November 2007 Archives

If you haven't already checked out the four race handicappers for our Los Angeles Newspaper Group, and I'm talking about Bob Ike, Terry Turrell, Jerry Antonucci and Ray Nelson, you'd better do so quickly.

After he was robbed last season, Garrett Gomez should be a near-unanimous selection for the 2007 Eclipse Award as the nation's top jockey. I mean ... c'mon --- a record 71 stakes victories, including 12 Grade Ones, and more than $21 million in earnings.
The really amazing thing? The guy still has almost six weeks to go in the year with Hollywood Park's Turf Festival still to come and a few stakes at the opening of the Santa Anita winter meet still to go. Amazing. The way Garrett Gomez has turned around his life is a great testament to what a person can do when he or she admits they have a problem and decided to do something about it. Whatever Gomez gets the rest of his career, he richly deserves it.

Tyler Baze told me this week that Jeff Mullins' ultra-talented 2-year-old filly, Runforthemoneybaby, should have won the Oak Leaf Stakes in addition to her eye-opening score in last Saturday's Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies at Oak Tree.
In the Cal Cup, Baze was patient as he sat along the rail with the filly. He waited, and waited and waited until .... FINALLY, he got out in the stretch and then won for fun with Runforthemoneybaby.
The pair had a similar journey in the Oak Leaf, and when Baze finally found some running room for the filly at the head of the lane, she closed willingly and could have won the race like Baze claims. Take a look for yourself. She's No. 6 in the Oak Leaf.

Hollywood Park begins its 32-day autumn meet today under a cloud of uncertainty. How much longer will the Track of Lakes and Flowers be around? Well, the owner -- Bay Meadows Land Co. -- is committed to racing only through next year's autumn meet. Beyond that, who knows?

When there is a $590,000 pick-six carryover to be had, the horse player in all of us has this overwhelming desire to take a stab, right???? I mean, who in their right mind would pass up a chance at taking a crack at what should be well over a total pool of $2.5-$3 million? Here's my ticket if I could get four investors to go in with me at $192 per pop: