Tuesday, October 18, 2005

My Breeders Cup Update-Trouble on the Horizon?

Yes, Powerscourt is out. This I enjoy b/c it makes the turf a bit more interesting betting race. Powerscourt was sure to gobble up a boat load of money. Look for the winner here to pay B-I-G!!!

More importantly though...

Blogs have taken a beating in the larger media lately and a lot of it is certainly warranted. Often times blogs fall into the lull of just regurgitating big media stories. Providing links-not actual news stories- is a major weakness in the blogosphere. I for one, with Avg Horseplayer oft times fall into this trap.

It is similar to a Monday Morning Quarterback: we basically pour over other journalists articles and simply criticize their work (or lack thereof) or just make some commentary over already reported news.

With that being said, I want to bring up something that I don’t believe has been mentioned anywhere in the news (at least in regards to the world of horse racing).

What are the prospects of Breeders'Cup day being run under wet, rainy, even SLOPPY conditions? Hurricane Wilma is currently gaining power in the Southern Bahamas. Check out the storm track here:
  • Wilma's Projected Path

  • What is this telling us? Basically the models-which certainly aren’t 100%- say the hurricane should gain strength over the warm waters of the southern gulf, and be east of Florida by Sun. Oct. 23rd-6 days before the BC in NY.

    If you’ve lived on the eastern seaboard for an extended period of time, you know how these storms work. One way or another, Wilma will be making her way N x NE and will be sure to bring moisture to the NYC area.

    When and exactly how much are always the big questions. How soft will the turf get for the grass races? In a worst case scenario-heavy Fri/Sat rains- what will the BC/NTRA/NYRA do? Is this just the full cycle of negative karma that has been so widely reported by Alan here:
  • Scroll Down for NYRA's Woes

  • Let’s go DRF, Bloodhorse, Thoroughbred Times, NY Daily News, NY Post…..let’s start asking some questions. I think this could be a very interesting development to keep an eye on. Sometime between Sunday Oct. 23rd and Sunday Oct. 30th, rains will hit the greater metropolitan area around NYC. When and exactly how much are all speculation but certinaly worthy of investigation.

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If I’ve missed an article mentioning this, please let me know ASAP. If anyone comes across some of these issues being raised by the media to upper management associated with the BC, I would also love to know.

    Mark it down though folks….11 days before the 2005 Breeders' Cup, a blogger has brought up the potential for a major story that could have worldwide ramifications.

    2 comments:

    Alan Mann said...

    We probably shouldn't be discussing this, because the hurricane has far more important implications than some horse races no matter how big they are. Nonetheless, it seems obvious given the way things have gone for NYRA lately, that this baby is gonna come right up the coast and do a number on us here. What happens if the turf courses are just not useable? Would they ever run the Turf on the main track??

    Ruben Bailey said...

    Exactly....
    Yes, we should hope the physical damage will be limited.

    I am supposed to be landing in NYC Thurs. 6am....hopefully it won't be raining by then.

    Even if Wilma breaks up now, the remenats will still bring rain to the Metro. Area