fell before the Derby and fell throughout the race. A full starting gate of 20 colts broke nicely while a crowd of 157,813 watched. The 5 to 2 betting favorite was Justify, a chestnut son of Scat Daddy out of the mare Stage Magic. Justify is trained by Bob Baffert, and was under the guidance of veteran jockey Mike Smith. Justify had never raced on a sloppy track, but several other colts in the race had, and those boys had won by impressive margins. Smith rode Justify out of the gate in a hurry, and settled about 8 paths out from the rail, with Promises Fulfilled in the lead close to the rail. The first quarter and half-miles were run in jaw-dropping times for a sloppy track - 22.24 seconds for the first quarter, and 45.77 for the half-mile.
But Justify just cruised on. He won the race in 2:04.20 - and without a speck of mud on his face or chest. This made the fifth Kentucky Derby win for Bob Baffert, and the second for Mike Smith. Good Magic tried to press Justify at the top of the stretch, under the whip, while Smith just sat still on Justify and pulled away. Good Magic finished second, with Audible third, Instilled Regard fourth and My Boy Jack in fifth. And Justify broke to so-called "Apollo curse" when he won the Derby today, becoming the first horse that did not race as a two-year-old in 136 years to win the first leg of America's Triple Crown.
For a $2 win ticket on Justify, the return was $7.80; for a $2 place bet on Good Magic, one received $9.20; for a $2 show wager on Audible, the payout was $5.80. Return on a $2 exacta bet was $69.60; on a $1 trifecta it was $141.40; and on a $1 superfecta, the return was $19,618.20.
The full order of finish follows:
1. Justify by 2 1/2 lengths
2. Good Magic by a nose
3. Audible by 2 lengths
4. Instilled Regard
5. My Boy Jack
6. Bravazo
7. Hofburg
8. Lone Sailor
9. Vino Rosso
10. Solomini
11. Firenze Fire
12. Bolt d'Oro
13. Flameaway
14. Enticed
15. Promises Fulfilled
16. Free Drop Billy
17. Noble Indy
18. Combatant
19. Magnum Moon
20. Mendelssohn (Aidan O'Brien's entry)
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