Breeder’s Cup 2009

Horse Video with a cool beat…

Horseplay from Kimberly on Vimeo.

Spring Training Baseball…

Spring training baseball…a sign of rebirth…here..in the Southwest…in Tempe Diablo Stadium…Angels versus the Giants…the thing about spring training is the immediacy of the surroundings…you’re right down there in the action…you feel a connection with players…everyone is freindly…during the game I got to a know a mother and a son as well as three good natured drunks behind me who hysterically were making ludicrous bets such as would the next out be a ground ball or a flyout…the cost of the beer was high but that didn’t stop most in the crowd from drinking…when I had gone out to where the general admissiion was one such costumer was asking the ball boy to sign his balls…everyone was laughing..and that was the thing, a sense of rebirth…we all had made it through the dark winter…

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Turf Paradise in Arizona…

turf paradise…palm trees in the middle of the track…mountains in the distance…people, on the older side, very polite….I noticed the most of the winners were owned by what seemed like clubs of an older people who were very excited to go into the winners circle. The day was overcast and a blanket of heat covered the track…still here is nothing like being at the track…there is a feel the comes over you as you watch the horses break from the gate…everyone race is a universe unto to itself…does a horse take it wire to wire?…does the favorite come up chalk?…is there a horse lying behind only to finish with a burst of energy and take it at the wire…

there is the pomp and circumstance and formality at the track…before each race the crew clean up the track and they gate the starting gate ready….then the there is the ttrumpet signaling that the horses are coming to the gate…every track has a great announcer and there is nothing like to hearing the announcer say, “the horses are that the starting gate…

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Gulf Stream Racetrack in Florida

Gulfstream Racetrack dow in Hillendale, Florida off of the historic Route 1 outside of Miami and down below Ft. Lauderdale has everything a horse player would want. Fantastic weather with grat service, you can place bets right from the comfort of your seats. The warm weather induces one to really get into it with the palm trees swaying. Adding to the excitement is also the addition of a Casino and also a simulcast room with screen featuring races from around the country.

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Belmont Stakes 2008..

A crowd of 94,476 came out to Belmont Park on Saturday for the 140th running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes (G1), the final leg of the Triple Crown, contested at a distance of 1 1/2 miles on the main track. Undefeated Big Brown was attempting to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner, after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and was sent off as the 3-10 choice. In to challenge the Richard Dutrow stable star were 7-1 second choice Denis of Cork, third in the Kentucky Derby last time out, and 14-1 third choice Tale of Ekati, winner of the Wood Memorial before finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Peter Pan Stakes winner Casino Drive was scratched the morning of the race.

Big Brown broke awkwardly from the rail post and moved to the outside, while Da Tara was hustled to the lead right away by jockey Alan Garcia and angled over to the rail to save ground. Da’ Tara set an easy pace of 23.82, 48.30, 1:12.90, and 1:37.96 while as many as 3 lengths ahead of Tale of Ekati who stalked him in second. Big Brown sat third just to the outside of Tale of Ekati. On the far turn, Denis of Cork, who was unhurried back in 6th early, moved to to challenge for the lead, as jockey Kent Desormeaux tapped Big Brown with his left-handed whip asking for the favorite to make his move. However, Big Brown did not respond, dropping back to 8th as Da’ Tara continued to lead, opening up a 5 length lead at the 1/4 pole after 10 furlongs in 2:03.21. Desormeaux eased Big Brown through the stretch as Da’ Tara easily pulled away from Denis of Cork late to win by 5 1/4 lengths in 2:29.65 over the fast main track. Anak Nakal, who had raced in midpack fourth early, and Ready’s Echo, who rallied from eighth, dead-heated for third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Denis of Cork.

Winning jockey Alan Garcia said, “On the back side, he was comfortable and he was playing with his ears and I was so happy by the 5/8 pole, I was looking and thinking I have a shot and when I move my horse to the 1/2 mile pole, he takes off and I said, “Oh, my God, Da’ Tara, you can do it.”