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Blinkers Off Archive

Blinkers Off – Saturday

Special Railbird correspondent Blinkers Off checks in from the backstretch. Today at Churchill …
Walk past the throng of hawkers every single step at Churchill Downs and, lo and behold, who do we happen on in the lobby on the Gate 1 entry? John Hennegan waving copies of “The First Saturday In May” like a guy selling programs at Shea Stadium. It made you wonder if Francis Ford Coppola ever stood in a lobby with a clutch of DVDs shouting, “Godfather! Get your Godfather!”
One of the highlights of the week in Louisville was lucking into Manny Ehrlich — “Manny the Magician” — at Ramsi’s Cafe on Bardstown Road late Friday night after the Oaks. Looking like a slimmed-down Colonel Sanders, Ehrlich, 82, came up behind us at the bar, opened his wallet and it burst into flames. At first, he just seemed to be a crackpot in town for the Derby, but if you brought him to your table, he’d perform some super sleight of hand tricks with cards and coins. He kept reminding us he could use a little token of appreciation for “my wife’s operation.” Turns out Manny is from the Bronx and performed as “Manfred the Magician” there in the 1930s.
No other news to report, as Blinkers Off put his blinkers on and slept in Saturday morning, but here are his Derby picks:
$1 exacta box: Cowboy Cal-Gayego-Colonel John-Denis of Cork.
Feel free to send me a token of your appreciation via the Railbird …

Posted in Blinkers Off, Racing on May 3, 2008 / Tagged Kentucky Derby

Blinkers Off – Friday

Special Railbird correspondent Blinkers Off checks in from the backstretch. Today at Churchill …
Intrigue was bound to raise its ugly head as word began to get around, reportedly via Kent Desormeaux’s agent, that Paulo Lobo had taken Gayego out early Thursday morning onto the pavement, the assumption being that any foot problems would show up on the hard surface. Gayego did not go to the track Thursday morning, heightening speculation something was wrong. Lobo insisted that he planned on giving Gayego the day off all along. Friday morning, Gayego was out at 6:15 and jogged a mile then galloped a mile and a quarter.
Lobo looked very happy with a big table near the stage Thursday night at the media party and when asked about the morning exam said it never happened. As of this writing, Gayego is a whopping 27-1.
Speaking of the media party at the Galt House, more shrimp gave their lives for the enjoyment of others than I have ever seen in all my partygoing days. The great inequity of this event is that the tables are reserved and none for the guests of honor, who mill about desperately looking for a little breathing space to enjoy the free cocktails. This party never has the “pop” it should have and Thursday night there was a real paucity of starpower. When the kitchy band launched into the one-two punch of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and “Hey Mickey,” it was time to go back to the hotel.
Security on Oaks Day is brutal. Police are everywhere and suddenly the gate you went into all week is completely off limits. I was carrying a pocket-sized umbrella in preparation for the tornado warnings in effect and a giant officer told me I could not bring it in. Nevermind, they sell umbrellas in the gift shop. I stuffed it in a pocket and sailed through another gate.
The great Kentucky Derby weekend tradition continues at Churchill Downs: The sale of lobster sandwiches.
A little birdie whispered Pyro has “chips.” You read it here first.

Posted in Blinkers Off, Racing on May 2, 2008 / Tagged Kentucky Derby

Blinkers Off – Thursday

Special Railbird correspondent Blinkers Off checks in from the backstretch. Today at Churchill …
So, the horsemen think they’re getting a bad deal from Churchill Downs with the splits on the advanced-deposit wagering sites like Twinspires.com? How about the track’s employees who are being told to park off-site this week at the University of Louisville football stadium and then pay $10 for shuttle bus service to their own jobs?
As everyone tuned in knows, Big Brown blew out this morning, three furlongs in :35 2/5, and he looked like he was doing his best to back up every bragging word out of Richard Dutrow’s mouth. When exercise rider Michelle Nevin took him out to the track, a swarm followed, some breaking into a full run to keep up.
“It was worse when Arazi was here,” one reporter said. “Like a combination of the pope and Elvis.”
“This makes you thank God you weren’t in the Beatles,” a reporter said to Jerry Bailey.
Leroy Neiman, the, um, artist, could be seen winging around the backstretch this morning in the passenger seat of a golf cart. They used his mustache as a directional signal.
Now I know why the whiskey is called Early Times … they were pouring it in abundance to a long line of people next to the backstretch media center at 8:00 a.m.
Nevin on Big Brown: “He lengthens out but you really don’t feel like you’re flying … You don’t feel like you have to get down and work.”
Mike Iavarone, head of IEAH, owner of Big Brown, admitted they would have preferred the No. 15 hole, the first slot in the auxilliary gate, for the spacing it provides between horses.
Things were nice and kicked back at Eoin Harty’s barn in contrast to the yellow police tape criss-crossing the Dutrow zone. WinStar honcho Bill Casner talked with a stable hand bathing a horse and trainer Eoin Harty entertained a lot of folks wearing Tiznow hats.
Casner is a big fan of synthetic tracks and sees it as the future. Asked if Churchill will some day switch to an artificial surface, he said, “I hope it happens.”

Posted in Blinkers Off, Racing on May 1, 2008 / Tagged Kentucky Derby

Blinkers Off – Wednesday

Special Railbird correspondent Blinkers Off checks in from the backstretch. Today at Churchill …
Graham Motion, a great guy but not exactly a human quote machine, has one good line this week for reporters about Adriano and he’s sticking to it: “I must be the only trainer in the world with an A.P. Indy that can’t run on dirt.”…
Speaking of one-liners, Henny Youngman used to have a good one about racing. “I once bet on a horse that was so slow, I saw him turn around and say to the jockey, ‘Whaddya hittin’ me for, there’s nobody behind us.” …
Todd Pletcher missed the trainer’s dinner Tuesday night with either strep throat or a flu bug, depending on who you talk to. He arrived at his Churchill Downs barn this morning, however, looking razor sharp as always, moments after Monba and Cowboy Cal danced off the van from Keeneland and into the barn. After a brief photo shoot worthy of Ashlee Simpson, Pletcher was surrounded by a media swarm more interested in his take on Polytrack than his 1-2 finishers in the Blue Grass Stakes. After 10 minutes of this, one late-comer walked up and asked, “Todd, what do you make of Polytrack?” He snickered, but patiently repeated everything he had just said. His PR flak made a slicing motion with her hand across her throat — a gang signal someone is about to get killed — and Pletcher turned and walked away.
“Are you sick, Todd?” a reporter called out.
“Yes.”
“Did you just give it to all of us?”
“I hope so.” …
A lot of people are talking to Richard Dutrow this week like he’s a cheater. To his credit, Dutrow just calls everyone “babe” and recommends they “bet out” on Big Brown.
“Who wants to cheat and win the Derby? That’s not us,” he said …
There’s a lot of talk about whether Colonel John can transfer his Santa Anita form to a dirt track. Trainer Eoin Harty says no problem, but he also says, “As long as it’s not a wet track.” Rain is called for Friday and Saturday.

Posted in Blinkers Off, Racing on April 30, 2008 / Tagged Kentucky Derby