There way a time when I would pick up on such things. 2001 BC at Belmont, the poster child for dead rails (dirt).

I forget the year, but watched with attentiveness the dead rail at Turfway Park in the KY Cup series about a month before the BC.

Horses were dying on the rail all day. By the time the feature came up it was pretty obvious. DWL had Cat Thief entered, and he had an inside post. Some CA speedball kept him pinned in for the first part, and when Da Devil came rolling by at big odds it was sweet. Of course the Devil was nowhere in the BC.

Meanwhile Cat Thief was dismissed at Gulfstream come BC time. This small player put in many tickets using the Barry Meadow approach, singling the Cat on every one.


I didn't make it that far in my tickets. By the time the Classic came, I was down to seeds and stems. A major malfunction.

You would think a player would learn. Hard lessons.