Catching Up
The cable installer arrived an hour late yesterday afternoon, but my annoyance disappeared with the realization that this was the man who was going to restore the Internet to me. Sweet, sweet Internet! It’s been an excruciating week without the web. The only way I’ve been able to get online is to visit my new local public library, which actually has a good wireless network, but less-than-ideal space for working long stretches, and as a result I’ve missed much news, such as the entire lead up to the Belmont Stakes. Although, through old media, I’ve been able to keep up with the basics — no Oratory, no Scrappy T; Nick Zito is entering three; Afleet Alex is the 6-5 favorite. Unfortunately, yesterday’s cable installation didn’t go smoothly, and it’ll be a few more days before everything is set right. By next week, I should have reliable web once more, and TVG.
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I’ll be in New York on Saturday afternoon, and couldn’t be more excited about the Belmont Stakes or the Belmont undercard. Afleet Alex is the deserving favorite in the Belmont, but there’s a lot of other talent entered — Andromeda’s Hero, Reverberate, Giacomo — and there’s sure to be a surprise or two in this, the last leg of a surprise-filled Triple Crown series. As for the undercard, Lost in the Fog will try to extend his unbeaten streak to seven in the Riva Ridge Stakes, and Funny Cide will start in the Brooklyn Handicap along with Evening Attire and Gygistar. That’ll be some good racing.
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A couple of Suffolk notes: Saturday is Rudy Baez Day at Suffolk Downs. The former jockey, one of New England’s best, was paralyzed in 1999 at Rockingham Park. He’ll be honored with the Rudy Baez Stakes and with the presentation of an award from Challenge Unlimited, an organization dedicated to using horses to help children with disabilities. The $50,000 Rudy Baez Stakes is the first of four reinstated open stakes races this year. The others are the Old Ironsides on June 18, the My Fair Lady on August 13, and the Topsider on August 27 … The turf course finally opened with the fifth race on Tuesday, an uneventful claiming $8000 race for fillies and mares, which was won by Shehaz Pazzaz, a 10-year-old mare who won over the Suffolk turf course twice last year.
