Bill Handleman: Heaven is a Bettor Place

Heaven is a bettor place today with the passing of a gem of a guy, Bill Handleman. One of the Jersey Boys when we hit the road to cover the Derby or the Preakness or the Belmont, or any old race at Monmouth Park during the past 30 years, there was no one more passionate about horse racing, no one more dedicated, no one who came so close so many times to the biggest score ever than Bill. Yes, he scored huge with a $100,000 jackpot at Penn National in 1995, but just watching him at the races was a sight to behold. With more tough beats than anyone should endure (OK, maybe I'm exaggerating), Bill could always explain what prevented him from cashing a ticket, and used every excuse in the book hundreds of times. Was that really the point? No. He loved the game, and loved to be a player. And that's what I'll always remember about Bill: A passionate player who dearly loved the game, and made everyone around him feel like it's OK to get into it. Win or lose. Be a player!

How about this? On Feb. 10, at Fair Grounds: Gold Square LLC’s Handleman made the pace and increased his margin in the final furlong to win Friday’s $41,000 six-furlong allowance sprint by three-and-a-quarter lengths at the wire.

Hi Ho Pimlico

Get your Preak off!

Before we get started with Preakness fever, this new ad/marketing/promotion campaign trying to show the youth of America how hip Pimlico/Maryland Racing/Frank Stronach's bankrupt tracks are is laughable. What can you people be thinking? Don't answer that! It won't work. Let people bring their own coolers into the infield and they will come. If you choose not to go back to that route, so be it (it's probably safer, anyway). But don't lure them with hipster talk. It's insulting.

Now, on to the Preakness: Here's a rundown of potential Preakness runners who will be out to beat Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and thwart a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

From the Derby, winning trainer Todd Pletcher says he hasn't ruled out Mission Impazible. Huh? He'd really risk having Super Saver get beat by his own stablemate? Too much celebrating Saturday night, Todd.
Then again, he said he's likely to send Aikenite to the Preakness. Gotta wonder if that's gonna happen.

Other Derby runners who might show up in the Preakness are Paddy O' Prado, Dublin and Jackson Bend. Remote but still possible are Ice Box and Lookin At Lucky.

Potential new shooters, according to Pimlico's top PR man Mike Gathagan, include A Little Warm (second, Louisiana Derby); Bushwhacked (second, Lexington Stakes); Caracortado (fourth, Santa Anita Derby); Hurricane Ike (Derby Trial winner), Pleasant Prince (third, Derby Trial); Schoolyard Dreams (fourth, Wood Memorial) and Turf Melody (fourth, Illinois Derby).

By the way, in case you missed it, Calvin Borel already has predicted a Triple Crown for Super Saver. After winning the Derby for third time in four years, clever Calvin said Super Saver is the horse that's gonna do it, sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont and become the first to sweep the races since Affirmed in 1978.

Super Saver will not have an easy time winning the Preakness in what could be a full field of 14. Stay tuned.

Greetings from beautiful Belmont Park!

It's Sunday, May 2, and post time for the first race. Just thought I'd put a digital in between the chain link fence to catch the break. I caught it. My dog, Sammy, was impressed, too.

With the Sham washed out, and no other Kentucky Derby prep races of note, here's this week's Top 10 list of Derby contenders (photo is Eskendereya crusing to victory in the Fountain of Youth):

Lookin At Lucky

Eskendereya

Conveyance

Rule

Discreetly Mine

Jackson Bend

D'Funnybone

Dublin

Tempted to Tapit

Radiohead

The Sham is set for Saturday, although rain could be an issue at Santa Anita's-soon-to-change-from -Pro-Ride-synthetic-surface-to-DIRT, while the Gotham on good ol' dirt could see Bob Baffert's Tiz Chrome show up.

Ticket to Ride (Beatles, 1965)

A huge day for Kentucky Derby preps, but lots to catch up on regarding Rachel vs. Zenyatta. As expected, Rachel Alexandra was voted Horse of the Year and the final balloting wasn't close. Yes, Zenyatta was awesome in the BC Classic, but Rachel was awesome just about ALL YEAR!


Now, the two great ladies of racing are being given a ticket to ride into history if they do meet on April 9 at Oaklawn Park in what is being billed as a ``Race for the Ages''.


Both are on the same training schedule, turning in workouts on Thursday _ Rachel in Nawlins' and Zenyatta in California. Both are set for their first starts of 2010 on March 13 _ Rachel at Fair Grounds and Zenyatta at Santa Anita.


Both will then be pointed to Charles Cella's track in Hot Springs after the owner offered to raising the purse of the $500,000 Apple Blossom to $5 million.


After a day of wrangling, in which Rachel's owner Jess Jackson put trainer Steve Asmussen up to making comment that Rachel wouldn't be ready for the race, Cella changed the date and all is fine. Zenyatta's owner Jerry Moss was stunned at first _ not that Jackson said he wasn't sending his filly _ but that he was countering with a 3-race series between the two. ``What the hell is he talking about,'' Moss told me when I informed him of Jackson's proposal the night it happened.


But enough, the race is one for now. I am not sure it will happen, but I hope it does: There are still many days to go before these superstars show up for the race, and all must go perfectly in both camps for the race everyone is asking for actually happens.


Wouldn't it be something if one or both lost on the 13th _ after all, Rachel hasn't run since the Woodward in early September and Zenyatta hasn't run since the Classic in early November. Let's hope it doesn't happen and them we'll have one of the most anticipated races _ other than the Kentucky Derby or a Triple Crown attempt _ in many, many moons.



And then it's on the Kentucky Derby on May 1: Heading into today's Derby preps, here's my Top 10:

1. Lookin At Lucky

2. Buddy's Saint

3. Jackson Bend

4. Rule

5. Eskendereya

6. Dave in Dixie

7. Conveyance

8. Dublin

9. Super Saver

10. Radiohead