Thursday, January 18, 2007

Let's Play the 'Same Game'!

In case you are new to this blog (and if you are actually reading this, you are not) I have a daughter, Alice, who is in pre-school. And what is even more surprising, is that a pre-schooler is a great muse for a horse racing blog.

At my daughter's pre-school, they participate in a game called The Same Game. The whole object of the game (on a 4 and/or 5-year-old level) is to identify two of three listed objects as being the same and/or similar.

Here's an example:
    Sky
    Sea
    Sun


Sky and Sea would be the same because they are blue. The Sun is yellow (or orange, whatever the pre-school of choice is using). Ergo, sky and sea are the correct answer.

I thought to myself, "What a great game! I think I will steal that idea for a blog!"

Soooooo .... here we go!

Question 1. Which two items listed below are the same and/or alike?
    Edgar Prado
    Javier Castellano
    Lee Trevino


If you said Edgar Prado and Javier Castellano you would be correct because they are both jockeys and we all know that Lee Trevino is the Speaker of the House.

Question 2. Which of these are alike?
    Katie
    Jenna
    David Grening


Okay. This is a no-brainer. Although all three are established handicappers, we all know that Katie and Jenna are the sexy Beulah Twins. Although David Grening is known to be "sexy" in many a handicapping circle, he is clearly not "the same" as either Katie or Jenna.

Next question. Which of is these are alike?
    Steve Asmussen
    Graham Motion
    Todd Pletcher


This question is a little tricky. They are all trainers. Yet on New Year's Day only Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher were swilling beers as they watched the bowl games on New Year's Day because they were both suspended for doping violations. Thus the correct answer is Asmussen and Pletcher.

Final question of the Same Game. Below are three quotes. Two of them pertain to the 2007 Triple Crown. Which two quotes are the same and/or similar?


A year ago today, Barbaro never had raced on dirt, Bernardini never had seen the inside of a winner's circle, and Jazil had kept company with nothing but maidens. [Gary West, Star-Telegram, January 14, 2007]


At this time last year, Barbaro, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), had never run on dirt, Preakness (gr. I) winner Bernardini was still a maiden, Belmont (gr. I) winner Jazil had won only a maiden race ... [Steve Haskin, Bloodhorse, January 16, 2007]


Stephen Dedalus, displeased and sleepy, leaned his arms on the top of the staircase and looked coldly at the shaking gurgling face that blessed him, equine in its length, and at the light untonsured hair, grained and hued like pale oak. [James Joyce, Ulysses, 1922]


Submit your answers accordingly. Bonus points will be distributed for original content and ideas.

Thanks for playing the Same Game!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sue,

Are you trying to suggest Joyce is a better writer. Ok, I agree with you. -- West