#2 C’Est Qui Ton Pere — Broke maiden for $20K against state breds then claimed in next by Galluscio for $25K. Dropped in for $16K and won easily as favorite. Gets in light with BugBoy Serpa. Has stalking speed and is 2 for 3 at distance over the surface.

#3 Raynick’s Jet — Asmussen takes over from Preciado with trainer switch. Adds blinkers and switches to Cohen for this. Broke maiden at track and distance. Cuts back today and will be in it late.

#4 Vital Argument — Started career at Finger Lakes breaking maiden first time out then narrowly defeated in FLJuvenile Stakes. Shows speed going longer but is 0 for 2 at distance and 0 for 3 at track. Pass.

#5 Irving Rules — Beat one horse in disappointing start over turf at 3 to 1. Broke maiden in second start over sloppy main track at Aqueduct last November. Unsuccessful in starter allowance try at Philly to start the year then dropped to claiming ranks here to win easily for Pletcher. Will be pushing the speed every step with Luzzi. Lookout.

#6 Backcountry Boy — Closed five wide to break maiden in last at today’s distance. Beyers are on the low side for this group. Trainers stats aren’t favorable for this but Smarty Jones colt will be coming late.

#7 Come From Behind — NW2 lifetime this speedy type is 0 for 3 at distance. Should be right there from the start with Lopez. Last race with blinkers is a throw-out and look for this one to be there at the wire.

#8 Cajun Jet — Second out after long layoff for Dutrow and reunites with Dominguez. Broke maiden at 5f in mud at Saratoga last June. High percentages for barn with jockey. Like others better.

Selections: 5-3-7-8

According to the article, Frank Stronach who has long held the position of MI but has been currently dealing with bankruptcy proceedings and reorganization made this statement:

“Let us open up our store when we think we get the most customers,” Stronach said. “Let the market decide . . . whoever is going to put on a better show will get the greatest market.”

There are way too many tracks running at one time and an already stretched pari-mutuel dollar is being siphoned off to lesser quality horse racing products and other forms of gambling.

Maybe consideration for horse racing operations in 6 major hubs of the country would run ‘fairs’ like in the old days. It would be operated by companies like Churchill Downs, Inc. who have successfully carried the Kentucky Derby brand for over a century and a quarter. If nothing is done then the sport of kings becomes nothing more than a circus act relying on a handful of die hard players during the week who are on a roll until the money runs out, and a pitch and catch affair with competitors for consumer entertainment dollars.

By mandating certain racing days to so many different racetrack operators within a state of each other is too many. To have multiple operations running within city miles of each other is ridiculous.

Let the races begin and may the best shows win.

Gulfstream at this time of year is usually ‘real fast’ so when we got to the track today and watched the winners of the two grass races that preceded the MacDiarmida we knew we were in trouble with our selections. And our assumption that Precious Passion was past his prime was just plain wrong. We hate it when we’re wrong.

Congratulations to the connections and good luck in Dubai.

Presious Passion captures the Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park on 2/21/09. Ridden by Elvis Trujillo

Today’s race of the day is from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fl. and we’ve added a weather channel widget to help you plan for the races.

Remember the importance of knowing what the track will be like by starting with the weather.

We’ve already looked ahead for tomorrow’s race and they expect 40% chance of showers tonight but clearing by tomorrow and we expect the G2 Mac Diarmada to go as carded over the distance of 1 3/8 miles on the turf course.

It looks to be a great race!

Last years winner, Precious Passion, competes again only this time he’s not the same guy he used to be. What do you think? Nothing has changed but his age. In his defense his last win at the distance was a gate to wire sprint on a hard Monmouth surface last summer. But after that he ran in the Arlington Million and was soundly beaten by Gio Ponti and others. Signs of weakness emerged in his last race, the McKnight at Calder going 1 1/2 miles, when he finished a disappointing fifth at 4 to 5 odds. That race followed two tough attempts to win gate to wire at Santa Anita winning the Clement L. Hirsch and narrowly being defeated for the ‘crown’ by Conduit in the BC Turf. He’ll be the favorite tomorrow and we hope he is because we’re going to beat him with our free horse racing selection for the race of the day.

Just to mention a few others in the race tomorrow there’s Feel’s All Right for Biancone and it’s good to see Corey Nakatani riding the circuit on a regular basis this year. The horse gets lasix for the first time and it’s classic Patrick Biancone with a young seemingly talented and recently stateside runner from France. Only this time it appears Biancone is doing things the right way again winning with 20% of his runners at GP so far.

Johnny V. can only do one thing with Gabriel’s Hill going 1 3/8 tomorrow and that’s GO! And if he does as expected he’ll put the added pressure on Passion to set the race up for our selection.

Julien Leparoux is perhaps the best rider in America today. He’s young and extremely talented. Tomorrow he rides Expansion for Chad Brown and even though he’s 0 for 6 when teaming up with the trainer — his win in the G2 Red Smith at Aqueduct at tomorrow’s distance gave him the highest last race Beyer Speed Figure and makes him our top selection.

Selections:

8 – 1 – 2 -  7

We’re going to get right to the selections for tomorrow for the Sham Stakes for three year old colts and geldings.

There’s no stand out in the race and Martin Garcia has announced he will win the race and we all know that it’s not possible to predict something like that.

Or is it?

We like the race 1 -2 -5

Good luck!