Howdy everyone. Sorry I've been remiss. I'm still pinching myself over Giant Oak's massive run in the Donn. He got by that wall of horses and there was no horse in front to sidle up to, so he hit the wire. And he looked majestic doing so. Unfortunately, my watercolor is apropos of nothing other than my fascination lately with watching Goldikova races. The Queen Anne is really something. How did Paco Boy not win that race? He had all the momentum; you see it over and over in races that last part of the stretch run where the race seems inevitable. Somehow the mare found a way to pause the time-space continuum for everyone but her. Her head so low. After the race the groom is waiting for her with pinched lips ready to kiss and she throws her head wanting nothing to do with his mortal adulation.

Anyway, Triple Crown season is heating up. We've already lost two promising colts -- Tapizar and Boys of Toscanova. So, do you still wanna buy that Uncle Mo future at 3-1? Dear God I hope not. Dialed In has given us the most exciting performance, falling out of the Holy Bull then slingshotting back in. The frenchman in the Irons is finally showing some aplomb with a congratulary tap along the flank. If you ever have trouble spotting a changed lead, watch the Holy Bull for what was one of the starkest changes I've seen.

This weekend is the Rising Star. Machen, Rogue Romance and Santiva all meet for this. Machen seems to be a lot like Dialed In. Green but ridiculously game. It should be fun to watch. One of the biggest debuts I'm looking forward to is To Honor and Serve. I don't know if my dubiousness is warranted. He's had everything his way so far. He's in most people's top 3, and I predict a precipitous drop.

Hawthorne is back up. They race Friday and Saturday only, which is ok by me. Do we really need four or five days of racing in February? I wouldn't mind it in April, and speaking of the cruelest month. The Illinois Derby has slashed its purse in half. This is gonna be a silly race most likely, but you never know. It's not like many were using it when it was half a mil. Wish I knew why. The continual purse reductions are pervasive in Illinois, bringing the slots argument to the fore. I hate slots, and I'd love it if they could get past it. Even if it meant less racing. But the economic realities are stark and we need to keep people breeding in Illinois. There's no easy answer. I'll keep an open mind. Wish we could snag that money in escrow that the boats promised IL racing, but lets face it the type of operations that run slots cannot be trusted in any way. They're scum.