Tuesday, October 19, 2010

October Occupato

Horse racing?!? Breeders' Cup?!? Kind of forgot about that stuff.

Needless to say, my usual October dalliance with impending Breeders' Cup hoopla has been momentarily voided. My time and attention is currently occupied on an unusual anomaly: Texas Rangers playing baseball in October.

Notably, this distraction has wreaked havoc somewhat in my Horse Racing World; it is a sport and/or hobby that requires constant attention and observation, otherwise I'm completely discombobulated.

There are racing stars that are a given: Zenyatta, Blame, Quality Road, Looking At Lucky. But recent Breeders' Cup chatter brings up other names that, as a fan, I should recognize and get a thrill: Harmonious, Joshua Tree, Espoir City. Who??? If I didn't take a brief moment or two this morning to read Steve Haskin or other some other turf writer, I would've have thought they were a trio of artists that played at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Although I may be [temporarily] clueless is not the point. The issue is that to really know and love and appreciate and get really really excited about the impending Breeders' Cup, it requires serious homework and devotion by racing fans. If I'm already feeling somewhat uninformed of the star-power featured in this year's Breeders' Cup, how does the occasional fan and horseplayer feel? Will they care that this is a championship? Or will it be just a really good betting opportunity? And maybe, just maybe, this could be an example of some of the troubles that is plaguing the industry? I mean, it takes some effort to keep up with all the players, and a lot of us lazy slugs just don't wanna do it ... or we're distracted by other things.

Well, I best get crackin' on Who's Who in the Breeders' Cup or else I'll have to rely solely on the Magic Beer Bottle.

And by the way, whatever happened to Rachel Alexandra?? (Just kidding ... I'm not that clueless!)

4 comments:

The_Knight_Sky said...

Quite frankly, I'm tired of The Yankees winning. Go Rangers!

This coming from a former Yankee fan of the 70's (but originally a Mets fan).

Now easy on those sunflower seeds. :P

Valerie Grash said...

Go Rangers! Another impressive win tonight.

Please bring out the Magic Beer Bottle!! :-)

Amateurcapper said...

This just in, RANGERS 10 - YANKEES 4!

I agree about the "can't tell the players without a scorecard" the Breeders' Cup challenges us with.

What about the Turf Sprint, where CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE and BRIDGETOWN jumped off form in their latest runs?

The Filly & Mare Sprint looks wide open with synthetic preps outnumbering dirt preps. Maybe CHAMPAGNE D'ORO will give sire MEDAGLIA D'ORO a Breeders' Cup winner in 2010 with RACHEL being let down for her second career.

Enjoy the studying!

Appleby's Traveler said...

Pigs seen flying over Arlington!