Dear
Readers’
Looking through Friday’s card was
hard enough, as you know I didn’t post the last race until around ten o’clock
last night. Of course I kept getting interrupted by the cutest bunch of ghouls
and goblins, and this was much to Nigel’s delight. As you know Nigel’s a rescued retired
greyhound. He’s big, over eighty-five pounds, and he is an
excellent burglar deterrent, that is unless the burglars are two and half feet
tall. Nigel loves kids. He will drag me across the street in front of traffic
to get a pat from a child.
At one point I opened the door to
what looked like an entire pre-school class. There must have been ten of them.
When they spotted Nigel, they swarmed the open door. Dropping their candy
buckets, they surrounded Nigel. I had lost all control and frankly I was a little
worried about all those kids on face level with a dog who has a mouthful of
sharp teeth. No matter how gentle the dog, trust kills.
I was trying to regain control in my
entry way while waiting for the parents to step up and retrieve their darlings. Nigel
was in heaven, he watched them all walk away with a yearning that was obvious.
After that incident, despite Nigel’s gentle response, I put him in the backyard
for the remainder of the evening’s trick-or-treaters.
So here I am, trying to resist the
remains of last night’s candy, and looking at nine fields of amazingly talented
horses. Frankly I’m unsure I can get through the entire card in the manner in
which I approached it yesterday. So I will start with those races I’m the most interested
in.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Division
1
Artemis
Agrotera – This filly that looked like a world beater in
her first race, came back and appeared composed and well within herself winning
the Frizette Stakes. Beating an unlucky Sweet Reason.
2
Rosalind
– Beaten
by another good filly in the Darley Alcibiades, My Conquestadory. She was
running green and lugging in down the lane; she should improve off that race.
3
Designer
Legs – nice filly, but not one I would pick in this race.
4
Secret
Compass – This should be very interesting to see this filly and She’s
A Tiger hook up again.
5
Ria
Antonia – Not one I could support in this race.
6
Concave
– She’s
got speed, but can stalk. She will keep them honest.
7
Untapable
– In
the G3 Pocahontas this filly fought her rider, and showed very little interest
in running down the leaders in the stretch. Her jockey really earned her
paycheck. And yet she won. She might not have liked the dirt in her face and
she certainly needs more seasoning. She might win today, but I can’t pick her
off the Pocahontas win. Not when you have horses that show they really want to
win.
8
Scandalous
Act – Oh my, this filly does like the front end. Granted she’s
been running against easier company, but she’s going to make the other front
runners hump up to take the lead away from her. If they don’t she could get
real brave on the front end. Who knows—definitely
in with a chance.
9
Sweet
Reason – This filly got left so badly in the Frizette, and then
swerved so sharply that she looked like she was out of the race completely. But
oh no, she wanted to win and she almost got to the winner in the late stages.
She could easily win this race.
10
She’s A
Tiger – You have to respect this filly, and you have to admire her
style. After all who doesn’t love a front runner who hangs on so tenaciously?
But with the speed in this race, I think she could very well get caught, if she
even makes the lead at all.
So who
would I put $2.00 on?
1
Sweet
Reason
2
Artemis
Agrotera
3
Concave
Would love to see Jeff Bondes’
horse, She’s A Tiger, win. And she might, I hope so.
Take care,
Shelley Riley
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