Breeders' Cup - Day 2

I whiffed on Day 1.  I got saddled with the donut.  Grabbed a bagel.  Name the cliché and I got it.  Zilch.  Bupkiss. In shooting for some value, I did manage to pick the 1st loser twice (Tapiture and Don't Tell Sophia) but that just don't get 'er done.

Both of my 2nd place horses made solid efforts.  I actually thought Tapiture was going to run Goldencents down but the Doug O'Neill Leandro Moro trainee just spun his wheels deep in the lane and Goldencents was simply not going to let him by.  It was a very impressive performance on the front end.  Untapable was also very impressive.  I think she is an absolutely remarkable filly.  At 7/5, she probably was a bargain.

Thanks to Maryjean whomping her field at Hawthorne for the Canterbury Racing Club, the day was not a total loss for me.  Heather continued her remarkable knack for tri and supers, hitting 2 tris and a super on the 4 Breeders' Cup races and doubling her stake heading into day 2. 

Here are my picks on Day 2 for Hello Race Fans.

Juvenile Fillies: Angela Renee.  There should be enough speed to run at here and Angela Renee ran nearly the perfect race last out to take the Grade 1 Chandelier at Belmont.  She appears to have improved going a bit longer and though I fear Conquest Eclipse running her down late or Cristina's Journey getting away with no pressure, I'm going to take Angela Renee, albeit tepidly.  Morning Line: 3-1.

Filly and Mare Turf: Just the Judge.  I love Stephanie's Kitten, I'll admit that up front.  She would have been another educated hunch play (shares a name with my sister...Stephanie, not Kitten) but this Euro appears to be in fine fettle coming into the race and her two American starts have been very strong, especially the prep at Woodbine in the Grade 1 EP Taylor. Morning Line: 5-1

Filly and Mare Sprint: Judy the Beauty.  The center of this field, Judy the Beauty, Leigh Court and Artemis Agrotera, all intrigue me. I think Judy gets the right trip and I'm hoping we can get a little more generous price than her morning line: 5/2

Turf Sprint: Silentio.  I admittedly was influenced by a conversation I heard on Steve Byk's radio show.  The topic was the downhill turf course and how pure sprinters can frequently give up the lead to closing types that are cutting back in distance and can pay a generous price.  If you look at Home Run Kitten, that race fits the profile perfectly.  The one in this race fitting that pattern is Silentio.  While Reneesgotzip appears to be the heir apparent to Mizdirection, I'm going with Silentio.  Morning Line: 8-1

Juvenile: Calculator.  I know he's still a maiden and that I hate maidens running in stakes races but hear me out.  American Pharoah was the lock of the weekend.  Who was clearly 2nd best in American Pharoah's last two races?  Calculator.  Does this necessarily make him the 2nd best 2YO in training?  Of course not, but I think he deserves a LOT more respect than 15-1.  His running style should be good for this race and with One Lucky Dane, Souper Colossal (who I also like quite a bit), Blue Dancer and perhaps even Daredevil wanting the front all the way around, Trujillo may be able to give him the perfect trip and give us a boxcar payoff.  Morning Line: 15-1

Calculator scratches with a sore foot so I move to Upstart.  Still a lot of speed in the race and now one less closer for him to get past.  Morning Line: 8-1

Turf: Main Sequence.  This one was tough for me.  I'm not great when it comes to analyzing the Euros.  I had Heather's help in getting to Just the Judge and last year I had a nice paying exacta with Magician and The Fugue with the help of our friend, Brit Peter Clancy.  This one came down to Telescope and Main Sequence for me.  I ended up on Main Sequence because although his last 3 wins were VERY narrow - collectively less than 1/2 a length - they were wins and that's the mark of a gutty horse.  Telescope's Racing Post Ratings are considerably higher than Main Sequence but the choice here has run this year in America while Telescope is coming in off a layoff with no works.  Morning Line: 6-1

Sprint: Rich Tapestry.  I had to swallow hard to pick a Euro against the home town team but after Goldencents' win yesterday, that nose victory over the Dirt Mile champion in his first out in the US looks all the more impressive.  There is more than enough speed to run at and jockey and trainer have settled into Santa Anita nicely.  Look for this one to be the first Hong Kong based horse to win a BC race.  Morning Line: 5-1

Mile: Tom's Tribute.  Now THIS is a race where I should be going with a Euro, yet I am not.  They may very well jump up and bite me in the butt but I'll take the local boy coming off two wins at Del Mar with Mike Smith aboard.  He should get a nice trip and be running at the end.  The question is going to be if he is good enough to be in front at the end.  Morning Line: 15-1

Classic: Shared Belief. I know, there is no value in here.  I know.  In the battle of the Romies v the Chromies, I don't think there is any battle at all.  I don't see California Chrome in the same league at Shared Belief.  Quite frankly I don't know if anyone is.  I looked hard to try an come up with scenarios to beat him: Bayern duplicating his Penn Derby run; Tonalist reliving the Jockey Club Gold Cup; Toast of New York living up to his buzz (though he lost to Shared Belief last out...go figure).  While I see each scenario as possible - Toast of New York less so - and if I really was going to try and beat Shared Belief I'd try and logically do it with Tonalist, I think this 3-year old is just better than his peers and the older horses he's up against.  If you wanted try and beat him at a good price, I would suggest finding one of the older horses that is to your liking.  It's tough for a 3-year old to beat older, though a bit easier as the season gets later, and one of the old war horses jumping up and teaching a kid a lesson at 15-1 or so is a possibility as well.  I'm just not going to bet on it.  Morning Line: 9-5

Breeders' Cup Friday

Things tend to get a little away from you when you're not at home and the Breeders' Cup (Tickets STILL available, click the box upper left of the screen) is no exception!  Ideally my thoughts on Friday would have been up a day or so ago, but that simply wasn't going to happen.  However, it IS before post time and you can also see my picks (and those from other "experts" who are bound to be more correct than I!) over at Hello Race Fans.  Here is my reasoning behind Friday's selections:

MARATHON

This is always a fun race to watch.  We get so few races at a mile and a half or better in the US that to watch one is a treat. Not many in here have gone this far though most look like they have the pedigree to do so. I went for a lot of value in this one - at least in theory.

Commander can get the early lead but will probably be pressed early on by the likes of the morning line favorite, Ever Rider - making his first US start after running exclusively in South America.  London Bridge and Blueskiesandrainbows will probably want to be close early as well.

My choice is Worldly.  Yes, he hasn't won in forever and is very lightly raced the last few years, but his pattern this year is a nice one to me - when looking at a mile and 3/4.  Lost by 8 to probably Golden Ticket's best race of the season and then just missed at Remington coming hard at the end.  Last out was defeated by Fort Larned, which is no shame and all the while (well, maybe not in his last) you get the feeling that he may want even more ground than the 1 1/8, 1 1/4 that he's been getting.

Winning this race would be a huge upset, but I like the way the race sets up and I think he'll be more than the 6-1 morning line, making him worth a shot.

JUVENILE TURF

Not exactly going out on a limb here.  Bobby's Kitten earned his trade in his first race and came back to break his maiden easily in his second.  He then stepped right up to a Grade 3 in the Pilgrim and won that with ease.  Aidan O'Brien's Giovanni Boldini is going to be a tough.  With the babies you never know who is going to jump up, but this looks like the exacta to me.

DIRT MILE

Always a fun race and my favorite 3-year old this year, Verrazano, comes in as the morning line favorite.  I'm not picking him, but if he wins in spectacular fashion, I will rip up my ticket and give him an ovation, I really think he's spectacular.  However, I'm riding the hot hand in this one and that is Pants on Fire.  Really professional wins in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup and the Grade 3 Ack Ack and then a brief breather while working tremendously before shipping west.

Goldencents is at home and Alpha is cutting back to a distance where he may be more comfortable and effective.  A very competitive race but I'm looking at Pants on Fire to pick up the pieces down the land to win it.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

I went way outside here and could end up in big trouble, but My Conquestadory is the pick.  I love the way she was able to pick her way through traffic at Keeneland last out, something you don't just see from babies too often.  The odds are good that she'll have to do it again here in order to win.  The French Vorda is the popular pick and another French filly, Testa Rossi, is on a very nice roll.  Sky Painter could be an excellent value at 15-1 morning line after a very strong finish behind Testa Rossi in the Grade 3 Ms Grillo.

This looks to be a nice race to box a few and nail a tri or super.

DISTAFF

Could be the greatest collection of filly and mare talent ever.  I don't think that Street Girl can win.  I can absolutely make a case for the other five.  I'm going with Princess of Sylmar because she's on a roll and has beaten a couple in here in the process, including the older mare Royal Delta.  I would love to see Beholder win it (she's my distaff Verrazano, I just love her) but I think her speed mixing it up with Royal Delta and possibly Close Hatches could set things up very nicely for the streaking Princess.

Best of luck everybody.  I'll be tweeting some thoughts and pictures from Day 1 at Santa Anita throughout the weekend and you can catch those on Twitter by following me @tlgrevelis.

Breeders' Cup or Bust

You'll notice a new banner ad to the top and left of this page.  I'm proud to welcome the Breeders' Cup as an advertiser for the next month or so as we all countdown to the Cup!

This will be my first year actually attending the Breeders' Cup.  In years past I enjoyed the national broadcast or the company of friends in the press box at Canterbury Park.  It was admittedly a little odd watching the biggest day in racing from a racetrack that was mothballed for the winter, but we had a blast and last year I was able to close hard with the Classic exacta to earn $2500 for the Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project.

I am hoping to blog my thoughts from Santa Anita as well as engage in much of the Twitter discussion going on around the racing.  Additionally I am looking forward to catching up in person with many who have so long only been internet colleagues and friends.

My disastrous Super Saturday picks notwithstanding, I am looking forward to attending the biggest day in racing and providing a bit of "home style" coverage of the event from the perspective of a small owner and huge fan.

If you haven't purchased a ticket yet, click on the above and browse for tickets or even official Breeders' Cup merchandise.  It's always good to support organizations that support local small businesses like this one!

See you at Santa Anita!

Breeders' Cup Wrap and A Victory for Retired Racehorses

The Breeders’ Cup is a wrap for this year and I had one horrid weekend of handicapping but a VERY silver lining at the end of it all.

First the ugly: The stat line for the weekend was 15 races, 2 wins, 6 seconds and 3 thirds.  I was a hanger.  I couldn’t quite get there and close the deal.  You move half of those seconds into the win column and it’s a helluva weekend.  Instead it was a crapload of frustration.  AND, my two winners were the most obvious of the weekend: Groupie Doll and Shanghai Bobby.

The Horse of the Year debate will now rage, which should be fun.  Little Mike, Wise Dan, Groupie Doll, Royal Delta all will be a part of the conversation.  It is hard to argue, though, with Wise Dan’s 2012, but that’s an argument for another post.

The silver lining?  Well, the REAL winner this weekend was the Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project.  Thanks to Hello Race Fans and the Breeders’ Cup $2500 is going to be donated to them from the HRF/BC Fantasy Capping for Charity Challenge.  

Many celebrities, turf writers and, of course, me, made fantasy wagers for 13 weeks leading up to the Breeders’ Cup.  The wagers were either: $20 to win, place or show, or a $10 exacta box.  Ernie Munick jumped out to an early lead hitting the exacta on the very first race of the contest, the Whitney.  I finally hit the board in Week 4 in the Travers when I picked Alpha to place (41 points).  You may recall that was the dead heat race in which Alpha paid more to place than to win! Two weeks later I hit the board again (Super Derby) with Bourbon Courage for 50 points.  And I sat at 91 for the remainder of the season.  I did change a pick – or I thought I did – in one of the final weekends from a loser to a winner, but did not confirm the change.  I can’t even recall which race it was (PTSD, I think) and I ended up going from thinking I was in the top 5 to being mired in 11^th heading into Breeders’ Cup weekend when all wins would be doubled.

In the interim, Ernie had hit more and was heading into the weekend still atop the leaderboard with 426.50 points, Team Rotondo was right on his heels with 369 with a nice series of wins.  The top 5 were rounded out by Bobby Flay (251), Chris Rossi (223) and Pete Denk (201).  I had good company with me in the middle of the standings, surrounded as I was between Mike Penna (98) and Melissa Nolan (76).

I knew I had to go exactas for the two BC Classics.  I was too far behind to do anything else.  My strategy in the Ladies Classic was go with who I thought was best and combine her with a higher odds horse that may complete a nicely priced exacta.  Royal Delta was the choice but I needed a longer shot to combine her with and with everyone else BUT Include Me Out wanting to be close to the lead, I went with her.

As I noted in my recap, “Joe Talamo had Include Me Out in good position but the one thing I was afraid of, that she just wasn’t as good as the top horses in there, panned out as she was outfinished for the second spot by the very classy My Miss Aurelia.”  I couldn’t fault the ride, she was perfectly positioned.  She just was not good enough and I was WAY behind the eight ball heading into the final race of the contest.  Upside? No one cashed on the Ladies Classic so the margins remained the same.

It all came down to the Classic.  I needed a big score and it needed to be the exacta play.  I wasn’t getting there otherwise.   

The Classic featured the deepest pool of contenders that I can remember which was good and bad.  For the contest it was pretty damn good because with the money being spread out there was a chance I could nail a boxcars payoff and not just stab at a 25-1 shot.  The bad is that it was going to be really tough to narrow it down.  I had to just throw out Game On Dude – no combination with him was going to get me there.  I threw out horses that I didn’t think really had a chance: Pool Play, Handsome Mike, Brilliant Speed and Nonios and then sized up the remainder.  I narrowed it down to three: Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man and Ron the Greek.  Fort Larned was in – I really liked his consistency and after racing every 5 weeks or so, he went nearly eight between the Whitney and the Gold Cup.  With solid works after the Gold Cup and his usual 5 week spread, I really liked him a lot.

The remaining two, Mucho Macho Man and Ron the Greek seemed relatively even to me.  Ron’s Gold Cup was awful, but he had a really solid campaign up until that point.  One bad race perhaps?  MMM had been off since September 1 and that would have worried me except that he is a horse that has been running relatively fresh all year and  doing it very, very well.  The Greek or 3M – both had some appeal to me from a hunch perspective (for the uninformed: I’m Greek and I live in Minnesota, home to 3M – the company, not the horse).  Ultimately MMM’s ability to run well fresh and Minnesota won the day.

Heading into the far turn I wanted the race to stop right there.  Fort Larned had spurted to a 4 length lead and MMM was starting to clear some daylight behind him in the chase.  The way speed had been holding on the dirt all day I knew if I could get into the stretch one, two, it could be all over but the shouting – my shouting.  LOUDLY.  Up in the Canterbury press box where I watched day 2 unfold.  By the team the field straightened out it was only a question of which horse would win.  There was only about a $6 difference in the exacta payouts so it didn’t really matter but Fort Larned on top paid a bit more.

All that was left was the payoffs and who else wagered.  The payout was a whopping 1254 points (remember, BC races counted double!).  The only other scorer in the race was Chris Rossi who earned 132 points with MMM to place.  That was it…I WON!  Or rather, the MNRRP won.

The MNRRP is, in their words, “a volunteer based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation, placement, and promotion of retired racehorses.”  In only 3-years of existence, the MNRRP has helped retire over 100 racehorses that have grace Minnesota racetracks.  More could have been helped but horses need to be fed, housed, and cared for and all of this takes money – and space.  I hope that this $2500 contribution, along with Tabby Lane’s annual contribution of 1% of her earnings (this year $222) will help the efforts to retire more of Minnesota’s race horses with pride and dignity and get them started on second careers.  I also hope that this awareness causes you to help out – with the MNRRP or you own local race horse retirement group.  The demand for their services outstrips the supply.  Maybe you don’t have the cash, but own a farm where you can foster a few off track racehorses until they can be adopted; or donate feed; hay; vet services.  Anything can help.  If you’re a part of this game, you need to give back and I hope this helps.

Many thanks to Hello Race Fans and the Breeders’ Cup for this opportunity and, of course, to the folks at the MNRRP - and all horse retirement groups and individuals - for all that you do for our equine partners.

"Luck" Sneak Peek Disappoints

Though I haven't checked yet, I'm assuming that many racing bloggers and turf writers will be taking stock of the sneak peek of the new HBO drama, "Luck", which is set around a racetrack in southern California.  I’ll weigh in with some of my impressions as a race fan, horse owner and big fan of HBO’s roster of dramas.

I watched the show with the folks in the “Twitterverse” which was absolutely fascinating.  It was very interesting - and a lot of fun - to get instant feedback from many in the racing community.  Hazarding a guess, I would say that the commentary seemed to be running about 2-1 against with a few folks “riveted” and thought it was “great” but most “disappointed” and thought it was downright “bad.”

I’m willing to see where it goes and, for the most part, I won’t put a bullet in a show after one episode but I have to say that after the pilot I find myself in the disappointed camp.

Some of my issues:

-          There wasn’t a single character that I feel drawn to…or even like, yet.  The Irish exercise rider seems like she might have some potential but no one else so far.  Nick Nolte and Gary Stevens’ characters have some potential but the rest of the cast…  I’m afraid that general consensus from the non-racing public will be “I KNEW that the racetrack was full of degenerates!  And horses just die all time.” Never mind Dustin Hoffman's organized crime boss ("and the tracks are run by the mob!"). Sure I’ve run into some real characters on the backside, but mostly warm, caring folks who are insanely passionate about what they do and the animals they work with.

-          To add a (b) to the above, there was a lot of racing insider lingo as well as classic (trite?) portrayal of racetrack denizens.  My wife is on the periphery of the track because of me, so she understands more than the "layman" and she was turned off by the characters and the unexplained slang.  And she is a BIG fan of most HBO dramas so she is in the target demographic wheelhouse and she wasn’t remotely drawn in.

-          The racing was disjointed to me. The cutting of the race showed the stretch then the backstretch and then the stretch again. I understand that it’s hard to photograph a real race, but after the start there was too much space in between the horses – most likely to allow for movement and positioning.  It appeared contrived. 

-          The breakdown.  Did we really need to have a breakdown right off the bat?  We have enough of that in real life, did we really need it in the very first episode?

-          It may be early for this and may be addressed, but it’s been made clear that this is a track in California.  As our Cal friends know, a casino at a track – or even in place of a track that is not Native American – can’t happen given the parameters of the agreement signed by Gov. Swartzenegger with the California Tribes.  As part of a way to try and ease the budget crisis, the Tribes agreed to pay a portion of their casino proceeds to the state in exchange for exclusivity which amounts to billions of dollars.  That money goes away if a non-Native casino is approved/built so the premise is a little shaky.

I didn’t hate the entire show.  There were some portions of it that I did like.

-          When the trainer tells Dennis Farina’s character (an Italian playing a Greek – close, but there are enough Greek/American actors that could have stepped in here…just sayin’) that the horse “will tell us” when he’s ready to run was fabulous and spot on.  A good trainer can read the signs of his/her racehorse and know when the horse is letting them know it is time.

-          Filming at Santa Anita is fabulous.  It’s a gorgeous racetrack and the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains is breathtaking.  The “color” shots of morning workouts are visually very appealing.

-          There is the possibility that some of the story lines will grow on me.  I know that the substance abuse tortured jockey story line may be a bit cliché, but I’m looking forward to that backstory and hoping that it’s a bit of an uplift. I thought Stevens did a great job in relating the pain the entire track community feels when a horse goes down. Nick Nolte’s character’s recognition that he may just have landed the once in a lifetime horse gave me something to look forward to, though the shadiness hinted at (“how they killed” his daddy) in the pilot has the potential to be off-putting.

-          While I ripped some of the racing photography above, there was some of it that was great.  Morning works were excellent and the race shot of the apprentice shooting the gap on the rail near the finish line was thrilling.  THAT was very nicely done.

All in all, I’ll give it a shot after the first of the year but I’m predisposed to loving “Luck” and I’m not sure I even like it yet. 

Diplo 2nd; Hello Race Fans Adds New Feature

Diplo Second at Santa Anita

Diplo is still the bridesmaid and not the bride. Despite an excellent race, he finished a relatively distant second to Summers at Delmar at Santa Anita yesterday afternoon. He was back at the $32,000 Maiden Claiming level after some forays up the ladder to $40,000 (Cal Bred) and $50,000. The race was seven furlongs over the Pro-Ride which appears to be his favored distance.

This trip, he broke alertly and Rafael Bejerano let him move up in to the top four rather than be taken back in the pack. He tracked the leaders well through the turn where he seemed to get into a little bit of trouble getting boxed in. Bejerano was patient and when the hole opened up he went, but by then Summers at Delmar had already circled the field, had shaken clear and sailed to the finish over 5 lengths to the good. The good news, though, is that behind Diplo there was almost 3 lengths to third making him "clearly the best of the rest" according to the chart caller.

He's certainly paying the bills and it will be nice when he finally earns that first win.

Hello Race Fans Adds Index to Site

First off, if you haven't been over to the site, take a click trip and head on over. They have all kinds of information to help you get to know racing a bit better whether you are a novice or an expert. Recently added to the site is an index page which reports the results of a survey among experts on a given topic. Kicking off this feature is the Top 5 Handicapping Books of all time. Yours truly along with a group of other industry experts gave our opinions on what we consider to be the best handicapping books on the market. I hope you enjoy the breakdown and even add a few to your library!

Diplo Looks to Break Maiden on Sunday

The road to the Triple Crown marches on, but across the country, thousands of racehorses that have no chance of being in Louisville the first Saturday in May are still loading into starting gates and hoping to be late bloomers. One of those heading to post on Sunday is our friend Diplo at Santa Anita. After a few weeks off, Diplo is back in action taking on a full field of 11 other maiden three year olds going seven furlongs over the Pro-Ride in a $32,000 Maiden Claiming race. Here is how the field breaks down:

1 Bog Wags (Glatt/Espinosa): Dropping in from two subpar efforts in MSWs. Didn't turn many heads, but these droppers can always step up against lesser.

2 Dr. Tong (Stein/Atkinson): Was as close as he's ever been last out at this level, but was still beaten by 5 horses and 6 1/4 lengths.

3 Jenary Joe (Robbins/Flores): 1st time starter (Ronton-Dear Delilah-Expelled) has shown little in his workout pattern to indicate he's ready to strike first out.

4 Summers At Delamar (Canani/Talamo): A very solid closing second place finish last out at this level after dropping in from MSW. The extra half furlong may help. Should be dangerous.

5 Chimu (Garcia/Quinones): Lost rider last out coming off an improved second effort at this level. If all is OK upstairs, should be in the mix.

6 Outrageous Fortune (Puype/Stherland): The other 1st timer in the group (Event of the Year-Half Moon Bay-Bertrando), but he's out of a barn that hits 11% 1st timers and 20% the first time entered in a MCL. Workout pattern is solid. Should be ready to fire.

7 Sky'squickscore (Stute/Rosario): Both attempts at this level have been solid but not spectacular. Looks like the added half furlong is going to be a hindrance rather than a help.

8 DIPLO (O'NEIL/BEJERANO)

9 Warren's Mr Lucky (Guitterez/Amadore): Has shown little that predicts anything but a back of the pack finish in here.

10 Iotabgray (Powell/Pedroza): Hasn't started since a flat effort at Del Mar last summer. Workout pattern is fine, but nothing to recommend here.

11 Manogold (Cerin/Reyes Santiago): Given the trouble involved last out, his debut wasn't as bad as it looks. Works leading into this are solid and trainer is firing at 25% in second time maiden starts. Could be a nice price.

12 Bettingonthefly (Fanning/Smith): All three tries this year have been an ever closer second. Could be the extra half furling is all he needs. Loses Talamo this time, though.

Can our boy win this race? Yes, he absolutely can. He has improved every start while moving up in class each time. He drops back now to what should be his comfort zone and is fit and healthy. TVG's wags last out wondered if Diplo has the will to win given that he's picked up a check every outing but can never seem to make it to the top. We'll see on Sunday as all indications point to this being his beast chance so far to join the ranks of the winners. A big field never helps and there are certainly some real contenders in here, but I believe he can finally break through this time and chalk up his first (hopefully of many) wins. Best of luck Diplo - come home safely!

Diplo: Santa Anita 2nd 3-12

Diplo is coming back a little under two weeks from his solid 3rd place finish in a $40,000 Maiden Claiming race to take on a group of six other maidens in a $50,000 Maiden Claiming race. Interestingly enough he is scaling back to six furlongs from a mile last out. After his fast closing three year old debut it really seemed like he needed more ground but in his last race at a mile, he stalked nicely enough, was beaten pretty handily by a couple of MSW droppers, but handled the rest of the field easily from the top of the turn onward. It makes some sense that he may be able to sprint. As a friend of ours pointed out after that initial start: he seems like a late closing sprinter. Could Lloyd be right? Let's take a look at this afternoon's second race:

1. Let's Go Indian (Hendricks - Solis) - Dropping in from Maiden Special company and coming off the turf. The turf effort was mediocre, but the main track races were a pair of 4th place finishes with mid-60's Beyers. Certainly a threat.

2. Zilarator (Baffert - Garcia) - Two months off out of a Maiden Special. It was a marked improvement over his final two-year old effort. If he can step up once again, the improvement and class relief could put him on the board.

3. Skimming Skipper (Ricardo - Rivera) - While it's hard to discount any MSW dropper, this guy's been off since last June, getting smoked by 24 in that one. His training pattern is pretty solid, but it's tough to think he'll be a factor.

4. Drink At Last Call (Mullins - M Baze) - Coming down south from Golden Gate, this horse has been close in all three career starts with consistent Beyers in the mid-60s. Finished a good second in a rare $100,000 Maiden Claiming race over this strip in early January. Could be the one to beat.

5. DIPLO

6. Harlan's Tune (Koriner - Talamo) - Lone speed. Lone speed. Lone speed. Hasn't raced since Del Mar and really hasn't blistered the training strip coming back either. It'll take some, for sure. Probably reasonably the fourth choice, but could surprise if gets loose.

7. Cranky Jack (Abrams - Quinonez) - Interesting first timer in here. Solid works, this son of Unusual Heat could threaten if ready. Abrams is only 4% with first timers so he probably needs one, but an interesting horse.

Can Diplo win this race? Yes he can. If he has become stronger with each consecutive race, he is going to be very tough in here, but he will need to make another step up. I think our partner, Jeff, put it best in an e-mail earlier: he could finish 1st or he could finish 6th.

Think positive thoughts and come home safely, buddy!

Diplo, Tabby and Condition Book I

I apologize about the delay in posting here. It seems like when it rains, it pours and for the third month in a row sad news struck our household. My dear grandmother, Kay Kokoreas, passed away at the age of 93. She lived a long and very full life, but that never makes the passing any easier for those of us left behind. So I was back in my home state of Massachusetts with family for the week and just was not motivated to sit in front of the computer much. For better or for worse, I'm back and there are some doings to get to, which always helps.

Diplo 3rd in Second Race Back

Doug O'Neil brought Diplo back to the races with nine days rest and he finished a nice 3rd in a Cal Bred $40,000 Maiden Claiming race at Santa Anita. This race was a bit further than his 2010 debut going a mile. The distance may have been right, but the time off showed as he came out a bit in the stretch and seemed a little ragged finishing the race. That said, he was beat by two Maiden Special Weight droppers and was only out of first by 3 1/4 lengths. He was over four clear of his next rival and really showed he belonged. I would think we'd see a bit more rest this time and we won't see him entered again until late in the month of March.

Tabby Lane Back at the Track

Tabby went back to the track this past week to gallop and recover from the race where we claimed her. She galloped nicely at Tampa Bay Downs and the generally consensus is that she's most definitely NOT going to be back in a $10,000 claiming race next out. Where that next out will be yet, I do not know, but there are some higher level claiming and some allowance possibilities coming up in the next few weeks so we should see her again on the track soon.

Condition Book I is Out

I always feel like Steve Martin from the movie "The Jerk" when the first condition book from Canterbury Park comes out. No sooner had I seen it online than I received it in the mail. It felt like Spring, even though we have 2 feet of snow on the ground! We start racing up here the day before the Preakness and this 25th Anniversary Season promises to be a good one. I'm looking forward to what the marketing group there has planned for the coming season!

We're still looking for folks that want to join in with us on a Minnesota bred filly that will run at Canterbury this summer. Her cost is reasonable and for $1,000 you'll get a 10% share of her plus expenses covered until the meet opens. As always, we hope she can pay her way from there. Please touch base if you're interested. Time is running short.

Diplo A Fast Closing Fourth

Diplo made his three year old debut after a four month long hiatus from racing on Friday. He stepped out in a $32,000 Maiden Claiming race at Santa Anita. The race was 7 furlongs and there was a suspicion in the camp that he may need a bit longer.

He started clean enough, but it took him a while to get in gear. For a long while it looked as if we were looking at a last place - or pretty darn close to it - finish. Turning for home he was 10th of 12 and swinging wide. In my office I hung my head in front of my computer and my wife offered up her condolences. He wasn't even in the frame of the shot!

Then, strides from the wire, he bolted onto the screen and was really stretching it out and closing well. He didn't make it to the board, but it was as good a fourth place finish as I've seen. After four months off there can probably be no question that he needed a race. Looking at the way this one played out, Diplo needs a bit more distance as well.

He's got the race. Next out we'll get him the distance then stand back and watch.

Say Hello to My Little Friend

This young fellow is Diplo. He is a California bred gelded son of Pleasant Tap out of the Polish Numbers mare Blackjack Angel. He will be training and racing in Southern California in the Doug O'Neill barn. Some friends and I kicked in to buy a small (10%) part of him. In fact, technically this isn't even a GRS purchase, just four dopes buying a piece of a racehorse.

In his very short career, Diplo has a record of 3 starts with a second and a third and just a shade under $7,000 in earnings. He has bounced around a bit from barn to barn and hopefully with some time off - he has been turned out since October - and the steady hand of O'Neill at the helm, he can strut some stuff for us. Time will tell. He's still a young one and has some learning to do - hopefully it won't be too big a curve! I'll keep you all posted.

Every Year This Happens

Maybe it's the holidays. Maybe it's not having a horse in training. Maybe I'm just uninspired when it's fifteen degrees below zero. Whatever it is, this time of year ends up leaving a bunch of holes in the blog roll. At least fellow blogger, the Aspiring Horseplayer, has an excuse - his team just won the NCAA Football National Championship. Throw that run in with the Holiday Season and who can blame him? Me? I don't have that as an excuse. In fact, with the Celtics injury issues and the Patriot's completely and utterly laying an egg along with BC not being able to compete with a scaled down version of USC, I really have no excuses. Yet, this happens each and every year.

Well, that is about to change! I'm slowly starting to feel inspired again. Maybe it's because I purchased a small interest in a Cal-bred gelding with some friends and I'm back in at Santa Anita again. It could be because I spent the weekend watching live and taped races looking from Tampa Bay Downs now that we're close to closing out the 2010 Claiming Partnership (still about 20% available if you're interested!). Derby preps and the Road to the Triple Crown is about to start in earnest - that's always a blood pumper as well.

I need to start trying to find some balance between the written blog and the radio blog as well. Sometimes I pass on things to write about because I figure I'll tackle it on the Show. I end up landing a fun interview instead and then the entire topic fades away. I downloaded an App on the iPhone that allows me to record my thoughts, so I think when something comes to me I'm going to record some thoughts and get them down on here as soon as I can.

Hopefully we're going to start tomorrow with the unveiling of our newest runner. At least one that I have a minor piece. The big purchase will probably take a few more weeks, but stay tuned for that. I just hope that he or she can bring us the type of excitement that Fizzy Pop brought us. The financial return was nice, to a point. You'll recall that the group was also heavily invested in Miss Belle Express who went down with a shattered knee shortly before her first race. Devastating emotionally, for sure, but it also killed the group's profitability. Fizzy was able to come back strongly and almost make it all up, but we still ended up a bit behind where we started. Three pictures on the wall and 18 months of pure joy was well worth it!

Lookout 2010, here I come!

Handicapping Breeder's Cup Day 2 - Very Similar to Day 1

The similarity is not good either. As you recall, day one was a train wreck. Day 2 was not much better. Plenty of close, but never the cigar.

Juvenile Turf

I had this one surrounded, but left out Pounced. He certainly lived up to his name and Interactif, while in good position throughout, never had a second gear in the lane. I knew Bridgetown wouldn't get the mile, but missed on who would nail him in the stretch.

Finish: My top 3 finished 3rd, 2nd and 5th.

Turf Sprint

In order for this one to work out for me, Canadian Ballet had to go with California Flag. As I mentioned on the Show, if he's alone down the hill it's all over but the shouting. Canadian Ballet didn't and it was.

Finish: My top 3 finished 4th, 11th and 1st.

Sprint

OK. We ALL missed this one, so I don't feel too badly about it. My only mention of the winner, Dancing in Silks, was that he needed to go wire to wire for the win. Uh...no, no he didn't. Boxcar payouts on this one.

Finish: My top 3 finished 8th, 4th and 5th.

Juvenile

Another one that the world missed. Disregarded 30-1 shot Vale of York out headed hard charging favorite Looking at Lucky. It was another half back to my choice Noble's Promise.

Finish: My top 3 finished 3rd, 2nd and 13th.

Mile

I took a stand against Goldikova on this one strictly on value. My choice, Justenuffhumor (16-1) finished very well, but left too much work for the end. The filly did it again. As I mentioned in the Show, the performance of Zacinto and Delegator would be a bellwether on Rip Van Winkle's chances in the Classic. They folded and he never had a shot.

Finish: My top 3 finished 3rd, 1st and 11th.

Synthetic Mile

My lock of the day, Mastercraftsman, was hardly a master of his craft today. Another boxcar payoff when 21-1 Furthest Land won followed by 24-1 Ready's Echo.

Finish: My top 3 finished 4th, 9th and 3rd.

Turf

I thought I had the tri in this one, but Spanish Moon, trying to rate in 2nd most of the way, displayed no close and was passed by Dar Re Mi heading into the stretch. I gambled on Presious Passion holding on to win and, despite a very gutsy performance in the stretch, was nailed by favored Conduit.

Finish: My top 3 finished 2nd, 4th and 1st.

Classic

I had her wrong. I did not think Zenyatta would hit the board. My reasoning was the field was too large and too talented to give her the opportunity to win unless she was rated closer to the pace. When Quality Road scratched and she showed so much reluctance to load - both times - I figured I was spot on and she was a goner. Hardly. Mike Smith was stellar and the race was one for the ages. Absolutely magnificent.

Finish: My top 3 finished 4th, scratched and 10th.

It was a tough weekend. When I went for value, the chalk won. When I went for chalk, the long shot won. Sometimes you have days like that. Usually you don't have them so public that the world can see, but it is what it is and I'll take the good with the bad.

I'll recap the races in a bit more detail on the radio show Wednesday night, 9PM Central on Blog Talk Radio.

Saturday's Breeder's Cup Selections

Here are my picks for the Saturday edition of the Breeder's Cup. For a more detailed analysis, click on the Blog Talk Radio player to the left after 12:35 PM Central Time and listen to today's preview show.

Juvenile Turf

Interactif appears to be the one to beat in here. While some others have the ability to jump up from their latest starts, I'm going with the chalk here.

1. Interactif
2. Bridgetown
3. Buzzword

Turf Sprint

California Flag will set the early pace. If Canadian Ballet pushes him along, the race opens ups a bit for Diamondrella and Delta Storm.

1. Delta Storm
2. Diamondrella
3. California Flag

Sprint

This race begins with Zensational wanting to wire the field. As in the Turf Sprint, others will need some help hooking the frontrunner. Fatal Bullet and long shot Dancing in Silks fit the bill in here to help set things up for Capt Candyman Can and Gayego.

1. Captain Candyman Can
2. Gayego
3. Zensational

Juvenile

Undefeated Looking at Lucky will be a short priced favorite as he's won around two turns and loves the Pro-Ride. D'Funnybone has been tearing it up back East, but hasn't gone long yet. An option at a price could be Noble's Promise who appears to be peaking at the right time.

1. Noble's Promise
2. Looking at Lucky
3. D'Funnybone

Turf Mile

Goldikova is favored to repeat and is joined by a couple of other Euros, Zacitno and Delegator, that could make for a European sweep. A sleeper at a price: Justenuffhumor who loves the turf firm and should be obliged today.

1. Justenuffhumor
2. Goldikova
3. Zacinto

Synthetic Mile

My best bet of the day appears in this race. Mastercraftsman appears to clearly be the best of this group.

1. Mastercraftsman
2. Bullsbay
3. Midshipman

Turf

I'd really like to pass on this race, but if you're going public, you have to go all out. Conduit will try and defend his title while American Presious Passion will run out to a big lead and try to hold on.

1. Presious Passion
2. Spanish Moon
3. Conduit

Classic

Undefeated Zenyatta really steps it up here in an attempt to wrest Horse of the Year honors from Rachel Alexandra. Throw in the Derby winner, the Belmont winner, the QE2 winner as well as sentimental favorite Einstein and you have a lot of entertaining story lines. But the race is about running, not story lines and I think that Summer Bird will handle this field and Zenyatta, caught in traffic, won't hit the board.

1. Summer Bird
2. Quality Road
3. Rip Van Winkle

There you have it. My choices for Breeder's Cup Saturday 2009. Best of luck everyone!

Recap of Friday's (Disasterous) Selections

What a nightmare! As I sit writing this there are still two Friday races to go, but if feels like I'm irreparably damaged! The recap by race:

Marathon

It was the first of many exciting finishes on the day. In retrospect, I should have given eventual winner Cloudys Night more respect and had him involved in the exotics at least. Night Lite was washy before the race and didn't want to get in the gate - I knew then that I had lost before I even got started. Given Man of Iron's performances over Poly in Europe, I probably should have paid him more attention than I did. It was an exciting start to the day, but hardly a profitable one.

Finish: Only my second choice, Mastery, hit the board finishing third.

Juvenile Fillies Turf

Tapitsfly and Rose Catherine were much the best of this group. It proves that the switch to turf for RC was just what she needed and her big jump in form there was no fluke. I WAY overvalued Lillie Langtry's Euro form in much the same way I had disregarded Man of Iron's in the Marathon.


Finish: My second and third choices finished, interestingly enough, second and third.

Juvenile Fillies

She Be Wild capitalized on an absolutely perfect trip for the win. I'm not sure that she was the best horse in this field, but she stayed out of the trouble, had the rail to herself and was the victor left standing.

Finish: In a clever bit of ironic wordplay, only my top choice, Blind Luck, hit the board finishing third.


F&M Turf


Midday, with a big move into contention down the backside and an opening on the rial in the stretch out finished hard charging Pure Clan and Forever Together, the latter spotting this quality field WAY too much early on to be a factor late.

Finish: Again, only my top choice, Forever Together, hit the board. Again the finish was 3rd.

F&M Sprint

Good thing I boxed the exacta as Ventura left herself too much work at the end of the race. Informed Decision had the great ride, rating just off the pace and left plenty in the tank for the finish. Finally, an exacta ticket...not much of one, but a winner is a winner.

Finish: Hard as it is to believe, my first two choices finished second and first.

Ladies Classic

Careless Jewel could not be rated and drilled through suicidal fractions effectively taking me out of the race before the horses even hit the stretch. Life is Sweet won in a commanding performance and putting a nail in my proverbial handicapping coffin today.

Finish: As in most of the races today, the best I could do was Music Note getting another third.

Well, last year my first day was one for the record books while my Saturday was a disaster. Here's hoping that the inverse is true this Breeder's Cup weekend!

Just Under the Wire - Friday's Breeder's Cup Selections

The race day has already started at Santa Anita, but I'm bound and determined to get my picks in before the start of the first Breeder's Cup race which is the 3rd on the card.

Marathon 1 3/4 miles on the Pro-Ride

Mastery, off his win in the St. Leger at roughly the same distance is getting all the publicity in this one and is installed as the 9-5 Morning Line choice. There does not appear too much value in that proposition, but with an impressive 2009 season thus far, he is hard to ignore. I will try and take a stand against him though and go with the Pletcher entry, Nite Light. If he can control the pace without interference from 12-1 outsider Black Astor, he could steal this one.

1. Nite Light
2. Mastery
3. Father Time

Juvenile Fillies Turf Mile on the Turf

I absolutely love the way Rose Catherine exploded when switched on to the turf at Belmont after a couple of mediocre efforts on the dirt. The trouble with the juvies is you never know if that's real talent or a freak day at the races which is shy my choice in the race is Aidan O'Brien's Lillie Langtry. She broke her maiden in an Irish graded stakes and has been in the money with two additional wins since. Though she hasn't got this distance yet, I don't see that being a real issue for her here.

1. Lillie Langtry
2. Rose Catherine
3. House of Grace

Juvenile Fillies Mile and 1/16 on the Pro-Ride

Connie and Michael dazzled in her debut at Keeneland posting a 95 Beyer, far better than anyone else in the field. But with the youngsters, you don't know how they'll ship and adapt. I do love the ease in which she won and that Desormeaux was given her by McPeek. A jump up by Negligee or Blind Luck (winner of the Oak Leaf over this course last month) could spell defeat for her as well. Purely based upon her being comfortable in her surroundings, I'm going with the Hollendorfer entry here, but just barely.

1. Blind Luck
2. Connie and Michael
3. Negligee

Filly and Mare Turf Mile and a Quarter on the turf

One of the most evenly matched races on paper, this race features Magical Fantasy's four race win streak (3 Gr I and a Gr II), the formidable defending champion Forever Together, Rutherienne and Pure Clan. As abetting opportunity, I'm going to watch this one rather than wager, but this post is all about selections, so here we go...

1. Forever Together
2. Magical Fantasy
3. Rutherienne

Filly and Mare Sprint Seven Furlongs on the Pro-Ride

This race is completely Ventura's to lose even though she was held off by Informed decision back in April. The real question is going to be if she has some speed to run at. If she does, it's hers. If she does not, then we'll see Informed Decision or Seventh Street try and wire the field.

1. Ventura
2. Informed Decision
3. Seventh Street

Ladies Classic Mile and an eighth over the Pro-Ride

So no Zenyatta? Still a great race with the likes of Music Note, Cocoa Beach, Careless Jewel and Lethal Heat. To be honest with you, I was hoping Zenyatta would choose this race because I simply love Careless Jewel in this spot and I'm sure I would be getting better than the 2-1 Morning Line. She is fast, in front and been devastating in her five race winning streak - on dirt as well as synthetic.

1. Careless Jewel
2. Music Note
3. Proviso

There you have it. I made it with 35 minutes to spare! Good luck today and I'll be posting my picks tomorrow for Saturday's card around noon.

Breeder's Cup 2009

What a week. Yesterday and today in St. Louis and tonight and tomorrow in Detroit. Breeder's Cup week and I'm working like a fool. I don't know what this means for blogging and the Show, but I think what I'm going to do is post an analysis of Friday's races on Friday morning and then Saturday's card Saturday morning with a special radio show on Saturday morning reviewing Friday's races and doing some analysis on Saturday's races. I worry because I'm trying to handicap on planes and in hotel rooms and I do much better when I'm isolated in the house.

Many of you know that my Derby picks are a sure thing...to be out of the money. However I've done better in my Breeder's Cup selections (actually tied for the lead in 'in the money' picks in a contest last year) so I like to take this time of year to atone from my Derby disasters! So that's the game plan: Friday's picks Friday morning and Saturday's picks on the Blog Talk Radio show. Times to be announced!

Best of luck this year everyone and I'm making plans to be at Churchill next year already!

Quick Jockey's Reminder

Sure you may be tired of hearing me preview it, but I never tire of plugging a show that spotlights our game. I'm not thrilled with all that Jockey's is, but I can live with it's flaws as it celebrates the game and especially the men and women that lay it out there every day.

Overall I've been pretty happy watching the series unfold. Some things that I would have liked to see more of are emerging as the series progresses. It was good to see some race strategy discussed between jockey and trainer in the last episode. It was also good to see how a jock explains a bad performance by a horse after the race. The elation of the winner's circle - no matter the purse - is always great to see (and feel by the way!).

This week we'll see more of Brandon Meier trying to follow up his first career victory with another win and prove that he can make it in the big time. Maybe we'll see a bit more of the interaction between the son and his jockey father whose approval Brandon so desperately seems to want (though don't we all seek that in some way?). We'll also get a glimpse at the jocks unwinding after race day going out to dinner together after a day at the races. It looks to be a cross between frat brothers in the house kitchen and a union hall assembly. No matter the differences, it's still a brotherhood - you'll notice no Chantal or Kayla at dinner...interesting.

Catch the next episodes of Jockeys airing on Animal Planet on Fridays at 9PM Eastern.

Jockeys 3 & 4

In a few hours we'll be able to catch parts 3 & 4 of "Jockeys" on Animal Planet at 9PM Eastern. There has been quite a bit of feedback from folks across the TBA on whether the series is a hit or a miss. I kind of fall somewhere in between. Rumor has it that ratings-wise, the show has done pretty well for a cable show. In my opinion, tonight is the real key. Did the show hold that audience or was it a one and done? Were too many viewers (like my wife) turned off by the seemingly endless shots of horses going down on the track? Or, were viewers drawn in by the Mike/Chantal love story; by Joe Talamo's desire; by the athletic prowess displayed by 110 pound athletes piloting 1500 pound animals at 35 miles per hour? If they were, were they drawn in enough to tune in another week?

I know hard cores like me will still watch. I love the game, the animals and the human athletes. It's admittedly hard for me to be too critical of anything that gets more folks involved with racing on some level. I hope we see more strategy detailed going forward. I'd like to see a race dissected by owner, trainer and jockey after the fact so folks can see how split second decisions made on the racetrack affect the outcome of the race. As an example, last summer Fizzy Pop ran a game second in a race. He came from around the pack in the stretch at Canterbury and just had too much ground to make up to win. Between races one of our partners spoke to jock Dean Butler about the race and Dean was beating himself up for not staying on the rail because a hole opened up after he angled out. Had he stayed on the rail, Fiz could've won the race...according to Dean. In a way, I'm glad he felt badly because it shows his desire to win. On the other hand, if the hole did not open up we never would have made it up to second. I don't second guess those decisions and I trust Dean to make to the right ones. He may think he didn't in that instance, I will maintain that he did given the possible risks involved - I'll take a second over a fifth any day!

In any event, I don't know if we'll see some of this or not. I do know that tonight we'll get a glimpse at the hardest battle jocks have to fight: the battle with the scale. In our outmoded American model of weights (Europeans race slightly heavier - healthier for the riders, I am sure), jocks need to keep their weight at nearly absurd levels while trying to maintain strength and quickness of reflexes required to win a race and compete safely. In episode four the show will come back to the demands of having a relationship with a fellow rider (the Mike/Chantal story) as well as the burgeoning rivalry between Talamo and Gryder.

I'm looking forward to it. We'll see if the high number of viewers for episodes 1 & 2 are too...

Jockeys - The Series

Full disclosure out of the gate: I was asked if I would be interested in promoting "Jockeys" which is premiering on Animal Planet Friday, February 6 at 9 PM Eastern. I did so without compensation. I also didn't hesitate to say yes.

You may remember a while back I posted about our little corner of heaven (racing) having it's own reality show. Well, little did I know it was already in progress and the fruits of that labor start airing Friday night.

I think it's important for our game to have exposure. In my opinion it's also important that there is some story behind the scenes to help capture some public attention. I agree with the folks that argue that more has to be done on the wagering side in order to help grow handle as handle is what drives purses and keeps our engine running. But there ARE stories here. Interesting stories that can draw you in and hopefully engage you in our sport. Some of the biggest responses we get are the ones involving compelling stories of everyday heroes. Sure, the link highlighted in the previous sentence was aimed at horse people, but the response - for me - was fantastic. We need a well rounded approach to help resurrect racing and I think "Jockeys" is small step toward that end.

In summary, "Jockeys" will be covering seven jockeys in the Southern California riding colony: Mike Smith, Joe Talamo, Chantal Sutherland, Alex Solis, Aaron Gryder, Kayla Stra and Jon Court; during the 30-day 2008 Oak Tree at Santa Anita Meet.

From the Animal Planet press release:

"Cameras take viewers on and off the track – from their homes to the jock’s room where we see how these athletes physically and emotionally prepare for each race. At the starting gate, the anxious energy of the horse and jockey must be contained within their stall. With jockeys and horses fatally injured each year, the ambulance engines are on and ready for action at a moment’s notice. In the stands, revelers wait with baited breath to see which horse-and-rider team takes the lead…and if everyone finishes safely.

The drama for these jockeys doesn’t end when the race is finished. Off the track, gorgeous jockey Chantal Sutherland makes the emotional decision to leave her family in Canada for California to be closer to her boyfriend fellow jockey Mike Smith and ride at Santa Anita racetrack. Joe Talamo’s high school girlfriend ponders whether or not she can be in a relationship where each phone call could mean Joe has had a bone-breaking – or worse -- deadly fall. Family man Aaron Gryder worries that his children will grow up afraid that their daddy can be hurt at any given moment, but he’s driven by finding the next horse that will take him to “the big time.'"

The home site for the series is http://animal.discovery.com/tv/jockeys/. Click around for a bit. Check out the trailer - it will whet your appetite. If you're new to the game, my guess is that you are going to learn an awful lot and you'll gain a ton of respect for these folks and the dangers they face each and every day going to work (seriously, how many of us go to work with an ambulance following us around). If you're an industry vet, it will confirm all that you know already - these guys and gals may be, pound for pound, the best, strongest and gutsiest professional athletes on the planet. Friday night they'll be on Animal Planet. Be sure to check them out.