Tuesday is Monday....

Sometimes it’s hard to find a ton of inspiration to post here. The more you look at, analyze and break down one specific topic or subject, the greater the opportunity for the wheels of creativity can grind to a screeching halt. No neck braces needed, this inspiration spiral into the depths of cynical nothingness is a slow, wringing process.

Where does one start day after day, expounding on the same topic. Often times I am even turned off by the sport I love so much. Over saturation of anything is a bad thing. Everything in moderation, that’s what I say.

So here we are today, a Tuesday no less. The darkest of the dark days sees a measly 14 tracks running. On top of that, today was my Monday!!

Not even a 10-minute sojourn down the block to my local OTB to liven my spirits on a sluggish, recovering first day of the week. At least it’s a 4-day week!!

-Please take a few minutes to read this article/review. Although NOT horse racing specific, it is both real-life and animal centric. I literally almost started crying on the bus reading this piece. Don’t ask me why. That’s for my next blog – Ruben’s Head. Btw, here’s a link to the film’s website. Check it out and see when, where and if it’s playing in a city near you. I will be checking it out before it leaves town on the 24th - hopefully I can give you all an official review before then.

-Good move by Equibase to offer Spanish language race programs. At least SOMEONE in this industry has some good marketing people working with them.

-I’ve been reading Jane Smiley’s “A Year at the Races” for some time now. I don’t know for sure when I boughtit from the greatest book store in the nation, my receipt doesn’t have the date on it (curious, no?). The point is, I won’t give this book a bad review b/c I haven’t yet finished it. But the fact remains, at this point, I am less than thrilled with what I’ve gotten through. I will keep this on my night table and keep trying (in between “My Losing Season” and “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”) to complete the “reflections on horses, humans, love, money and luck.”

-When are the jockey’s going to properly organize and become employees of the NTRA. All tracks should be under one governing body. The tracks should be licensed and ruled by an organization that employs its superstars. If anyone thinks horses are the future of marketing racing, I believe they are sadly mistaken. When SOMEBODY finally takes the time to nurture and grow the personalities and stories that are jockeys, the sport may finally seem some of the much talked about growth. If I were commissioner, or at least a paid consultant, my FIRST act would be to demand MANDATORY English annunciation, pronunciation and articulation. What good are post race interviews when ¾ of the viewing public can’t understand what he/she is saying. This is NOT an ethnic, racial or cultural bash, it is a fact of life right now. I’m not saying every jockey needs to be fluent in English. But each (to start just the ones who regularly appear on national television) man or woman needs to be able to clearly articulate (in English) what just happened in the race; what the trainer or owner told him/her prior to the race; or what his/her dinner plans are for this evening after winning the Kentucky Derby.