The Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of the Triple Crown, will be run at 6:50 EDT on Saturday. Eight three-year-old colts are entered, running one and a half miles, for a purse worth $1.5 million. Eight horses, seven trainers, eight jockeys, eight owners, eight stallions, eight mares - all hoping to win the Belmont, but only American Pharoah can win the Triple Crown championship.
All of the colts were bred in Kentucky, except Mubtaahij, who was bred in Ireland. Todd Pletcher trains Madefromlucky and Materiality. Frosted is a grey (or roan), Frammento and Madefromlucky are chestnuts,, the other five colts are bay. Currently, the weather situation seems to be warm, bright, and dry for the Stakes race.
Here are the horses, in their starting post positions, with their sire in parentheses, followed by the names of their jockeys and trainers, and their morning line betting odds:
1 Mubtaahij (by Dubawi IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr Michael de Kock 10 to 1
2 Tale of Vereve (by Tale of Ekati) Gary Stevens Dallas Stewart 15 to 1
3 Madefromlucky (by Lookin At Lucky) Javier Castellano Todd Pletcher 12 to 1
4 Frammento (by Midshipman) Mike Smith Nick Zito 30 to 1
5 American Pharoah (by Pioneerof the Nile) Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert 3 to 5
6 Frosted (by Tapit) Joel Rosario Kiaran McLaughlin 5 to 1
7 Keen Ice (by Curlin) Kent Desormeaux Dale Romans 20 to 1
8 Materiality (by Afleet Alex) John R Velasquez Todd Pletcher 6 to 1
I'll give you my picks Saturday - but I'd love for American Pharoah to win and become the twelfth horse to win all American Triple Crown races.
And I'm upset again. I know, that seems to be my natural state - but…. A visitor to Rocky Mountain National Park shot and killed a nursing cow elk near Mills Lake. First, NO Hunting is allowed in RMNP. Second, it is illegal to fire a weapon inside RMNP boundaries. Third, the baby elk has not been found, meaning it will probably starve to death. That makes me want to growl and howl, turn into a grizz and eat the person responsible alive.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Recent Photos (Mostly) from Assateague Island
Warning signs on Assateague beach
Assateague Channel
Assateague lighthouse from Assateague Channel
Looking up from the base of Assateague Lighthouse
Wild Thing - photo by Captain Dan's Tours
Oystercatcher - photo by Captain Dan's Tours
Evening egret
A six year old photo of Surfer Dude
The Ponies, Belmont Coverage, Epsom Derby
The Chincoteague High School Ponies baseball team did something great this year - they played their entire schedule and were undefeated. They were named the Region 41 Baseball Champions. Yesterday, the team started in the Play-Offs - and they defeated the Middlesex Chargers by a score of 8 to 4 in the East Regional Division. Way to go, young men!! I'll definitely be yelling, "Go Ponies!"
NBC has announced their coverage of the Belmont Stakes weekend. On Friday, the NBC Sports Network will have a program beginning at 3:30 EDT - I'm not sure if there will be live racing coverage from Belmont Park, or if it will be looking at (a) previous Triple Crown winners or (b) the 13 colts that have won both the Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont, since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown in 1978. There are two interesting stakes race at Belmont on Friday - the New York Stakes, for fillies and mares age 4 and up, which is 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf track; and the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes being run for horses four and up, covering 2 miles on the turf. The girls' race has 8 entries, while the 2 mile race has 11 contestants.
On Saturday, there will be 10 graded stakes races at Belmont, including the Belmont Stakes. There are two Invitational races, plus the Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a one mile distance - the female portion of the Triple Crown races. NBC Sports Network will begin coverage at 2:30 EDT; then NBC will take over coverage from 4:30 until 7 p.m. (EDT); with NBC Sports Network providing another 30 minutes of coverage after the race, from 7 until 7:30. All of the other stakes races look intriguing… I just hope for zero injuries.
The draw for Belmont post positions will take place today. I'll write about them tomorrow, but it looks like a ten horse field. American Pharoah is the betting favorite, and, if he wins the Belmont on Saturday, will be the 12th Triple Crown winner in America.
At 4:30 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time, the Epsom Derby will be run in England. There are 15 entries, and the last betting odds I saw ran from 3 to 2, to 250 to 1…. Wow. Here are the runners, listed alphabetically, with their odds behind their names: Best of Times 66 to 1; Carbon Dating 250 to 1; Elm Park 7 to 1; Epicuris 25 to 1; Giovanni Canaletto 7 to 1; Golden Horn 3 to 2; Hans Holbein 12 to 1; Jack Hobbs 11 to 2; Killimanjaro 20 to 1; Moheet 40 to 1; Rocky Rider 100 to 1; Rogue Runner 100 to 1; Storm the Stars 25 to 1; Success Days 16 to 1; and Zawraq 6 to 1.
Happy betting!
NBC has announced their coverage of the Belmont Stakes weekend. On Friday, the NBC Sports Network will have a program beginning at 3:30 EDT - I'm not sure if there will be live racing coverage from Belmont Park, or if it will be looking at (a) previous Triple Crown winners or (b) the 13 colts that have won both the Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont, since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown in 1978. There are two interesting stakes race at Belmont on Friday - the New York Stakes, for fillies and mares age 4 and up, which is 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf track; and the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes being run for horses four and up, covering 2 miles on the turf. The girls' race has 8 entries, while the 2 mile race has 11 contestants.
On Saturday, there will be 10 graded stakes races at Belmont, including the Belmont Stakes. There are two Invitational races, plus the Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a one mile distance - the female portion of the Triple Crown races. NBC Sports Network will begin coverage at 2:30 EDT; then NBC will take over coverage from 4:30 until 7 p.m. (EDT); with NBC Sports Network providing another 30 minutes of coverage after the race, from 7 until 7:30. All of the other stakes races look intriguing… I just hope for zero injuries.
The draw for Belmont post positions will take place today. I'll write about them tomorrow, but it looks like a ten horse field. American Pharoah is the betting favorite, and, if he wins the Belmont on Saturday, will be the 12th Triple Crown winner in America.
At 4:30 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time, the Epsom Derby will be run in England. There are 15 entries, and the last betting odds I saw ran from 3 to 2, to 250 to 1…. Wow. Here are the runners, listed alphabetically, with their odds behind their names: Best of Times 66 to 1; Carbon Dating 250 to 1; Elm Park 7 to 1; Epicuris 25 to 1; Giovanni Canaletto 7 to 1; Golden Horn 3 to 2; Hans Holbein 12 to 1; Jack Hobbs 11 to 2; Killimanjaro 20 to 1; Moheet 40 to 1; Rocky Rider 100 to 1; Rogue Runner 100 to 1; Storm the Stars 25 to 1; Success Days 16 to 1; and Zawraq 6 to 1.
Happy betting!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Spring Scenes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Long's Peak
Mill's Lake
Elk
Black Canyon Inn at Estes Park
Waterfall
Big horn ram on Mount Ida trail
Moraine Park
Reading Away...
After finishing Clive Cussler's The Assassin, I read through National Geographic's Atlas of North American Indians. In the past day and a half, I've read The Cat Sitter's Whiskers by John and Blaize Clement, and just finished Haunted, a new Hannah Smith mystery by Randy Wayne White. I am now re-reading C J Cherryh's Tracker. I'm out of new books, and will have to visit the Public Library again… *sigh* If you're looking for a light-hearted mystery with a touch of romance, I highly recommend the Cat Sitter series, which takes place on Siesta Key. A widowed pet sitter (and ex-deputy) takes care of various pets at various houses and helps solve crimes she encounters. The Assassin is part of the Isaaac Bell series - if you like history and mystery combined, along with a fast pace and discussion about planes, trains, and automobiles of the early 20th century, you'll love this series. Randy Wayne White has written several non-fiction books, but is also the creator of two highly readable and entertaining series - one about marine biologist Marion "Doc" Ford and his unknown black ops escapades; the other is about Hannah Smith, a woman who runs a charter-fishing business and an investigative agency on the side. Both of these series are set near and around Sanibel Island (Florida), southern Florida, Cuba, and several other countries (for Doc Ford). Hannah Smith is the fictions great-grand daughter of two of South Florida's most well-known pioneer women - Hannah and Sarah Smith. You get a lot of education regarding the areas, fishing and history in every one of Mr White's books. I can't put any of them down - or don't want to - once I start reading them. And I wrote about the atevi world created by C J Cherryh at the end of last month. I would love to be there. The cat that I lost to poisoning 4-plus years ago was named Banichi, after a main character in Cherryh's series; Nedi is short for Cenedi-ji, also a main character. I do love my books and authors!
Will we have a Triple Crown Champion after Saturday evening? Who will win the Epsom Derby? Everything in those two questions can only be answered by "racing luck." What will the trainers and riders strategies be? How well will everyone break from the gate? Will there be early speed? Will the winner just keep getting faster with each furlong, as Secretariat did? We'll have to wait until Saturday to find out.
Will we have a Triple Crown Champion after Saturday evening? Who will win the Epsom Derby? Everything in those two questions can only be answered by "racing luck." What will the trainers and riders strategies be? How well will everyone break from the gate? Will there be early speed? Will the winner just keep getting faster with each furlong, as Secretariat did? We'll have to wait until Saturday to find out.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Carnival Season on the Eastern Shore
Yesterday I had a wonderful time watching young cottontail rabbits playing together, and squirrels chasing and playing with each other. But, on my way back to Tess' in the afternoon, I saw something that made me cry. Two young squirrels were running across a three-lane road. One made it safely, the other didn't. It seemed to take a glancing blow, but was dead immediately. The survivor ran back into the street several times, avoiding traffic, and tried in vain to get the other to join him/her. The dead one was not messily squashed - it looked like it was asleep in the middle of the road. The survivor kept using a paw on the fallen one's shoulder, as if it were trying to awaken the other one. I saw it go to the dead one five separate times, and try to get the fallen one to join it. It was so sad…. I don't know if they were litter mates, friends, a courting couple, or what. All I know was that the death of one little squirrel made the rest of my day mirthless.
Race horse California Chrome, who is now in England, has a younger full-blood sister. The filly was supposed to appear in her first race on 15 May, but was scratched due to illness - a virus, says her trainer. The youngster is now scheduled to have her first race on June 15.
The fourth annual Tall Ships at Cape Charles will be taking place in two weeks time - the 13 and 14 of June. I'd certainly be there, if I were closer than Colorado. More information can be found at: http://www.tallshipscapecharles.com There are all sorts of cultural, educational and heritage visits that can be made on the Eastern Shore in the summer. And most of the Volunteer Fire Companies in Virginia and Maryland are holding their fund-raising Carnivals between now and Labor Day… Please support our local Fire Fighters and EMT crews by visiting their Carnival, and contributing to the local economies.
I also highly recommend Captain Barry's Back Bay Cruises from Chincoteague - both the daylight and evening cruises - and Captain Dan's Pony Tours from Chincoteague. Barry Frishman is my favorite Captain and tour guide - and he's very hands-on and knowledgeable, and everyone has fun on his trips and tours. If you only want to see ponies, birds, and dolphins the go out with Captain Dan.
Race horse California Chrome, who is now in England, has a younger full-blood sister. The filly was supposed to appear in her first race on 15 May, but was scratched due to illness - a virus, says her trainer. The youngster is now scheduled to have her first race on June 15.
The fourth annual Tall Ships at Cape Charles will be taking place in two weeks time - the 13 and 14 of June. I'd certainly be there, if I were closer than Colorado. More information can be found at: http://www.tallshipscapecharles.com There are all sorts of cultural, educational and heritage visits that can be made on the Eastern Shore in the summer. And most of the Volunteer Fire Companies in Virginia and Maryland are holding their fund-raising Carnivals between now and Labor Day… Please support our local Fire Fighters and EMT crews by visiting their Carnival, and contributing to the local economies.
I also highly recommend Captain Barry's Back Bay Cruises from Chincoteague - both the daylight and evening cruises - and Captain Dan's Pony Tours from Chincoteague. Barry Frishman is my favorite Captain and tour guide - and he's very hands-on and knowledgeable, and everyone has fun on his trips and tours. If you only want to see ponies, birds, and dolphins the go out with Captain Dan.
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