Welcome...

If you are here b/c of a press release you received ; Welcome to my blog! If you just happen to be passing by; Welcome as well!!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about....just read the press release below and feel free to peruse some of the recent posts. You'll forgive any timely posts until later today as helping to organize the new TBA [again, see below ;-)] has kept me fairly occupied....Hope you enjoy!!

Group Unites to Form
Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA)
Announces plans to award first ever TBA Horse of the Year Award based strictly upon statistics


The World Wide Web-October 11,2005- A group of seven thoroughbred racing bloggers announced today the creation of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA). From the United States to Hong Kong - and all points in between - these dedicated racing fans have joined together to support the game of horse racing by using a tool somewhat foreign to the Sport of Kings - the blog. With the formation of the TBA, the group also announced plans to award their first ever Horse of the Year award. Unlike similar awards that are given each year based solely on subjective media and industry voting, the TBA’s Horse of the Year award will be given to the horse with the most points earned in Graded Stakes.

“The main objective of the group is to bring attention to horse racing as a sport. We hope the rankings start that trend,” said Patrick Patten, proprietor of “Pulling Hair and Betting Horses.” Patten, the creator of the points system, continued, “We feel that by ranking horses we will have arrived at what is a true ‘horse of the year.’ Furthermore, for our champion, it cannot be said that the award was due to a coastal bias or based on foreign form. We feel that nationwide recognition of a championship points system could encourage owners and trainers to enter their top horses in top competition.

The seven bloggers from across the globe have been posting rants, raves, reviews, and race analysis for the past two years but have only recently begun interacting on a weekly basis - drawn together by the creation of a points system that determines racing’s top horses and a true horse of the year. The system awards points based on where a horse finishes in Graded Stakes races - the industry’s highest level of racing (point system details listed below).

The inaugural award will be announced immediately following the conclusion of the year, once all the Graded Stakes are completed. The Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship, held this year at historic Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, will go a long way in determining the championship as twice as many points are on the line that day. The TBA will make a donation to a charity selected by the owner of the champion thoroughbred.