Midweek Musings

I spent this morning in the dentists chair and I'm just getting to the point where I can feel my face again. Perhaps its an after effect of the drugs but I just feel like jotting down a few random thoughts on some of the biggest current topics.

- I think IEAH has done a decent thing by stepping forward and volunteering to go off many legal drugs. It's not a cure all for racing but I think it's a nice gesture and a step in the right direction. I do hope others are encouraged to follow suit but most likely none one will until the drugs in question are made illegal.

- I have not spent much time looking for reasons to exonerate Big Brown for his flop in the Belmont Stakes. I think the majority of the excuses produced have been meaningless. I do however think that the issue with his shoe is legitimate. I'm not so much interested in figuring out why he couldn't win the Triple Crown but I am interested in what caused the flop because it may be a concern for the future. If for instance, Big Brown randomly flopped, there is a chance it could happen again and it would cast a doubt over his next races. But I am somewhat satisfied that the shoe did contribute to his downfall. It likely did not fully account for his performance but it had an impact.

- Jeremy Rose deserves what he gets, and possibly more. It was just a petulant strike at a horse he was frustrated with. You can't do that and more than that you shouldn't do that. It's more a question of ethics than rules. I do like that the stewards are holding him financially responsible for the injury treatment.

- Aspiring handicappers should check out the new Breeders' Cup Fantasy Challenge. It's free to enter and it offers 3 qualifying places in the National Handicapping Championship in Vegas as well as a few other prizes. It will be extremely difficult to win but most other NHC qualifiers cost money to enter so this is a good place to test your mettle and decide if you've got the stuff to actually compete with the best.