Sports, Ink

Post Time: Slow weekend on Derby Trail

 By Gene Kershner

      Life on the Derby trail won't start to heat up until next weekend's Grade 3 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, a showdown between top 3-year-olds Union Rags and Holy Bull winner Algorithms.

Adding to the intrigue to next Sunday's big race is the fact that jockey Javier Castellano took off of Union Rags, runner-up in the 2-year old division and the Breeders' Cup (BC) Juvenile last year, to ride Algorithms for top trainer Todd Pletcher.

The biggest prep race this weekend is Sunday's 7-furlong San Vicente, which has attracted only six horses to Santa Anita on Sunday afternoon. Creative Cause and Drill will headline the race and each will give up five pounds to the other four horses in the race. Creative Cause, third in the BC Juvenile at Churchill by a length, makes his first start of the year for Mike Harrington and has Joel Rosario in the irons. Drill, a Bob Baffert-trainee, impressive on the poly last summer at Del Mar, is still trying to find himself after finishing fifth in the non-graded San Pedro earlier in the Santa Anita meet. American Act, with Martin Pedroza aboard, comes out of a key race where he defeated Baffert's Bodemeister, a big winner last weekend, to break his maiden in January. He could be the surprise horse in this race.

Elsewhere, Graham Motion decided to pass on next weekend's Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes in favor of an allowance race at Gulfstream for defending Derby champ Animal Kingdom's 2012 debut and prep race for the $10 million Dubai World Cup. He'll run 1 1/16-miles on the turf, a surface he finished second on last March in a one-mile allowance race before winning the Spiral at Turfway Park en route to the Derby.

Motion is just looking to get a good race under him before making the grueling trip to Dubai and a chance at a huge payday.Also on Saturday's card in Hallandale is the Grade 2 $300,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship, in which eight older horses square off in the $150,000 stakes race, the feature race on the card.

Post Time favorite and 6-year old Capt. Candyman Can (3-1) takes on BC Sprint runner-up Force Freeze (8-5 ML favorite) in the 7-furlong sprint on the Gulfstream strip. You could get some value with Pletcher's Simba's Story (5-1), who is running third off the layoff and has shown improvement in each of his races this winter. Pletcher, who won his 3,000th career race last Saturday, is winning at a white hot 38 percent at Gulfstream and shouldn't be discounted here. The Chief, Allen Jerkens, sends out Bold Warrior (5-1) in this super competitive sprint race.

Sunday's big Gulfstream race features older fillies and mares in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes. Gulfstream Park owner Frank Stronach purchased Her Smile for $1 million after she finished third in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She moves from the Pletcher barn and owner Bobby Flay to the Capitol District's Chad Brown. Pletcher will try to beat his former filly with a solid filly of his own, R Holiday Mood, winner of last year's Miss Preakness Stakes and a winner already in an earlier non-graded stake at Gulfstream in January.

So there's plenty of racing action in store over the next few days, including a free NHC online handicapping contest on Saturday, for those who have registered for the 2012 NHC Tour ($50 fee).

Good luck this weekend and let's go cash some tickets! 

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

 

Post Time: Weekend racing heats up in Florida

By Gene Kershner    

Last Friday I commented in our weekly blog that some element of unpredictability would show its head in one of the two big prep races and I'll Have Another ($88.60) fulfilled that prophecy. He won convincingly in the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita at a whopping 43-1. On the East Coast, odds-on favorite Alpha ($2.70) took the Withers going away at Aqueduct.

   It quiets down on the Derby trail this week (on the track) and the older horses take the
forefront on the racing scene. Two of the three Triple Crown race winners from 2011 will face
off in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Rosie Napravnik will seek her first Grade 1
victory aboard Belmont Stakes champ Ruler On Ice, who dons the blinkers for the Donn. The
Preakness champion Shackleford (7-2 morning line favorite) will face off against the Belmont
champ in his first race of 2012.

   The last time two Triple Crown race winners met at Gulfstream Park was in the 1989
Breeders' Cup Classic when arch rivals Easy Goer and Sunday Silence met.

   The Donn, the first big race of the year in the handicap division, did not come up light.
Other horses that could compete for the win are Mission Impazible and Flat Out, two horses
that have won Grade 1 races in the past. It also headlines a great day of racing at Hallandale
Park, which includes the Grade 2 Hutcheson for 3-year olds, the Grade 3 Suwannee River for
older fillies and mares on the turf, and the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap on the turf.

   The $150,000 Hutcheson, a 7-furlong Derby prep race drew six sophomores, including the
highly touted Ever So Lucky (2-1), trained by Jonathan Sheppard. The ever present Todd
Pletcher sends Thunder Moccasin (7-5 morning line favorite) to the gate.

   If you've been wondering where the 2011 Derby winner Animal Kingdom has been hiding, he's been training for a race on Feb. 25 at Tampa Bay Downs for the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race on the turf. This will be his first after suffering an injury in the Belmont Stakes exiting the gate last June. The Derby champ is pointing towards the $10 million Dubai World Cup, to be run on Meydan's Tapeta surface on March 31.

   The first round of Derby Futures pools opens this weekend (Friday through 6pm Sunday) with
25 betting choices. The "All Others" is the 9-5 favorite over Holy Bull winner Algorithms
(8-1). I explained my feelings in a News article last February, describing the Futures as
basically a sucker bet. The remaining pools are scheduled for March 2-4 and March 30-April 1,
and all Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools feature both win and exacta wagering.

   Good luck this weekend and let's go cash some tickets!

   Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at
equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

 

Post Time: Coasting along the Derby trail

By Gene Kershner

Last weekend saw the Breeders’ Cup 2-year old champion Hansen falter in his sophomore debut in the Holy Bull to Todd Pletcher-trained Algorithms. This weekend’s action shifts back and forth from coast to coast as the Grade 3 Withers Stakes will be run in New York at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes will be run in Arcadia, Calif., at Santa Anita Park.

The $200,000 Withers features Kiaran McLaughlin’s Derby hopeful Alpha, who won the Count Fleet in early January on the winterized inner track at the Big A. The even money favorite won impressively, after bobbling at the break, by 2 1/2 lengths. McLaughlin has his eyes on the big prize. “When you look at the schedule, you start with the first Saturday in May, and work back from there. We are taking the Withers as an important step, and maybe, maybe, afterward we’ll talk about what we’re going to do.”

McLaughlin didn’t have as much luck with his other Derby hopeful last weekend in the Holy Bull and hopes that Alpha will turn the tables in the Big Apple this weekend. “We’re excited to be running him, to be in this position,” said McLaughlin of Alpha, who drew post position 7 with Ramon Dominguez aboard. “Our stomachs were upset last weekend when Consortium didn’t run well in the slop at Gulfstream [sixth in the Holy Bull to Algorithms] so we’re thankful for Alpha. But we have to do it day by day, race by race.”

Alpha is clearly the class of the field, but if you are searching for a long shot, Swag Daddy (10-1) may be your answer. The steadily improving Scat Daddy colt is 2 for 2 on the inner track (including the $75K Restrainor) and his daddy won the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth at 9 furlongs so the 1 1/16 mile distance shouldn’t be an issue. [UPDATE 2/4/12: Swag Daddy scratched on Saturday morning]

In California, in the Lewis, the big name is Liaison. The Indian Charlie colt returns to the track where he broke his maiden starting a three-race win streak. Highly ranked in most early Derby polls, this colt has dream connections in trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Rafael Bejarano, arguably the most talented tandem the west coast has to offer. He followed up the maiden win at the Great Race Place with two wins on the Cushion Track at Hollywood, including the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity.

Those last two wins at Hollywood were by a neck and a half-length over arch-rival Rousing Sermon, who is the main threat to derail Liasion’s winning streak. Trained by the most recent inductee into the Hall of Fame, Jerry Hollendorfer, and ridden by uber-jockey Joe Talamo, the Sermon has never missed the board in six starts. Both horses are sporting excellent workouts and Hollendorfer sports an incredible 32 percent winning percentage taking horses from synthetic surfaces to dirt.

Baffert also sends another colt, Sky Kingdom in the Lewis, who finished fourth in the Cash Call, who won impressively in an allowance at Santa Anita in early January in his first effort on dirt. With the solid run on dirt versus his efforts on the synthetic surfaces of Hollywood and Del Mar, the chance he improves again second time at Santa Anita is definitely a possibility.

The longshot possibility that intrigues me is the shipper Isn’t He Clever, who will have Corey Nakatani in the irons and stretches out for the first time after a commanding 11 3/4-length win at Sunland Park in his last outing. The Smarty Jones colt shouldn’t be dismissed and should be a part of your exotics plays.

It should be an exciting weekend of racing, and if last year is any indication of what will happen, some element of unpredictability will show it’s head on one of the two big prep races this weekend.

Good luck this weekend and let’s go cash some tickets!

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Champ Hansen starts run at the Derby

By Gene Kershner
     On Sunday afternoon, the undefeated Hansen will take on five other colts in the first of three prep races scheduled at Gulfstream Park as horses attempt to gather much needed graded earnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Hansen, with his Breeders' Cup upset victory over the highly-regarded Union Rags, will have more than enough earnings to earn a starting gate in Louisville.

The roan colt has entered the Grade 3 $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes as his first race of 2012 and appears he will take the Florida route to the Derby, one that's been successful for 3-year olds such as Barbaro and Big Brown in recent years.Let's take a gander at the field (trainer, jockey in parenthesis):

1 -- Silver Max (Romans, Leparoux). As what happens when the Derby trail heats up, horses that have been racing mainly on turf take a shot on the dirt. Leparoux gathers the mount for the first time, as Algorithm's jock Javier Castellano helped him break his maiden going a mile the last time out after five straight second-place finishes. Talk about being the bridesmaid and not the bride. The rail post is winning at a phenomenal 22 percent clip; this colt could catch a piece of the trifecta or exacta.

2 -- Consortium (McLaughlin, JR Velazquez). Love the jockey/trainer combo here and the Bernardini colt is running with first time Lasix, an angle that has proven time and again to be one not to ignore. He had a sharp workout Jan. 21 and ran a close second to 6-Algorithms in an allowance race here in December. Dangerous player.

3 -- My Adonis (Breen, Trujillo). He had a rough outing in his last out in the Delta Jackpot over the bullring at Delta Downs. He's been firing bullets at Palm Meadows since after Christmas so he appears to be fit and ready to roll here. Owned by the Halls, who won the Belmont Stakes with Ruler On Ice.  His two tries at a mile distance have been impressive, with a 5-length victory in a non-graded stake at Delta and a half-length loss to Jackpot winner Sabercat. If someone goes with Hansen and sets insane fractions, this one could pick up the pieces.

4 -- Hansen (Maker, Dominguez). Ramon flies down from New York for the mount and has won two of his three rides at Gulfstream this winter. Hansen will be sure to be on the lead as he has in his first three races unless his connections start experimenting to see if he can rate, something that is almost a necessity when it comes to the Derby's classic 10-furlong distance. The is one to beat.

5 -- Fort Loudon (Gold, Maragh). After winning three straight non-graded stakes at Calder, he faded to seventh after being caught 4-wide early in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He's probably a little overmatched in here.

6 -- Algorithms (Pletcher, Castellano). Todd Pletcher will be a factor on this year's Derby trail and this race is no different. The five-time Eclipse winning trainer has a solid crop of 3-year olds taking aim at the Run for the Roses. Algorithms should have no problem stretching out to a mile based on his pedigree. The Bernardini colt will be running only his third lifetime race after breaking his maiden impressively in June at Belmont. Pletcher is white hot at Gulfstream, currently winning at a 35 percent clip. I'm going to favor the chalk here based on the mile distance.

Consortium interests me with the first time Lasix angle and McLaughlin is 26 percent using this move. Algorithms should be coming late and will challenge Consortium for place honors.  Throw in My Adonis for your trifecta and superfecta plays underneath these three.

Post Time Outlook: 1-Hansen; 2-Consortium; and 3-Algorithms

Good luck this weekend and let's go cash some tickets!

 Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

 

Post Time: Eclipse postmortem and weekend notes

By Gene Kershner

The 2011 thoroughbred racing season is now officially in the books with the conclusion of the annual Eclipse Awards, held Monday night in Beverly Hills. For the third consecutive year a female race horse took home Horse of the Year honors as Havre de Grace was awarded the biggest piece of hardware Monday night.

Some random thoughts on the evening’s telecast, representing horse racing’s Oscars….

* ESPN’s Jeannine Edwards was terrific as host, although I could do without her opening “Tebowing” act. She aptly called thoroughbred racing the “Sport of Queens” based on the recent successes of Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta and foreshadowing the Havre de Grace victory in this year’s top category.

* The event was televised on HRTV or via live stream at DRF.com, which is where I watched the telecast. After an audio glitch in the first five minutes of the live stream, the broadcast came off without a hitch, other than an occasional buffering issue for a second or two. It was the first Eclipse ceremony in recent memory not broadcast on TVG.

* Caleb’s Posse lost the 3-year old colt Eclipse to Derby winner Animal Kingdom in the closest vote of the evening. Three votes separated the two, and in my humble opinion, I think the Posse got hosed. A finalist in two categories, male sprinter and 3-year old, he came up short in both. Animal Kingdom might have won the most important race of the year, but only could add a Grade 3 victory in the Vinery Spiral Stakes.

* I totally underestimated the voters affection for Acclamation in the older male horse category, where he defeated my choice, Game On Dude (by 25 first place votes), without traveling outside of California. While this wasn’t a surprise to many, it caught me off guard on Monday.

 * It seems the voters put a lot of credence into the Breeders’ Cup races as horses such as Amazombie (male sprinter) and Musical Romance (female sprinter) won their respective categories coming off BC wins. Musical Romance won a key race at nearby Presque Isle Downs this summer during their biggest weekend.

 * It was the fourth straight year that the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner did not take home Horse of the Year. Not since Curlin’s 2007 victory in the slop at Monmouth Park did the top award go to the Classic winner.

 Notes from the press box

 * Churchill Downs released its Kentucky Derby Futures wagering schedule on Wednesday. The three pools will be held during the weekends for Feb. 10-12, March 2-4, and March 30-April 1. 

 * I Want Revenge, the scratched morning line favorite on the morning of Kentucky Derby 135, returns to the scene of where his last win took place, Aqueduct Race Track. Winner of both the Gotham and Wood Memorial in 2009 at Aqueduct, he attempts a comeback in the $75K Evening Attire Stakes on Saturday.

 * The Louisiana route to the Kentucky Derby commences on Saturday with the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes. Great move by Fair Grounds management to move the Louisiana Derby from its usual Saturday slot to Sunday this year so it fits in between the NCAA Basketball Final Four Saturday and Championship Monday at the Super Dome.

Good luck this weekend and let’s go cash some tickets!

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: Friday the 13th Quick Hits

By Gene Kershner  

   It’s still too early to start a Derby list and the trail hasn’t started to heat up just yet, so we’ll share some random thoughts as we head into a relatively quiet weekend on the racing calendar.

   The newly named NBC Sports Network (the network formerly known as Versus) seems to be taking the lead as the hockey and horse racing channel. After televising the Kentucky Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan last year, the network will pick up two Derby prep races in March. The Vinery Spiral Stakes (Mar. 24) and the Florida Derby (Mar. 31) will be televised on consecutive weekends.  Sister station CNBC will televise the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and the Arkansas Derby on April 14.

    If you are a newbie to racing and are intimidated by the vast amounts of information and are unsure what to do once you arrive at the window, the Hello Race Fans site is for you. Devoted to educate the new fan and take the intimidation out of the picture, this website guides the newcomer to racing and teaches him/her how to wager, handicap and get the most out of a day at the races.

    A new group of racing bloggers, including yours truly, has formed and launched just before the Breeders Cup called Turf. It is made up of approximately 20 horse racing blogs that have joined together to promote racing. The group is made up blogs that specialize in a number of different categories including international racing (bloggers from Canada, France, Japan and Hong Kong are included), pedigree specialists, historians and handicappers. One Turf member is one of the best handicappers in the blogosphere, The Turk, who hails from right here in Western New York.

    Good luck to Clarence resident Kurt S. Preisigke, who has his ticket stamped for the $2 million National Handicapping Contest (NHC) to be held at Treasure Island in Las Vegas on Jan. 27 and 28. He is one of nearly 500 handicappers that qualified during the past year for a shot at the $1M first prize.

    ESPN reporter Jeannine Edwards was named the host of Monday evening’s Eclipse Awards at the Beverly Hills Wilshire. She is one of the bright spots on the screen and has covered racing since 1995. I’m looking forward to seeing how she does as the emcee of the annual thoroughbred awards show.

  The Kentucky Derby, held on the first Saturday in May, is only 112 days away. You can find the Wynn Las Vegas Future Book odds here.

   There’s a strong possibility that all three 2011 Triple Crown race winners could end up running at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 11. Derby winner Animal Kingdom is possible to make his turf debut in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. Both Preakness winner Shackleford and Ruler On Ice are slated to run in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, long the first big handicap dirt race on the calendar year in and year out.

   Buffalo Raceway opened its 70th racing season on Wednesday and will be running at the Hamburg oval Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the length of the meet with weekday post time of 5 p.m. and 6:40 on Fridays and Saturdays. There will be Thursday night racing in April and May (5 p.m. post).

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: Eclipse Awards Jan. 16

While the 2011 racing season is behind us, the annual Thoroughbred Eclipse Awards will be handed out on Monday, January 16 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. On Thursday, the three finalists for each of the award categories were released to the public.

We’ll take a peak at some of the more prominent categories (meaning you won’t be getting any steeplechase love in this space today) and our thoughts on the potential victors.

Two-Year Old Male: Creative Cause, Hansen, Union Rags

 This is really a two-horse race between Hansen and Union Rags, wherein Hansen prevailed on the track, defeating a late closing (and drifting) Rags in the Breeders’ Cup (BC) Juvenile. The undefeated white horse should win this category with ease.  Post Time Selection: Hansen

 Two-Year Old Filly: Grace Hall, My Miss Aurelia, Stephanie’s Kitten

My Miss Aurelia blew everybody away in the BC Juvenile Fillies and was impressive at Saratoga winning the Grade 2 Adirondack and at Belmont winning the Grade 1 Frizette. No doubt that this is the easiest selection on the ballot. Post Time Selection: My Miss Aurelia

Three-Year Old Male: Animal Kingdom, Caleb’s Posse, Shackleford

A most interesting trio of horses including, the Derby, Preakness and the BC Dirt Mile winners joust for the sophomore title. Caleb’s Posse, the Dirt Mile champion, also beat Uncle Mo at the wire in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop and also won the Grade 2 Amsterdam and Grade 3 Ohio Derby. The Derby winner will get a lot of support here, with a valiant second in the Preakness and an unfortunate injury in the Belmont. However, I would lean towards Caleb’s Posse and his aggressive race schedule (10 races in 2011) and the BC victory over a talented field that included Shackleford. Post Time Selection: Caleb’s Posse

Three-Year Old Filly: It’s Tricky, Plum Pretty, Royal Delta

I sat on the plane home from Louisville after the BC, and It’s Tricky’s trainer Kiaran McLaughlin jokingly told me he hoped that “the sheikh would buy Royal Delta and take her to Dubai” so his filly didn’t have to face her again after her BC triumph. Royal Delta also added wins in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and Grade 1 Alabama to a very solid resume. It’s Tricky had an excellent season, but this one was decided on the track in Louisville. Post Time Selection: Royal Delta

Older Male: Acclamation, Game On Dude, Tizway

This is one of the more difficult divisions to sort out. Acclamation had a terrific year on the west coast. After a slow start, Acclamation won three Grade 1’s (including the Pacific Classic at Del Mar) and two Grade 2’s (all but the Pac Classic on turf). Game On Dude finished a gallant second in the BC Classic, won the Big Cap (Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap) and the Grade 1 Goodwood. Tizway won the Grade 1 Whitney and the Grade 1 Met Mile, two prominent East Coast races. I give the nod to Game On Dude based on the tougher competition he raced against and his strong finish in the Classic. Post Time Selection: Game On Dude

Older Female: Awesome Maria, Blind Luck, Havre de Grace

By beating males in the Grade 1 Woodward, Havre de Grace will win this division hands down and has an eye towards the Horse of the Year award, as well. While Blind Luck nosed out Havre de Grace in the race of the year (Grade 2 Delaware Handicap) in July, she didn’t win another race the rest of the year. Post Time Selection: Havre de Grace

Trainer: Bob Baffert, Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher

How good of a year did Bill Mott have in the big races? Royal Delta winning the BC Ladies’ Classic and Drosselmeyer winning the BC Classic in successive nights was quite a feat. That’s enough for me. Post Time Selection: Bill Mott

Jockey: Javier Castellano, Ramon Dominguez, John Velazquez

Easily my three favorite jockeys, so this one is difficult for me. The Saratoga riding championship and a Derby win by Johnny V is enough to sway me his way. His first Derby win on a horse he received the assignment for on the eve of the Derby shows you the kind of competitor and quality rider that he is. Post Time Selection: John Velazquez

Horse of the Year: While the three finalists are not disclosed, I suspect they will be Acclamation, Game On Dude and Havre de Grace. Since I’ve already selected the Dude over Acclamation in the Older Horse category, it looks like it’s between the filly and the dude. I’m siding with Game On Dude based on his Classic finish and his consistency throughout the year, winning the Big Cap in March, the Goodwood victory in early October and finishing ahead of Havre de Grace in the Classic. The filly had a great season and bested the expected Three-Year Old champ, Royal Delta in the Grade 1 Beldame in the slop at Belmont on Super Saturday. However, we’re siding with the Baffert-trained Game On Dude for Horse of the Year.

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: New Year's Resolutions

If you’ve followed me throughout the year, you know I’m a fan of lists, and since we’re approaching the New Year, we have some resolutions for horseplayers as we head into 2012. It’s easy to get caught in a rut or in a slump and fall into bad habits, so don’t be afraid to follow a few simple ideas as you start tapping your bankroll as the calendar turns over. 

1.       Bet on the tracks you know. Don’t fall into the trap of betting tracks you’re not familiar with. Stick with one or two tracks that you follow regularly. You know the jockeys, trainers and horses so much better at a track you follow throughout an entire meet. You’ll see the difference and can catch a live horse the second time he/she runs during the meet by making notes of bad trips, bad conditions during the horse’s initial race.

2.       Don’t chase losses. You’ve had a tough day at the windows and you want to try and you think you can make it all back in the last race and you chase the long shots and try to make a big score to make up for a bad day.  Nine times out of 10, you’ll falter badly in the last race. Chalk it up to a bad day and don’t give them any more moo-lah.

3.       Don’t bet every race. It’s not mandatory that you have to bet every race. Pick your spots. Look for races with big fields that offer value.

4.       Bet with your gut. You’ve read the Form, and you can’t understand why the morning line is so high on a horse you like. No one is picking the horse you like to win. Bet with your gut and go for it. Maybe you’ve found a nugget that no one else has seen. The morning line guy probably isn’t even wagering on the race. Don’t be afraid to bet your instincts. You know as much as the guy/gal sitting next to you.

5.       Play races and wagers that you’re comfortable with. You know the 2-year old maidens. Bet it. You love turf races. Bet it. You do better with sprints than routes. Bet it. Stay away from the races that you’ve struggled with in the past.  You killed exactas in 2011. Bet them. Check your ADW account and review your statistics from 2011 and see which wager-types (exacta, Pick-X’s, etc.) and what races you’ve had the most success with.

Happy New Year everyone and Good Luck in 2012!

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: Racing wish list

‘Twas the night before Tebow, and all through the land, not a racetrack was stirring, must be time to queue up the band. The stockings were hung by the backside with care, in hopes that the Post Time wish list soon would be there.  And here it is!

Here are a few of my racing wishes for 2012:

* To NYRA, I wish a Triple Crown hopeful will grace Big Sandy in June, which will lead to a packed house and renewed energy for our sport.

* To ThoroFan, the non-profit racing fan association, a few hundred new members and new chapters springing up in racing hotbeds throughout the States.

* To Pimlico, a fresh coat of paint and that the press elevator doesn’t fail on Preakness weekend.

* To Aqueduct, some slots money to spruce up the Big A on the racing side of the plant.

 * To Santa Anita Park, a successful Breeders’ Cup 2012, where they all come home safe.

* To the NBC Sports Networks, super television ratings for the Derby prep season and through the Triple Crown season, for taking a chance on our sport.

* To Buffalo Raceway, good weather and good racing when their season starts next month.

* To the Fort Erie Race Track, that the Queen’s Plate winner shows up this year.

* To Churchill Downs, a safe Derby and a dry weekend on the First Saturday in May.

* To the purported leaders of our sport, that you start to work together to make our sport significant again (and stagger post times on the big race days so the big races aren’t going off within minutes of each other).

* To Every Racing Fan, that you bring a friend to the track this year whom has never been.

* To my account deposit wagering account, a couple signers wouldn’t be such a bad gift.

Have a great holiday!

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.

Post Time: Paging Santa for some racing gifts

By Gene Kershner

It’s time to get down and get shopping before the big day in a couple weeks. Do you have a racing fan in your life? Need a few tips of what to get him/her to put under the tree on Christmas or pass on for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? You’ve come to the right place for our annual shopping guide for the racing fan in your life.

1)       On-line subscription to HRTV.  If you are a DirecTV subscriber you have no access to HRTV which means when the big races are at Gulfstream, Churchill Downs, Santa Anita, Oaklawn, etc. you could be shut out watching the races.

2)       The Horse Race Analyzer. This is a nice collectible, that still may have some functionality. It predicts the outcomes of certain races based on several different data points that are entered into the computer. Originally sold by Mattel Electronics, who also developed Intellivision, you can find it on eBay for a decent price. The hand held device was invented by Dr. William Quirin, who has written handicapping books, and Evan Mandel.

3)       Horse Racing Doormat. What could say “Welcome!” more than a horse racing doormat? Also makes a nice home warming gift.

4)       Jockey Cuff Links. Have a formal black tie affair you have every year and you want to spruce up your look?

5)       Jockey Bow Tie. If you’re going with the cuff links, why not the bow ties?

Of course, if you’re not going to any formal parties or really don’t need a doormat for the front porch, there are always a number of collectibles to be had on eBay.  A quick search of the site rendered the following items available for bid:

 6)       Bobbleheads.  From a Laffit PIncay Jr. bobblehead and Lucky Louie from Remington Park to lat year’s horse of the year, Zenyatta, bobbleheads are aplenty for this holiday season.

7)       Racing Pins. Racing pins are fairly inexpensive and you can find some gems, especially during holiday season. One recent search had a 1995 Ak-Sar-Ben race track official pin for the former track located in Omaha. You’ll notice that the track name is Nebraska spelled backwards! Triple Crown pins are easily available and make a nice stocking stuffer for the race fan who dresses up for the big days.

8)       Souvenir Glasses. All of the Triple Crown races over the years have souvenir glasses, whether they hold a Mint Julep, a Black-Eyed Susan or a Belmont Breeze, it’s a nice way to commemorate a past trip to one of racing’s main events.

9)       Old Racing Programs. Available on-line were programs from the 1968 Tucson Turf Club, Hialeah Park, and a Mint 1978 Marlboro Cup Program, when Seattle Slew took on Affirmed, in the only race that two Triple Crown winners ever faced off.

10)   Horse Racing Badges. These appear to be popular items overseas, so why not grab one and bring it back to the States. The coolest one I found was a 1932 Czechoslovakia Jockey Club member badge. I found others mainly from the UK, Australia and even Russia online.

So there you have it, some interesting gifts and treasures at your fingertips to give to the racing aficionado in your life. Happy holidays.

Gene Kershner is a Buffalo-based turf writer and handicapper who blogs at equispace.blogspot.com and tweets @EquiSpace.