Some quick thoughts...
Once again I was able to pick the winner, but show no ROI whatsoever. At some point in my life I look forward to becoming a good horse player.
Loves:
1) Kenny Mayne: Is there a better ambassador for the sport
2) Jeanine Edwards for asking Robbie Albarado is he "jumped or fell" off of Einstein. an instant classic
3) How full of crap D. Wayne is. When asked before the race if Flying First class would try and grab the early lead....his answer was pretty much no. BS at its absolute finest!
4) Curlin: for upping the level of excitement and setting the stage for hopefully an amazing summer of top-level racing
5) Calvin Borel (see #1)
6) I love the fact that I'll be at The Belmont on June 9th as a fan, with my family...even though no triple crown is on the line
The Preakness evoked such strong positive vibes for me that I decided to put on the NTRA's "Riding with Barbaro" bracelet I purchased in Kentucky, Derby weekend.
Here's the enthralling photo:
One final thought.....do we really need hank Goldberg on TV as someone who should be representing our sport? Folks like the afore mentioned Mayne and Edwards, Randy Moss, Bob Neumier, Gary Stevens, Reese Davis, Chris Fowler; these are all fully competent ambassadors who the public can relate to (at the very least). I'll even add Bob Costas to that group, although I do realize some dislike him for his spotty, "Big Day Only" appearances. But Hammerin' Hank? Does he really offer any value? I would even say that he takes away from what good "joo-joo" these broadcasters bring to the table. Most of these personalities get criticism from all sides of the ball- some deserved, some nor. On the other hand, I have NEVER, EVER heard a positive comment regarding H.G. and his TV presence.
I'm just sayin', that's all.
3 comments:
I'm going to stick up for Hank Goldberg on this one. He did not bring his "A" game this Saturday, but he is still a fixture in horse racing. "The Hammer" did not get a lot of opportunity to show why so many love him. Almost every time he spoke, he was stepped on by Kenny and Randy Moss. I will agree that he did nothing for this weekends show, but I still love seeing Hammer at the track!
Hank has a TV presence? News to me. Network TV just doesn't seem to be the place for Hank.
As a gambler, how much do you look into trainers who have a history of horses who test positive for drugging? Is it a factor when it comes to placing a bet? Just wondering when the gambling public will demand drug free or drug disclosure in order to better predict race outcomes. With the "milkshakes" these trainers are mixing up on the backstretch, win, place, show is anyones guess. Asmussen has 22 positive drug tests. He had the wrong mix for the Kentucky Derby, he just needed a little more sodium bicarbonate for the Preakness. I wonder what he will blend up for the Belmont.
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