... trying to clear up the desk at Living Room Downs, coming across some notes
from Friday, August 21, the day before the Alabama. This was a day that I
decided to head upstate while riding the elevator downstairs after a night of
work. No hotel reservation, no change of clothes. A Saturday card I was not
fond of, so there was about a 95% chance, barring some kind of wild score, that
this would be what they call in the horse van business "race and return".

Gas and tolls for the 9 hour round trip (includes two hour recovery nap) =
approx $85; NYRA vig parking and admission = $17. That's a quick $100 before
cashing a single bet...

... which the records show that I did not. Hopefully the days notes will yield
a winning result somewhere down the trail.

Since none of the T-generates in residence were in attendance on this day, and
the T-generate ritual grounds seemed to have been leased by Uncle Bill to a
friendly pack of Kentuckians, I headed upstairs and hung out with my friend
Scotty, who I have known from the racetrack since 1981 and who has worked as a
Vet's assistant in Florida for the last 15 years; every third year or so he has
the opportunity to work the entire Saratoga meet.

I always jokingly ask Scotty questions about trainers and horses he is involved
in the treatment of, questions I know he can not and will not answer. On this
day my question involved the 7YO Bug Juice, currently trained by Patricia
Farro. My question was if Scotty thought it odd that Bug Juice ran a lifetime
top (more pronounced on Beyer than TG) as a 6YO one week after being claimed by
Steve Klesaris. Scotty gave the usual shrug of the shoulders.The point here is
that at that advanced age and with so little time in the new barn a lot of the
"good horse husbandry" move up techniques are likely not a factor.

The feature race on that Friday was the Schenectady, a 5-1/2 furlong turfer for
2YOs named for the town that once lit and hauled the world. My memory is that
there were two early scratches and two gate scratches, leaving a field of four.
The winner was the NY bred Too Discreet, a full brother to Grade 1 quality NY
bred Discreet Marq. This colt broke with the leaders, ended up checking fairly
severely and ultimately blew past the dueling leaders while taking a funny
step. This fella still has lessons to learn -- he was not comfortable with the
assistant starters -- and really should have a bright future.

Can we cash a bet? Hopefully Chris Clement will give this 2/2 colt a chance to
run with open company at the top of his class, much as his sister did, and
probably most trainers (probably not Clement) would be curious to see if this
guy can perform on dirt.You see, they have this series of dirt races for 3YOs
in the Spring...

On to the final race of the day.Soon after passing through the gate I ran into
Bad Luck Benny, who keeps telling me -- half jokingly I guess -- that he wants
to become the world's best known Latino (do not call him Hispanic) steeplechase
rider. Benny grabbed my program and told me "We got a banker (final leg single)
in the late P4 today." Benny pointed out the #5, Marking, a 3YO Godolphin/KMac
first time starter by Bernardini out of Seventh Street (the dam won the Go For
Wand at the Spa and the Apple Blossom). I took my pen and crossed out "5-1" in
the program and wrote "4/5"

"What are you doing?" Benny asked.

"Benny I've been on the grounds about 10 minutes and you're the third guy whose
told me about this colt, how he's the best working horse in KMac's barn, blah
blah blah "

So of course we wait the whole day for the day's world's fastest horse and
Marking, who Maggie offered "looks fast", is unruly in the gate and is
scratched while 4/5.

Marking. Godolphin. He was hyped. He was bet. Keep an eye out for him.

Of the colts who actually ran in that race, if you are a trip guy or visual
handicapper, take a look at the second place finisher, Bokeelia Island, who
missed it all by a neck or so after trailing the field to the quarter pole and
not running necessarily straight through the lane. Do not know how this stretch
run translates in terms of fractions and final time, but to my naked eye this
was a Brilliant! burst of speed. If I am guilty of optical delusion please tell
me. Bokeelia is a Phipps product by Med D Oro out of Matlacha Pass, making him
kin to Alabama winner Pine Island, who tragically broke down in the BC Distaff
in 2007. (A 2YO half to Bokeelia Island, by Bernardini, ran third in the second
race on Travers Day).

Too Discreet. Marking. Bokelia Island. Just got to hope they are spotted
somewhere where a decent mutuel is available. Or maybe where they are a
"single" or maybe even a "banker" in a multiple race wager.