My Saturday Breeders Cup Picks

First: Today's Breeder Cup race scratches: Worth Repeating has been scratched from the Marathon, and Sustained has been scratched from the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

  Tomorrow's Breeders Cup races are nine in number. Two are restricted to 2-year-old boys; one is restricted to girls of any age. The other six races are open to either sex, ages three years and up. There are still several horses that I haven't seen a photo of, and a few that I have no information on whatever... But here goes:

  First tomorrow is the Juvenile Turf, going 1 mile, with each 2-year-old boy carrying 122 pounds. There are 14 colts and 1 ridgling entered in this race. Gervinho and Noble Tune are both undefeated; Dry Summer (post 11) is the ridgling. I have no information on Rising Legend, other than he was bred in England. Seven of the entrants are descended from *Forli, so I like them; Noble Tune has Unbridled on the top of his pedigree and Storm Cat on the bottom. I like the way both Noble Tune and Gervinho look, but they will probably be the betting favorites. I like the pedigree of Lines of Battle. I'll bet on Brown Almighty, Balance the Books, Joha, and Know More....

  The Filly and Mare Sprint is the next race; it covers 7 furlongs, and all the entries (ten) are 4 or 5 years of age and they all carry 124 pounds. For pedigree, I like Belle of the Hall, Dust and Diamonds, Rumor, and Switch. By looks, I prefer Strike the Moon, Turbulent Descent, Great Hot and Musical Romance. I'll go with Turbulent Descent, Great Hot, and Switch.

  The (Dirt) Mile follows the ladies. It's weight for age; three 3-year-olds carry 123 pounds racing against six older horses who carry 126 pounds. Of the 9 entries, Rail Trip, Delegation, John Scott, and Second City are geldings. Delegation, Fed Biz, and Second City are 3-year-olds. Shackleford, last year's winner of the Preakness looks good shortening up. I like John Scott's pedigree. I'll bet on Jersey Town, Fed Biz, and Rail Trip, with Shackleford as my wild card.

  The Turf Sprint has a route of 6.5 furlongs, and weight carried is assigned by age and sex. Thirteen of the 16 entries carry 126 pounds; the exceptions are Reneesgotzip, a 3-year-old filly, who carries 121 pounds; Mizdirection, a grey 4-year-old filly, who backs 123 pounds; and Undbridled's Note, a 3-year-old colt, who is assigned 124 pounds. The horses range in age from 8 years (California Flag) to the two 3-year-olds. In this race, I'll back Great Mills, Great Attack, Corporate Jungle, and Unbridled's Note. I also like Starspangled Heat. My husband would be betting on California Flag, Starspangledbanner and Mizdirection.

  Two-year-old boys vie in the Juvenile; all carry 122 pounds over a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles. There are 9 entries, and I've seen 7 of them. I like the pedigrees of Title Contender, Speak Logistics, He's Had Enough and Fortify. I like the looks of Shanghai Bobby (probably the betting favorite), Monument, and Fortify. I'll put money on Speak Logistics, He's Had Enough, Monument and Fortify.

  In the Turf race, eleven boys and one girl will travel 1 and 1/2 miles. It's a weight for age and sex race; eight horses carry 126 pounds; Shareta, a 4-year-old filly, carries 123 pounds; the 3-year-old boys (Cogito, Dullahan, and Optimizer) carry 122 pounds. I like the breeding of St. Nicholas Abbey, Shareta, Little Mike, and Trailblazer (a grandson of Sunday Silence). Betting on looks and breeding, I'll bet on St. Nicholas Abbey, Treasure Beach, Optimizer, and Trailblazer.

  The Sprint! I used to make huge money on the Sprint; then I hit a period where i could not pick a winner at all. All entries, fourteen, in this race are colts; all carry 126 pounds, with the exception of the four 3-year-olds (Sum of the Parts, Jimmy Creed, The Lumber Guy, and Trinniberg) who carry 124 pounds. Amazombie is trying to get a repeat win, and might be the betting favorite. My husband would choose Justin Phillip, The Lumber Man, and Capital Account. Based on looks and pedigree, I'll choose Gantry, Coil, The Lumber Guy, and Hamazing Destiny.

  The Mile (Turf) has 9 entries. The eight males carry 126 pounds, while the lone girl, Moonlight Cloud totes 123. Animal Kingdom and/or Wise Dan will probably be the bettors' choice. I like the breeding of Mr. Commons and Jeranimo. I'll place my bucks on Obviously, Excelebration, Suggestive Boy, and Moonlight Cloud.

  The Classic has a purse of $5 million, and NBC is going to show this race in prime time tomorrow night. There are 12 runners, aged 7 to 3 years. They will run the United States' classic distance of 1 and 1/4 miles on the main track. Three 3-year-old colts are challenging the older boys. The older males will carry 126, while Alpha, Nonios, and Handsome Mike have 122 pounds on their backs. I like the breeding of Pool Play, Flat Out, Alpha, Brilliant Speed,and Mucho Macho Man. I will bet on looks and breeding - Fort Larned (a grandson of Bayakoa), Nonios (with Pleasant Colony and Affirmed on top, with Touch Gold on the bottom), Richard's Kid (Lemon Drop Kid on top Broad Brush on bottom), Ron the Greek (A P Indy on top, Dixieland Band on the bottom), and To Honor and Serve (A P Indy on top, Deputy Minister on the bottom) - but most of all, with John Velasquez in the irons!

***WARNING - I am just picking horses by my own criteria. Do NOT place bets solely based on my choice. If you do bet, please do so responsibly. You are responsible for winning money or losing money, not me. ***

My Cousin Aleda

First, don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour, either before you go to bed on Saturday night (my preference), or as soon as you get up Sunday morning. It's "Fall Back" time!

   If my brain seems a lot more scattered than usual, please forgive me. I just learned that my first cousin has metastatic cancer. Our mothers were sisters. Both of our maternal grandparents died from cancer; and both of my cousin's parents died from cancer. Aleda is younger than me; she has a wonderful husband; she has children; and she has grandchildren. After she married Barry, she returned to school and worked doggedly for her law degree; she specializes in representing women and children, and has done a great deal of work without pay in Third World countries, fighting for womens' rights. Her husband, Barry Frishman, gives tours around Chincoteague and Assateague, teaching tourists about marine, marsh, and island ecology. The only thing they own is Barry's boat (Captain Barry's Back Bay Tours); they rent a mobile home and a friend has loaned them a vehicle to drive. Aleda and Barry traveled to Haiti after the last earthquake, and have been spending their time shuttling between the two islands. Barry is a volunteer worker who digs and builds fresh water wells for all those who need them - in Haiti, and in the Third World countries he visits with Aleda. Barry is also an American Red Cross volunteer, and Emergency Team worker. Before returning to the States this past spring, Aleda always felt tired and achey (on top of her severe asthma). After tons of testing, it was found she had all sorts of internal parasites; but she kept having weird reactions to the medications that were supposed to cure her... More and more tests. A PET scan finally turned up a mass in her lymph glands. She was scheduled for a biopsy early last month, but another mass was found that encircles a major nerve and two arteries - they are now going to do the biopsy on November 9, a week from today. Then she'll have meetings with the Docs the day after Thanksgiving... I am upset and greatly worried.

Aleda ("Missy") and Barry Frishman on Chincoteague

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge: Thursday Photos

A boater checking out the new beach line at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, 1 November 2012

 

Ponies are grazing on the White Hills on the northern end of CNWR on Assateague

 

Looking north across the Assateague Beach breach Thursday

 

Assateague Island Report: After Sandy

Assateague Island National Seashore officials have announced a limited reopening of the park starting today.
» The North Ocean Beach parking area is expected to open for day use visitation Friday at noon. Once open, the area will then be accessible from sunrise until sunset.
» The Verrazano Bridge has been checked out by the Maryland Department of Transportation and deemed safe for vehicular traffic.
» The cycling and pedestrian bridge is severely damaged and will be closed until further notice. Currently, visitors may not walk or ride bicycles across the Verrazano Bridge. Portions of bikes lanes on the island were also damaged and are unsafe.
» The Assateague Island Visitor Center is open 9 am – 5 pm.
» The Old Ferry Landing Road, Bayside Drive, and South Ocean Beach Parking lots are all closed until further notice due to continued high water, unsafe conditions and damaged infrastructure.
» All developed area camping is closed until further notice.
» All back country camping is closed until further notice.
» The Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone is closed until further notice.
» All hunting in the National Seashore is closed until further notice.
» The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia is closed until further notice. Ninety-five percent of beach parking has been destroyed.

Horses, deer, and turkey have all been observed going about the business of their days. Large flocks of tree swallows have been showing off their flying skills for employees working to get the park open again.

Early Morning Photos

Thoroughbreds and exercise boys in the early morning mist at Santa Anita

 

Foggy morning on a river

 

In the Scots Highlands

 

November One; Breeder's Cup Picks for Friday

November first. The Solemnity of All Saints. All Hallows. Hallomas. The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertes). Undas. Samhain. And there are many more names for this particular date on the calendar...Most of them are Christian designations; Samhain is Celtic. Such a wide variety of beliefs make up our world; I just wish all the peoples of the earth could get along in peace, with a live and let live attitude... But we are all human and have human failings...

Tomorrow the first 6 of the Breeders Cup races will be run at Santa Anita - a quite of few of the 2-year-olds and imported horses don't have photos to go with their pedigrees; several foreign horses have no info at all, except sire and dam names... So I'm doing some of this "handicapping" without any information, other than the horses name, sire and dam, trainer, jockey, and what country or state they were bred in.

  In the Juvenile Sprint, there are 7 entries - 4 colts, 2 fillies, and a gelding; the course distance is 6 furlongs; the two fillies carry 119 pounds, while the boys back 122. I believe that Merit Man is the early betting favorite. I have seen photos of Merit Man, Hazardous, and Sweet Shirley Mae. D Wayne Lukas trains Hightail. Based on breeding, I like Hightail, Super Ninety Nine, and Sweet Shirley Mae. As a wildcard, I'll toss Hazardous, the chestnut gelding into the mix...

  The Marathon covers 1 and 3/4 miles; boys and girls race together; ages range from 3 to 9 years. There are 14 entries, and weight carried is based on age and sex; the 3-year-old colt Atigun will carry 122 pounds, the two mares (Almudena and Sense of Purpose) carry 123 pounds, and the other 11 horses carry 126 pounds. There is no information on two of the South American horses, Almudena and Calidoscopio; and photos are available of nine of the runners... Four entrants trace back to *Forli: Fame and Glory, Grassy, Sense of Purpose and Juniper Pass. I like the looks of Atigun, Jaycito, Worth Repeating. I like the pedigrees of Fame and Glory, Balladry, Not Abroad, and Eldaafer. I guess I'll go with Fame and Glory, Balladry, Jaycito and Sense of Purpose.

  The Juvenile Filly Turf covers one mile, with all the girls carrying 122 pounds. There are 16 entries, and there are photos of only 6 of the fillies. There is no information on Flotilla from France, or The Gold Cheongsam from Ireland, nor on Infanta Branca... Seven of the 16 go back to *Forli: Kitten's Point, Summer of Fun, Watsdachances, Nancy O, Flashy Ways, Sustained, and Infanta Branca. I like the looks of Spring Venture and Moonwalk. I like the breeding of Oscar Party, Waterway Run, and Moonwalk. With this limited info, I'll pick Summer of Fun, Watsdachances, Moonwalk, and then it's a toss-up between Sustained and Infanta Branca...

  There are 8 entries in the Juvenile Fillies covering 1 and 1/16 miles and with all the girls toting 122 pounds. The only filly without a photo is Broken Spell, who is trained by D Wayne Lukas. Renee's Queen, Dreaming of Julia, and Almost an Angel are descendants of *Forli. I like the breeding of Beholder, Kauai Katie, and Spring in the Air. Spring in the Air is a bay filly who has gotten the nickname of "Little Zenyatta", as she likes to perform the Spanish Walk just like the great Z always did. In this race, I'll have to go with Almost an Angel, Kauai Katie, Spring in the Air, and Dreaming of Julia.

  There has already been a scratch due to injury in the Filly and Mare Turf; Nereid is out, leaving a field of 11 to cover the 1 and 1/4 miles. This is a weight for age race, where the 3-year-olds carry 120 pounds, while the older ladies carry 124 pounds. The five mares carrying 124 pounds are: Star Billing, Zagora, Nahrain, Marketing Mix, and I'm a Dreamer. The only information I have on the filly Up is that she was bred in Ireland, and is a 3-year-old daughter of Galileo. I like the looks of The Fugue and I'm a Dreamer. I like the breeding of Stormy Lucy, Up, I'm a Dreamer, and In Lingerie. From my reading, I'll choose The Fugue, I'm a Dreamer, Marketing Mix, and Ridasiyna.

  Friday's final Breeder's Cup race is the Ladies Classic. The course is 1 and 1/8 miles. There are 8 entrants: three 3-year-olds who carry 121 pounds, and five 4-year-olds who carry 124 pounds. All of the ladies are bays or browns; Awesome Feather is a Florida-bred, and Questing was bred in Great Britain. Grace Hall, My Miss Aurelia, and Questing are the 3-year-olds. In this race, I like all of the ladies' pedigrees; and I like the looks of My Miss Aurelia and Class Included. Grace Hall comes from Unbridled. My Miss Aurelia has Mr. Prospector on top and bottom. Class Included has Broad Brush on top, and Nijinsky II on top and bottom. Questing has Danzig on top and Seekig the Gold on the bottom. Awesome Feather has Awesome Again on top, Gone West on the bottom. Royal Delta has Unbridled and A P Indy. Include Me Out has Broad Brush on top and Phone Trick on the bottom. Love and Pride has A P Indy on top and Storm Cat on the bottom - Who to choose, who to choose..... I'll go with Include Me Out, Awesome Feather, Class Included and My Miss Aurelia.

***WARNING: These are my own, completely unreasonable choices for these races. I do not say any single one of the horses named will actually win a race. I just like to post my thoughts.... Do not bet and blame me if you lose money wagered. You are the responsible person, not me. ***

Miscellany for Samhain

Nephew Mike Snow last night...

 

 

 

Beach Road on Chincoteague today

 

Assateague this morning

 

Building tops in Dubai