Chris Collinsworth's Courtship Musings

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter



I'm afraid that if I preview this too much the video itself will lose a lot of its zing. I'm just gonna recommend watching the entire thing.




I think it was 50 Cent that said, "If you watch the way I move you'd mistake me for a playa pimp....". I think the same can be said of Collinsworth after seeing his moves at the 1:08 mark.








That's how I roll.

Can I re-Tweet a Blog Post?

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter






By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com



An estimated 53,715 students are expected to be doing the Cry and Wap into Columbus, Ohio's Olentangy River after the humiliating defeat Monday night's Fiesta Bowl. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning effective once the Cry and Wap residue finds its way into the Olentangy, causing levels to rise drastically.

January is, once again, Cry and Wap time in Columbus, Ohio, thinking about what could have been for the Buckeyes football team.


Have you met my friend Hugh? Hugh Miliation?

Why? Because Polekat $lim made fun of me when the Cubs lost. Great work Polekat and great work Ohio State.








That's how I roll.

My New Footer

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter



You'll see it at the bottom. Let me know what you think.












That's how I roll.

You Just Don't get it, do you Breeder's Cup? New Rachel Alexandra v. Zenyatta Possible Development

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Too little, too late. You are broke and offering money you don't have when this could have been avoided just as easily as it was created. Throwing more money at multi-millionaire to race his arguably-overworked horse over a disadvantageous surface is pipe dream.

The Breeders' Cup executives are bad at their jobs.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Oh God Yes

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter




that's how I roll






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Stay on the Lookout for This Kinda Stuff Today. 9/11

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


I wonder if someone will combine capitalizing on Michael Jackson's death with 9/11 today. That would be very American. 9/11.



9/11.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Bears are Scary

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Rawr.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Horse Racing Yoda is on my Side Regarding Rachel v. Zenyatta and the Breeder's Cup Being Morons

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


It's nice to see when someone intelligent agrees with someone you believe. This was plagiaraized from the DailyRacingForm.com

Female showdown a fitting scenario

By Andrew Beyer

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After her electrifying photo-finish victory in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, Rachel Alexandra should be entitled to rest on her laurels. The filly has campaigned steadily since February, racing at seven different tracks and winning all eight of her starts. With three triumphs over males, she has virtually locked up the Horse of the Year title. Owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen would be happy to give her a breather until she resumes racing in 2010.

Rachel Alexandra, however, still has one piece of unfinished business: a confrontation with Zenyatta, the champion 5-year-old mare who has never been beaten in 12 career starts and has unleashed explosive last-to-first rallies in most of them. Almost everyone in the sport wants to see a race between two of the greatest female Thoroughbreds of all time. The New York Racing Association would like to host the showdown on Oct. 3. But a Rachel Alexandra-Zenyatta race will probably never happen. Partisans of each horse blame the other's camp for being unsporting, but the real blame belongs to the Breeders' Cup organization.

The Breeders' Cup chose Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., and its synthetic track as the site for its event in 2008 and 2009, and last year's results produced an inescapable conclusion: Synthetic tracks are very different from dirt. The horses who won over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface were either proven synthetic-track runners (such as Zenyatta) or turf specialists. Top horses with good form only on dirt didn't win. The highest-profile loser was Curlin. Jackson had been hesitant to run over synthetics, and his views on the subject hardened after the defeat. So when Jackson bought Rachel Alexandra in the spring and watched her develop into a superstar, he adamantly declared he would not race her on "plastic," his derisive word for synthetic surfaces. The Breeders' Cup would not be on her agenda.

For Zenyatta, by contrast, back-to-back Breeders' Cups in her home state were a blessing. The mare can run on dirt or synthetics - she scored a smashing Grade 1 stakes win over Oaklawn Park's dirt in April 2008. But since then she has not ventured from California, where she won the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic last year, except for a planned start at Churchill Downs that was spoiled by an off track. With the Cup back at Santa Anita, trainer John Shirreffs and owner Jerry Moss decided to stay at home for all of 2009 and aim for the Breeders' Cup again - either the Ladies' Classic or against males in the Classic. As for a meeting with Rachel Alexandra, Moss said in a recent teleconference, "The Breeders' Cup was created for this kind of a circumstance. That's the spot where champions are made."

A Rachel Alexandra-Zenyatta race at Santa Anita, however, would not necessarily be a meaningful test. A victory by Zenyatta might prove only that she is a synthetic-track specialist and Rachel isn't. The New York Racing Association sought to have this showdown in the Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 3. Betfair, the parent company of the TVG racing network, offered to add $400,000 to the purse, making it a $1 million race if Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta both show up. The Zenyatta camp evinced some interest, but Shirreffs was concerned about sending his mare into NYRA's mandatory prerace detention barn, and he is reluctant to change his long-planned all-California racing schedule for her. Yet Zenyatta could never find better circumstances for a race on dirt against Rachel Alexandra.

Of all the dirt tracks in America, none is more conducive to Zenyatta's come-from-behind style than Belmont Park, with its sweeping turns and long stretch. Zenyatta has conclusively proved her ability to run on dirt - her performance at Oaklawn was one of the best of her career - so Belmont would be the fairest possible site for the confrontation.

Zenyatta is a fresh horse, after running only three times against soft opposition this season, while Rachel Alexandra has been through a grind, running eight times in the last seven months. After earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in the Haskell Stakes of 116, she recorded a 109 at Saratoga on Saturday. Her form may be on the downgrade, while Zenyatta could very well be pointing toward a peak effort. Advantage: Zenyatta.

Rachel Alexandra is the horse with the most to lose. She could go to the sidelines tomorrow with the Horse of the Year award locked up. The only way she could lose the title is to lose to Zenyatta. Although Jackson recognizes that Rachel Alexandra is ready for a rest, he said, "If Zenyatta were to come to the Beldame, that would direct us to that."

Jackson has been the consummate sportsman in his management of Rachel Alexandra, picking tough spots such as the Woodward so that the filly can show how good she is. And it would be extraordinarily sporting for him to risk Horse of the Year honors in the Beldame. Meanwhile, Moss and Shirreffs have so far avoided any serious challenges this season for their mare. They have avoided racing against males. They have acted as if their main goal is not to lose and not to jeopardize the mare's perfect record. If that was their aim, they could have retired her last season. But if they are in this game because they like the excitement of the sport, how could they resist a showdown with Rachel Alexandra?

(c) 2009, The Washington Post

see also:

Let's see if Zenyatta "Forfeits" This Race- my Prosaic Tryptich About Rachel Alexandra V. Zenyatta

My Socratic Homage to the Breeder's Cup re: Rachel v. Zenyatta


My Proof that the Breeder's Cup has lost its mind







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Today's Melodious ode to Chivalry-Based Romance

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Until I remembered this song existed, I totally forgot it existed.

I will add that it is not safe for work, but not because of the potentially offensive title and subsequent lyrical content. It's NSFW because I think talk of intimacy and pure romance is taboo at the workplace since people think you're either bragging, lying or just trying to induce jealousy and none of those are good ideas for intra-office politics. Plus, referring to someone as suffering from a psychological ailment, like being crazy, is considered to be in poor taste.

Lookout Cannon in D, the duel is afoot......













I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Big ups to Natty Light

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

The beer of my alma mater (every college has a favorite cheap beer) is now doing television commercials. They know how to market to me still. This commercial is like every other stereotypical beer advert except for one sorta subtle and genius addition. It has the usual suspects- beer, pizza, an everyday "dude" stoner type with, who we are lead to believe is his girlfriend who is clearly way too hot for him. But notice what this gentleman scholar is watching on TV to top off his awesome. Naturday.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Isn't Voting Against the Public Option Just as Bad as Being on a Death Panel?

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

If Congress shoots down the public option for health care, how are they any better than a "Death Panel"?

I mean, I'm ok with facing a death panel as long as I know I'm gonna live- so I'm cool with whoever votes for the public option. But aren't all the votes against health care the ones who are going to kill grandma, and not the other way around?



Psychologist BF Skinner's Operant Conditioning essentially tells us that there are 3 ways to modify someone's behavior. Punishment, Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement.
Let's say I want to modify your behavior so that you will do 5 jumping jacks. I ask you politely and you decline. Now I have to get creative. According to Operant Conditioning I could employ:

Punishment- I will kick your shins if you do not do 5 jumping jacks.
Positive Reinforcement- Do 5 jumping jacks and I'll give you $50.

but Negative Reinforcement is often misunderstood. Colloquially people confuse it with punishment- when you yell at your dog you'll hear someone say, "yeah, give him a little negative reinforcement, they'll get the hint." When in fact, what you're doing is punishing your dog. Negative reinforcement could maybe more accurately be called, "Inverse Reinforcement"- it is the removal of something unpleasant. So if I wanted you to do 5 jumping jacks using negative reinforcement I'd place you in a room full of screaming people and tell you that after you do 5 jumping jacks, I will send all the screaming people out of the room.

As you know from personal history all three can be effective. Those 3 methods would probably each elicit 5 jumping jacks out of me, anyway. You also know that Positive Reinforcement and Punishment, while working toward the same end, are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Although sometimes punishment is much easier or more practical to use than a reinforcement model, a lot of times either method is equally plausible. Essentially, one is nice way to get what you want, and the other is a mean way to get what you want.

What does this have to do with health care? You may have to follow me on this one for a second...

Some people like myself are asking our politicians to vote for a public/single payer option. Their approving it would essentially be akin to negative reinforcement- That is to say, they will promise to take away something negative- maybe the fear of losing medical benefits if I am laid off, or not being able to afford health insurance, or being denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. Maybe that would modify my future behavior to vote for that politician in the next election or something.

We also know that Negative Reinforcement and Positive Reinforcement are pretty similar- one presents something favorable, the other removes something unfavorable. Those are both pretty good things.

But if a politician votes against the public/single payer option, they would thereby be preventing Negative Reinforcement from occurring, essentially saying, "Ya know what? We could treat your un-wealthy, dying grandmother's cancer, but we're not gonna." They have the power to remove an unfavorable situation- but opt not to. So that would be opposite of negative reinforcement, right? Didn't we agree that that's akin to punishment? Like maybe that politician punishing us for putting them in office, for instance? Or maybe it modifies our behavior enough to not want to vote for them, or anyone they endorse in the future.

If a Congressman, or member of the Big Six or the Senate Finance Committee, votes against the public/single payer option, they're voting against offering health care to every single sick, or even dying person who lacks it. So if you vote against treating a disease, aren't you necessarily voting for the disease?

That's why I said that those voting against health care really are the death panel. It isn't that they are in favor of killing grandma, it's just that they won't step and help her when she needs help to stay alive.

While I'm on the topic of analogies- isn't that a bit like the Bystander Law? Like if you see a victim of a hit and run lying on the ground fighting to stay alive and you simply do nothing, you get arrested for that.

If an old lady got hit by a car and I said, "Help, help, Max Baucus, there's been a terrible accident and this old lady could die if she doesn't get help!", and Max looked at her, said, "I'm not gonna waste my cell phone minutes calling 911, plus, I just dont care if that old bag of wind dies" and then he pulls out his iPhone and starts filming her, he'd get arrested. But if I said, "Help, help, Max Baucus please, PLEASE vote for the single payer option! There's been a horrible thing that happened to my great-aunt and she has cancer. No provider will offer her care now that the cancer is so fully developed. She will surely die from it if she doesn't get help!" he can reply the same way he did with the automobile accident scenario, and what will his punishment be? A huge check from a big insurance company, followed probably by a week in December at the CEO's lodge in Vail.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Rachel Alexandra got a 109 Beyer in the Woodward- and other Post-Woodward Rachel Alexandra Notes

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


According to a few different articles on the DRF.com, Rachel came out of the Woodward in good shape and is healthy. However, she is unlikely to race again in 2009, and the plan is still to have her back to racing in 2010. For her Woodward effort she was awarded a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 109. If that figure stands it would be her third highest career Beyer behind her 116 in the Haskell, and her 111 in the Mother Goose. So her five most recent Beyers look like this, in chronological order:

109- Woodward
116- Haskell
111- Mother Goose
108- Preakness
108- Kentucky Oaks




See Also: Some Context for Rachel Alexandra's 116 BSF in the Haskell





I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Quotation of the Day

aBy: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


From Brian Urlacher during a Q&A with the Chicago Tribune.


Q: You got a pair of LeBron James' gym shoes during a Cavs playoff game this year, didn't you?

"First time I met him. My financial guy knows him. We had seats on the floor. LeBron's a big guy, just unbelievable to watch in person. He's just a man. He gave me the shoes he wore in the game. I actually smelled them and they didn't stink. ''




That's keepin' it real.






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

European Version of Ohh Maaa Gaaa, Ohhhh Maaa Gaaaa: Sea the Stars

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


This Gentleman is nothing to eff with. He's an absolute monster and if he runs in the Breeder's Cup and the sight of him makes some other horses pee a little, I completely understand. Oh. And since the Classic will be run over synthetic/experimental surfaces AGAIN this year, the grass-loving euros will have a leg up on the Americans. Have fun with all that, west coasters who still run on that garbage. Let me be the first to say- my deepest sympathy. And the VERY VERY first to say, "Oh Breeder's Cup- you decided to go with a traditional dirt surface in 2010. Congratulations on your return you intelligence- we've been awaiting your return. How was your departure? It is nice to have you back."

I digressed. You'll see Sea The Stars in the yellow down the stretch. This is the definition of "Digging in". He is a bolshy, bolshy, bugger. D'ya know wha I mean? Totely, mate. Totely. All of England is arse over tit with him, and they may be right to think that this year's American crop of older horses has more holes innit than a barmaid's knickers' d'ya know wha I mean? Innit mate? Totely. He's probably all, "Sod off you tosspots in the colonies!" and we're all like, "I have no idea what you just said."

The point is, he's a great racehorse and I have proof.



I call if him and Rachel Alexandra have a kid, I get their firstborn.






I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Great Article (Because it Vindicates me)

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I'm ok with Point/Whole flaws in logic as long as they benefit me. And this one does.

This article asserts that Facebook is bad for friendships.

I don't have a Facebook account.

Now please allow me to gloat in a 4-part series.






















I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Beware of Unoriginal Dork NCCA Football Talking Heads and Their Awesome Slang

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Much like the previously mentioned, unfortunate early-baseball season phenomenon known as extraploitation, (also noted here), college football season has it's regrettable nomenclature as well.

The slang I am referring to is used most often during blowouts, and is therefore more likely to occur early on in the season. It's is the verb, "hang" in place of "score". As in, "Last time Ohio State played in the Rose Bowl, USC hung 45 on them". I appreciate originality and I was ok with it at first, but now it's just too much. It's one thing if it's one guys catch phrase, but I get the impression that every single 55-year old white dude who says it feels like he's the sexiest, most street-cred laden dude ever. It's the College Football Talking Head verbal equivalent of the white-man's-overbite in tandem with the shoulder bob. It's just time to stop. If you use it, and you shouldn't, just don't think you're hip.

The worst instantiation of this dope slang is the elusive and horrific, "...hung half a hundred on them" in reference to a team scoring 50 points.

While I'm griping, I also really hate when an intereception is referred to as "a pick". It's fine to say, "that pass was picked off" but not, "Eli just threw a pick", "He's got 17 touchdown passes and only 1 pick so far.", "...that pass was just picked!". I've always hated that laziness passed off as slang but it's not the worst.....

The worst? "The Pick 6". I will admit that it is a creative name for it, but I will also admit that it sucks out loud. I hate it for the similar reasons to hating the "hang half a hundred on" slang- every guy that says it thinks he's Captain Slang and is saying it for the first time and waiting to bathed with praise. Just take the time and say he ran it back. It's a horse racing term, let it stay that way. I'd even meet you halfway and be ok with "Pick AND six". I'd also be ok with it being one guy's catchphrase, but it shouldn't be the new phrase for an interception returned for a TD, and I am fearing it is.

I'm trying to set a record for youngest curmedgeon and/or youngest grumpy old man. I'd say I'm off to a good start.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Sometimes Life is Pretty Awesome

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

a friend just brought this to my intention and I'm all blogged-out after my Rachel post. But rest assured I will have more to say about this little number in a little while.








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Ohhhh Maaaaa Gaaaaaa, Ohhhhh Maaaa Gaaaaaa Rachel Alexandra Wins the Woodward

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Rachel Alexandra won an AWESOME race in the Woodward today, narrowly holding off a charging Macho Again. That was an uber-doozie for the ages. Great race by Rachel, great ride by jockey Calving Borel and a fabulous call by announcer Tom Durkin. My brother was at the race and said that was the loudest he has ever heard Saratoga.

Here's Rachel Alexandra's 2009 Woodward on YouTube, it was post just a minute ago





Some random notes:

- To show what an impressive horse Rachel is, watch how quickly Da Tara runs in reverse at the far turn. Staying a length behind Rachel Alexandra for a half-mile proved too taxing for the 2008 Belmont winner and he just stopped. (I hope that wasn't caused by injury. If he did get injured I take that back, but I haven't heard that he was injured during the race yet, so I am assuming he was sound).

-Rachel turned away Da' Tara, Past the Point, Bullsbay and Macho Again. All four had their shot, took their best shot, and got dirt kicked in their face.

-At the 1:52 mark I am 100% positive that Macho Again will run her down. Despite knowing the outcome of the race, and having watched it 4 or 5 times already, I keep expecting Macho Again to pass her (Psychology scholars will note well that Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”, and that has served as the general functional definition ever since).

- That race had to have been ridiculously grueling for her. I hope she comes out of it in good shape. Not many three year olds go 8-for-8.

- Great job Breeders' Cup. Yes, I'm still harping on it. Synthetic surface TWO YEARS IN A ROW. You reap what you sow, get what you deserve, get back what you put in, etc. And what you deserve is not having Rachel Alexandra. You earned getting your nose turned up in your direction. (Editor's note: Mmmm, those Hater-Tots were delicious)

-You really can't overetate how good of a filly she is. It's not like she just broke her maiden and won by 15 lengths, then after getting all excited about it someone said, "Ok calm down, she still has a lot to prove. We can't call her the second coming of Ruffian just yet." Well, that isn't the case with Rachel Alexandra. She is the second coming of Ruffian and as long as you don't say she is clearly better than Ruffian you aren't getting carried away. It is ok to go nuts over here.

- She also bucked Calvin Borel off before the race. I just thought I'd add that. Usually that isn't a great omen, and I am pretty sure she'd never done that before.

-I will say it again. GREAT call by Tom Durkin. I'm 29 years old. The odds of me liking another announcer of any sport more than I like Durkin by the time can be measured only in scientific notation. 10 X 5^1-18th. I love Durkin, and this call ranks among his very best (I just updated my salute of him) He conveyed the heightened stakes with his voice alone. It just sounded different than a maiden claiming race- as it should have. It was a great call. He knew that regardless of the outcome, it was Rachel's race- she was the story, and he called the race as such. Lesser announcers would have pretended it was just another race. You could hear the release of his full theater-major gusto. I know for a fact that he had a lot stored up for when Smarty Jones was going to win the Belmont. Unfortunately, Durking had to tuck that away, but it sounded liek he culled from that reserve to call Rachel's historic race and Tom was among the people I was most happy for. He let loose and it sounded like it felt it great. It felt great hearing it, anyway. He's kinda the male announcing equivalent of Rachel Alexandra, I guess.

-I'm eager to see what her Beyer Speed Figure will be. That race, though visually stunning and fast early on, wasn't super fast as far as Grade 1 races go. I'm guessing she'll be in the 105-109 range, but that's just a guess based on how the Forego was raced before it, and the time for the Whitney this year.

- With Rachel winning by only a head, every single bit of ground-saving helped, another advantage of being a speed horse, drawing near the rail and being ridden by Calvin Bo-rail. If you're following Macho Again (in the yellow coming from off the picture on the far turn) it looks like he's a sure winner at the 1:33 mark. Then turning for home you see Rachel and Calvin on the rail, and Macho Again 3 wide. It's obvious that Macho Again ran substantially farther than Rachel Alexandra did. Macho Again's jockey, Robby Albarado, isn't to blame, he is an accomplished jockey and his horse has a late-running style and they are often caught going 5-wide around the far turn, but that's where the race was both won and lost.

I just saw Robby said this (here), "I never thought I had her," he said. "The only thing I was hoping for was that she'd tire. Champions show different dimensions. She's in a league of her own. Older horses, her own age, it doesn't matter. No matter what they throw at her, she'll beat them." That was classy of him. I also didn't expect it, not because he is not classy, but because I was positive on two different occasions that his horse would win, yet he was positive zero times. I guess its time to admit that that awesome jockey (who jockey'd Curlin among others) knows more about horse racing than I do.

- If Macho Again hadn't run ragged and bumped Bullsbay at the 1:54 mark, would he have won? It looked like he was flying, then brushed Bullsbay and lost a bit of steam, then picked it right back up again only to lose by a head. I guess we'll never know, but that appeared to slow him down. (update again) I would not believe that anyone in the world has watched this race more times than I have, and (not that he needs my validation) I think Robby was right. I don't think his bump costed him all that much momentum/velocity.

-If a high school senior asked Rachel Alexandra to his senior prom and her handlers accepted, wouldn't that kid be guaranteed an internship at the Daily Racing Form?

-That race kicked hiney. She really is the Rachel Alexandra of horse racing.

**********************************************************

Now I'm just being (more) self indulgent/autobiographical. It's totally fine if you don't read this portion.

I had to work until just before the start of the race, and I wasn't by an OTB. I don't get TVG or HRTV. Luckily I have a-hole/very good friends. My friend Joe sent me the following texts, "Do you get the Woodward on TV?" He read my blog and tweets, so he knows how big of a deal this race is, and how much I care about it. So I reply with, "No I don't", I assume he is interested in watching it, so I instruct him on how to watch the race replay on NYRA.com shortly after the race, or where to find a live radio feed. He smugly replies with, "Too bad, I get it on live TV". In so many words I reply with something to the effect of, "Though you are a gentleman, you do not deserve this honor.". Since I know I have no chance of watching it live, I ask him to place his phone by the speaker of his television during the race. He's a good friend and obliges. I sat at home watching my racing form listening to Tom Durkin's call. That race was every single thing I hoped it would be. I know that Durkin calls the race like a tv announcer (meaning for those watching on-track, as opposed to those listening at home without sound, a la radio) but I was still slightly misled. I thought Da' Tara still held the lead throughout, for one. That turned out to be irrelevant once Rachel ran her down.

But the tension I felt listening to Tom Durkin (via my friend Joe) will be something I can never share with anyone. Durkin did a tremendous job calling the race, but I still somehow wanted more. When he said it will be "a dramatic stretch drive awaits in the Woodward Stakes" I gripped my chair tighter. I hoped he meant it would be easy for Rachel, but dramatic....I don't know why....cuz it was historic? I didn't want a close race...I knew Rachel had the lead and was waiting to hear until she was overtaken, and she wasn't...Then I heard Durkin- who has never mislead me- say it will be "desperately close" and my heart sank. I knew he wanted Rachel to win and if he said it would be "desperately close" it would be that close. I also thought that it was his way of breaking the news softly to us. He'd be too kind to say, "Macho Again runs down Rachel", or "Macho Again inhales a tiring Rachel". I appreciated the passive voice and euphemism and was prepared my ears for the worst. I knew they'd hit the wire at the same time, and when Durkin says it will be close, it IS close....I know his calls. He says it's close.......he pauses........he announces the winner. That is what he does.

'It's going to be desperately close...here's the wire!!!" *************95 years of my life. seriously. 95 years. ***************** That was bad. Tom is the best. If he knew Rachel would win he would have said it. But the bravado in his voice as the super-talented Macho Again started his stride hurt my confidence. I knew he inched closer and closer, and since Tom didn't say Rachel kicked him away I feared the worst. They hit the wire together. My heart was residing behind my navel. The hit the wire together. The next name he says is the winner- that's just his way. PLEASE TOM. Just. Say. "Rachel". HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THIS GO ON!!! YOU ARE MURDERING MY SOUL!!! (it was half a second)

"RACHEL WON!!!!!!!!!!"

*room starts spinning*

the end.









I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Yes, I am Picking Rachel in the Woodward

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


It's not that I think she's a cinch to win the race, or that I am predicting she'll win by 4+ lengths, but her numerical dominance over the field makes it difficult to confidently select any of her foes- all of which seem to be more or less evenly (over)matched. If someone told me they were going to bet on Macho Again or Cool Coal Man with their own money, I wouldn't try to talk them out of it, but I just don't envision Calvin Borel allowing Rachel to get boxed or pinned in, and I also can't see Calvin or Rachel panicking at any part of the race and running in a style that is not of their choosing.

Much like a power forward with a jump shot, a 6'8'' shooting guard, or a 6'5'' wide receive that runs a 4.2 second 40-yeard dash- Rachel's style and talent create a lot of matchup problems for her opponents. Despite being faster than speedsters, she sits right off of them while Calvin measures how much gas they have left in the tank, once Calvin puts the (metaphorical) spurs to her, the race ends. When Calvin tells her to go, she passes the tiring speed horses and gets a jump on the closers. In terms of race positioning, she's right off the pace and ahead of the closers- that stalking style is not a rarity in racing, but her talent is. She's a better speed horse than the speed horses, and a better closer than the closers.

All horses are vulnerable in every race, even great ones. But the great horses that are most vulnerable are the horses that need the lead, and the deep closers. Rachel's tactical speed means she is neither.

In the Forego I like Kodiak Kowboy and Peace Chant.




I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.

Afghanistan War Death Pic Released

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Thank you, fallen soldier.

Does this photograph strike anyone else as a metaphor for The Public Option?

Does it seem backwards that our laws mandate that every car owner MUST have car insurance, but your own national government has no obligation to you regarding your health? How is that not a case of what the right wing loves raving about- namely, the big, bad, scary Government telling you what to do and interfering in your life?

If the government provided a health care option to those that wanted it, they would be 'socialist', but the mandating of car and health insurance and their creating an oligarchy who then stuffs political coffers is better? That's really 100% efficient and "by the people, for the people, and of the people"?

So to recap: the smaller the government the better. An example of "small government" would be
one that would gladly watch you die of cancer because it's cheaper for them.

If the Group of Six or the Senate Finance Committee shoots down health care for scores of millions of people- how are they any different than a "Death Panel"?








I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.