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It may be as well because I actually don't enjoy the suspense, the excitement, the fear... not to mention how TV commentators tend to ruin the whole experience. So It might be better all around if I don't even go down to the bar to make them turn it on for me... if... that is... any force would be needed. Everybody's nice'n ripened up for this action... even people who don't care a fig for horses.
In case you have been hiding under a rock these past weeks, jo6pac brought in the great link to help you come to the party. I'm not sure yet, but I might go hide under my mattress, keep myself from injury, until this is over.
Honestly, it'll be fine to just find out when it's all over.
The people on the other side of the pond aren't as impressed by the length of this race as we are here in Amerika. Their races are something like twice as long and usually involve a bunch of really hairy hurdles, but the Belmont is a bear for our horses over here. Getting ones who can go that distance, full out, has been all but bred out of our thoroughbreds.
We always took our mares down to Solvang to breed them to Jack Dempsey's stallions. He was famous for his distance horses. We were breeding, back when Jack was still with us, for the perfect combination of speed and endurance. It isn't something most breeders here are concerned with. It's mostly just going for fast, fast, fast, and if they can't get to the wire, well, we'll just move the wire a little closer....
So. I'm either here or running off to a TV somewhere, but... I'm probably here.
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1:55pm PDT
May as well mention it now. Look at the image up there. Pinched nostrils. His sire had "breathing problems". Junior has breathing problems. The airway is small and needs to be held open with the strips for him to do his thing without blowing up his heart. This isn't a good trait for everyone to be scrambling to breed to. Still, yes, we have the strips and so it's not going to hurt him or any of his get who use them, but... these are the kinds of things that drive me crazy.
One seriously great thing about my mother, who thinks I'm nuts, and who has no horse sense, is that she has never risked a horse's health, or the breed's best interest, no matter how much profit might've been on the other end of it. It's terrifying how people's morals start to slide when this kind of dough might be riding on it, and, of course, even though the Jockey Club has rules that all but prohibit that shit in any way, shape or form, there are people who still do "cheat" whatever way they can get away with and most of the time, but not all of the time, that still sucks... planets....
I know for certain Art isn't one of them.
I want this for him as much as I do all California Breeders. I hope Jack is up there beaming. I hope, I hope, I hope, nothing goes wrong.
No blown gaskets. No falls. No interference. Just plain perfect race please.
I'm totally fine with not watching it live. I saw Secretariat live and that is more than enough for any lifetime.
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GOD BLESS OLD UNCLE DAVE....
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GOD BLESS JO6PAC...!
Looks like NBC decided to have pity on us. They just showed the owners up in the stands, already blubbering as hard as I am. I'm trying to concentrate on my big fancy ass healthy salad I just made for my self, but I'm already too shaky to get it in my mouth in even a remotely ladylike way.
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3:42pm PDT
The horses are on the track.
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DAMMIT!
I was hoping if I didn't mention his complete lack of floatiness on the way into the gate, I wouldn't jinx him, but, didn't help a jot. You could see he wasn't planning on making it before he got in the gate.
And Tonalist was the only one who was floaty going in... with his tongue wagging....
DAMMIT!
