I have been doing absolutely nothing for the past week. There isn't much to do here, and my dear D is gone pretty much all day at work making a living to support us. So I am usually quite bored. Solitaire has been my latest escape, and I have learned the ins and outs so well that I've gone from a 45% win rate to a 55% win rate in 2 weeks and have played several hundred games. I gasp just looking at the last sentence I wrote!
The weekend is ahead, though, and we are going to get electricity soon at our house, so hopefully by next weekend we can move back over there. Last I heard, the crazy palomino pinto mare has not yet foaled. Between that and the Republican National Convention being this week, I am kinda willing to tear my hair out.
Okay, I am not an American citizen, so I can't vote. I do have my green card, though, which by the way makes name changing a pain in the rear after getting married. I'm a Canadian citizen, born and bred, but soon I should be trying to get my naturalization here.
But I am also not a Democrat or a Republican, and the two front-runners in the presidential race disgust me. If I were to vote, I'd go with a third party. My husband and best friend both were going for Ted Cruz before he dropped out, and so now I am definitely disgusted with the Republicans. Neither of them (D or KitMarie) know who they're voting for last I heard, and Clinton is nowhere near the picture.
Trump, Trump, Trump. That's all we get this week! His family is speaking, he is speaking, and I am tired of this Clinton vs. Trump thing. When will the other political parties (yes, there are other political parties) get their publicity?!
So, I am going to do my best
not to focus on that. Instead, I will be paying close attention to the horse racing scene.
 |
| California Chrome wins the 2016 Dubai World Cup. Image courtesy Andrew Watkins |
 |
| Dortmund wins the 2015 Native Diver, his last start |
California Chrome, the 5yo stallion who won the 2016 Dubai World Cup despite his saddle slipping and is America's richest racehorse, makes his return in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar in California (his native state and namesake) versus the massive 8-for-10 4yo colt Dortmund, who by the way was my Derby & Preakness pick last year. In this race I have to go for the Chrome though, for he has a total of five races left in his planned career, including tomorrow's San Diego.
 |
| Songbird winning the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland, her only start outside California |
 |
| Carina Mia winning the Acorn |
Songbird, the unbeaten (8-for-8) filly who had to miss the KY Oaks, makes her East Coast debut on Sunday in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga in New York, with the purse being boosted $200k ($300k to $500k) just for her. She faces the very good Carina Mia and also the Ashland upset winner Weep No More. I expect her to win, but not without Carina Mia posing a very noticeable threat. Carina Mia, by the way, won the first leg of the American Triple Tiara, and the CCA Oaks is the second leg.
If Carina Mia beats Songbird, she will probably have to face her again to sweep the Triple Tiara with the Alabama.
 |
| Tepin, the mare who became America's first Queen Anne winner, is expected to run at Saratoga |
The 40-day Saratoga meet opened today, and will have racing 6 days a week, with no racing on Tuesdays. It is a very prestigious meet with many top 2-year-olds making their debuts there over the years and also many good older horses and three-year-olds racing there on both the grass and the dirt.
 |
| Frosted, the 14+ length winner of the Met Mile, is also expected to run at Saratoga |
 |
| Uncaptured wins the Prince of Wales |
On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales Stakes will be run, and it is the 2nd leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The Canadian Triple Crown, like the English Triple Crown and unlike the American Triple Crown, is not usually sought after very often. The reason for this is usually the change in surface for each race, with the Queen's Plate being 1 1/4 miles on Woodbine's synthetic surface, the Prince of Wales being 1 3/16 miles on the dirt at Fort Erie, and the Breeders' Stakes being 1 1/2 miles on Woodbine's turf course.
However, this year's upset winner of the Queen's Plate, Sir Dudley Digges, holds the outside position of 8 in the Prince of Wales, for his owners, Ken & Sarah Ramsey of Kitten's Joy fame, believe he can run on anything. Sir Dudley Digges, by the way, is sired by Gio Ponti, most famous for running second to Goldikova in the Breeders' Cup Mile and also to Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
 |
| Sir Dudley Digges wins the 2016 Queen's Plate |
The last Triple Crown winner for Canada was Wando in 2003, when the Queen's Plate was still run on dirt.
Canada, like the U.S., has 12 Triple Crown winners.
Comments
Post a Comment