If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.
Peter Handke
The Globe and Mail – Macklin – Ottawa failed Omar Khadr: That’s why he deserves compensation
Sal says that Ottawa has been failing the citizens of the province of Alberta for decades. When can we expect our settlement cheques.
Sal says that Sal may be no connoisseur of rodeo and no fan of PETA campaigns but Sal would dump bucking broncs and saddle broncs in less than 8 seconds. How pedantic when most riders stay on for the full 8 seconds so we’re left with the French figure skating judge deciding who wins.TOP 10: All Time Bucking Bulls
Plus the Bulls have their own entrance song:
and their own exit song:
You know it’s important to have a Jeep in Los Angeles. That front wheel drive is crucial when it starts to snow on Rodeo Drive.
Christopher Guest
Curt Kozba’s Triple K Stables’ Ghost Hunter garnered his sire Ghostzapper one graded stakes victory on Saturday with an impressive move up the inside in the Arlington Handicap at Arlington Park with Edwin Gonzalez in the irons for trainer Jamie Ness. Kurt was looking rather dapper in the winner’s circle after the race.
Bloodhorse – Ghost Hunter Makes Grade in Arlington Handicap
ESPN – DRF – Grening – 7-year-old Ghost Hunter wins Arlington Handicap
Sal had planned on playing the Pick 4 at Belmont and the Pick 4 at Arlington as both featured graded stakes on excellent cards. After finding not a single TV showing Arlington on the main floor at Northlands Park Sal kept his wagering money in his pocket. Sal says that’s not the way to run a business.
Horse Race Insider – Pricci – Star-Studded Summer Saturday in New York
US Racing – Ransom – Saturday Stakes Highlight Breeders’ Cup Hopefuls
Bloodhorse – Novak – Keen Ice Blows By Shaman Ghost in Suburban
ESPN – DRF – Grening – Keen Ice pulls another surprise with win in Suburban Stakes
TDN – Keen Ice Shocks Shaman Ghost in Suburban
Sal says the salve that Frank Stronach will use to soothe the sting of defeat is the knowledge that Keen Ice’s victory just made the 2018 Pegasus that much more lucrative.
Brisnet – Genaro – A Day at the Races: Stars & Stripes at Belmont Park
ESPN – DRF – Watchmaker – Lack of honest paces frustrates bettors
Sal says that lack of pace only frustrates bettors when they leave the speed out of their ticket.
Sal says that a nuclear meltdown from ferocious fractions frustrates bettors when the leave the closers out of their ticket.
NY Times – The Upshot – Flynn and Katz – The Word Choices That Explain Why Jane Austen Endures
I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.
Ernest Hemingway
NY Times – Gustines – Baseball’s Story So Far
We need a new plan.
The horse racing industry needs to show Australians how wonderful it is.
Tell the stories of the horses, and the people who dedicate their lives lovingly tending to them. Share accurate statistics on Thoroughbreds being rehomed post racing. Show the farms where the horses are raised, the high level of care and attention they are given, and explain the regulation and integrity processes that protect them. Teach people about the incredible biomechanics of the Thoroughbred and how they are trained like high-performance athletes.
Our goal should be to give those who are indifferent to horse racing a reason to care, and to respond well to positive messages about the sport. Negative messages are currently dominating the discussion–especially where it occurs online.
We need to work together as an industry to create a shared vision that will safeguard the future of horse racing. We must achieve nothing less than a radical shift in the perception of horse racing in modern society, and we must focus our efforts on young Australians.
If you work in the racing industry and feel as I do about the horses, the racing community and the sport, then you are sick of defending racing against fabricated statistics and slanderous innuendo. It’s time we did something proactive about it.
TDN – OpEd – Leonard – Off the Pace: How Our Industry Must Change
Sal says that the no generation of 18 – 34s has ever wanted the type of education that Leonard wants to give them. What they want is a place to have fun socialize meet members of the opposite or same sex have a couple of cold beers a burger or hot dog avec or sans ketchup make a wager or two and then tell their friends what a good time they had at the track.
Social media is just word of mouth on steroids and what horse racing needs to do is to get as many 18 – 34s using social media to tell their friends they had a good time at the track.
Heard it Through the Grapevine
Horse Race Insider – Jicha – Monmouth must be saved and help could be on the way
Paulick Report – South Africa: Trainer Candice Robinson Finding Success In Male-Dominated Sport
Beware of advice—even this.
Carl Sandburg
Garden and Gun – Jancer – Saving Southern Music
Saturday’s Fred Jones Handicap Black Type looked like a Bobby Flay Throwdown as Deltin Stables and Ed Welsh’s Killing Me Smalls with Keishan Balgobin aboard for conditioner Ernie Keller and C and H Duggan Farms Ltd. and Shot in the Dark Racing Corp.’s Blue Dancer with Quincy Welsh up for trainer Gerg Tracy threw down the gauntlet straight out of the gate dueling like a pair of banjos with Killin Me Smalls continuing on to win the 1 1/16 mile affair in 1:43.83 a second and a tick off Chilcoton Blaze’s track record that has stood since 1984. Royal Warrior closed for second with Blue Dancer holding on for third.
Keishan may have been inspired by a number of the vintage muscle cars on display at Northlands Park Retro Days. You may have noticed that Sal never made mention of Retro Days. Sal holds nothing against Northlands Park but Northlands Park must hold something against Sal as they never bother to send Sal anything about any of their promotions.
Keishan’s front running tactics were not quite as successful in the Inaugural running of the Shirley Vargo Stake as Smart Fix lacked room and steadied at the head of the stretch before finishing evenly for fourth. Robert Vargo and Norm Castiglione’s Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.’s Curlish Image stalked the pace and made a move in the corner and pulled away from the field in 1.44.38 for the 1 1/16 miles for conditioner Tim Rycroft with leading rider Rico Walcott aboard. Quality Lane made an early move but was unable to hold off the winner and held for second. Port Protection closed for third place money.
The Shirley Vargo Stakes carries a purse of $75,000.00 with the extra $25,000.00 being donated by Robert Vargo.
DRF – Goulding – Curlish Figure makes statement with Shirley Vargo
NY Times – Draper – A Sudden Fall for a Mastermind of Sports TV Shouting
Paulick Report – HBPA’s Hamelback: We ‘Support Clean Racing In Our Sport. Period.’
Horse Race Insider – Berner – HRI Exclusive: Paul Lo Duca to NYRA
Bloodhorse – Angst – Following Rojas Verdict, Penn National Ejects Trainer
Paulick Report – Penn National: Rojas, Beattie Permanently Ejected From Racetrack
In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company
Paulick Report – Smeallie – Commentary: In Wake Of Rojas Case, Racing Should Follow Lead Of USOC
Paulick Report – Frank Mitchell – Bloodlines: Holy Helena Carries On Tradition, Lasix-Free
TDN – Bianca – A ‘Roman’ Invasion
ESPN – DRF – Andersen – Roman, Prat tie for Santa Anita riding title
TwinSpires Blog – Scully – Smashing performances ahead of Del Mar and Saratoga
Speaking of hot dogs avec or sans ketchup Sal’s mind was wandering if Northlands Park will be bringing back their Hot Dog eating contest for cheap entertainment at the 2017 Canadian Derby. With Joey Chestnut hinting about retirement the 2017 Northlands Park Hot Dog Eating Contest could be one of the preliminaries for finding a successor for the Mustard Yellow Belt.
Sal says that Mucka Singh may even come out of retirement.
The inquiry determined that Hunter had failed in his fiduciary responsibilities when he, among other findings, considered investing union funds at a bank in which his son, Todd, was a director; employed his daughter and daughter-in-law; paid himself $1.3 million in unused vacation time with little oversight; and spent union funds on lavish gifts.
But while the report was an indictment of Hunter’s judgment, it found that he did not steal from the union or otherwise break the law. A month after the report’s release, 24 player representatives voted unanimously to fire Hunter.
NY Times – Draper – Trial Date Set for Billy Hunter’s Case Against N.B.A. Players’ Union
Sal says that creeping nepotism will get you sacked from the NFA Player’s Union, but not from the US Presidency.
National Post – AP – Widow goes after the money Canada will give Omar Khadr: lawyer
Sal says that neither Khadr nor the widow will see a penny, but a lot of lawyers will be driving brand new Mercedes Benz.
The notice of application filed on June 8 in Ontario Superior Court referenced an emergency injunction “if requested” to block any payment of compensation to Mr. Khadr. No court date was requested for an injunction and Mr. Khadr’s lawyers and the federal government were not served with notice of the legal challenge.
Failure to serve the government and Mr. Khadr’s lawyers cleared the way for Ottawa to make the payment to Mr. Khadr, according to a federal insider.
The Globe and Mail – Fife – Ottawa pays out $10.5-million to Omar Khadr
National Post – Perkel – Liberals have already paid Omar Khadr the $10.5M settlement: source
Sal says that it looks like Khadr’s Edmonton and Toronto lawyers finessed the hot shot Yankee legal pieces and Omar’s going to Take The Money and Run.
Paulick Report – Blue Grass, Ohio Derby Victor Irap Tops List Of 44 Nominated To Indiana Derby
Southern Living – Rollwagen – The Best New Summer Books of 2017
Esquire – Ledgerwood – The Best Books of 2017 (So Far)
Garden and Gun – Five Great Gulf-Set Beach Reads
When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.
George Orwell
NY Times – Rothenberg – Players Pull Out at Wimbledon, and Calls for Reform Flood In
Sal says that the only reason so many Palookas are invited to the first round of these matches is for gate money and media money. Sal says the solution is so simple we shouldn’t be reading about it in the NY times: unless medical reasons cause the withdrawal you receive no payment unless the match id finished.
Bloodhorse – Balan – Hence Closes From Last to Win Iowa Derby
TDN – Hence Mows Them Down in Iowa Derby
Questo è per Phil
Il nove catches the irony of l’ultimo.Sal says that when Sal was digging through Phil’s dog eared archives Sal noted that Phil used to have a Friday feature called a Drink and a Phlick.
Sal says that here’s Sal’s edition of a Drink and a Phlick
Sal says that if you’ve ever spent a day under the unrelenting sun picking rocks you can skip the rocks.
Sal says that if you’ve ever spent a day under the unrelenting sun picking rocks your back aches like all Albertans from carrying the rest of the nation.
Garden and Gun – A Farm Life: Wendell Berry’s Kentucky
To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.
Wendell Berry
Bloodhorse – Balan – Oscar Performance Speeds to Belmont Derby Victory
ESPN – DRF – Grening – Oscar Performance helps Jose Ortiz to five-win day
TDN – Oscar Performance Puts On a Show in Belmont Derby
Bloodhorse – Novak –Mind Your Biscuits Tends to Business in Belmont Sprint
ESPN – DRF – Grening – Mind Your Biscuits dominates Belmont Sprint Championship
TDN – Mind Your Biscuits Returns a Winner in BEL Sprint Championship
Bloodhorse – Wincze Hughes – New Money Honey Leads Brown Sweep in Belmont Oaks
TDN – New Money Honey Staves Off Sistercharlie in Belmont Oaks
Bloodhorse – Practical Joke Shines in Dwyer
Bloodhorse – Keystoneforvictory Takes Stars and Stripes
Now that’s a natural exactor: pizza and beer.
ESPN – DRF – Dona Bruja puts on show in Modesty Handicap
TDN – Helmet’s Thunder Snow Wins the Jean Prat
TDN – Arch Rising Star Game to Capture Delaware Oaks
TDN – City Zip Colt Stays Unbeaten in Woodbine’s Victoria
TDN – More Than Ready’s Sonic Boom Wires American Derby
TDN – Shanghai Bobby Colt Puts Away Favorite, Holds On at Belmont
TDN – Galileo’s Ulysses Battles To Eclipse Victory
DRF – Hovdey: Dickinson goes once more unto the breach
Hawthorne Sal
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