Day 1

And theyre off at the Saratoga Cup Classic. Only sixty six runners left the gate after Dejavuview was a late scratch by the stewards. Apparently he got very heated in the paddock and lashed out at the legendary Hezethebest. Dejavuview will now be confined to the detention barn for the rest of the meet. Bpiets broke slowly and has the unenviable distinction of being the first competitor to post his selection after the noon deadline. Still its only the sixth year we have been doing this so we will cut the love hungry Canadian a break and let him off Scotus free.

The first race of the meet proved to be a Nine O Wonderful ($28.20) start for Elk who is trying to follow my footsteps as a Saratoga champ. Meanwhile last years long-time leader DBLAKERS got off the mark early again with an easy lay-up from Alwaysinmycircle in the second. Badactor made a surprisingly hot start when he was able to dig up Lignite in the third which despite its name did not light up the tote board. On a different vein JolyB can thank his dad for the hunch bet Book Review who literally edged the fourth when beating your humble correspondents selection. It is also looking Rosie for Propro after Kauai Katie said aloha in the winners circle in the fifth race.Unfortunately we drew our first blank in race six when no one was Presumptive enough to select the first big bomber of the meet ($75.50) but at this early stage of the tournament we are all going through a Lerman process.

The force was with Cosmic Energy in the seventh which certainly gave gillenr something to gloat about. The first stakes race of the meeting went to Pacific Ocean who overcame the east coast bias to sail home in the James Marvin with Jman and Boozer on board to celebrate. Pacific Ocean was the first winner for trainer Rick Dutrow since a New York court upheld his 10-year ban such are the ebbs and flows of fortune. The Schuylerville was won by So Many Ways, trained by the good Dutrow, and pleased so many people but especially bertconvy, turffan, thundergulch, pioneer and the two out of three aint bad Propro. The nightcap saw To Dubai complete a good Dutrow late double and chalked up a winner for ndsc32. So Day 1 is in the books and already Elk is setting a hot pace but he has to know he has a big target on his back.

Bev, your Scotch fueled prose (I only assume?) has quickly become a summer staple and rarely fails to illicit a chuckle. Much appreciated!

Day 2

First Saturday of the meet and over half the field did not make picks including Into The Mystic who joins BPiets in Tom Williams Hall of Shame after entering her picks at 12.15. Luckily for her all three selections were losers anyway. Cruzan2002 almost gained legendary status by threatening to post his selections after the first race but managed to avoid the ignominy with a late body swerve. Maybe several UICers were unable to post their picks after opening bogus e mails from Dell but at least our host was not stuck in a hotel in Spain with no money to pay his bill. As a result of the lack of selections we did not have a winner in the first three races which was actually quite pleasing to me as none of the winners names were funny. In the fourth race pat5336 and Jman finally broke the duck if not the bank with Sams Buck The winner paid $11.20 which should just be enough to get pat and Jman a pair of miracle slippers (plus shipping and handling). Guys, please remember to call now to avoid disappointment.

In the fifth race we were all asking How Do I Win? Well the answer was not to bet the Pletcher hot favorite but go with the Assmussen longshot Basalt ($27.20) but none of us did. After Turffan hit Lea in the sixth we were all rooting for Sandyinthesun in the seventh but unfortunately it was no rock opera for Tommy after Image of Disco ($31.00) waltzed home. It was Adios Nardo ($16.20) and hello turffan who moved within spitting distance of the leader after the eighth race (not that turffan would do something that disgusting). Battle hardened UICers made several picks in the ninth but regrettably not a Shrewd One ($8.20) amongst them. Questing ($9.80) was so impressive winning the Coaching Club American Oaks much to the delight of Who Doctor Who as well as Jman and Propro who have made an excellent start to the tournament. The nightcap was a thing of beauty as Cozy App ($29.60) stormed home to pip Diamond D'Oro and crush my pick 4 hopes but more importantly put gillenr at the top of the heap after day 2

Day 3

Breaking News: we have an additional prize for last place in this years tournament an autographed copy of Keystone Kings new book ,How to Win Friends and Influence People, which is the sequel to his best-selling novel, My Life in Racing. Who Doctor Who, however, has little chance of winning that wonderful prize after she landed the early double with Paper Plane ($8.30) and Summer Front ($2.90). Our current leader gillenr also had Christophe Clementes classy turfer as did JolyB and Spiderjohn. On another sunny day at the Spa the winner of the third was clearly Driven by Solar ($8.10) which brought a ray of sunshine to Grommets day. Of all the lonely people out there only turffan selected Rigby ($9.40) in the fourth where Paseana was brave enough to use Larrys Vision- unfortunately he was not the best today and folded down the stretch like Adam Scott. We were all astonished when Hardrocker($15.20) won the fifth and no one Readthebyline ($9.70) in the sixth.

Bunhead was the consensus in the seventh but he failed to keep his Temper in Command ($8.60) and our selections were all going going gone. Bakin with Cindy was a popular pick but someone left the cake out in the rain and she was scratched leaving us all empty and having to Reach for a Peach ($6.90) in the eighth. Spiderjohn chalked up a double when Bern Identity ($5.60) won the Sanford & Son although Brave Dave would have been a lot closer had he not made a move to join the folks in the grandstand. It was the usual cavalry charge in the last but surprisingly none of us fancied a Wet One ($8.20) who capped a remarkable six win day for Ramon Dominguez.

None of the lonely people out there selected Rigby ($9.40) in the fourth...

... except me apparently. That would still make me lonely.



Turffan
(Login turffan)
UpInClass Member Re: Saratoga Cup contest selections- Sun., July 22nd July 22 2012, 9:43 AM


Race 4- Rigby
Race 8- Bakin' With Cindy

Sorry turffan I like throw in the odd faux pas here and there in the recap just to see if anyone is actually reading it. Rest assured that Einstein aka Ten Furlongs aka Tom Williams will get the scoring right !

Turffan : Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup.

Day 4
Monday at the Spa but for our group there was no Decisive Move ($10.40) in the opener with Ramon Dominguez continuing where he left off on Sunday. Elk was calling for a flag after Tightend Touchdown suffered interference in the red zone but to no avail while Badactors Tennis Racket obviously has foot faults. In the second race GAM did indeed make a decisive move with our biggest winner to date in Veiled Prophet ($31.60) - only surprise here was that Sammy the Sage did not see this one coming. Grandpa Deee hedged his bets by selecting both the Linda Rice runners in the third and it was Lady Rizzi ($11.40) who proved to be as good as she once thought she was!!!! Elk also had the good lady to push his way into the bronze medal position. Cherokee Scot got off the mark with Tiz Sardonic Joe ($13.20) in the fourth but the meager payout after the 15-1 morning line had him reeling.

Da Mi Basia Mille , which is Italian for, I run without Lasix, had Otis and Jason Baker saying grazie after the fifth (although Im informed that the only Italian word JB knows how to say is pizza). Sadly there was no Victory for VLTS today as sixth race not only managed to Baffle Me ($11.80) but everyone else on the forum. Not one soul dug Soul House ($14.20) who had the benefit of another great Joel Rosario ride in the 8th and Grandpa Deee is definitely not as good as he once thought he was after missing out in the ninth on the big bomber of the day Grandpa Len ($46.00). Both Who Doctor Who and SpiderJohn were moonstruck after Lunar Victory ($4.40) kept their winning run alive in the feature race but in the last race we didnt pull our weight and were all on the losing end of a Tug of War ($10.80).

Yes, but can JB order a pizza in latin? I think they require it when you order from that chain with the gladiator mascot.

Easy ... Volo praecessi ut Pizza Tabernus.

PS: tough break on Saturday, TC. You made a furious comeback.

Agree, tough beat TC. A valiant run into some pretty high returns. You've got time.

LL

JB,

I think you better check your latin-english dictionary because I think you just said:

American racing stinks and the euros are best.

On the topic of tourneys, had a really "tough luck" weekend...4th place in the BCBC qualifier on Saturday where top 3 got an entry and if that wasn't enough of a let down I headed down to Woodbine on Sunday for their NHC qualifier and finished 4th again where top 2 earned berths to the NHC finals in January.

Thanks, Larry...when Broken Dreams held on to win for about $20 or so...I thought that I might have gotten in the top three since I was sitting 8th before that race which was the last race of the contest...I was elated for about 15 seconds until I checked the picks of the players in front of me and lo and behold the top three also had that $20 winner. It was not meant to be and elation quickly turned to astonishment and disappointment.

bev, my apologies for posting off topic comments to your saratoga recap thread...will try to not to do so in the future.

ah...Mr. Scott...alas...missed that one...in real life too...argh.

No problem TC . I'm happy for the thread to spark some good natured banter and racing debate. Now if Spanky were to post some of his football shite here that's different

Bev, your banter about the translation of Christophe Clement's Da Mi Basia Mille made me wonder what it really meant and how the name was created. Whoever did the naming of this Pure Prize filly had quite the literary background. Da Mi Basia Mille is a line from a poem by the Roman poet Catullus which urges those who love to scorn the comments of others and live for each other, since life is too brief and death brings but perpetual sleep. A loose translation would be, "Give me a thousand kisses."

Guess I won't use this line the next time I try to order pizza.

oh man, forgot about the BCqualify over the weekend.  Just looked at the scores.  Feeling for you TC, that's a couple close calls this month... 

Thanks, Eric.

Just hope I haven't squandered my opportunities. It is so hard to be near the top in these tourneys that when you are you want to capitalize and finish it. Just wasn't able to close the deal this past weekend.

Thanks JolyB that's the kind of feedback I like to hear. Glad I inspired you to find that nugget. I might use it next time. I guess it would be to much to find out that the mare was out of Storm Cat-allus

Start the long drive to Saratoga tomorrow so the daily recaps are going to be very late and very short for the next few days !

Day 5

The annual trek to Saratoga started today with the 500 mile trip to Savannah ( and I will drive 500 miles and I will drive five hundred more. Oops burst into song there and for those of you who followed last year's journey, no I did not find the missing sock. I did on arrival find a couple of strange e mails from a certain Dell Yount and although they promised marvelous performance results I think me and Mrs Hendry will pass.

Meanwhile back at the track Pioneer discovered a winner in Hillswick ($5.00) but has yet to discover that no alternates are allowed in the rules set by Herr Williams. In race three you just could not Knock Rock ($13.80) but that's just what Flexshines and dla70 did. Speaking of Dell's e mails the hunch play of the day had to be Double The Energy ($8.60) and ndsc, Spanky and the far seeing duet of Sammy the Sage and Into the Mystic all picked up on this. Followers of English cricket history had to like Hobbs ($13.00) but everyone was stumped apart from pat5336. It's impossible to ask JolyB to Cease ($5.60) picking winners but in this case Ten Furlongs was just getting started.

The Lake George produced a blanket finish but unfortunately no one covered the Centre Court ($7.50). Sandy Sales just had to net Fisherman's Wharf ($8.50) in the last which was also the catch of the day for turffan and Triguy. Finally our Breeders Cup champ Elk was thrown a curve ball today as he swung and missed six times.

Off to bed now as we are trying to get as far as Delaware Park tomorrow - ps Hooper we have a truck full of whisky so you better man up

Day 6

In our journey north we made 700 miles today with only stops for gas and facilities, boy were we hungry when we got to Delaware Park tonight (and oh boy was Mrs Hendry crabby) . On the bright side we are looking forward to seeing some horses breeze for a trainer friend at 5.30 tomorrow morning (not)

On the competition front it was a very uneventful day - well uneventful if you were looking for winners. In what may have been our worst collective performance since Moses was handicapping we did not hit a basket until the eighth race when Artest($12.00) hooked it in for DBLAKERS and Cruzan. Beer is Good was a very popular selection today(and why not every day) but his backers had to settle for sloppy seconds. Triguy saved further shame by landing on Lighthouse Sound ($6.70) in the last but all in all it was a day for heading for the lifeboats which I may also do if this storm in Delaware tonight continues.

So as we enter the second weekend it is tight at the top with gillenr leading turffan by a mere ten cents. However everyone has plenty of picks left including Into the Mystic who will continue to have plenty of picks left if she keeps entering them after the noon deadline.

Will be reporting live from the track tomorrow and if you are really sad and lonely you can follow my observations on twitter @hotscotracing. A word of warning, the tweets tend to become more Scottish as the day and night wears on !

Day 7

You would have thought that after doing this for three years I would have realized that drinking copious amounts of alcohol is not conducive to getting the daily recap done but alas no. Anyway the proverbial great time was had by all and today is payback time. Thankfully due to a combination of site problems and bad handicapping I have very liitle to report on today. Our Canadian homey BPiets aimed for the stars and was able to Strike The Moon ($10.80) in the opener. The only other winner that I could see through the haze was selected by Who Doctor Who who found a semi precious gem in Hessonite ($3.30) -look it up folks. The deadly due of JB and Joly B also dug that one out of that dirt or should I say slop. Hopefully the rain will stay away today as it is orange kilt day at Saratoga and I am the only one that has one. Og no there goes the door bell, Tom and Colleen are here, must run !

I won race 7 with Lemon Splendor $14.40. The jock moved to soon, great comeback on the inside.

Sorry for missing ParK City and Lemon Splendor and any others. Anyone see this movie ?

Feel like I have the lead role in that movie most summer weekends......

You're doin' a fine job Mr. Hendry.

Congratulations and thank you for these photos from the day!
WINTER MEMORIES


PROSPECTIVE


ALPHA


FAST FALCON


LIAISON


It's good to cash those tickets...
even the small ones!

Day 8

Into the Mystic got her picks in on time and she made the first one count with Raison D' Etat ($5.10) in the opener. On a wet day at the Spa we all missed a string of long shots in Lawn Man ($22.80) Pete's Parley ($59.00) and Our Edge ($77.00) as the early pick 4 (which I did not hit) paid $91,155 Big move of the day was in the seventh when Assateague ($28.40) put DBLAKERS and GAM at the top of the leaderboard with ggriff not far behind.

Pat5336, Cruzan and Bpiets made a Subtle ($6.20) pick in the eighth while Spiderjohn chalked up another winner with the very impressive Winter Memories ($5.50) in the Diana. Alpha ($5.60) did just dandy in the feature to the delight of BPiets,hooper and Tims70ar. They were all Chasing Moonlight ($5.80) in the closer as the late pick 4 (which I did hit) paid a measly $220 which unfortunately did not cover my bar tab. Did manage to snag a freeby Coors Light Saratoga glass though which may surprisingly turn up as a competition prize in the not too distant future !

I think you just caught Timmye's attention with the future prize.

...only if the glass is filled!

You had to rub it in, huh?

Having played pick threes, it was nice to see my first contest winner bracketed by $142 and $36 winners. Not.

Always playing those favs, huh? LOL

I think I missed the "noon deadline" part in the rules.. I thought it was as long as you posted before the first race.

Sure cost me today... crap!


So with me being on central time, I have to post my picks by 11:00 correct?



I will just post them the night before and hope none scratch.


S.O.B!

Day 9

A picture perfect Sunday at the Spa ended an Awesome Weekend ($3.80) for Pioneer in the second. THe photogenic Who Doctor Who added Riolama ($4.50) to her winners gallery in the fourth. Thundergulch was just Thirty Minutes from the glory but his 44-1 longshot was beaten by a 70-1 longshot in the fifth. Developing photographer Gallant Bob captured Flashy American ($20.20)in the sixth as did ndsc32.

Majestic Raffy ($38.00) would have been the bomber of the day for the tardy Into The Mystic had she made her selection before the high noon deadline. DBLAKERS was also cursing his luck when 45-1 shot Scorcher just failed to scorch home. There was a chorus of Happy Birthday Bill Mott when Alaura Michele ($15.60) came home with SBwest ,goldandmyrrh,Jason Bakerand our new leader GAM leading the celebrations.

Mr. Hendry...whose teeth are those on the bottom of that Coors Light 'Toga glass? As always, you're A game is spot on...

Holy Mother of God!

Another sunny day and even the pink dogs were out at Saratoga and I either happened to bump into one on the way to the track or I drank more Hot Scot than I thought last night. Ricspic (can I really say that on the forum) showed his Dominant Jeannes($6.20) in the opener while Pioneer attended the World Premier ($4.30) in the fourth. Top Tier Lass ($14.80) was the boss for Badactor and Sbwest while La Pernelle ($8.10) topped the menu for Gallant Bob, Spiderjohn and DOsbourne.

In the eighth computer handicapper Jason Baker somehow managed to pull Rosa Savaje ($41.40) out of his R drive to take over at the top while it was Notmyfirsttime($12.30)for Turffan in the penultimate to keep vary much in the hunt. We were all out for the count in the last as Countknickerbokr($48.60)was the bomber of the day.

Dark day tomorrow to give us a chance to recharge our batteries and rethink strategies. Must work more on my computer skills

It looks like Jason takes over the lead not only literally, but also in the hunt for the highest priced mutuel winner through the first half of the meet (08-11-12 deadline) Nice call on Rosa Salvaje, Jason.

LL

Thanks for the kudos, Larry. I won't start formulating the bet just yet as the bombs have been dropping all over the place lately. I am hoping to catch a couple this weekend in a tournament that focuses only on the dream meets of Saratoga and Del Mar!

Well it is in Saratoga, and I am looking a bit green after a shockingly bad day at the track yesterday. However some of my UIC friends were in fine form with Turffan now pressing Jason Baker at the top after Count Catamount ($27.60)won the opener. NickVito and Hezthebest also made the first race count. Gallant Bob is still on fire after Pyro City $14.80 lit up the tote board in the fourth. It was then the Cruzan2000 show as he went back to back with Unbridled Command ($15.00) and Giant Sleep ($19.40). Madamme Blum also had Giant Sleep as her nap of the day. In the nightcap Elk kept up his quest for the title with Sinorice ($28.00) to conclude a fine day for several UIC cappers, alas your humble correspondent was not one of them.

Last day at the track for us as we head back to Florida tonight so the daily recaps may be slow like nearly all the horses I have selected this week

Another great job Bev, and it was nice to finally make your recap analysis. Travel safe back to Florida and we hope you can make it back up for Travers weekend.

LL

from the Friendly State...

Mr. Hendry...Love the attire and pooch. So "Saratoga". Should you ever have a hankerin' to visit Amarillo again, we can hit the Coors Light Rodeo. I'll even hook ya up with my Geico agent so you can save 15% on your car insurance...

After an exhausting two day drive back to Florida only to see our horse finish last in a Calder stakes race the daily recap is back. Apologies if you had a winner on Thursday and Friday but no way am I going back to see who won ! We do have a new leader in the competition with the consistent Turffan moving to the top after tapping into Tritap ($6.90) in the second. Meanwhile Sunday Silence and Sandysales were able to Fortify ($10.40) their bank roll in the third.

It was more of a day for The Thinker than the bomber on Saturday and those of us Craving Carats to move up the leader board were generally left disappointed. Pioneer professed Julie's Love ($10.20) in the eighth while Propro appreciated Emma's Encore ($12.40)in the ninth. We all missed Fort Larned ($16.40) in the Whitney while Spiderjohn continued his good run by adding his old favorite Dominus ($3.70) to his earlier selection of Tritap.

Day 15 of the competition and members are still posting selections after the noon deadline. Maybe we should have a rule that losing selections count but winners dont and see if that works. No one on the board had Trophy Wife ($8.30) in the opener - I liked her but dared not select her. Lelaps ($10.60) was a popular winner of the second with Sammy the Sage, Hooper and Nick Vito all on board. Junoon ($3.50) had the Wright Stuff for Gallant Bob in the fifth.

Winners were scarce to non-existent for the next four races before, by jove, frangooch bagged a monster catch with Poseidons Warrior ($74.50) in the Vanderbilt. It was a case of lucky thirteen for our west coast friend but with his first winner he has amazingly jumped into contention for the title.

Day 16

In the opener Dreaming of Julia ($2.80) looks like she might be the best in her class this year but her prohibitedly short odds even scared off everybody , even that chalk eating weasel Spiderjohn (I jest, I jest). Hangover Kid ($8.40) is always a popular selection on the board and was tabbed by Otis, Cruzan and Last Call (oops I mean Quick Call). Reformed chalk eater Joly B did not have to type much to select Ea ($5.80) who not only has the shortest name in racing but also a winning one after duly obliging in the third. How none of the regulars in Spankys basement selected Classic R & B ($29.40) in the fourth is a mystery and how none of them selected Over The Counter ($12.00) in the fifth is an even bigger mystery given the talk of various medicinal substances in the depths of this forum.

Just for Today ($10.00) shone for Flexshines in the sixth but Lucci The Lion ($5.50) was friendless in the seventh while Sammy the Sage, Hooper and goldandmyrrh were all sweet on Kissable in the featured eighth race. It's our pub quiz night so I'm off now to brief Mrs Hendry and will be back later to update the final two races and hopefully report on a winning pick four for the computer kids.

ps Not much editing required as Paris Vegas ($30.40) was not on anyone's itinerary in the ninth, also sinking the dynamic duo's pick 4 hopes and finally no one had eyes for Los Ojitos ($8.40)in the closer .

I most certainly was Just for Today's friend (at least today)....Called him in the 6th

Just testing

Day 17

The amazing fact of the day-the five previous winners of the Saratoga Cup Challenge are currently a combined 4 for 73 with a measly $42.80 return which would not even make the top ten . Time for our chumps , I mean champs, to step it up. Meanwhile turffan continues to set a hot pace at the top of the table and put his returns over the $100 mark with Kitty Panda ($7.70) which was also the selection of the unforgettable flexshines. Cruzan moved up a few spots in the top ten when the smartly named Jess not Jesse ($4.00) sailed home in the second. Speaking of Jacksons , sadly none of us managed to hit the right note with Do I Do ($16.20) in the fourth. We struck out again in the fifth where nobody liked the Sportswriter ($12.80) so whats new.

Lots of picks in the sixth but none of us rebels without a cause foresaw a Union Victory ($4.00) who provided jockey Joel Rosario with his first Ebanks-less winner. Our run of strike outs continued in the seventh causing us to become even more Alarmed Ndangerous ($13.20). Several of our sweet toothed members made a Srumdiddlyumptious selection in the stakes race but she got oompah loompahed by the red hot returning champion My Miss Aurelia ($2.50). A miserable day for UIC members was completed when Parachute Coney ($17.60) and Cytherean( $16.40) closed out the day resulting in an eight race losing streak for the forum.

Off to Scotland tomorrow for a family wedding so the recaps may be on hold for a few days depending on internet access and sobriety

"Lots of picks in the sixth but none of us rebels without a cause foresaw a Union Victory ($4.00) who provided jockey Joel Rosario with his first Eubanks-less winner."

Not that it means anything, but this is the second time I've seen Joel's ex-agent's name "got" wrong, and I thought it was important to correct.

He is Ron Ebanks, and, unlike Bob Eubanks, I don't think he ever hosted "The Newlywed Game".

Just fixing things.

Thnaks Pas for correcting me on that. I was going to blame Big for originally misleading me but I think I will just let it skate.

Day 23

After a brief trip to Scotland for a highland wedding and to see how the Olympics should really be covered on television, the Daily Recap is back better than ever and will now continue unabated until the bitter end of the Saratoga meet. It doesnt look as if too much happened while I was away with Turffan still leading the band but Badactor made a lot of noise with Synthesizer ($40.80) on day 22 and Timmye has finally got off the schneid which is more than can be said for two other former champs Antifreezette and Bobtailnag.

It certainly has been a dry summer for most of us at the Spa and therefore it was no surprise when we failed to forecast a Rough Winter ($23.60) in the opener. We were off the charts when Billboard Hit ($22.00) recorded victory in the second and we all missed yet again in the third when Wild Target ($5.80) threw us a curve ball. However we just had to wait another Thirty Minutes ($3.50) before the drought was finally broken in the fourth courtesy of flexshines. Unfortunately Going Going Gone lived up to his name in the same race as he was a scratch therefore foiling a potential winning bid for that top cat Calabres (Close friends get to call him TC) ©

The popular Artest was benched in the turf stakes leaving it clear for the not so popular Bridgetown ($4.90) to be the Trojan horse. Freshman Dorm was the consensus pick in the sixth but had to settle for a place after his jockey was unable to put his Boots Ahead ($6.90) while none of us gave Eden is Burning ($7.60) a chance in hell in the seventh. It did not get any rosier in the eighth with Parents Honor ($8.00) having none of us on her. Pioneer was the one to finally discover a winner when Take Down Two ($16.80) took down more than two in the ninth. In the closer ricspic landed a calculated gamble when Mr. Algebra ($22.40) came home after very fast early fractions to round out a nice pick 6 of over $49 thousand for some lucky punter.

Finally a mention for Large Mac who was looking for a monster day from Jamie Ness but unfortunately on this occasion he was s**t out of loch.

©Hanna-Barbera

Welcome back, Bev. You were missed but I hope you two had a great trip.

LL

Day 24

The big news of the day was the reappearance of the much-loved Lexxy on the board. Now if we can only persuade her to visit the Big Red Spring for a photo opportunity that should give the Spa their biggest attendance since the last free Larrys Picks giveaway. On the racing front the customary Thursday hurdle races proved too big an obstacle for our group as Virsito ($9.80) and History Boy ($7.70) did not jump out at anybody in the first two races. Race three came around and Jason Baker decided it was time to Show Some Magic ($3.60) and light up the tote board ( a soupçon of sarcasm here, folks).

Smart Farda ($3.80) was a welcome winner in the fourth for McPeek and Desormeaux but thats about all who welcomed her. Doctor Disaster proclaimed that he liked Superestrella ($8.00) a lot in the fifth and thats a fact, a view also shared by ricspic. The immaculately named gelding Stoneless ($5.40) claimed the sixth but unfortunately no one on the forum had the balls to pick him while the hunch bet exacta of Stoneless and No Nukes paid ($73.00) to a certain Mrs. Bobbit. Speaking of whom Thunderous Lady ($5.10) won the seventh which is a pity for Nick Vito as he wanted to rock on home.

The eighth race went to Dan and Sheila ($7.20) which just goes to show that two horses are better than one. Meanwhile the winner of the ninth was in Plainview ($13.60) but we were all blind to it. It started pouring rain before the feature but that didnt stop Lubash ($ 9.50) who went from last to first in the blink of an eye sending Otis, JohnnyBatTBD and Who Doctor Who into raptures of delight. It was despair however for Cindy Lou Jazz who went ofer twenty with Minnie Punt the second of her longshots of the day to finish runner up. How are those tip sheets working for you Cindy Lou ? (I jest, I jest). Not to worry CLJ, your not so humble correspondent is sitting at one for twenty! In the closer Lexxys hot tip Bunhead missed her connection and was a late scratch leaving the favorite to put the Kibosh ($4.30) on all our hopes.

Day 25

It was Remember Elvis Day at Saratoga and racing fans left their heartbreak hotel in the ghetto and Unabashed ($5.60), donned their white sparkly suits and blue suede shoes and headed to the track for the opener . And it was not long before our very own flexshines was lighting up a Lady Cohiba ($29.80) to celebrate his move into contention after winning the second race whereas the many fans of Ciao Bella were left crying in the chapel. Suspicious minds were all shook up after Stack the Storm ($14.20) won the third while in the fourth Hessonite ($4.60) again was a little gem for Who Doctor Who as she sparkled in the winner's circle for the second time this meet.

As befits Remember Elvis Day, there was a Wholelottashakin going on in the fifth but she just got pipped by Shakeira ($6.70) whose hips certainly did not lie. Meanwhile Shesabronxbomber ran like a hound dog and could only finish fourth causing the forum's resident linguist 'gooch to look up the Chinese word for s#*t,(by the way it is Chuánwìi). A rain delay prior to the sixth race caused much Scampering before the stewards decided it's now or never and proceeded with the Dance Card ($3.20). Roses for Romney was a scratch in the seventh prompting some wag to say "return to sender" whereas the winner was Heading to Toga($6.40) as opposed to your correspondent who is now heading to the pub as he does every POETS day. Cheers.

All kidding aside...

These last two recaps are absolutely wonderful. Intelligence and wit are scarce commodities in today's world.

We are lucky to have you.

Now...please let me know what colour kilt you are wearing on Friday & Saturday at the Breeder's Cup so I know what to pack.

Day 26

First of all thank you Large Mac you for those kind words ("FFS, Large Mac , please don't encourage him. I'm going to bury him with that bloody lap top"- Mrs. H). As regards your Breeders Cup fashion question I will be wearing a pink kilt on Friday as befits Ladies Day and a purple kilt on Saturday as befits Classic day. If you are requiring any tips on how to improve your culinary skills or love life please drop me a line and I will be glad to assist.

Another Saturday at Saratoga but for once the focus of most racing fans was a million miles away and not surprisingly we had fewer selections than normal. The science fiction movie nerds on the forum especially missed out when Irad Ortiz bounced back from yesterday's scary fall to steer home Cybertron ($27.80) in the opener - what a transformation ! The forum had high hopes for Lemon Drop Dream but it turned out to be a nightmare pick for Spanky, Flexshines and Calabres as he was poleaxed in the stretch by Sonofasamurai ($15.40) in the second. However Spanky came back at warp speed with Raffie's Factor ($10.80) which also helped 'gooch in his quest to bring the cup back to the west coast. Being such a peace loving group it was no surprise to see that there were no advocates for Violence ($3.60) in the fourth while sadly for Larry, Nelson Avenue ($10.40) did not put Moneyinyourpocket in the fifth.

Irad Ortiz fell off his horse again in the sixth where Colonel Bill ($6.40) was the first winner of the meet for the monster Ness barn. (Yes folks, I am getting paid by the Scottish Tourist Board). In the seventh Good Morning Diva was a popular pick but not a Shrewd One ($ 7.40) as she got edged out by the Ten Furlongs selection. In the eighth Pat5336 must have been counting his money as Marquet Cat went three clear into the final sixteenth but he got tazered on the wire by Strong Impact ($7.40) to start of the timmye pick 4.

In the Sword Dancer only Who Doctor Who managed to navigate the Point of Entry ($4.80) who was a very impressive winner. In the Alabama, Irad Ortiz picked himself up , dusted himsel off and started all over again to pilot Questing ($6.40) to a sensational win despite zig-zagging in the stretch. Next outing for Questing, who notched a stakes double for Who Doctor Who, will be the giant slalom at Whistler. In the closer Boozer was asking does Love Stanza Chance. Bloody hell it doesn't, not when Gallant Bob has Ladywell Court ($6.50) who also completed a $75.12 pick four for timmye - not a bad return on a $120 investment

You crack me up, Bev! Good job! LOL

Day 27

After the excitement of an action packed Saturday program today's card definitely had a lazy Sunday afternoon feeling while still giving us punters the opportunity to iron out the kinks in our handicapping. In the opener Doctor Disaster was hoping for Rainbow Dreams but no pot of gold for the good doc this time as Kimono ($2.40) said sayonara to the field for "I'll take a winner at any price", Cherokee Scot. In the second Fast and Strong looked just that as they came into the stretch but in the end they were all Chasing Piper ($22.20). Tough All Day must have had a bad night as he was scratched in the third where the winner just refused to Backdown ($4.50).

In the fourth Ten Furlongs was looking for Arsenal to score but like yesterday's EPL game they just did not have enough Cosmic Energy ($7.50) in a wet blanket finish which was a big relief to Ski. In the fifth Broken Spell ($15.80) finally put a smile on the face of D. Wayne Lukas as predicted (but not selected) by our resident pictorial historian, Gallant Bob. In the sixth race our entourage obviously did not hear the word as we once again failed to find the Key to Power ($8.30). In the seventh Triguy made a very brave selection with his final pick in the competition but unfortunately My Big Woman was not a factor as Wish to Opine ($4.50) had the last word.

Most of the forum were drinking the Kool-Aid with Somali Lemonade in the Lake Placid but they were all left jonesing for a win after Stephanie's Kitten ($4.20) with a purrfect ride by Johnny V took centre court and gave Who Doctor Who a sweep of the weekend stakes action and a place in the top ten. Fiftyfour Forever was a popular choice and it was looking very rosy for her supporters until the last stride when Molly Morgan ($8.50) got up to get Paseana out of jail. In the closer we just had about everything covered except we all forgot to Read the Research ($6.10). On the plus side Timmye again hit the pick 4, returning $64.75 for his $90 investment which is still a better return than investing in Facebook.

Luv ya' Bev! LOL

day 28

It was bertconvy day at the Spa as our resident graphic designer was in attendance to watch all 27 of his picks (yes folks it really was 27) go down in flames'. Also making a live appearance at the graveyard of longshots as we are now calling Saratoga was Sbwest who saw all 10 of his bullets fail to hit the target. Jason Baker was also shooting blanks and his magazine is now empty so his name will not join those illustrious real life handicappers on the trophy this year

Major computer problems have delayed the recap and I may have missed some winners but it looks as if only Joly B made a valid selection with Rangery in Mondays chalkfestt. However I am pleased to report that Timmye hit the late pick 4 yet again but this time only for a small profit so he won't be giving up his day (trader) job quite yet.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed Wednesday as my lap top should have dried out by then after Mrs Hendry dropped it in the toilet ( an accident I'm sure).

Day 29

Plenty of baseball fans on the forum but none of them wanted to Meet the Mets ($9.60) in the opener. Little Nick may have bowled over Jackson Bend at the weekend but could not run down Jess not Jesse ($6.50)in the second. Punters were filing a Class Action Suit ($7.90) for low returns at Saratoga after the third and JHauck went to the endoftheworld in search of a winner in the fourth but all the time it was Adjacent ($4.80).

It was going to take a Master Achievement ($10.80) for one of us to hit a big price winner and Grandpa Deee again proved he is as good as he used to be when firing with Colony Strike ($30.60) in the eighth. JolyB was beaming with his selection of Willy Beamin ($4.30) in the ninth but will he be beaming after the Kings Bishop on Saturday. Ggriff ended the day purrfectly with Krissy Kat ($16.20) which meant a 50c pick 4 of $370 but as yet no redboards from Timmye and company .

Day 30

A very quiet Thursday with seemingly more interest in Prince Harry showing his crown jewels in Las Vegas than in today's card at Saratoga. No one in the forum was as Demonstrative ($13.60) as the flashing prince in the opener while gooch's title hopes were Indy Scent after failing to sniff out Saginaw ($2.40) in the second. There were as many scratches in the third race as could be found on Harry's back but any way you gloss over it there was no beating Original Art ($2.60). Meanwhile the Torment continued for timmye in the fourth where he did not pick up the Black Ace ($23.80) which won hands down at a decent price for once.

There was no Southern Joy for Spanky or Ozzy in race 5 - they should have been looking for a Wandering Kitten ($7.80) while there was a total lack of interest in Central Banker ($7.80) in the sixth. Not for the first time it was left to those two loveable weasels Joly B and Who Doctor Who to chalk up the only winner of the day with Lunar Victory ($3.80) in the seventh. Continuing the Prince Harry theme, Pianist ($4.60) struck the right note in the eighth which may not have amused the Queen but Yes She Rules ($6.50) in the end.

Day 31

Friday at the Spa and most of us were still looking for the cure to the chalkfest that continues to suffocate Saratoga. However our competition was overshadowed by the news coming out of UIC headquarters in California that the UIC stewards may strip Timmye's 2007 win in the Saratoga Cup due to possible past performance enhancement use with traces of DRF apparently having been found in his system. In this years competition Chazaward is obviously a fan of the British royal family as evidenced by his selection of Magical Moon ($5.50) who flashed home in the opener. The chalky trend continued with No More Fives ($5.55) in the second and it was "long shot" Reserved Quality ($6.90) who got the perfect trippi in the third. Bridgetta ($3.30) was the latest bridge jumper favorite to romp home in the fourth while giving Rosie Napravnik an early double.

Cindyloujazz can still hear the footsteps of the dreaded ofer coming as she got Ampersand ($8.10) kicked in her face in the fifth and speaking of phantoms, Madame Giry ($7.20) gave Large Mac a ghost of a chance in the sixth. The run of short price winners was finally ended in the seventh race when Sally's Dream ($19.60) romped away from the field but unfortunately no one on the forum is called Sally. There was a lot of French Fury going on in the eighth but once again Isntlovejustgrand($4.70) conquered all causing a negative reaction from the supporters of Chernobyl's Hero.

Turbulent Descent ($2.90) danced home in the Ballerina Stakes but I will save the embarrassment of naming the two forum members who picked her - just say it was Mr and Mrs Chalk and you will know who I mean ! There was a sensation in the last when the favorite did not win and it was a picture book finish for Bluegrass Rumor ($5.60). Unfortunately most of our group were on Londoness and as of 9.30 pm Eastern Time she still hasnt finished yet !

DRF as a performance enhancement? I need something more like a bible to help me. By the way, can we start the contest over? I would like my picks to focus primarily on Pletcher 2YO's...

When timmye won that trophy, he beat me out on the last day of the meet. It's clear to me now that he was juiced......

Gooch, do you remember who my winner was that last day? Quick reminded me in Saratoga a few years back. Big Brown in his maiden start...

Hey, and don't forget this year. We BOTH had that $76 winner last month. Lucky for you I caught it after the deadline. Whole different contest (and picks) if I had that winner. The ol' woulda' coulda' shoulda.'

Hello muddah, hello faddah
Its Travers Day at Saratoga.
Saratoga is entertaining,
Even though Larrys picks are all failing!

We have a baker in the mix
But in the contest, he's not cruzan
You remember Rick Dutrow
He's still as good as we used to know (as we used to know)

Bobtail nag he posted late
And Ten Furlongs said "No mate"
Now our leader is still Turffan
He just might have the contest in the can!

Now I don't want this to scare ya,
But me and Jen are still at Caldah
You remember that ex champ Timmye
They're about to organize a searching party!

Take me home, oh muddah, faddah.
Take me home, I hate Calder
Please take me to the Big Red Spring,
Where I will even drink the water !

Wait a minute; I got a winner.
Am taking the missus out for dinner
Drinking whisky; gee that's better.
Muddah, fuddah, kindly disregard this letter!

Day 33

After the heady excitement of the Travers it was back to normal business with Speedy Gal ($17.00) giving an early Sign ($22.00) that prices could be had today. Thescreenisred ($4.40) lit it up for Chazaward and Large Mac in the third while Joly B showed he can pick winners at any price when Fiddlers Afleet $10.20) sailed home in the fourth.

After four successive blanks Large Mac finally supersized it with Bambaguia ($9.60) in the ninth. Its tricky picking winners at Saratoga especially if your horse stumbles out of the gate and we all missed out on Love and Pride ($22.00) in the Personal Ensign. Hoever all's well that ends well and Ozzy and Gallant Bob ended the day in fine style with Owen Rico ($14.60)

Flexshines has a sensational finish

Day 34

We enter the final seven days and it is very close at the top with turffan clinging on to a narrow lead as his closest rivals run out of daylight. No one is Cruzan to an easy victory this year and we all know that you can be just one long shot from winning this tournament so please use those bullets people or suffer the wrath of Timmye. Stumbling out of the gate at the Spa is a sure way to lose as we have seen recently and Spinit to Winit did just that in the first thereby spoiling Spiderjohn and Propro's hopes of making a True Fortune ($7.80). In the second race Flexshines thought his penultimate shot was a Sure Choice but as all trekkies will tell you nobody beats the Federation ($3.60). The third race was won by a horse whose name sounds like what a Scotsman would buy his wife on her birthday, an Effin Trinket ($6.50) and the return odds were how much he would spend on it.

After yet another short priced winner, Wildcat Aly ($5.50) in the fourth Madame Blum tried to spice it up with Go Get the Basil in the fifth but it was Propros O'Frederica ($9.30) who won the maiden for unseasoned campaigners. In the sixth we were all too slow on the uptake to spot See Me Proud ($22.00) who certainly lived up to his trainers name.

Then ,would you believe it ? Drama of all dramas, with his very last pick in the competition flexshines makes a Sensational Appeal ($33.00) to vault into the lead. Game on Dude !

In the eighth race 'gooch was hoping it was going to be James Jingle all the way but he did not have snow much fun and it was ndsc32 who made a Leap ($9.00) up the leaderboard.

Day 35

Former champ Antifreezette has not been setting the heather on fire in this years competition but she came out with all guns blazing today and finally broke her maiden at the 26th attempt when the jazzy Scofield ($10.60) was awarded the second race after Brazilian Court was disqualified for boring. Speaking of boring there have been a lot of odds-on favorites winning this meet but in the opener the 1-4 shot Thane, the very desperate choice of JolyB, was beaten by long shot Norumbega ($17.40), the equally desperate choice of GAM. Unfortunately GAM was also disqualified, for being one minute late posting his selection and that could cost him dearly as he still has a slim (now very slim) chance of winning the title. Small Mac finally joined the competition today by selecting all ten favorites and opened his account in the third race when Weekend Hideaway ($3.40) checked in. Another big chance was missed by the chasing pack to put pressure on the leaders when Hearts of Red ($25.60) came up trumps in the fourth.

Order of Magnitude was well and truly spanked in the fifth where the battling Fredericksburg ($4.50) had the winning cause. In the sixth race, sadly for our group, it was Swift Warrior ($10.20) who proved to be the right one when he was able to hoofit down the stretch and plant a perfect footprint at the wire, leaving "I coulda been a contenda" 'gooch with just one more bullet. Plenty of longshots picked but we were like lambs to the slaughter after none of us flocked to the Sheppard baby Hesdonemewrongsong ($44.40) who gamboled home in the seventh. Before the eighth race we were asking ourselves Watsdachances ($9.50) of getting another winner and the answer was not bloody likely!

Small Mac and Spiderjohn said Gimme Credit ($4.70) so I will for picking the winner of the ninth. In the closer Nick Vito and Propro put themselves right back in contention of winning the big prize when Corinzia ($25.00) came home and this also got Cindy Lou Jazz off the dreaded ofer, so congrats to her too.

Day 36

They were shouting "You the Man" at Tampa today and no it wasn't to Mitt Romney. It was our southern friend JohnnyBatTBD who was receiving the plaudits after playing the old "first race back after a two year absence angle" on You the Man ($ 31.00) in the opener. Our man in Tampa then showed that the hurdles are not that big at Saratoga by landing the early double with Cubist ($12.80). It was a red letter day for dla 70 as he also had Cubist in some short of shape or form. Archwarrior ($2.50) has been the most touted 2 year old since Shirley Temple and it's already transparent that he is something special after winning his debut in the third but the prohibitive odds even scared off JolyB and Who Doctor Who. Fleetwood Mac fan Spanky was asking the question "Will you ever win ?" to Royal Rhiannon ($5.90) in the fourth. The answer was an emphatic yes as she took through the sky like a bird in flight. Meanwhile Ozzy and Large Mac were hoping to be dancing together after the fifth but Buleria's scratch put paid to that and they had to settle for listening to the Sounds of the City ($5.90).

In the sixth race several members of the forum were obviously suffering from irrational exuberance with their selection of the #1 horse and their goose was well and truly cooked by Chifa ($6.90) who unfortunately did not make me a prophet. Best Actor was a popular but bizarre pick in the seventh but he had to play a presumptive supporting role when he could not coexist with Lea ($6.00). Our search for another winner continued to stall in the eighth when we failed to make the slightest impression never mind a Discreet Marq ($10.80).The ninth race won by Miami Cat ($9.10) was notable in that it was arrividerci for NickVito and frangooch as the Italian stallions missed out with their final selections. A sterling effort by both though, me I will be saving my final pick to the very last race and hope to hit with a 50-1 shot ! We all waited with anticipation to see the 2 year olds in the tenth race but at the end of the day none of us were able to Balance the Books ($10.80). Otis and Elk were hoping that the last race Belongs to Dixie but hats off to Madame Blum - She Gets It ($21.60)

Day 37 Part 1

The final Friday at the Spa and title contender Propro was hoping to have a Dixie Smile on his face after the opener but instead it was a tiz wonderful day for My Happy Face ($2.20) who won in a laugher. In the second race Cantonic ($9.80) ran a scorcher to brush by the Pletcher hot pot Hobbs and racked up another win for those Three Stooges (JolyB, Spanky and Small Mac). Spanky actually typed catatonic and we were in two minds whether to allow it but since it was his final pick we decided to give him it. However his 41st, 42nd and 43rd picks that he posted were not allowed!

Strike the Moon was a popular choice in the third but she cant even win once in a blue moon and the winner was Mildly Offensive ($5.70) to us all. All eyes (well certainly flexshines) were on turffans selection Ear DRhythm in the fourth but her run was not Sustained($7.70) and turffan remains a mere $5.50 behind the leader with four picks left. Small Mac may have been late to the party but hes starting to make some noise now and King Ting ($7.00) crowned another good day for the Canadian subject in the fifth. A huge opportunity went begging in the sixth when the filly Uncle Southern ($39.80)beat the boys and crushed the pick 4 tickets of timmye and his not so merry men. Race seven saw Boozer come into the fray and gave the Conspiracy ($12.20) theorists something to think about

To be continued after HAPPY HOUR

As expected Happy Hour turned into happy six hours , that's what happens when you party with Clint Eastwood. Anyway after Clint was wheeled home by his caregiver I was able to check out the results of the last two races. Not much happened although Small Mac (dont take it personally) did have a great DayattheSpa($3.00) and Mr Zayat got a 50th birthday present with Bravo Habibi ($8.60) in the closer. Let's all hope that Paynter pulls through for him to make his birthday even better.

Day 38

It was certainly a Saturday for longshots, unfortunately for me not in the eleventh race at Calder - you say Ello, I say goodbye. Meanwhile at Saratoga , Large Mac supersized it with a whopper of an opening double in Channel Lady ($24.20) and Sam's Buck ($22.00). In the third we all fought Greely's Law ($110.00 yes that was one hundred and ten) and the law won. In the fourth Antifreezette and Calabres were raising a drink to Lily the Pink ($7.40) while Small Mac was cursing his Divine Luck but only for a short time as Hillswick($4.40) chalked up a win in the fifth.

Dark horse Boozer then really got his title challenge in full flow by landing a treble with Devoted Wildcat ($10.00) , Micromanage ($13.60) and Emcee ($5.10). Sandwiched in between Spiderjohn showed he was the master of the turf with his selection of Dominus ($5.70). In the Woodward Tims70ar capped a very fine day with To Honor and Serve ($9.30) to add to Sam's Buck, Micromanage and Dominus. Propro also had double delight with investing in Sam's Buck and hammering Emcee but at the end of the day we were all left searching for a New York Phillie ($74.50) to bring us some joy.

Day 39

Step 39 in our annual Saratoga contest and the ending has all the hallmarks of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. As befits a competition of this magnitude we will be covering each race as it happens in the final two days. No picks from second and third place turffan and cruzan today so current leader flexshines will be looking over his shoulder for Boozer, Propro , dla 70 and tims70ar along with any possible bombers from mid pack. No bombers in the first though . Hooper was hoping his selection was Worth a Buck (it wasn't) while Chazaward took out a Bridge Loan but to no avail . Propro spent a valuable pick on Tritap but it was Bellamy Brew ($9.30) who poured it on. Another Propro bullet went astray in the second when Rossweisse from norse mythology showed no indication of achieving horse mythology. Hooper looked to have landed a longshot with Emolient but enter stage left Cue the Moon ($10.60) who was neither shaken nor stirred to win for trainer Bond, James Bond. Keyaly almost gave Propro the winner he needed in the third but 0 for 3 on the day left him feeling Rockheaded ($18.20)with just one pick left tomorrow. Up next was Boozer but his Twizaguri didnr run Strait and he had to Native Wave ($6.00) goodbye to another opportunity in the fourth. JohnnyBatTBD got back on the winning trail with My Sweet Candy ($4.40) although the closing price must have left a sour taste.

Large Mac, Broadbrush and Who Doctor Who were screaming from Fargo to Fort Lauderdale for Shes Gosphel in the sixth but the 32-1 shot was just pipped in the final few yards by World Premier ($10.00). Shakeira ($6.40) shook her hips again in the seventh and despite several missed chances Boozer was still able to keep his Temper in Command ($6.40) in the eighth. Finally GrandpaDeee was in Unbridled Command ($22.60) to give the old geezer asnowball's chance tomorrow with one pick left.

So here we are with one day to go and possibly the most exciting Saratoga challenge since I won. We saw today how close three backmarkers came to taking the lead so it is still all to play for. will be very interesting to see the picks / strategy of Turffan and Cruzan . Can the leader flexshines hold on to his very narrow lead ? I will be reporting live (for first few hours anyway as I'm grilling) after every race tomorrow. Stay tuned but don't stay thirsty and enjoy your Labor Day .

Very tight competition and anyone who has a pick left is just one sandyinthesun away from winning this prestigious title . Hoping to see plenty of picks tomorrow especially from the following regulars :

bigdaddy- 18 picks left
Bobtailnag - 18 picks left
doctordisaster -22 picks left
gillenr 25 picks left and $50 in the bank !!
orioleboy 17 picks left
Voodooyou 40 picks left
wshoes 38 picks left

Day 40

What a start to the day ! Eagle eyed Larry Le Tour spotted that because of the early post time according to Saratoga Cup rule 50, subsection 3 paragraph (iib) today's picks should have been in at 11.30 thereby knocking out scores of contestants who put in their picks or edits after that time. Fortunately our competition supremo (and dictator) Tom Williams showed that Hezethebest by ruling that since no notice had been given the 12 noon deadline would stand. So it was on to race one which had a deep impact on the outcome of this year's title. Fittingly it was a turf race and turffan's selection of Noble Tune ($7.30) saw him overtake long time leader flexshines and establish himself as the hot favorite to win the trophy.

There was more excitement in race 2 when it looked for a while as if DBLAKERS would be champ with 38-1 shot Departures only giving way in the last few strides to the Hooper exacta of Flaming Hot ($12.60) and Veiled Prophet although he would have been cook-a-hoop if the order had been reversed. In sunny Albany Madame Blum was out grilling and was also Flaming Hot today. No such excitement in the third where West Hills Giant ($12.40) was frozen out by all our participants. Attractive Ride gave boone and TC something to shout about in the fourth but it was JohnnyBatTBD who came out on top with Coosada ($5.80) while Turffan's selection Orsonian was off the board. Turffan breathed a sigh of relief while DBLAKERS was shaking his head again after We Need VLTs ($13.60) rallied to get past the popular longshot Aba Dabbler. goldandmyrrh had back to back tough beats when Always in a Tiz ($11.20) was able to clawback past his selection in the sixth.

In the seventh race Sly Warrior ($16.00) was a most unwelcome guest for Turffan who was looking to pad his lead with his final selection. He now has a two and a half hour wait to see if eirher Cruzan or Boozer can overtake him as Propro's valiant bid came to and with Ode to Sami who's late run came too late. Not much to write about in the eighth as only Spiderjohn was able to Hit it Rich ($3.60)although turffan is probably asking himself why didnt I pick that one. In the Hopeful only TC was able to fortify their total with Shanghai Bobby so as we knew it would it all came down to the final two races. After surviving another shot in the 10th Turffan had two more bullets fired at him in the closer from Cruzan and Boozer. Boozer hit with Golden Tornado ($15.80) but amazingly fell just $1.70 short - all that money bet by Turffan certianly helped lower the price. So an amazing end to another fantastic competition - Congratulations to turffan and see you all next year.

Final Standings after race 11


1)turffan 12/40 $122.50 2012 CHAMPION
2)Boozer_1 10/40 $120.80 finished
3)flexshines 9/40 $120.70 finished
4)cruzan2002 7/40 $112.80 finished
5)frangooch 3/40 $99.50 finished
6)JBaker826 6/40 $99.30 finished
7)Propro 8/40 $96.80 finished
8)grommet4 5/40 $91.30 finished
9)nickvito 5/40 $88.60 finished
10)kmac1470 7/40 $86.70 finished

Ex-champs after race 11

Antifreezette 2/40 $18.00 failed to set the heather on fire
Bobtailnag 0/22 $0.00 eased at halfway, did not finish
CherokeeScot 3/40 $19.70 broke well, encountered early trouble and fell back , bled.
sammythesage 4/40 $56.40 slow out of gate, passed tired rivals
timmye1 1/40 $10.40 done early, never a factor, vanned off and gelded

GOOD SHOW!