Posted By Mark Geiger on March 1, 2013
Avoid this flu that’s going around. Long time readers know the name Mark Tsagalakis, author of a 100 buck horse a couple or three years ago. He falls into the play him when I see him variety. He had not shown up at SA until today in Race 2. Paid 15.40. I feel a little better now. Almost human. -Gump-
Posted By Warren Eves on February 21, 2013
By Warren Eves DVM Sheila Lyons doesn’t mince words. “Frog juice, Prialt, etc. are in a whole different league for performance enhancement, so why piddle around with lowly HGH?,” was her response to “Organized Crime and Drugs in Sports.” She was making reference to Project Aperio, a most revealing report out of Australia. The Australian Crime Commission’s study lists PIEDs in detail after 12 months of investigation. “I think so many drugs are used in horse racing that are more useful for improving short distance speed that would not be helpful in human sports like NFL, Baseball, cycling, that HGH is like kid’s stuff,” she continued. Lyons was critical of veterinarian practices in front of Congress back on July 12. Many of her peers took issue with the founder of The American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine in Brockton, Massachusetts. “Race horses being at their age-prime already have the maximum hormone levels for growth both related to maturity and in response(training),” says Lyons. ”While I think HGH would move them (more…)
Posted By Warren Eves on February 19, 2013
By Harry “The Hat” Hacek Bob Baffert recently made a comment that I am “not that smart.” I have never professed to be a Rhodes Scholar. I do know a man’s true character can only be as strong as his conviction. I hold a firm belief Baffert’s success as a horse trainer far exceeds any natural ability. Let me explain. I recently read a story of how Baffert won five three-year-old stakes with different horses at last year’s Oaklawn Park meeting. The striking part of the story was never told. Are any of those (more…)
Posted By Mark Geiger on February 17, 2013
A couple of scratches earlier this week leaves the gimme a winner crowd wanting some action. If you were paying attention, as a certain fellow from New Orleans I know named BG, you might have stumbled onto a 20 buck winner in a 5 horse field yesterday at SA. All you had to ask yourself is what in the world is Gary Stevens doing riding for A.C. Avila? I checked back and could not find one single instance of these two teaming up. I will keep searching but data before 2000 in hard to find. The point (more…)
Posted By Warren Eves on February 15, 2013
By Harry “The Hat” Hacek Get a rope. Start a revolution. After 31 days of racing this winter at Santa Anita(December 26-February 14) I took the time to do an in-depth study of the disparaging and awful program put forth by that administration. I looked at the trainer standings in purses earned and found the top five trainers had started more horses than the next fifteen trainers combined. Those five trainers won approximately 25% of all races run. That does not leave much for the other 95 listed, not to mention the countless trainers who are not on the list. The cutoff of the top 100 trainers was $15,400 in purses earned. Some of the notable and outstanding trainers with sizable stables missing from the list could be considered astounding. Other trainers made the list only due to their minor placing in races without winning a single race. Another interesting fact is how few starters some stables have had. The short of the story is there is no program. Far too many trainers are getting overpowered. I further looked at the relatively low win percentages of Bob Baffert(19%), Doug O’Neill(11%) and John Sadler(18%) and found them to be a telltale sign. How could their percentages be any higher when they run multiple entries in so many races? Does anyone think a great trainer like O’Neill is anywhere near an 11% trainer, or has California racing just turned into a numbers game? Where has the parity and chemistry gone? I do not blame a single trainer for the demise of California racing. The blame must rest at the feet of the administrators.
Posted By Mark Geiger on February 15, 2013
2/15/13 – Gulfstream Park – Race 5 (appx 1130 pst) – #4 Tommys Boy. This could otherwise be known as a Friday Fish Fry. BTW, I don’t know why this is all in italics. There are three, no, make that four things I have to say about this. 1. Excellent claiming trainer, Mike Maker, claimed it out of a maiden race where nothing was expected and it didn’t disappoint. 2. He’s using a money rider. 3. The /1.horse can only improve. 4. It is one of God’s creatures. I need at least 8/1.Posted By Mark Geiger on February 14, 2013
Horse is scratched but we’ll keep our eyes on it. Nothing else gets the blood boiling today. Back at it tomorrow. -Gump-
Posted By Mark Geiger on February 13, 2013
I encourage you to read Warren’s most recent piece. Being an attorney with one year of experience more than 30 times, I lost my faith in the judicial system before I even went to work my first day as a baby persecutor in the Los Angeles D.A’s office. The stewards are the”judges” of what happens on the track. Their actions or non actions cost bettors money and Warren has had enough. 2/14/13 – Race 7 – Golden Gate Fields (appx 345 pst) – #2 Tiz Crowded - Look, I will keep this short. John “Mickey” Martin must love the Bay Area so much that he will not leave. This guy is a genius. He sees things others can not even imagine. I have little doubt that, with proper support, he could take on all the pezzonovantes and stick it to em. Yeah, Pletcher, Baffert, Lukas, Mott, Motion, and Nicky Z got nothing on this guy. Money rider up and I’ll even take 7/2 or maybe even 3/1 on this because this angle has a 50% hit rate. That’s right. Even money is fair odds. Bull, you say? First off the claim going two turns he is 50% going long back to early 2011. That would be 26 starters, 13 winners and 2 that ran second . That’s what Crist’s database and my own say. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. No big prices but flat bets got you 1.80 for every dollar wagered and you ain’t gonna get that at no freakin bank. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is the second time Martin claimed this one back for the same owners. -Gump-
Posted By Warren Eves on February 11, 2013
By Warren Eves Stewards need to be held accountable. There were two atrocious non actions on the part of judges in the past two weeks. 1.) Race eight at Parx on February 3rd found the judges doing nothing when Mad Magic was denied a fair start away from starting gate. 2.) In race one on Feb., 8th at Oaklawn Park there was an obvious incident leaving the gate. A jockey had to lodge a foul claim despite the incident in the critical opening strides. The judges, who completely ignored the (more…)
Posted By Mark Geiger on February 10, 2013
Yesterday’s selection ran OK at a reasonable price and got the place. This has been another winning week and I will press on today by keeping things short, sweet, and good percentage. Santa Anita Park – Race 6 (appx 3:00 pst) – #5 Hawkedon - One of the tricks of the trade in using trainer stats is to find a trainer’s baseline (overall winning percentage) and find the areas where he or she over or underperforms. John Sadler overall is just under 20 per cent which is excellent. However, when looking at horses new to his barn via ship or private purchase, his win rate jumps to over 25 per cent with a very nice return of 1.75 for every dollar wagered when Gomez, who rides today, is up. At 12/1 off the ML, I will bite and hold out for 6/1. -Gump-
