A Visit from the Ghost of [Breeders' Cup] Christmas Past

Another day into December and I'm still the ultimate Crabby Patty. But our friends at Breeders' Cup are in the holiday spirit and they've set up shop with their 2011 Breeders' Cup Champions Collection! Additionally, they've added a little shopping incentive:

Now through Sunday December 4th, receive this beautiful Limited Edition Porcelain Christmas Ornament featuring Zenyatta & Blame.

This particular Breeders' Cup promotion raises a couple of glaring concerns such as (1) a good review of English grammar and capitalization rules is in order, and (2) Zenyatta and Blame raced in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Humbug!

December. This is usually where I begin whistling "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as I voraciously decorate the hearth and home for the yuletide season. Yet for some reason - probably because I'm still all snarky that that ne'er-do-well Court Vision defeated the great Goldikova in the BC Mile - has me feeling like a crabby ol' grinch.

And the headline in this morning's paper doesn't exactly buoy my holiday spirits,

Horse slaughter legal again in some states

Seasons' Greetings! Congress has quietly lifted a 5-year-ban on horse meat inspections which could potentially put U.S. slaughterhouses back in business.

Granted, perhaps not all horse racing fans and bettors would consider themselves animal-rights activists, however, it was a rather appalling revelation that our 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand, became basashi. And if we are going to enjoy horses as part of our "sport" or "past time" or "entertainment", we need to be responsible for their lives after racing. A slaughterhouse should not be the final destination for racehorses, even irritants like Court Vision.

As one holiday song would describe this situation, it's like "a three decker saurkraut and toadstool sandwich. With arsenic sauce!"