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Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

2007 Belmont - Sunday Morning Recap

T. Michael Testi — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:49:22 EDT

As I said on my Wednesday update, "Theres a lady in the house," and boy was there ever! Rags to Riches was the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont and the third ever. This race also took the monkey off the back of trainer Todd Pletcher who finally won his first Triple Crown victory. “As a rule, we’re probably the one everyone is rooting against,” said Pletcher, who set single-season records for stakes wins (100) and graded stakes wins (57) in 2006 and earnings ($26,820,243) with his powerhouse stable. “We’re the underdog today; that was kind of sweet. The reception was kind of unbelievable."“After we made the decision to run this filly, the reaction from the racing community was very enthusiastic. If nothing else, it was great for racing. Obviously, the end result, it was great for the filly.”Garret Gomez, the regular rider of Rags To Riches, decided to accept the mount on third place Preakness finisher Hard Spun, so the ride of Rags To Riches went to John Velazquez, who also had never won a Triple Crown event.“I told (Anderson) it is going to be awfully hard for me to take Johnny off if this filly wins,” Pletcher said. “It’s very unfortunate for Garrett. I feel badly for him, for Ron Anderson.”“When she stumbled, I had an immediately bad feeling,” Pletcher said. “But Johnny (Velazquez) and I talked and we wanted to be patient, keep her face clean. We’re fortunate to get it done.”“She stumbled in error and the first thing I thought was, 'Why did it happen right now?,’” Velazquez said. “But Todd and I had talked and all we wanted was to give her a good chance around the turn. We didn’t want her jumping up and wasting a lot of energy. Garrett Gomez told me she will give you 100 percent without asking. It was unfortunate for him that he turned over the horse, but this victory goes with him, too.”Even though this historic victory overshadowed another great run by Curlin, trainer Steve Asmussen was upbeat. “I thought Curlin ran extremely well,” said Asmussen, “They came into the stretch pretty much heads-up. He fought back very well. My hat is off to Rags to Riches. They ran the last quarter in :23 4/5 in a mile and a half race and she’s a deserving classic winner. We lose one the exact same way we won one." He said referring to Curlin's win against Street Sense in the Preakness.

T. Michael Testi is a photographer, writer, software developer and ardent fan of fantasy football and horse race handicapping. He also blogs at PhotographyTodayNet and at All This and Everything Else.

2007 Belmont Stakes - Thursday Update

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 7 Jun 2007 17:12:21 EDT

Here's the final list of seven horses who will show up for the 139th running of the Belmont as well as their post positions and odds from both the track and the Daily Racing Form.� Curlin arrived at Belmont Park on Tuesday afternoon and was on the track training on Wednesday morning. "He's his own best friend because he takes care of himself," said assistant trainer Steve Blasi. "It's him. He can take it. Not all of them can. He acts like a rock star. He's held up well through this. He's a little more chiseled in the right places. He's definitely not ribby."� Since his blinkers were removed, Slew's Tizzy has won two straight races in the Lexington and the Lone Star Derby. "Removing the blinkers has really helped him to relax, which has made a big difference in his last two starts," said trainer Greg Fox, a former racetrack veterinarian. � After his second in the Derby and third at the Preakness, Hard Spun is working to try to take the Belmont. � No filly has won the Belmont Stakes since 1905. Rags to Riches is going to try to change that and become one of only three to ever win it. Because she is a filly against the boys, she will be carrying only 121 pounds compared to the 126 pounds on the rest of the field.� While Digger and Time Squared had been considered for this race, they were not entered by Wednesday's deadline.� John Shirreffs, the trainer of Tiago and trainer of 2005's Derby winner Giacomo, arived on Wednesday morning. "We learned a couple of things," Shirreffs said. "Giacomo, we would take him out late in the morning and let him rest early in the morning, but we found it's better to get Tiago out early and then let him rest the whole day.� This weekends Belmont Stakes will be the 11th race in a 13 card event. It will begin at noon EST on ESPN and ABC will take over at 5 pm EST for a two hour broadcast with a 6:25 EST post time.Belmont Stakes 139 FieldEric Donavan - Belmont 1 - Imawildandcrazyguy, 20-1 2 - Tiago, 10-1 3 - Curlin, 6-5 4 - CP West, 12-1 5 - Slew's Tizzy, 20-1 6 - Hard Spun, 5-2 7 - Rags to Riches, 3-1Mike Watchmaker - DRF 1 - Imawildandcrazyguy, 12-1 2 - Tiago, 8-1 3 - Curlin, 6-5 4 - CP West, 12-1 5 - Slew's Tizzy, 15-1 6 - Hard Spun, 7-2 7 - Rags to Riches, 3-1

2007 Belmont Stakes - Wednesday Update

T. Michael Testi — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 11:18:31 EDT

Wednesday's update with the current list of probables for the 139th running of the Belmont:� Following the loss in the Preakness Stakes by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Carl Nafzger announced that he would not run in the Belmont. Instead he would focus on the Travers Stakes in August and the Breeders cup in October.� Breezing in a half-mile, Slew's Tizzy had his final workout before the Belmont Stakes last Saturday at the Thoroughbred training center last Saturday. "It couldn't have gone better" said trainer Greg Fox. "The breeze basically was the last half-mile of a two-mile gallop. It was perfect. He did it well within himself."� Time Squared, who finished sixth in the Blue Grass Stakes, will run in the Belmont this weekend. With a small field expected, trainer Patrick Biancone said, "Why not take a shot?"� Steve Asmussen kept Curlin at Churchill Downs a little longer than he originally intended because of all the rain up at the Belmont track. Curlin finished his workout with an easy half-mile in 50.60. "He went nice and smooth," Asmussen said. "For a horse who's going to be going a mile and a half, we want to keep him relaxed and fluid, and that's what he's showing us."� It seems that even though Hard Spun has finished second in the Derby and third in the Preakness, he gets no respect from the fans. According to trainer Larry Jones, everyone is giving him unsolicited advice. When he told a fan that he was going to run him in the Belmont; "I thought he was going to say good luck or whatever and he said, 'Well, I'll have you know, that horse can't go over a mile, I don't know why you all are trying to run him over a mile." From another woman he explained, "She explained she watched this horse from his first race on and she had been a big supporter of him in the Derby and the Preakness but, in all good faith, she just could not support him in the Belmont." Jones replied, "The only thing I can do is laugh about it because I got the horse and they don't!"� There's a lady in the house! Todd Pletcher has decided to run the nations number one 3-year-old filly, Rags to Riches, in the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes. It will be interesting to see who will be following who!� Nick Zito entered CP West in to the Belmont on Tuesday. The entire field:Curlin Hard Spun Rags to Riches Tiago Imawildandcrazyguy Slew's Tizzy Digger Time Squared CP West

2007 Preakness - Sunday Morning Recap

T. Michael Testi — Sun, 20 May 2007 15:33:52 EDT

WOW! The 132nd running of the Preakness at Pimlico on Saturday was a race for the ages. It came down to the wire and Curlin beat Street Sense by less than half a head. Some are saying that it was inexperience that allowed Street Sense to win the Derby and Curlin getting only third place.Curlin, the number two horse, stumbled coming out of the blocks, but came from behind to beat Street Sense by a little less than a head. Everyone who watched the race was sure that once again Street Sense was coming from the inside and going to take the second gem of the Triple Crown, but Curlin kept to his task and over took the first place lead in the last 20 feet. Hard Spun, the Derby runner up finished third and four lengths back. CP West was fourth and followed by Circular Quay, King of the Roxy, Mint Slewlep, Xchanger, and Flying First Class."It feels awesome," Robby Albarado, Curlin's jockey said. Compared to the Derby, Curlin "felt like a different horse the first quarter-mile, he felt like different horse the last quarter-mile.""The first part of the race he felt like a 2-year-old, the last part of the race he felt like a 5-year-old," he said. "He pulled up a little bit the last 40 yards," Carl Borel, Street Sense's jockey said, "but I can't take anything away from the winner. I went by the winner. I thought I was home free."What most people don't know is that two races earlier at Pimlico, during the Dixie Stakes, Albarado, riding the horse Einstein, fell hard to the turf course. Unlike other occasions when he had to be taken off the course in an ambulance, this time he bounded to his feet determined not to miss the Preakness.This years race is reminiscent of the 1989 duel between Easy Goer and Sunday Silence and the three-way fight between 1997's Silver Charm, Captain Bodgit, and Free House. This was a clean race with no breakdowns and no controversies. Just a fight to the finish!This I think is going to lead to another great race coming up in three weeks. The rubber match if you will. Will it be Street Sense? Or will it be Curlin? Or will it be someone entirely new? Stay tuned.

2007 Preakness - Friday Update

T. Michael Testi — Sat, 19 May 2007 01:30:32 EDT

Friday's update and an additional odds line from Mike Watchmaker. You'll find the order and the odds at the bottom of this article.� Street Sense at 7-2 is the top favorite. "I feel like the king of the mountain," Carl Nafzger, the trainer of Derby winner Street Sense, said outside the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course the other morning. "It's good to be the king. I hope I still am after Saturday," � Hard Spun set the pace in the Derby and will be a dangerous threat in the Preakness. He will be ridden by Mario Pino, the winningest jockey of all-time at Pimlico.� Curlin has only three starts and had never raced as a two-year-old. Even though he took his first loss at the Derby, he still finished third beating 17 other horses. � Flying First Class and Xchanger are trying to go the Bernardini route by bypassing the Derby and winning the Preakness.� D. Wayne Lukas has won the Preakness five times and the rest of the eight trainers combined have one it only once.� None of the jockeys riding in the Preakness this weekend has ever won it. Four have never ridden at the Preakness and the other five are 0 for 24.Preakness Stakes 132 FieldOdds by Fran Carulli: Pimlico Linemaker 1 Mint Slewlep 30-1 2 Xchanger 15-1 3 Circular Quay 8-1 4 Curlin 7-2 5 King of the Roxy 12-1 6 Flying First Class 20-1 7 Hard Spun 5-2 8 Street Sense 7-5 9 CP West 20-1Odds by Mike Watchmaker: Daily Racing Form National Handicapper 1 Mint Slewlep 50-1 2 Xchanger 30-1 3 Circular Quay 6-1 4 Curlin 4-1 5 King of the Roxy 8-1 6 Flying First Class 20-1 7 Hard Spun 7-2 8 Street Sense 7-5 9 CP West 15-1

2007 Preakness - Thursday Update

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:43:10 EDT

After seeing 20 horses run in the Kentucky Derby, there are only nine running this Saturday. You'll find the order and the odds at the bottom of this article. Street Sense and Hard Spun, the two top horses will run side by side in the Preakness.The first three finishers along with Circular Quay are coming back after only two weeks rest. This is probably the only time in their history to come back after such a short rest.Curlin and Flying First Class arrived by air around 10:40 am on Wednesday.Hard Spun arrived by van at 1:35 pm on Wednesday.Street Sense arrived at Plimlico a little after 4 pm on Wednesday.Barbaro will be honored at this year's Preakness. It was at last year's Preakness that Barbaro suffered his life ending injury, and so this year they renamed the "Sir Barton Stakes"; which was the first horse to win the Triple Crown, to the "Barbaro Stakes." It is the ninth race on Preakness day and Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz, will run his number one three-year-old Chelokee in it.D. Wayne Lucak has high hopes for Flying First Class, "We're not going for the crab cakes," said Lukas, a five-time winner of the Preakness. "We're going over there with high expectations. I think we're going to raise hell, I really do." Preakness Stakes 132 Field1Mint Slewlep30-12Xchanger15-13Circular Quay8-14Curlin7-25King of the Roxy12-16Flying First Class20-17Hard Spun5-28Street Sense7-59CP West20-1

2007 Preakness - Tuesday Update

T. Michael Testi — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:40:43 EDT

After seeing 20 horses run in the Kentucky Derby, it is looking like only nine 3-year-olds will be entered into the 132rd running of the Preakness this Saturday. � Sixth place finisher Circular Quay is confirmed for the Preakness and will arrive by van on Thursday. � Four runners worked out Monday: Circular Quay, CP West, Curlin, and Mint Slewlep.� Curlin breezed an easy half-mile at his home track of Churchill Downs. "He looked good. Nice and relaxed," Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Curlin, said Monday morning from Churchill Downs. "I'm very impressed with how much horse he is, how strong he is."� Curlin, Flying First Class, and Street Sense are expected to fly in to Maryland on Wednesday. � Hard Spun will arrive by van on Wednesday.� Chelokee is out for the Preakness and will run in the Barbaro Stakes instead.� Street Sense completed his major preparations for Saturday when he breezed five furlongs in 1:00; what trainer Carl Nafzger called "perfect." "He was always relaxed, never charging the bit," Nafzger said. � Coming off a 2 � length win at the Derby, Street Sense will be the favorite to win the Preakness.� Teuflesberg, the 17th place finisher in the Derby, has decided to skip the Preakness this year. Jamie Sanders, part-owner said "We did this for Teuflesberg, he's got a long career in front of him. He's a very sound and healthy horse, and we didn't feel like it's the right thing to run him back in two weeks."Thursday update next!

2007 Kentucky Derby - The Monday Morning Jockey

T. Michael Testi — Mon, 7 May 2007 19:55:20 EDT

With Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, in attendance along with third largest crowd in Derby history, Street Sense powered home in the 133rd running of the fastest two minutes in history. Breaking the Breeders' Cup juvenile jinx, and simultaneously going against the odds by only having two prep races, Street Sense moved so easily through the crowd coming from behind to win by 2 ¼ lengths. Being 19th of 20 as they rounded the first turn, jockey Calvin Borel gave a clinic on horsemanship. He hugged the rail down the backstretch and ran down the front runner, Hard Spun, with just a quarter-mile to go. Curlin trailed Hard Spun by 5 � to finish third in his first ever loss. Hard Spun opened fast with a pack of horses close behind. Gradually, he began to creep away from the group. At the top of the stretch, Borel found an opening between Sedgefield and Liquidity and burst through and drew away for the win. Street Sense will now prepare for the May 19th Preakness stakes at Pimlico race course for the second leg of the Triple Crown. The limited two prep races for Street Sense may be a blessing now with the grueling next two races in five weeks.The final leg of the Triple Crown is at Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes on June 9th. Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown in 1978. This is the longest drought since the Triple Crown was first won in 1919. Congratulations to Street Sense for such an exiting race!One other note, apparently seeing the Kentucky Derby was a life long dream of the Queen, congratulations on her fulfilling her dreams as well!

2007 Kentucky Derby - Down The Stretch: Thursday Update From Derby Week

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 3 May 2007 23:43:04 EDT

Now for the Thursday Derby update: Nobiz Like Shobiz finally made his appearance, albeit, fashionably late on Wednesday. Barclay Tagg showed him around his new surroundings at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning. "He jogged back to the gate; he stood there while they were schooling some horses; he stood in the gate; he backed out of the gate; we jogged down the front and we brought him to the paddock; we walked him twice around the paddock; then we walked him home," said Tagg, who planned another trip to the paddock for Nobiz Like Shobiz before Thursday's sixth race. Nobiz Like Shobiz will race with blinkers for the second straight race at Aqueduct with his new eyewear. "I'm not always in a big hurry to put them on. I'd rather have him get used to things on his own, but it doesn't always work out that way," Tagg said. "The Derby was coming up, and the Derby doesn't change its date for someone wanting to put blinkers on."Todd Pletcher, despite his five horse contingency, has gone 0-14 at the Derby, but he has the best grouping of horses this year.Bwana Bull returned handled the sloppy track well during his gallop today.Curlin and Zanjero galloped one and one-quarter mile today. They schooled in the paddock this afternoon.Great Hunter jogged a mile and galloped one and one-half miles today. Hard Spun had a busy morning as Larry Jones guided him from gap to gate to paddock to barn. "Then I jogged him to the paddock, so he could get in all the looking around he wanted. That way he'll look around less on Saturday."Street Sense, James Tafel's champion, took the day off which is standard operating procedure for Carl Nafzger. Finally here are the post positions and the morning line by Mike Battaglia:1 Sedgefield 50-1 2 Curlin 7-2 3 Zanjero 30-1 4 Storm in May 30-1 5 Imawildandcrazyguy 50-1 6 Cowtown Cat 20-1 7 Street Sense 4-1 8 Hard Spun 15-1 9 Liquidity 30-1 10 Teuflesberg 30-1 11 Bwana Bull 50-1 12 Nobiz Like Shobiz 8-1 13 Sam P. 20-1 14 Scat Daddy 10-1 15 Tiago 15-1 16 Circular Quay 8-1 17 Stormello 30-1 18 Any Given Saturday 12-1 19 Dominican 20-1 20 Great Hunter 15-1

2007 Kentucky Derby - Down The Stretch: Wednesday Update From Derby Week

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 3 May 2007 13:05:04 EDT

Now for the Wednesday Derby update:• Nobiz Like Shobiz, after his early workout at Belmont, is flying in to Louisville this afternoon. According to sources, he is leaving at 1:30. Cornelio Velasquez will ride him this Saturday at in the Derby• Todd Pletcher, running his operations out of Barn 34, sent four of his five colts out at 6am. Any Given Saturday, Circular Quay, Cowtown Cat and Sam P all worked out early with Scat Daddy coming out at 6:30.• Bwana Bull returned to Churchill downs on Wednesday to jog a mile and a half.• Curlin and Zanjero took some easy jogs as it was the first day back to the track after a couple of days off from their final major workout prior to the Derby.• With Cobalt Blue and Xchanger, both who were on the bubble, excusing themselves from the race, Teuflesburg and Imawildandcrazyguy will be entered in this weekend's Kentucky Derby.• Two days after his head-turning run, Hard Spun continued to look great. "He was well behaved in the paddock," said trainer Larry Jones, "then we went out on the track, and he took me a little by surprise. I forgot how well he gets over the dirt track. He wasn't out of control in the gallop, and he sat on the bit for me, but when I went to pull him up, I had to convince him to slow down."• Street Sense, James Tafel's champion, who went 1:01 in five furlongs yesterday, came out today to jog a mile and looked good.• According to the weather handicappers, there is a 60 percent chance of rain Wednesday through Friday and 30 percent on Saturday.I will have another update tomorrow as the pick for post position will occur later today.