Ahh... The Superbowl of Horse Racing is upon us. Two days of solid horses and large betting pools.

I'll be at Trackside in Arlington on Sat. Not sure about Friday, but money will be placed on Zenyatta for a tidy sum. Call me a bridge jumper on that play.

I'll post some thoughts in a day or two, but wanted the discussion started.

I wish I could help fill in, but these BC races will get no more than a couple of nominal plays from me. The pools are tough to pass up, but there's just too many variables. I'd like to see Zenyatta win as a fan, but I wouldn't go bridgejumper on her. Gio Ponti might be an interesting play there, but I'm pretty big on Summer Bird.

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Fire Phil Emery

Fridays' Funnies
3rd race 1-3/4 Cloudys Knight Rosemary H can't screw this up
6th race 1-1/4 turf Pure Clan a consistent runner
9th race 1 mile turf Tizaqueena overcomes a crap pp?

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Two things.

1. I thought Zenyatta was going to race on Friday in the "girls only" race and skip the classic. I wuz wrong. I'll keep the bets low on her in the Classic.

2. Some food for thought from Andrew Beyer of the Wash. Post on the Poly stuff at SA...
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Curlin ordinarily would be the cynosure of the Breeders' Cup. The defending U.S. horse of the year and the top money-winning thoroughbred of all time is favored to end his career with a victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.

Yet the most intriguing and talked-about subject at Santa Anita is not Curlin or any other horse, but the surface that will be beneath their feet. For the first time, the Breeders' Cup is being contested over a synthetic track -- a substance known as Pro-Ride, consisting of sand, fiber and a polymer binding agent -- instead of dirt.

With the Breeders' Cup now expanded to 14 races over two days, eight of the events Friday and Saturday will be run on Pro-Ride, with the other six on grass. Each of the Pro-Ride races poses difficult questions for bettors. How do you evaluate a horse such as Curlin who has scored all of his victories on dirt? How do you judge a European grass runner racing on a synthetic surface for the first time? Should you bet an inferior animal with proven synthetic-track form against a superior rival with no such form?

In the three years since synthetic tracks appeared in the United States, there has been no consensus among horseplayers on these issues. The differences of opinion are sharp. Andy Serling, in-house racing analyst for the New York Racing Association, declares: "The synthetic tracks are more like synthetic turf courses than dirt courses. They should paint them all green." Bill Finley, author of "Betting Synthetic Surfaces," writes, "I cringe when I hear horseplayers insist dirt and synthetic tracks bear little resemblance to each other." Finley says the best horse usually wins on a synthetic surface.

The results at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday should help crystallize public opinion on the subject. My own shaky opinion is that I won't take a short price on a dirt runner who is unproven on synthetic surfaces. Although I would like to see Curlin end his career covered with glory, I will bet against him Saturday.

Beyer hit Raven Pass last year. But Curlin would have lost that race on dirt too. IMO.

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Fire Phil Emery

One more for today! She Be Wild in the 5th # 8 Winner of the Arlington Lassie trained by Chicago's very own Wayne Catalono!

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Todays picks...

Race - Selection
(the first two at SA are not BC, so we'll start at 3)

3 - #6 Mastery - Muhannak won it last year, but Mastery looks sharper

4 - Junia Tepzia & Pootosina

5 - Negligee - I love the name and the horse

6 - Forever Together

7 - Ventura

8 - Music Note - Loved her at Saratoga.

9 - same as Walt's - Tizaqueena, Teamgeist if you don't like the pp

A big win in the Juvenile Fillies for local supertrainer Wayne Catalano.

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Fire Phil Emery

I agree and that was a pretty damn good group of fillies.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

After Friday I'm up $61.50 playing with house money for a while

2nd Viscount Nelson the Euro's get one
3rd 6.5 turf Cannonball flyin' late
4th 6f Gayego Best Bet with Go Go on board
5th 1-16th Look at Lucky would be it,but that post just sucks goin with D'Funnybone great at the Spa
6th 1 mile t Cowboy Cal wire to wire? Hope his last didn't take a lot outta him
7th 1 dirt Bullsbay 3rd to Rachel
8th 1-1/2 turf longshot Telling every time I don't beat the SOB he wins hopin for boxcars!
9th 1-1/4 Sorry honey it would be a lovely story but Rip Van Winkle is a MONSTER

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I think Mr. Calabrese would beg to differ with you

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I hope Obama has a bailout for us BDHers

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I haven;t commented on this but in the Classic, two thoughts went through my head...1) Zenyatta is an absolute monster. Wow. What a kick to win that race. 2) Has there ever been a horse so highly touted for years as a horse for all courses and suck so bad with good hourses as Einstein? He's so over-rated.