Phil butchered Shelley the other day, but for now Dickens and Keats are safe.

An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.
Charles Dickens

Every Picture Tells a Story

Even if it were only the third time in 42 years I missed the Saratoga opener on-track, the excitement seems to radiate through the computer screen, right down to the ominous threat of a tornado. Thankfully, Saratoga Race Course and its wide open spaces were spared.

Horse Race Insider – Pricci – Saratoga Simulcast Diary: Opening Day

Horse Race Insider – Saratoga Simulcast Dairy: Meeting Across the River

Don’t Cry For Me Argentina

Phil’s vignette of Canadian history while it happens:

The Globe And Mail – Altstedter – Loonie closes at lowest level in more than a decade

National Post – Hasselback – Canadian dollar heading for 75 cents, Bank of Montreal says

Phil has a question:

Why doesn’t the Harper government stop concentrating its efforts on attack ads and starting looking after Canada’s economic performance.

The Globe And Mail – Unbalanced EI system is failing Canadians, former chief actuary says

Phil has a question:

Is the current unbalanced EI system not just another of the Harper governments’ tactics of using western money to buy votes in the East.

National Post – Fitz-Gerald – After hosting 2015 Pan Am Games, Toronto could ‘endear itself to the country’ if it won an Olympic bid

Phil has a question:

Would Toronto endear itself to the western provinces by winning an Olympic bid or by getting the Ontario economy in order so that Ontario gets off Transfer payment welfare.

There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
Frank Zappa

House of The Rising Sun

Running with the Bulls

July 31st – August 3rd 2015

Bulls In The Bronx

Never affirm, always allude: allusions are made to test the spirit and probe the heart.
Umberto Eco

TROT: So, where do you see Mohawk Racetrack in fifteen years time?

WALLACE: To begin with, let’s hope its still there! I hate to sound negative, but I am. I have to look at a bigger picture to answer that question. It (rebuilding) has to start with Woodbine Entertainment as they are the people with the wherewithal to put on the type of entertainment that could be construed as positive and entertaining and possibly house alternative gambling to attract and keep people there.

In the future, if there is Mohawk, other that being extremely employment sensitive, we’ll be nothing more than a roulette table or a craps table. We’ll just be giving the people another gambling option that can be sold as a different type of gambling, but not significant enough to stand on its own two feet.

Trot Magazine – Calling it How He Sees It

People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good, for the public good, and bad government is when politicians lie for their own selfish interests.
James Bovard

Far too oft people underestimate the younger generation. What are young people interested in. Not just sex drugs and rock n roll. Check out the lyrics from the new Cleveland duo Twenty One Pilots.

You fell asleep in my car, I drove the whole time,
But that’s ok, I’ll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine,
I’m driving here I sit, cursing my government,
For not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement.

Tear In My Heart

There is nothing stable in the world; uproar’s your only music.

John Keats

Bloodhorse – 34,783 Attend Opening Day at Saratoga

TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Shaman Ghost owns surface advantage in Prince of Wales

Bloodhorse – Familiar Foes Meet in Prince of Wales Stakes

National Post – What your hot dog toppings say about you

Bloodhorse – Maker’s Mark Plans Breeders’ Cup Bottles

Breeders’ Cup Challenge

Bloodhorse – Hard Not to Like Wins Record Diana Thriller

TwinSpires – Reilly – Hard Not to Like stakes claim as best older turf mare in Diana

Phil has a beef.

Why was the fact that Waltzing Matilda was racing in foal so poorly publicized. To the bettors who support the industry that information is just as important as first time racing after gelding.

Lady and the Track -Smith – Horse Racing News July 24-26 2015

Bloodhorse – Balan – Catch a Flight Finds Just Enough in San Diego

TwinSpires – Caldwell – Catch a Flight soars to San Diego ‘Cap winner’s circle

Phil has a question:

What was Martin Garcia trying to accomplish by slowing Bayern to a 24 first quarter, trying to keep his winning percentage under 10.

Bloodhorse – Uncle Vinny, Magna Light Fine After Sanford

Bloodhorse – Angst – Uncle Vinny Placed First in Sanford Stakes

With no actual contact made between Magna Light and Percolator, it’s hard to give credence to the stewards’ decision to disqualify Magna Light from first to third. It’s true enough that Magna Light did not maintain a straight course, but all views available to the public call into question the argument that Percolator was unjustly denied second place, seemingly due to slight intimidation. Carmouche’s own brief hesitancy in riding the final yards, as well as the horse’s likely fatigue, arguably affected Percolator’s placing more than Magna Light, who certainly misbehaved but with room to spare.

TwinSpires Blog – Hanson – Uncle Vinny ascends in Sanford on questionable disqualification

TwinSpires Blog – Caldwell – Magna Light ‘still thinks he won’ Sanford

Bloodhorse – First Female Steward at the Spa Begins Monday

TwinSpires Blog – Caldwell – I’m a Chatterbox’s CCA Oaks DQ a given

Bloodhorse – Curalina Gets CCA Oaks After ‘Chatterbox’ DQ

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Sunday’s notable 2-year-old maidens: 6th at Saratoga

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Untapable may await Personal Ensign

Bloodhorse – Judy the Beauty Headlines Honorable Miss

Bloodhorse – Top Clearance Joins Haskell Probables

Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. and Tim Rycroft won both of the 2 year old stakes at Northlands Park this weekend yet ended up 50/50 .

In Saturday’s Edmonton Juvenile their Awesome Slate was pulling away from the pack when he decided that the feedtub at the barn was more enticing than the winners circle and headed back to the barns blowing the last turn unceremoniously dumping Tony Maragh. Or maybe he watched Magna Light drift out and back in down the stretch in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga and thought that’s how you’re supposed to run. Ismael Mosqueira did a superlative job gathering Hold the Giant up avoiding any problems when his stablemate bolted and got Hold the Giant to re-rally overtake Derby Quest Farms Ltd. and Shot in the Dark racing Corp.’s Macho North and then hold off Doug Blair’s late closing NY Smoke.

Ismael Mosqueira was not so lucky on Friday night when Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.’s Miss Wild Rose reared up and flipped in the paddock dumping him just before the Princess Margaret Stakes. Her Stablemate Bootleggers Wife owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. and conditioned by Tim Rycroft ably dueled for the lead and then easily drew off to win by open lengths with Shannon Beauregard in the irons. Bootleggers Wife stopped the clock in 1:11.66 on a lightning fast track. Curtis and Darrell Landry, Red Diamond Stables and Highfield Stock Farms OneStaratatime closed for second with Dale Saunders, M, and P Equipment Inc. and Met Set Consulting Ltd.’s  Safari Tan getting up for third.

Norm Castiglione one of the partners in Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. is running for election as an owner representative to the Board in the upcoming HBPA Alberta election. Tim Rycroft is running for election as a trainer..

Excellent job gathering up Second Hand News in the 5th race at Northlands on Saturday when he was heading down the stretch the wrong way after clipping heels and falling. Mario Velazquez  was walking gingerly after the races and Second Hand News was walked off after the superb job in collaring him and avoiding a major accident.

Edmonton Sun – FRANK FONTANA’s Northlands Favourites

Matt’s Picks and Free Program – Wednesday July 29, 2015

Friday, July 31, 2015 6:30 PM MDT
Saturday, August 1, 2015 1:00 PM MDT
Monday, August 3, 2015 1:00 PM MDT

What does it take to win a Stakes race in Alberta. Ride a jockey who got dumped in a Stakes race the day before.

Tony Maragh who was unceremoniously dumped at Northlands Park on Saturday when Awesome Slate took an early right turn back to the barns in the Edmonton Juvenile got back up dusted himself off and kept Ted Graling’s Xtreme Denigray to the task in the $40,000 Alberta Derby at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie. Extreme Denigray trained by Twyla Bensmiller sat behind the early speed made his move down the lane and won driving over Dale Stark and Tom Rycroft’s Cowboy’s Don’t Cry. Curtis Landry’s Dr. Hook McCracken got up for show money.

How did the Alberta Derby purse reach $40,000. Thanks to the hard work and financial contibutions of a small group of Grande Prairie thoroughbred enthusiasts who took it upon themselves to improve a race that carries the name of our province. Good work guys.

A small ASide. The new government should take notice that the thoroughbred industry in this province pours outs barrels of cash from their own pockets for the betterment of the industry and this province. Isn’t it time that they received a fair shake from the jiggie biased leaders at Horse Racing Alberta. Better yet, isn’t it time that the jiggie biased leaders at Horse Racing Alberta be replaced.

Bloodhorse – Balan – Hebbronville Closes Late to Take Jersey Shore

Carryovers

Sunday July 26, 2015

Arlington
$4,697 — Pick 6
$1,319 — Super High Five Jackpot
Del Mar
$104,269 — Pick 6
Delaware Park
$3,189 — Pick 5
Ellis Park
$493  — Pick 6
Gulfstream Park
$51,349 — Pick 6 Jackpot
$10,011 — Super High Five
Hastings Racecourse
$1,987  — Pick 6
Louisiana Downs
$673 — Pick 5 Jackpot
Monmouth Park
$4,687  — Pick 6 Jackpot
Presque Isle Downs
$102 — Pick 6
Ruidoso Downs
$3,795 — Tri Super
Sacramento
$8,095  — Pick 6
Saratoga
$158,434 — Pick 6
Sunray Park
$982 — Super High Five Jackpot
Woodbine
$5,337 — Super High Five Jackpot

Tuesday July 28, 2015

Indiana Grand Race Course
$158 — Pick 6

Wednesday July 29, 2015

Northlands Park
$2,604 — Super High Five Jackpot

Guaranteed Pools

Wednesday July 29, 2015

Northlands Park
$10,000  — Pick 4

Equibase Carryovers and Guaranteed Pools

National Post – Reuters – Hackers who breached Ashley Madison’s site are threatening to release nude photos and sexual fantasies of more than 37 million cheating spouses

Vice – Lamoureux – Catching Up with the Canadian Woman from the Viral Threesome Video at Her Strip Club Debut

37,000,000 cheating profiles hacked, public threesomes when the urge strikes and now it turns out that spicy chicken may have been concocted to try and punish a Philanderer. What would the Colonel say.

“Beautiful, wavy hair,” his great-niece Andre Prince Jeffries tells me. He was also a bit of a womanizer. “He was totally a ladies’ man,” she laughs. “He sure had plenty of women.”

Women handle cheating partners in all sorts of ways. Some look the other way. Others walk out. A few get even.

One of Thornton’s women got fed up with his philandering ways. He had stayed out all night and come home expecting breakfast. She wanted retribution. That morning, just like all their other morning-afters, she got up before him. And she didn’t make him dry toast or gruel. Oh, no, she made him his favorite. She made him fried chicken.

Then, she added the spiciest items she had in her kitchen.

No one knows what went into that first hot chicken. “She couldn’t run to the grocery store to get something,” Jeffries muses. By the time the bird was cooked, she was sure she had spiced it beyond edibility.

As Thornton Prince took his first bite, she must have braced herself for his reaction. Would he curse? Whimper? Stomp out?

But her plan backfired. He loved it. He took it to his brothers. They loved it, too.

The woman disappeared from his life, but her hot chicken lived on. The Prince brothers turned her idea into the BBQ Chicken Shack.

The Bitter Southerner – Martin – How Hot Chicken Really Happened

House Of The Rising Sun

There are two different ticket structures for the event, based on whether you want to just eat or also enjoy some brown likker with your red chicken. A $40 ticket gets you full-size sample servings from at least 12 different hot chicken spots, free sodas and water, and a voucher for a ticket to a future Predators game. For $20 bucks more you get samples from more than 40 whiskey and bourbon options from distillers including:

Nashville Scene – Hot Shots! Nashville Predators Launch Hot Chicken, Whiskey and Bourbon Festival

Serious Eats – The Bird That Bites Back: How Nashville Hot Chicken is Made

Bon Appetit – Nashville-Style Hot Chicken

A good spicy challenge strikes a balance between flavour and fear.
Adam Richman

Dixie Chicken

ESPN – Ehalt – Collectors rediscover horse racing

Bloodhorse – Trainer Chuck Simon Back at Saratoga

ESPN – West – Is Pharoah’s victory in the Classic a foregone conclusion?

A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries.

Will Rogers

You’re Still The One

TDN – ‘Wicked’ Victory for Tapit Juvenile at the Spa

Although the early 2 year old stakes at Del Mar and Saratoga abound in talent, you’re more likely to see Derby Trail contenders in the numerous MSWs during the boutique meets.

NJ.com – Sargeant – How are Monmouth Park officials preparing for American Pharoah and the Haskell?

NJ.com – Munson – Haskell 2015: 5 things to know about American Pharoah coming to the Jersey Shore

Dancing in The Dark

TUESDAY AS USUAL IS STATS DAY

This past weekend was another scorcher at Hastings Racecourse with both days the temperature rising into the mid 90’s

Sunday, we completed day number 26 of the 2015 live season and its hard to believe that everyday so far has been a fast track.

Our average of number of horses per race dropped under the 7 level for the first time this year as the this past weekend’s field size took a large drop.

The claim box continues to be busy with a total of 53 claims so far this season. The total list of claims is further down in today’s newsletter.  The claims updates were passed onto to us by Michael Bye and thank you.

The three racing associations met over the weekend and are just putting the final touches on several of the 2016 incentive funds and there are a few new ones as well.

The associations along with Hastings management have been in touch with Mick Peterson (the racing surface expert) and he is in the midst of setting up Hastings on his computer system and forwarding some equipment to measure the amount of moisture in the track. This program should help the Hastings track management crew maintain the same amount of moisture on a consistent basis.

The Hasting Wintering Incentive Program has now paid out a total of $228,000.00 and its been confirmed by the associations this plan will be offered once again in 2016.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE THIS SATURDAY FOR ALL SEVEN BC CUP RACES

Just a quick reminder to horsemen that nominations close this Saturday for BC Cup Races to be run on Monday, August 3rd.

PURSE PAYOUTS ETC.

Most importantly our purse pool is within budget at this time and we have reached the half way mark this coming Saturday.

Of the $5,400,000.00 allocated to purses for the 2015 season for overnight races we have run 182 of the 363 overnight scheduled.

The total payout for those 182 races is $2,705,595.00 which includes $264,635.00 in BC Bred Bonus funds and $27,960 to 6-12 finishers.

The average payout per race is $14,865.91 and a average day total of $130,984.42.

The stake race payout remains at $700,000.00 but will take a bump of $375,000.00 being offered on BC Cup Day.

RICHARD YATES SUDDENLY

FRONT & CENTRE AT HASTINGS

Since the new Hastings Racing Club was introduced on July 1, 2015, the name Richard Yates has been popping up everywhere.  Until Canada Day, he was the quiet, unassuming Secretary Treasurer for the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association of British Columbia (HBPA of BC).

But when the local racing industry’s three associations and management at Hastings Racecourse introduced the Hastings Racing Club, Yates’ life changed.

He took on the added responsibilities of managing the Club, a 200-strong membership involving fans eagerly willing to invest $250 each to become equal ownership partners in two thoroughbreds: a 2-year-old colt by the name of Urban Achiever and a 5-year-old gelding named Square Dancer.

Yates and trainer Steve Henson have been front and centre since the two purchases and together have been champions in teaching the novice owners the intricacies of the sport. An early highlight struck on the afternoon of July 18 when Square Dancer introduced himself by winning his Hastings debut in a $50,000 Allowance Optional Claimer.

The Winner’s Circle wasn’t able to accommodate the celebrants, who poured onto the track for a cherished souvenir photo with Square Dancer and jockey Richard Hamel.

So just who is Richard Yates?

Tall, lean and most comfortable in blue jeans and ball cap, he is a native of North Carolina whose family moved to Los Angeles when he was 14 years old.

“When my parents brought home our first television set we watched horse racing every Saturday,” Yates says. “Native Dancer was a TV star and in 1966 I watched George Royal win his second San Juan Capistrano Handicap in what would be legendary jockey Johnny Longden’s last ride.

“I’d never been to a race track but I was hooked.”

A friend from Berkeley, California had taken a job at Simon Fraser University and invited Yates to visit.  “That was in 1973 and I fell in love with Vancouver,” Yates says. “I emigrated in 1983 and 10 years later I was a part-owner of two horses at Hastings, experiencing some early success.”

Eventually his pal – owner, trainer and lawyer David Milburn – encouraged Yates to get his trainer’s licence and for the next 15 years he rolled up his sleeves and went to work in the backstretch at Hastings.  Today Yates is still working alongside Milburn, president of the HBPA.

“I love doing what I do,” Yates says.  “This latest gig managing the Hastings Racing Club has been a blast because it gives me an opportunity to share the thrill of owning a horse with people new to the game.”

Yates got caught up in the emotion of Square Dancer’s victory in his first outing at Hastings.  He had little to say immediately after the race because, some suspect, he was choked. He did his talking hours later at home on his computer for a waiting Derby Bar And Grill  website audience that would soak up his every word the next morning.

Hastings Wrap-up For Sunday, July 26—Richard Yates

This weekend saw the first off tracks of the season at the Track of the Water and Mountains. Sunday was genuinely wet as the going was sloppy for the majority of the card. The fans were hit and miss in their predictions. Four favorites won and they were accompanied by four horses that paid $15.20 or more, but what the heck, we needed the rain. And the pragmatist in us says better this weekend than next, when we will once again celebrate the province’s breeding industry with BC Cup Day.

 Wine Stock Continues To Rise

The second qualifying leg of the Champions Starter Series was split into a pair of races and the first was won by Wine Stock ($4.30) who covered a sloppy 6 ½ furlongs in the day’s best time of 1:17.04. That was good three-and-a-quarter-length win over Ganbei who closed a ton of ground in the last quarter to be second. Wise Boss set the early fractions and held on to be third after going off at almost 19-1.

Wise Boss broke well, along with Proxyman who eyed him from along the rail first time by the grandstand and then seemed to realize that there was no future in trying to keep up and eased back to second.

Wine Stock broke poorly and he found himself outside the first two around the clubhouse turn early in the run down the backstretch. However, he was past Proxyman before Wise Boss had hit the half-mile in 45.01 and he caught that one mid-way around the final turn. From there it was a question of margin rather than outcome.

The winner widened all the way home for jockey Richard Hamel. Ganbei saved ground the entire trip and closed strongly from the inside to take second without ever producing a scintilla of doubt in the mind of either Hamel or Wine Stock. Wise Boss ran hard over a tough track and acquitted himself well by gaming out a tired third.

Wine Stock, a Kentucky bred by Johannesberg, is owned by Derby Quest Farms Ltd. And Shot In The Dark Racing Corp. Greg Tracy trains.

Brother Chuncky Gets Promoted

The second of the Champions Starter Series qualifiers had an eventful stretch run that resulted in the disqualification of Game Seven who was moved behind Brother Chuncky ($17.80) for making that one uncomfortable in deep stretch while running what was for the most part a winning race. The part that was not was the part that got two horses too close together, although a reasonable person could surmise that the disqualification was as much about future rider and horse safety as it was about the occurrence having something to do with the outcome of the race. Having said that, Brother Chuncky, ridden by Keishan Balgobin, was slowly cutting into Game Seven’s lead and no one can say with absolute certainty that he would not have gotten there. Teddy the Bear closed well from far back to be third in a race run over a drying-out 6 ½ furlongs that went in 1:17.29.

Lornefivehundred and Cowboy Commander hooked up in a speed duel that became irrelevant when Game Seven ran past them on the inside with velocity on the second turn. Brother Chuncky cut the corner even better and put himself in a position to challenge coming home. After that, things went awry.

Brother Chuncky is a full brother to Jack Diamond winner Silly Fella and a half to another Jack Diamond winner in Sartorialist. He is by Mass Market out of the Grade 3 winner Grey Tobe Free. He sold for $60,000 in the CTHS sale in 2012, and while has not proven to be as good as his brothers, he has won 2 of his last 3 races and is proving useful.   Reno Comazzetto owns and Jim Brown trains.

Habida On The Lead

The second leg of the Champions Distaff Series went as the fourth on the card with seven contestants. At the conclusion of the 6 ½ furlong qualifier, Habida ($16.60) had taken the shortest way home all the way around and finished a diminishing head in front of C.A. Miss in a time of 1:17.87 over a sloppy track that dried to good two races later. Closing Intentions exhibited just that while also taking the short way home and running third.

Alexander Marti sent Habida from the start and got the lead and the rail. She was soon joined by C.A. Miss and it was essentially a two-horse race from there on. The others may not have been that far away, but they were not beating the first two.

Habida saved every foot of ground possible and C.A. Miss did not help her chances by running outside the winner and drifting out a little on the final turn while Habida cut the corner like she was on railroad tracks, slop or no slop.   That was the difference as C.A. Miss ran determinedly at the winner who showed some determination of her own to last. There was nothing wrong with the efforts of Closing Intentions, she just was not able to catch either of those in front of her.

Habida was bred in British Columbia by her owners, Bryan and Carol Anderson and Jim Eccott. She is a stakes winning (Freedom of the City Stakes at Northland in 2013) daughter of Cause to Believe out of the Katahaula County mare Comic Opera, a stakes winner also bred by the Anderson’s and Eccott. Comic Opera is out of Rock Creek Redhead who was bred by Bryan Anderson. That’s three generations worth of stakes winners from the same family bred by the same family. Pat Jarvis is the trainer.

Also Noteworthy:

Alexander Marti had a riding double. Besides Habida as discussed above, he took the sixth on I Dig That ($4.70) for owner/trainer Rod Therres. I Dig That was bred in California by the late Ross Mcleod and she never gave her opponents a chance, opening up a 6 length lead at the half and coasting home by almost four. The final time of 1:17.40 over a good track is always going to be tough for 4K filly and mare non-winners of the year to deal with.

Keishan Balgobin also got two. In addition to the win he inherited in the seventh, he had earlier won the opener on Hesgotaheartofgold ($16.60) for owner/breeder Karen Warland whose stallion Great Legacy sired the winner. Charlene Miller trained the comebacker trained Hesgotaheartofgold to a win in his first start since October of last year.

Richard Hamel maintained his one race margin over Pedro Alvarado in the jockey race as each won one. It was Alvarado taking the second, a $12,500 maiden claimer for owner/breeders Bill and Susan Stewart and trainer Anita Bolton while Hamel followed in the third with Wine Stock as mentioned.

The fifth went to Antonio Reyes aboard Wee Harry ($15.20) for owner/trainer Robert Rohman. The winner launched a fierce move on the final turn of the route that took him wide but far as he propelled himself to a five length win.

Miss Rose Parade ($6.30) closed out the card by getting Amadeo Perez to the Winner’s Circle for Carousel Farms and Toni Cloutier and trainer Mark Cloutier.

As alluded to earlier, Richard Hamel leads Pedro Alvarado with 38 wins to the latter’s 37. Keishan Balgobin is in third with 21.

In the trainer’s race, Mike Anderson continues to lead with 20 wins. Craig MacPherson has 16 and Troy Taylor is third with 15.

Swift Thoroughbreds leads the owners with 11 victories. Mark DeDomenico LLC and North American Thoroughbred Horse Company have 8. Russell and Lois Bennett are in third with 6 wins.

Mea Culpa: I need to apologize to trainer Phil Hall for failing to mention his three wins last Sunday. We all know that he has much more profound considerations at the moment, but a training triple must be recognized for the accomplishment it is, and belatedly I am doing so.

HASTINGS RECAP FOR SATURDAY BY MIKE HEADS

The Saturday afternoon program at Hastings Racecourse started off with a touching tribute to Hall-of-Fame inductee Bobby Hall who passed away last Wednesday at the age of 85. The winner’s circle was filled with family and friends for a moment of silence prior to the running of the first race for the owner of the greatest BC bred of all-time George Royal.

As we all know the show must go on and after some morning showers the weather cooperated with cloudy skies and comfortable temperatures throughout the afternoon. The feature event of the day was a maiden allowance for fillies and mares that saw Clive and Linda Lytle’s Race the Wind win stylishly as she settled nicely in behind a pace duel that was being set by the NATHC’s Collateral and Sharon and Gary Saitz’s Tessanna. The daughter of Second In Command rallied strongly on the stretch turn under Amadeo Perez and cruised to an effortless score by a little over five lengths for trainer Carl Lausten. Race The Wind was also bred by her owners the Lytle’s.

The co-feature was a $25,000 three year old sprint that saw the JDP Holdings and Rick Hunter’s Every Nites A Blur enjoy easier company and a clever ride by Alex Marti as he settled in behind the two favourites Stoneridge Ruler and Crackdown. An opening appeared heading into the backstretch and Marti seized the opportunity and snuck up the rail to lead through a half in 45 flat. He was never threatened after making the bold early move and led the field to the wire in 1:17. Nancy Betts saddled the winner.

There has been only one 4-time winner this year at Hastings, Brackendale, but three more joined the 3-win club today and they were Simonick, Jukich, Dande and the Ponderosa and Matriarch Stables Roy’s Dream who took the opener with Sahin Civaci rallying from well of the pace in a field of four. Doug Clyde’s Rachael Run easily took a field of $6,250 fillies and mares all the way on the head end winning by 8 1/2 lengths under Pedro Alvarado and Mel and Fran Snow’s Kiss Em Goodbye with Mark Buchanan closed out the Saturday card with a front running score after breaking a tad slow. He still stopped the tele-timer in an eye popping 1:16.97.

The fastest horse of the day was Dave Milburn’s So Legit who broke on top and his rivals could only see his tail throughout the entire six and a half furlong event that only needed 1:16.93 to complete. Carl Lausten stole the show with a training double (Roy’s Dream and Race The Wind). There were two riders Pedro Alvarado (Rachael Run, So Legit) and Sahin Civaci (Roy’s Dream, Cute Little Vixen) that had riding doubles.

The sire Storm Victory had a tremendous Saturday as Ken and Anne Pert’s Katchin Fire broke her maiden with Keishan Balgobin in the irons for trainer Craig MacPherson and along with Rachael Run and Kiss Em Goodbye gave him a triple on the day. Second in Command unfortunately lived up to his name in the stallion department as he was only able to witness two of his offspring Race The Wind and Every Nites A Blur visit the winner’s circle. All kidding aside a great day for him as well.

The claim box continues to be active and three more horses changed barns on Saturday. The KG Stable and trainer Larry Grieve claimed Honey Skila for $6,250, Terry Clyde shelled out $4,000 for the maiden Remarkable Lady and Peter Tom, Russell Morrison and NATHC haltered Mighty Fraser for $25,000.

The Hastings crowd was filled with young well-dressed newcomers who were part of the Deighton Cup crew and partnered with our loyal followers, it made for another successful fun day at our East End oval.

Bloodhorse – Angst – Bode Miller Hopes to Strike Gold at Fair Hill

Bloodhorse -Jockey Oriana Rossi Undergoes Surgery

Bloodhorse – Balan – Big John B Rides Rail to Win Cougar II ‘Cap

Lousiville Courier-Journal – Rees – Vogue magazine issue out with American Pharoah

Bloodhorse – Gantz – Mr Notorious Tops Del Mar Paddock Sale

Bloodhorse – The Corsican Points to Arlington Million

HBPA NOMINATION MEETING RESCHEDULED TO AUGUST 12TH

The HBPA of BC has postponed ed its Nomination Meeting scheduled for July 29 in order to remember Bobby Hall that evening at Emerald Acres.

The meeting will be rescheduled to Wednesday August 12.

Bloodhorse – Wild Dude Stuns Masochistic in Bing Crosby

Lady and the Track – Park – Bing Crosby Offers 2015 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Entry

Bloodhorse – Balan – Masochistic Eyes Second Grade I in Crosby

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Masochistic looks for fourth straight in Bing Crosby

Louisville Courier-Journal – Hall – Brit rule leads Keeneland to expand sale tests

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.
William Butler Yeats

Horse Race Insider – Broadway Johnny – The Saratoga of the Northwest, Part I

Horse Race Insider – Broadway Johnny – The Saratoga of the Northwest, Part ll

Racing in Edmonton is losing a good one.

Executive Director and General Manager of Northlands Park Chris Roberts is heading back to Great Canadian Gaming and even further east to take over as Executive Director of Casino Nova Scotia, acting as the head of Great Canadians’ Nova Scotia operations.

Roberts assembled a pretty decent team at Northlands where the thoroughbred handle is back to where it was when Phil got banned. Roberts was also instrumental in getting Phil unbanned.

Good luck Chris and thanks for the improvements at Northlands Park.

Trot – Horse Owners Giving Back

THE ONE. THE ONLY. THE ORIGINAL.

PIZZA PASTA DONAIRS

780.417.6666

10 RIDGEMONT WAY
ON WYE ROAD

SHERWOOD PARK

Esquire – Krasny – The Ultimate Cure for Your Next Hangover

Asked whether he would reorganize the commission if elected as Beshear and Republican former Gov. Ernie Fletcher did after taking office, the candidate said that he would ask his father to resign — at a minimum — if he didn’t reorganize the board.

“And if I were to (reorganize) the board, he would not be appointed,” Conway said. “I love my dad, but it appears to be a conflict of interest. The optics aren’t right, and I’ve told him if I get elected governor, he’s coming off the commission.”

Louisville Courier-Journal – Conway says he’d remove dad from horse panel

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
Dr. Seuss

2015 HBPA of Alberta Election – Board of Directors

Alberta

As previously communicated to the membership, 2015 is an election year with respect to members electing seven (7) Owners and four (4)Trainers in good standing to sit on the Board of Directors of the Association for a three (3) year period commencing in August, 2015 and ending August 2018.

No later than July 8, 2015 Election Ballots will be mailed from our Calgary office to HBPA of Alberta member Owners and Trainers in good standing who have a valid 2015 Horse Racing Alberta license. So that all Trainer members receive their Election packets timely, they will be hand delivered at Northlands rather than sending the information through the mail.

Please refer to the information contained in your package with respect to the proper voting procedure. Ballots must be placed in the envelope addressed to Mr. Kenneth McTavish and must arrive postmarked no later than August 7, 2015.

If you prefer, you may vote in person on August 7, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The letter addressed to Kenneth McTavish containing the completed Ballot must be placed in the Ballot box which will be placed at the HBPA office located in the Edmonton Northlands Control Office, on the backstretch.

 If you are a licensed Owner or Trainer and do not receive your Election packet by July 27, 2015, kindly call Denise at the Calgary office (403-263-7499) or Theresa Sealy at Northlands (780-474-1724).

The following individuals are running for office. The new Board will take office at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on August 27, 2015

OWNERS                                                                   TRAINERS

                                                                                  Rod Cone

Darrell Bauder                                                           Ryan McLean

Brian Bygrave                                                           Craig Smith

Norm Castiglione                                                      Joan Petrowski

Dr. Rod Cundy                                                          Tim Rycroft

Don Danard                                                              

Victor Kleparchuk                                                    

Don Knight                                                               

Curtis Landry                                                           

Linda Smith                                                  

Dr. Steve Smith DVM          

per:

Mat Monaco – HBPA of Alberta       

 Asked if he thought it would be hard to carry on as board chair given his pro-Conservative stance in the campaign, Goss said: ”Maybe — but I don’t regret what I did.”  

“I will never give up my right as a personal citizen to say what I think.” 

Five days before the May 5 vote, Goss joined four other city CEOs praising the Conservatives and warning against voting for the NDP. He later clarified that those were personal comments.

Edmonton Journal – Pratt – University of Alberta board chair Doug Goss to resign post

Goss is correct. As a private citizen he has every right to say what he thinks. However, when you are a Director or a Chair of an organization your rights as a private citizen often conflict with your obligations to the organization and your obligations to the organization are paramount. When you’re in a position such as Chair of the University of Alberta you have a responsibility to that organization to ensure that your partisan political comments do not impinge on the organization, your duties as Chair or on your ability to carry out your duties as Chair. As Chair of an organization you also have a responsibility to vet your comments with the Board before you make partisan political comments.

Think it’s easy to be a Director or a Chair.

Osler Directors’ Responsibilities – Canada

Osler’s pamphlet is neither long nor compressive, but if you think that’s all there is for duties and responsibilities for Directors and Chairpersons be prepared to join the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.

It took Goss a few months to finally do the right thing, but over at Horse Racing Alberta neither Shirley McClellan nor Rick LeLacheur have the common decency to put their personal interests aside, put the interests of the horsemen first and  do the right thing and resign for the benefit of the horse racing industry.

Why should Shirley McClellan resign.

HRA has been quiet; Shirley McClellan had been focused on getting Jim Prentice voted in for the PC Party
HRA is not meeting until October

ASHA Board of Directors Meeting  Minutes of 13 September 2014

The inference to be drawn from the ASHA minutes of September 2104 is that Shirley McClellan was too busy getting Jim Prentice elected to be properly performing her duties as CEO of Horse Racing Alberta. If Norm Kennedy is wrong in what he said at that meeting then he owes Shirley McClellan an apology. If he is not wrong then it is incumbent on the Chair and Board of Horse Racing Alberta to deal with what appears to be a CEO failing to perform the duties that they are being compensated $20,000 a month to perform.

Rick LeLacheur and Shirley McClellan have taken it upon themselves to play partisan politics when that puts them in conflict with their duties to the 7,000 or more persons who depend on the horse racing industry for their livelihood and none of those are getting $20k a month. In private industry Rick Lelacheur and Shirley McClellan would have been shown the door months ago and the only reason their still in their positions is that Rachel Notley has so many messes to clean up she hasn’t got to this one yet.

The first order of business at the July 29, 2015 Industry Session meeting at Century Casino has to be to review the performance of Rick Lelacheur and Shirley McClellan and decide if they are they proper people to be negotiating the next slot revenue sharing agreement with a government in power that they both worked to defeat and held in disdain when the NDP were the opposition.

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

Benjamin Franklin

Phil received an excellent suggestion from a reader the other day. Instead of racing the Wednesday before K-Days when parking is almost worse than during the fair and there’s no spillover from the grounds Northlands Park should consider adding on the Sunday of the August long weekend. Would have been a super idea this year with American Pharoah making his post Triple Crown debut in the Haskell at Monmouth Park.

Bloodhorse – Frosted, Texas Red Head Jim Dandy Works

Twin Spires Blog – Reilly – Honor Code, Frosted among workers at the Spa

  For Sale

Bloodhorse – Hunter -Pedigree Analysis: Nasrullah

Bloodhorse – Angela Renee, Competitive Edge Drill at Spa

 Ocala Breeders Sales August Yearling Sales Catalogue

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Songbird: the next star filly by Medaglia d’Oro?

Bloodhorse – LaMarra – Mid-Atlantic Issues Advisory on Two Drugs

Bloodhorse – Curalina, Include Betty Head CCAO Talent

Lady and the Track – Macatangay – Coaching Club American Oaks: Curalina One of Many Stars

CLICK HERE TO ENJOY . . .

. . . Alberta country recording stars High Valley while you’re reading today’s Insider. (Minimize the screen so you can continue reading The Insider.) High Valley will be staging a free concert at the Downs after Sunday night racing Aug. 2, all part of a giant Festival of Racing weekend that includes Derby Day on holiday Monday.  Calorie counting?  Tapping your foot to High Valley while you read this column will double your calorie burn.  You’re welcome.

FYI . . .

• Saratoga thoroughbred season begins at noon tomorrow

• No live racing next Wednesday or Friday (3-day Festival of Racing begins Saturday)

• Next Insider will publish NEXT FRIDAY.

Bullet briefs . . .

•  How much will American Pharoah’s halter fetch for Alyssa?

•  Donations to Alyssa Selman simply overwhelms

•  Gold N Sochi does everyone proud in debut

•  New claiming series gives $5,000 claimers a chance to shine

•  Biggest event of the race season–Festival of Racing–10 days away

•  Baffert once offered $500,000 for a Manitoba horse! (See Bob’s blog)

HOW MUCH WILL PHAROAH HALTER FETCH?  Predict the final bid on eBay for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s halter (donated to Alyssa Selman’s benefit fund by trainer Bob Baffert) and win $50 in betting vouchers for yourself and $50 will be donated by the Downs on your behalf to Alyssa Selman’s Trust Fund.  (See photo of track historian Bob Gates with halter below.)  Send your prediction to theinsider@ASDowns.com by midnight Friday.  Closest to the successful bid (without going over) will win.

	DO THE DOWNS Carryovers
Click for race schedule		Simple tips for winning (pass it on)
CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE

Derby Day on holiday Monday, Aug. 3 has been extended to an entire Festival of Racing weekend thanks to sponsorship by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.  The weekend includes:

• Saturday, Aug. 1:  $25,000 Graduation Stakes for babies at 7 P.M.
• Sunday, Aug. 2:  Special race card at 7 P.M.

  ♦ $25,000 Manitoba Mile
♦ Come for the races, stay for the counry! FREE concert featuring High Valley
• Holiday Monday, Aug. 3 –  Manitoba Derby Day at 1:30 P.M.

  ♦ $75,000 Manitoba Derby
♦ $25,000 Manitoba Oaks
♦ Hat contest – $100 prize for each category, best racing theme, most outrageous, most elegant.
Children’s prizes too!
♦ Free family fun with pony rides, petting farm and bouncy gym
♦ Free derby history collector card to the first 1,000 patrons

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Northern Dancer exhibtion will be on display all weekend!

Official stations of horse racing. Click to listen

COUNTDOWN TO CLAIMING CROWNS

Who’s the fastest sprinter?  Who’s the top marathoner?

Bottom-level claimers at the Downs now have a chance to claim their rightful place in the sun, too!

New claiming series gives bottom-level claimers a place in the sun (Dan Mullan/Pinnacle photo)

To determine (1) the fastest sprinter at the Downs at 5f and (2) the best marathoner at 1 1/2 miles, horses that have been finishing first, second or third in open claiming races of $5,000 or less have been accumulating points and will continue to do so until Aug. 8.  Then the exciting semi-finals begin.

“It’s our hope we can max out the entries at 12 per race in the semi’s and load 12 in the gate for both division finals,”  said Wayne King, a director with the HBPA which proposed the claiming series and worked with the Manitoba Jockey Club to implement it.   “Those races will be extremely exciting to watch and very competitive, therefore making them great betting races.”

Purses for the semis will be a handsome $11,000, the finals will be $13,000–plus entry fees ($100 and $200 per horse respectively). The leading horse in each division will not be required to pay an entry fee.  Excluded from points have been maiden races, restricted claiming races and races exclusively for fillies and mares.  Standings (top three):

SPRINT SERIES:		MARATHON SERIES
Barramoon ….. 100		Blue Line Cat ….. 60
Genius Level ….. 55		Barramoon ….. 50
Sweeping Change ….. 55		Pelee Island ….. 45	See full standings here.

Benefit coordinator Lori Mann and ASD receptionist Samantha Goulet worked tirelessly (above left) to list and package hundreds of donations including American Pharoah’s halter which track historian Bob Gates couldn’t resist posing with. (I hugged the halter for a few seconds, thinking about the fact that it was 37 years in the making.) CLICK TO ENLARGE

ALYSSA SELMAN BENEFIT SOCIAL

Simply overwhelming

Unbelievable. From every corner of the continent, merchandise and gifts and historic artifacts flowed into the Assiniboia Downs general office last week for the benefit social Sunday night for jockey Alyssa Selman who, unfortunately, has been told she will likely never walk again after her fall from a horse that clipped heels three weeks ago.

Part of Secretariat donation

Stunningly, Bob Baffert took time from his busy career in California to not only send a halter from Triple Crown winning American Pharoah, but included a video, too, of him wishing Alyssa well (watch here).  And there were halters, too, from the connections of Zenyatta and Queen’s Plate winner Shaman Ghost.

Hall of fame jockey Gary Stevens and brother Scott sent autographed boots, goggles and photos.  Jockeys at Gulfstream

autographed a huge picture showing them flying out of the starting gate on the turf course.  Secretariat memorabilia included the signature of his owner, Penny Chenery. Watch for these and others soon on eBay.

At the social itself–which raised more than $30,000–there were 42 silent auction lots and separate items such as Bobby Orr’s signed jersey (from an anonymous source) which went for $1,600 and two West Jet tickets to anywhere that brought $1,800. Stud fees were donated as were a month of free horse training, an Audi for a weekend from St. James Audi, four Janet Jackson concert tickets from True North, a basket of kinky goodies from the Love Nest and so much more.

Then there are the trust funds that are growing at the banks–TD Canada Trust, Assiniboine Credit Union, Access Credit Union–and online at Go Fund Me (which has raised $12,000 to date).  Everyone’s heads at the Downs (including mine) have been spinning at the breadth and extent of the overwhelming generosity. Would that the five per cent chance Alyssa has been given for regaining use of her legs result in her getting the best gift of all.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “You can work on the dirt all you want and until you run on it, you never know.” — Woodbine trainer Mark Casse explaining in the Daily Racing Form the reality of moving horses from Woodbine Poly to Fort Erie dirt for the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown next Tuesday.  A small field is expected, led by Queen’s Plate winner Shaman Ghost who has shown dirt talent by having won twice on dirt.

HOTTIES OF THE WEEK Hottest jock: Chavion Chow (5 wins) Hottest trainers: Heather Wallerstedt, Tanya Lindsay, Jared Brown, Brent Hrymak & Derwin Farmer (2 wins) Biggest upset: Troy Weight $18.60 (Sat 5th) Biggest 20-cent superfecta: $495 (Sat 1st — 1-6-4-5) BOB’S BLOG TODAY: Bob explains here why Triple Crown trainer Bob Baffert once offered $500,000 U.S. for a Manitoba-bred horse–and the offer was turned down!

Sochi impresses in second-place finish in Debutante Like Zenyatta finishing second to Blame in the Breeders’ Cup Classic a few years back, Gold N Sochi will be known, not for winning her first lifetime start in the $25,000 Debutante (although trainer Carl Anderson thought she would), but for pressing the winner, Pecos, a Charlie Smith winner from Canterbury Downs, the whole trip in the 5f event to finish a very respectable second at 5/1 (above, left).  Just doing this in her debut should make her breeder (Cam Ziprick), her namer in The Insider’s name-the-filly contest (Leslie Smaha) and Olympic curlers who chose her name (Jennifer Jones and company) happy.  You just KNOW she’ll show improvement in her next start.  What race will it be? In stakes action for Manitoba-bred 3-year-olds last Saturday, the Tanya Lindsay-trained Safecracker (#1) held off Madd Edition and Tactical Warrior in the J. W. Sifton for colts and geldings (above, right) and Don Schnell’s Jungle Story won the R. C. Anderson for fillies.

MB-BRED FILLY PUTS AWAY KY-BRED–AGAIN:   Despite the fact Manitoba-bred filly Supreme Rush at 18/1 beat 1/5 prohibitive favourite Kentucky-bred Holiday Maker in the Chantilly Stakes three weeks ago, bettors still made Holiday Maker the favourite in the Jack Hardy Stakes last Wednesday–much to their regret.  Supreme Rush came off the

Derwin John Farmer

pace again to duel Holiday Maker into submission to win going away, paying her backers $5.60. It was another big win for trainer Heather Wallerstedt who is winning at a vaunted 24 per cent clip (49-12-9-7).  Will Supreme Rush follow up by entering and winning the Assiniboia Oaks on Derby Day?  Tune in!

Jerry Antoniuk

RETURNS TO RACING AFTER PUTTING ACTIVITY ON ICE: Was that a brand new face in the Winner’s Circle following a baby race?  Well, not really brand new. After a 12-year absence, when his horse ownership had been put on ice–literally (he had owned Polar Ice across Canada before selling out to Arctic Ice), Jerry Antoniuk was back in the Winner’s Circle last Saturday as two of his four Keeneland-purchased babies, Zack Man and Nolan the Great, finished one-two in the fourth race. (Antoniuk paid $15,000 for Zack and $25,000 for Nolan and had expected Nolan to crush the field but that’s racing!)  You may remember Antoniuk as the owner of Nocalero who chased the mighty Body Works in stakes races in the early 1990s.  Watch for his next two babies in races soon.

Glen Gray (right) with father, Bert

Construction worker Glen Gray, an attendee at my Saturday morning “I won big” workshops during the off-season, did one of the kindest things anyone has ever done: He presented me with an oil painting he had commissioned from local painter R. Lace, showing me sitting on a fence railing in a farm scene. (No wonder he kept badgering me to pose for a full-length photo!)  A new player to the Downs a couple years ago, he had peppered me with lots of questions which ultimately led to his winning $1,288 for $19.20 in bets on Gulfstream’s Rainbow pick-6.

Bloodhorse – Novak – Uchenna Closes to Ontario Matron Victory

Bloodhorse – Honor Code, Noble Bird Breeze for Whitney

TwinSpires Blog – Caldwell – Big Book opens winning chapter in Fleet Treat

Bloodhorse – Balan – Track Defends Trainer Suspended for Positive

Bloodhorse – Ageless Takes Royal North in Record Time

The reason, in my opinion, is that organizers effectively lost control of the narrative early on. Controversies over Pan Am executive expenses, venue cost overruns, the cost of Games infrastructure and even the question of whether we should be shelling out billions of dollars to host an athletic event, became the story. Add in the predictions of traffic chaos — and organizers’ pleas for increased carpooling and outright driving avoidance — and you had a full-fledged communications nightmare.

It was made worse by the fact that the naysayers in the media, the business community and even some politicians were largely allowed to deliver critical body blows without much of a counter-punch from Games organizers. Think traffic is going to be difficult? Tough — that comes with the territory when you host a semi-world-class event. Don’t like the price tag? That’s just the cost of admission, and if we’re lucky, the investment might make Toronto competitive for a future Olympic Games bid.

Then there was the generally poor job done to promote the Games’ best assets, the athletes. Pop quiz: name one non-Canadian or non-American athlete competing at the Games. I still can’t, and I’ll bet that even the most diehard amateur sports fan would be hard-pressed to single out more than a handful of foreign competitors by name, Americans included. The irony here is that although the Pan Am Games is restricted to athletes from the Americas, in some sports that still means that some of the very best sporting talent in the world is in the mix for medals. Not that we’d know about it.

National Post – Burnett – What you can learn from the Pan Am Games marketing disaster

TwinSpires Blog – Reilly – Departing to shorten up, revert to dirt in Vanderbilt

Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.
Will Rogers

NY Times – Powell – Sports Owners Dip Into the Public’s Purse, Despite Their Billions in the Bank

The Globe And Mail -Wente – Have I got a bribe (er, cheque) for you!

National Post – Stephen Maher: Santa Harper government sets the standard for shameless vote buying

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers.
Nikita Khrushchev

LA Times – Harris – Is fast food better for you than a sit-down restaurant meal? Study suggests yes

Nations are born in the hearts of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians.
Muhammad Iqbal

NY Times – Alter – Dr. Seuss Book: Yes, They Found It in a Box

Preachers in pulpits talked about what a great message is in the book. No matter what you do, somebody always imputes meaning into your books.
Dr. Seuss

The Letter

Fortune – Fehrencaher – Coming soon: An Uber for trash

Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.
Indira Gandhi

FiveThirtyEight – Roeder – Dear Nigel Richards, Please Try Romanian Scrabble

Phil has a question:

Is that a playoff beard.

“He is tapping into a group of people that I call the vast silent majority, who have been silent because they’re sick of politics as usual. They’re sick of the politicians who make promises that they know they can’t keep, on both sides of the aisle,” he said.

“They look at Donald Trump and say, ‘Finally somebody who can’t be bought, somebody who’s standing up to all the special interests, standing up to the people who are politically correct and saying, enough is enough’. . . . These aren’t crazies. These aren’t right-wing nuts. These are average Americans who have given up on politics and they finally see somebody who they think will change it.”

National Post – Hamilton – Donald Trump, blowhard ‘breath of fresh air’: Understanding his appeal to Republican voters

FiveThirtyEight – Silver – Donald Trump Is The World’s Greatest Troll

Nationals Post – AP – Colvin and Robbins – Donald Trump predicts Hispanics would love him as president as GOP rivals openly exasperated

Esquire – What I’ve Learned – Donald Trump

One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people’s minds.
Frank Zappa

NY Times – Witz – For Alex Rodriguez, It’s Another Big Number

Phil has a question:

Will Alex Rodriguez ever look back and wonder just how revered he’d be if his nickname wasn’t ARoid.

LA Times – Yardley – In dispute over coal mine project, two ways of life hang in the balance

NY Times – Wingfield and Dougherty – Drug Testing Is Coming to E-Gaming

All of us show bias when it comes to what information we take in. We typically focus on anything that agrees with the outcome we want.
Noreena Hertz

NY Times – Kugel – The Pros and (Considerable) Cons of Budget Bus Travel

Phil has a question:

Has someone sent this to Brian Mason.

Magic Bus

FiveThirtyEight – Goldenberg – That FIFA Movie Really Was As Much Of A Bomb As You Heard

Reuters – ‘I’m not quitting,’ says hunter of Loch Ness monster

Catfish Blues

Telegraph – Singh – Thank God for Sinead O’Connor – a rare celebrity unafraid to tell it like it is

Sinead may be correct but Frank Zappa said it best:

Phil M Stockmen