Haskell Day in the Mornin

here is the card for the Haskell.....back shortly with the Gato selection show.


Race 12 - 5:43 PM Win, Place and Show Exacta, Trifecta and 10-Cent Superfecta Daily Double (Races 12-13)/Pick 3 (Races 12-13-14)
STAKES Haskell Invitational S. (Grade I)

Purse $1,000,000. For Three-Year-Olds. By invitation only, with no nomination, entry, or starting fees. The winning owner to receive $600,000, $200,000 to second, $100,000 to third, $60,000 to fourth, $30,000 to fifth and $10,000 paid from sixth through last. Weight : 122 Lbs. Non-winners of a Triple Crown race allowed 2 Lbs.; Non-winners of a Grade I Stake at a mile or over in 2011, 4 Lbs. The owner and trainer of any Triple Crown race victor which starts in the Haskell receives a $25,000 bonus per Triple Crown race victory. The owner of the winner to receive a trophy. One And One Eighth Miles.
P# PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1 Coil (FL) 3/C L M Garcia 118 B Baffert 3/1
2 2 Joe Vann (KY) 3/C L J Bravo 118 T A Pletcher 15/1
3 3 Pants On Fire (KY) 3/C L E Trujillo 118 K J Breen 4/1
4 4 Concealed Identity (MD) 3/G L C P DeCarlo 118 E D Gaudet 12/1
5 5 Shackleford (KY) 3/C L J L Castanon 122 D L Romans 5/2
6 6 Ruler On Ice (KY) 3/G L J Valdivia, Jr. 122 K J Breen 4/1
7 7 J J's Lucky Train (KY) 3/C L P Lopez 118 W D Anderson 20/1
8 8 Astrology (KY) 3/C L J R Leparoux 118 S M Asmussen 9/2

it never gets old

a grand ol time at the Garden State Arts Center Sunday Nite:

I: Here Comes Sunshine, Jack Straw, Bertha, Ashes and Glass, Tennessee Jed, Cumberland Blues, Alabama Getaway, Feel Like a Stranger
II: The Wheel, Samson and Delilah, Eyes of the World, All Along the Watchtower, Lady with a Fan > Terrapin > At a Siding > Terrapin Flyer, Unbroken Chain, We Love You, Throwing Stones
E: Touch of Grey

the Dead Live

tonight anyways.....Bobby Ace and Fightin Phil Lesh invade the Garden State Arts Center....full review will appear here manyana.....

we still have HOPE.

in an otherwise dark world, there is now HOPE. Americans desperately searching for something to raise spirits may have HOPE. this fall, if the stars align and we catch a break or two we may get HOPE. Yes, the light st the end of the tunell is HOPE. set yout tivo's and DVR's this winter to catch HOPE. HOPE SOLO is rumored to be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars this fall....Finnally a reason to watch TV.....they don't call it the BOOB Tube for nothin.......keep yer fingers that she accepts.

No Room at the Inn

oiy vey....not that i have any intention of being in Manhattan on September 11th or of visiting the Memorial anytime soon, but isn't nice to know that if i had a yearning to visit on the tenth anniversay, if for theraputic reasons any one of the "survivors" wanted to return to the site and pay respects to a fallen friend, comrade, co-worker at the memorial, the answer is a resounding "FUCK YOU"......nice country....never forget, never forget...

9/11 Memorial snubs survivors
By JENNIFER FERMINO

Last Updated: 7:49 AM, July 14, 2011

Posted: 1:19 AM, July 14, 2011


Survivors who fled the burning Twin Towers are not invited to the 10th-anniversary remembrance of the terror attacks because there's no room at the new 9/11 Memorial, it was announced yesterday.

Members of the WTC Survivors' Network -- who had attended the somber services at Ground Zero every year -- asked to be invited to the observance at the memorial but were turned down.

"Space constraints on the memorial plaza will limit the attendees to victims' families," a spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg said. "But they can of course write a check if they wish to contribute to the memorial or have some hot Chocolate and enjoy Central park" , "it's a snow day people, enjoy it".

don't believe it

espn and all the rest would have you believe the Mets beats the Phillies and the Yankees triumphed over Toranta.....but not so......last night under the bright lights of the storied Yankee Stadium the two NY teams locked horns in a battle for the ages....and this instant classic was viewed by BOTH Craig Pazareckis....

a view from afar

a not so up close and personal look at the ever changing skyline of lower manhattan as seen from the banks of the Hudson River, Jersey City side....as Jerry Garcia would describe, "The spiral Light of Venus, Risin first and shinin best".

L.O.S.T.

here we go agin with this L.O.S.T. treaty......3 years ago i blogged about Jackass Bush wanting to ratify this bullshit treaty and now team spoonjiah ans purple heart kerry want to do the same....this is white flag of surrender....this is giving up our greatest strength.....nobody on the planet can even dream of engaging our NAVY.....why are we such self loathsome defeatist.....if you hate yourself and your country and you desperately want others to like you, then go kill your fucking self, but don't take the rest of us with ya.

Take the boys and surround the house

so i wake from a post golf nap at 3:00 and as i am preparing burgers for a bar-b-q it strikes me that I havent had a beer all day....this is the latest in the day I have gone in over 2 weeks, but just as i am about to pat myself on the back ....i recall that after golf we want to Clancy's of Neptune and i did in fact wash down 5 or 6 Cold Ones with my Eggs n Corn Beef Hash....oh well better luck next time

end of an era (parseghian)

so i am sittin in the Heidelberg Tavern, swashin down a mug of Radderberger in the tiny enclave of new jersey known as the mile squared, and word begins to spread like a cancerous wildfire that the legendary CHAR House we lovingly call Arthurs Tavern was on life support....not expected to live to see the fireworks on the 4th....THIS CANT BE....and so without a moment to spare, save 2 more reddebergers and a quick stop with the nazi in the 8th street Tavern we hightailed it over to Arthurs for the wake....one last delicous serving of Shrimp, Garlic Bread, Hot Peppers , Cole Slaw and SCHTEAK ! ! ! if this grand old dame shutters her doors this weekend, the world will be a sadder place.......happy to be there one last time, wishing only we had time to do her justice, but for the record, the final attendance was higgins, hoffman, molloy, O'Dowd and Pazarecki.......sleep easy baby, theres nothin worth stealin in here (B.Dylan)

Run for Ryan

i strongly recommend the RuN for Ryan......a 6year old boy that suffered from heart disease his entire short life and passed away, his Dad announced today that next year will be the LAST run for Ryan..... ...its a tough 5K through Horse country in Middletwon/Highlands....and afterwards you get to drink beer with real live horsies....he wanted my Hakell hat and a sip of my beer, I gave him nothing ...i recoginized him from Monmouth Park where i lost a mortgage payment on his sorry tail.

vote NO aug 1st

Enough is enough already……now comes word that the Pharmacy Killer proposed to his fiance on the jumbotron at an islander game….this Team must be forced to leave the Tris-state area before more inoocent people are killed.

hwllo darkness my old friend

as Paul Simon would concur, things have been very quiet around headquarters lately....august humidity has found us in mid june and with the stanley cup finals now in the rear view window and our good friend anthony weiner searching for a job, well we just dont have much to say ....

belmont

the pick is Master of Hounds and Stay Thirsty closes out the Exacta....

for the record

last nights OT goal was NOT the fastest in NHL Finals History, that honor belongs to Brian Skrudland for the Canadiens in game 2 of the 1986 finals at Calgary.

the day the winds of change did shift

ah poor Jim Tressel....he was riding high for a long time ..and i hated him and THE Ohio State University.....and then came labor Day weekend 2009....and they hosted NAVY...a game I was supposed to be at inside the bIG HOrshoe of Colombus Ohio ( except eggrollvika backed out at tyhe last minute.......NAVY gave em a run for the money, but that's not the story......

The story is that Coach Tressel ....for the first and only time in Ohios State History...allowed the visiting team to take the field simultaneously with the Buckeyes.....and Ohio State players carried American Flags to honot their visitors........

That is when i turned my hatred into admiration, and thus became both a Tressel and a Buckeye fan ...kinda........I rooted for them against Maze N Blue and most of the other Little Ten schools ( Never against Penn St, The Illini or NWestern...)

and that is the only explanation for why a Coach who could do NO WRONG in Columbus, had to resign the other day......the Tomcat Curse......if I like you or root for you or stop hatin ya........yer doomed...

nobody sleeps like Gravey

in Observance

"...gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime....let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan." --General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868

Matteau Matteau

Matteau Matteau

It was the Friday Night of Memorial day weekend, the City was electric and pensive, nerves were on end. I was scared out of my boots as I rode the subway up to Mustang Sallys, our traditional pregame watering hole in the spring of 1994…….I couldn't even eat…..just stood by the door with Donn and Craig , washing down Budweiser beer like it was going out of style...Penn station was abuzz with Commuters getting away for the weekend, upstairs in the Worlds Most famous Arena the Broadway Blueshirts were about to take the ice for a critical game 7 of the Eastern Conf Finals against the hated NJ devils……..I settled into my seat in section 419, row f , put two full buckets of said Budweiser under my aisle seat, rose for Mr Ammorante and the singing of our National Anthem…..and I remember thinking to myself, for the rest of my life, whatever happens tonight, will come flooding back to me every Friday of Memorial Day weekend …..they have to win……….first period was a scoreless draw…..more Budweiser beer…….getting more nervous as the night wears on, which of course leads to faster drinking…….out to the rotunda between periods……staring at the Post office…….please God……..midway through the deuce…….Brian leetch skates in from the circle……broduer defending 7th ave…….Leetchie pulls a spin-o-rama----lets go with a bullet….the light goes on……….the Garden erupts……YES !!!!!................the period ends…….more beer….back to the rotunda……20 minutes from the finals…..the City knows it…….people are now gathering on the Post Office stairs across the street…….people without tickets are coming to the garden area to share in the celebration….I had chills on my neck……ran into Kenny Coco…….the last thing he says to me is that when we hold on to win 1-0 , Richter will tie the record for most shutouts in the postseason……..Richter……The Rock of Gibraltar….he was going to single-handedly win this thing…….very nervous to start the 3rd period…..it only gets worse….every shift….every dump in…..every whistle…..the crowd is bezerk……watching the clock….praying for an insurance goal…….10 minutes……..8 minutes…..5 minutes……we are soo close……..2 minutes……the place is on its feet……..can't hear the whistle….can't hear yourself think……high fives all around……"THIS IS THE LAST MINUTE TO PLAY IN THE PERIOD"…….BEDLAM……….goosebumps….chills…..sweating……nervous………30 seconds………broduer to the bench……they dump in…..one last push…….i'm squinting toward the 7th ave net from my 8th avenue seats……..10 seconds……loose puck…mad scramble…..cant follow the puck……the devils are jumping up and down….why?....the light is on….7 seconds….tie game……..

It was like being kicked in the stomach……..stunned silence………I left my seat and walked to the rotunda before they had the faceoff……..stood starring at the post office………TV Crews with live reporters waiting on 8th ave for the delighted faithful to exit the building…..word spreads that they tied the game….the lights for the cameras start getting turned off…..we are going to OT……..a sad sickness and eerie silence hovers in the building……we are never going to win this damn cup….


Me , Donn and Craig barely said a word to each other during intermission……it was like Clavins up there……somebody must have died……we retook our seats…..I could not concentrate…..the first ot was a blur……..I watched the red light behind richter fully expecting to see it go on…….everytime they came into our zone I was sure the game would end……….midway through the period , the faithful woke up………Lets Go Rangers was back……we were exhausted and angry…….but we could not score…….back to the rotunda…..back to the window….

Back to our seats…….double OT …….wornout….feel like I went 10 rounds with Tyson….not sure how much more of this I can take……Devils are shooting at 7th ave…….blushirts are attacking our 8th ave net…..we get a chance, they get a chance…..back and forth and back and forth……3 minutes in.. the puck dances through our crease….it's going in ……..out of nowhere comes leetch……he swats it away…it hits a devil and is heading back towards the empty net….where is richter?.......still not sure what happened….to this day I think it hit the post….somehow the light did not go on……somehow the puck did not go in…I can't take this………..we dump in….they dump out….BUT NO …..we keep in and redirect around the net……not sure who is chasing the puck, watching Tikanen sneak in from the point for a pass……someone is emerging from the boards behind the net with the puck….a devil is hounding him……pass it to TIK……..NO…..he attempts to stuff it in ……YES !!!!!!!!...

MATTEAU MATTEAU………..STEPHANE MATTEAU…………..and the Rangers have one more hill to climb and it's Mount Vancouver……the Rangers are going to the finals………..the rest is beautiful history……..

As for me……we stayed and watched the trophy presentation…….the Garden was electric again….like New years eve……back to Mustang Sally's….Met Kevo there....a cab home…..cars honking horns on the Brooklyn Bridge…….went to PJ's Pub……was still there at 4:00 a.m. ……….people walking up and down 5th ave with beers, stopping traffic…..it was crazy………..

NOPE…..I will never ever allow the Friday of memorial day weekend to pass without reflection on that night….

Fleet Week

let the drinking begin....