In the first race, my third choice, Uno Mas, finished a good second at 11-1 to the impressive first-out winner His Greatness, who opened as the favorite and paid $7.80 to win after being listed at 20-1 on the morning line. Obviously, the word was out on the winner.

In the second, my top pick, Deville, finished second at 7-2. My third pick, Loves Handles, won and paid $8.40. Loh Collado, my second pick, finished third.

In the third, the favorite ($6.60) won a wide-open maiden race. I had no pick and suggested the all button for horizontal players.

In the fourth, I said I was going to try and beat the morning-line favorite with Fabulous Babe and Return to Paradise. The latter won and paid $12.00.

In the fifth, I liked the Steve Asmussen-trained Four Gifts, who dueled for the early lead and then held sway, returning $29.20, $17.80 and $10.60 across the board. I noted that the two-year-old first-time starter sold for a strong price (compared to her pedigree) and hailed from one of the best juvenile programs in the country. She triggered a $586.60 exacta and a $4,299.40 trifecta. It doesn't get any better than that.

In the sixth, my top choice, Tight Precision, finished second at 9-2. I noted that the winner, Lucky Copy, can't be dismissed and should be used in the vertical exotics.

In the seventh, my top pick, Sebastian County, finished fifth at 3-1, but my second choice, Amazing Results, won and paid $8.20. My Longshot Special, In Nike's Honor, finished second at 20-1.

In the eighth, I said I was going to try and beat Tizdejavu, the 6-5 morning line favorite in the Secretariat S. (G1) with the two Europeans -- Plan and Winchester. The latter ran off in the lane like a good thing and paid $17.00 to win.

In the ninth, I took a stand against Dreaming of Anna, one of my all-time favorite fillies, in the Beverly D. S. (G1), and my second choice, Mauralakana, won, returning $6.80. My Longshot Special, Communique, finished second at nearly 13-1 and completed a $65.40 exacta.

In the tenth, the Arlington Million (G1), I really didn't have any strong feelings. My Longshot Special, Stream Cat, was well backed but was unplaced at 5-1.

In retrospect, if I had paid more attention to the race, maybe I would have noticed the trip notes on the winner, Spirit One, who led gate to wire and paid $29.40. They read: Led to 120 yards; Led, clear halfway; Led to 70 yards; Prompted pace; Tracked in third; Tracked leader; Tracked leader to 1 1/2 furlongs out; Led to 200 yards; Led to over one furlong out.

As it turns out, a case could have been made that he was going to be the controlling speed regardless of what happened to Einstein. Also, it should be noted that two horses -- Archipenko and Stream Cat -- were locked-in a pocket with no where to go for most of the race. In this year's Million, there was some serious race riding going on.

*****

In Saratoga Springs, it was 75 degrees with a dew point of 60 at 11:45 a.m. (EDT). However, storms are on the way and there is a good possibility that the four turf races, including the featured Yaddo H. and West Point H. for New York-breds, could be taken off the turf and be contested on an off main track.

*****

The sixth race, a maiden special for two-year-old fillies, looks much stronger than the second race, a maiden special for the boys. Some notes on some of the fillies in the sixth: Sara Louise, who sold for $550,000 at Calder, worked in :10 2/5; Officer Flirt, who sold for $125,000 at OBS March, worked in :10 1/5; Kays and Jays, who sold for $120,000 at Barretts March, worked in a bullet :10; Tasha's Star, a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Tasha's Miracle, sold for $300,000 at Barretts March, worked in :10 3/5 and then :10 2/5; and White Lamb, who sold for $550,000 at OBS March, worked in :10.

*****

In the tenth, all eyes will be on the Stan Hough-trained Discreet Treasure, who could not have been more impressive when breaking his maiden by 12 1/4 lengths in his debut on July 5 at Belmont Park. This colt could be something special and is worth a play at anything near his morning line odds of 5-2.

First Race: Hard to separate BIG AL CORDES and BEARPATH, but we’ll give the nod to the former. Divito trainee pressed along the inside, dueled around the turn and in the stretch, then finished well clear in second to Darley winner last out. Two five-furlong bullets since and goes under hot apprentice Karlsson. Bearpath broke a little slow, moved up between, advanced three wide around the turn, lugged in a bit in upper stretch, then finished evenly in debut. Adds first-time Lasix and Albarado. The Steve Asmussen-trained UNO MAS, a $150,000 Macho Uno yearling, has been training well over this surface for unveiling. Longshot: MIDNIGHT BREAK (15-1) has been working well at Keeneland.

Second Race: Loh Collado has been running against the best allowance company, but DEVILLE rates the top choice off his explosive five-length victory in his return. Pessin trainee settled nicely while attending the pace along the inside, angled out deftly turning for home, then drew off in the lane. Right back on the rise and return to turf. LOH COLLADO (who wore a martingale last out), stalked three wide on both turns then finished a close fourth against similar at Churchill last out. Pletcher trainee rates a threat under Velazquez. Stakes winner LOVE HANDLES likes to finish in the money. Longshot: SUMMER COURTSHIP (15-1) figures in the early mix and gets reunited with Douglas, who knows this course well.

Third Race: Super tough wide-open maiden race for fillies and mares. For horizontal players, use the all button. For others, pick one or two based on attractive odds, appearance, etc. and wheel it on top in the exacta.

Fourth Race: The first division of the Hatoof has less quality than the second. I’m going to try and beat morning-line favorite Nijinsky Ballet, primarily with FABULOUS BABE, who has yet to finish worse than second on any surface and gets Douglas, and the Pletcher-trained, last-out winner RETURN TO PARADISE, a stakes-placed juvenile. Longshots: PADDY WAK WAKIE (15-1) looks like she might be a decent sort. LA POLI (15-1) is three-for-three since being switched to the turf and brings her rider from Lone Star Park.

Fifth Race: Nice straight maiden for two-year-old fillies. I’m intrigued by the Steve Asmussen-trained FOUR GIFTS, who is 8-1 on the morning line. The daughter of freshman sire Even the Score sold for a strong $125,000 as a yearling and has been working right along for her debut. This outfit arguably has the best two-year-old program in the country. WITCH PRINCESS, trained by Helen Pitts, settled nicely well off the pace, advanced and waited along the inside near the quarter-mile pole, then was steadied out of a tight spot on the fence before finishing fifth in her debut over this surface. She adds first-time Lasix and should improve. GREER LYNN is by the hot freshman sire Speightstown and goes forth under Douglas. Longshot: Also-eligible CHARY (6-1) has a nice work pattern for her debut.

Sixth Race: TIGHT PRECISION, who will be making her first start on turf, rates the top choice in the second division of the Hatoof. The dark bay filly stalked Storm Mesa and Rasierra before finishing a game fourth on the rail in the Iowa Oaks (G3) last out. She is tactically drawn on the outside and should offer attractive odds. Morning-line favorite CHEROKEE QUEEN finished a non-threatening sixth at 3-1 in the Virginia Oaks (G3) in her last start. She obviously has talent but could be overbet in this spot. SEEMINGLY is a consistent closer who could garner a minor award. Early pace player LUCK COPY can’t be totally dismissed and must be used in the vertical exotics.

Seventh Race: SEBASTIAN COUNTY returns to Arlington’s Polytrack where he won his first two races before finishing a good third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) last year. The Don Von Hemel trainee raced forwardly along the rail and then had to steady when in tight turning for home before finishing with interest in the Iowa Derby last out. He has posted three straight bullets since and turns back in distance. Illinois-bred AMAZING RESULTS, a multiple stakes winner on turf, waited patiently along the inside, then responded nicely in the drive to win the restricted Springfield S. in his first start over this surface last out. He picks up the services of Rafael Bejarano. The Dallas Stewart-trained PAPA comes off two straight victories over this surface and has some upset potential. Longshot: IN NIKE’S HONOR (20-1) appears to be an improving sort and has done little wrong in four career starts.

Eighth Race (Secretariat S. [G1]): I’m going to try and beat the 6-5 morning line favorite Tizdejavu, who could be vulnerable at this distance under top weight of 126 pounds. Both of the European invaders -- PLAN and WINCHESTER -- are top threats. The former represents the formidable duo of Aidan O’Brien and John Murtagh. Plan exits a Group 3 win at the Curragh and projects and stalk-and-pounce trip. Winchester ships in for Dermot Weld and lures leading rider Douglas astride. PRIME REALESTATE, who is trained by Wayne Catalano, probably didn’t like the soft going in the American Derby (G2) and has a license to rebound with a solid late run. Longshot: YOUR ROUND (8-1) has been finishing on the fringes against the best in the division and could improve under Velazquez.

Ninth Race (Beverly D. S. [G1]): With the presence of quality speed to her immediate outside, Dreaming of Anna (one of my favorites) could be vulnerable at this distance. Therefore, I’m going to give a slight edge to PRECIOUS KITTEN, who is without question one of the best of her division. The Bobby Frankel trainee probably was compromised by a slow pace and wide trip in the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) in her seasonal debut. She returned to run lights out with a powerful 2 ¼-length victory in the Gamely S. (G1) in her most recent outing and is a deserving morning-line favorite. MAURALAKANA has won four of her last five starts and comes off back-to-back Grade 2 victories at Belmont Park. She fits like a glove at this distance. DREAMING OF ANNA is a terrific filly who loves to run fast but I am concerned that she could get involved in an early speed duel with Rosinka. Longshot: COMMUNIQUE (12-1) was a good-looking winner of the Modesty H. (G3) at this track and trip last out and retains Douglas.

Tenth Race (Arlington Million [G1]): ARCHIPENKO came to hand earlier this year for conditioner Michael De Kock, finishing a close third in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) prior to winning the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1) at Sha Tin. He comes off a good Group 2 score at Royal Ascot and is the one to beat. MOUNT NELSON rallied to capture the Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) in his last start and goes forth for O’Brien/Murtagh. He must be respected. Multiple Grade 1 winner EINSTEIN is a dangerous contender and may try to take this field gate to wire. Longshot: STREAM CAT (8-1) could not have looked any better winning the Arlington H. (G3) at this track and trip last out and has upset potential under Leparoux. (Sudan was scratched on Friday)

Please note that I do not have any strong opinions on any of the Grade 1 events. All three could unfold any number of ways and I plan to enjoy the show and look for a little value. ESPN will provide live coverage from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. (EDT).

Good luck to one and all.

*****

Saratoga canceled after the second race yesterday when powerful storm rolled through the area and unleashed a torrential downpour that washed out the track between the five-sixteenths and quarter-mile pole. Racing is expected to resume today with a quartet of $100,000 stakes events, but my attention will be focused on the Arlington Million card.

I started following this modestly bred filly at Gulfstream Park. She caught my eye early on and proceeded to blast through her first three conditions against open company, displaying an exceptional late turn of foot. After placing in the Appalachian S. (G3) and Sands Point S. (G2), she was the troubled winner at 3-5 of the restricted Elmont S. on June 28 at Belmont Park.

On the other hand, her most recent start in the Virginia Oaks was simply a sight to behold. After appearing hopelessly beaten in midstretch, she flew home on the far outside to win going away by open lengths while running her final furlong in 10 and change.

I lost My Choo -- a play on words referring to the London-based fashion designer (Jimmy Choo) who is best known for his hand-made women's shoes -- probably is a Grade 1 quality filly. She should have little trouble with this group, but they still have to run the race. It will be interesting to see if the bridge jumpers are out in force.

I don't mind playing the favorite, but I start to get a little nervous at anything under 4-5. I'm looking for a lay-down winner at 3-2 or more simply because you must get enough of a reward for the inherent risk involved in a horse race. As they say: "Anything can happen, and usually does."

Excluding the Statue of Liberty (who is wearing sandals), the rest of the card is one wide-open race after another. The program starts with the A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase S. (NSA-G2), followed by a starter handicap for horses who have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2006-2008; a conditioned claimer for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs; a New York-bred maiden for two-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf; a strong straight maiden for two-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs; a conditioned claimer at nine furlongs on the inner turf; a New York-bred, first-level allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf; a New York-bred, first-level allowance at 1 1/8 miles on the main track; and a New York-bred, second-level allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

The best thing to do on a card like this is to play against the favorites. Many of them will be overbet. Simply stated, the conditions of the race, for the most part, will bring them all together.

For horseplayers, a good thing to keep in mind is: The harder the race, the better the reward.

In Saratoga Springs, it was mostly cloudy and 73 degrees with a dew point of 64 at 10:05 a.m. (EDT). There is a 50 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms this afternoon, which could change a lot of things.

*****

Is it me, or does anyone else think the trio of Grade 1 races at Arlington Park on Saturday came up a little light? After all, we are taking about a field of nine for the Secretariat S. (G1), a field of nine for the Beverly D. S. (G1), and a field of eight for the Arlington Million (G1).

I'm going to handicap the Arlington Million card, and I will post my selections and spot plays on Friday afternoon. I encourage everyone to take a look.

August 2007

The oldest, most famous series of races in horse racing is the Triple Crown, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont. No horse has won the Triple Crown since 1978, a break of twenty-nine years. This is similar to what happened from 1949-1972, when for twenty-five years no horse won the Triple Crown. In 1973, however, Secretariat was considered a major candidate to win the three races. The year before, he was the first two year old ever to win the Horse of the Year award. He finished a weak third, though, in the Wood Memorial, his prep race for the Triple Crown. Secretariat then rebounded to win the Triple Crown, winning every race in track-record time. The most amazing race was the Belmont, in which he triumphed by thirty-one lengths while setting a world record. The performance immediately achieved great acclaim. For example, veteran trainer John Gaver called it "the greatest exhibition of speed and stamina I had ever seen." The race is still recognized to be brilliant, as Secretariat's record stands and his margin of victory has not been bettered. Because of the time of the race, the speed and stamina displayed, and the fatigue that Secretariat overcame to win, the race is the greatest performance in horse racing history.

The huge winning margin at Belmont can be partly explained by the fact that Secretariat was facing just five opponents. Ten lengths also separated the third and fourth place finishers, showing that perhaps Secretariat was just the best of a field with widely varying talents. The Santa Anita Derby winner Sham finished within three lengths of Secretariat in all of their previous meetings. This time he was last, forty-two and a quarter lengths behind the winner. Thus, it is likely that all of the other horses were better than Sham. Secretariat's winning margin of thirty-one lengths is very impressive even though the field was small and talent may have differed widely.

In winning the one and a half mile long Belmont, Secretariat set a world record of 2:24. This broke the world record by two and one fifth seconds, a margin which has never been equaled. Normally when a horse crosses the finish line, his jockey pulls him up. Secretariat, though, actually ran past the finish at top speed, and his time for one and five-eighth's miles also broke the world record. Even before he had crossed the finish line, Secretariat ran parts of the race faster than the Belmont track records. Secretariat ran one and three-sixteenths, one and a quarter, and one and three-eighths miles faster than the Belmont track records. Unfortunately, only the time at the finish counts for record purposes, but if times before and after counted, Secretariat would have set five track records in one race.

Obviously, one of the most incredible parts of the triumph was the huge gap between Secretariat and his opponents. The only other victory by more than thirty lengths in a stakes race was by Man o' War in the 1920 Lawrence Realization, which he reportedly won by one hundred lengths. Thus, as trainer Lazaro Barrera said of Secretariat after the 1973 race, "The performance he put on in the Belmont - you have to go back to Man o' War to compare it." In many ways, though, Secretariat's winning margin is a greater achievement than Man o' War's. Man o' War's one hundred lengths are almost certainly an overestimate. He was also facing just one opponent, while Secretariat faced five. Another astounding fact about the 1973 race is that Secretariat, who held the lead from the beginning, increased his winning margin throughout the race! This almost never happens unless the leader runs the first part of the race very slowly, or is not pressured during the beginning. Secretariat ran the opening six furlongs faster than four of the eight most recent running of the prestigious Tobbogan Handicap. It is amazing that Secretariat increased his lead even though he was close to other horses through fast opening fractions.

Secretariat's closest opponent in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness was Sham. Sham battled with Secretariat for the first half of the Belmont but then finished last. The two had seemed fairly evenly matched in all of their previous meetings, but in this race, the quick pace did not seem to greatly affect Secretariat, while it destroyed Sham's chances. The devastating pace that he set did not tire him.

Finally, the most notable part of the race was that Secretariat should have been very tired before the Belmont, but still ran a spectacular race. His time of 1:59 ²/₅ in the Derby broke several records, and according to the Daily Racing Form, he ran the Preakness in 1:53 ²/₅, a world record. In addition to these races, he had seven blindingly fast workouts in six weeks, several of those especially impressive because they were on sloppy surfaces. Most horses could not possibly run their best race after two great starts and an exhausting series of workouts. And Secretariat was certainly affected by the schedule, as he lost four hundred pounds, more than a quarter of his weight, during the Triple Crown. The Belmont, however, was by far the best race of his career. Although Secretariat had many grueling races and workouts before the Belmont, he still ran a brilliant race.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by thirty-one lengths in world-record time. His record has not been broken on dirt since, and he would have broken five track records if his times before and after the race had been official. Even though the opening of the race was brilliantly fast, Secretariat did not tire and increased his lead throughout the race. Also, he had run two great races and seven workouts in six weeks. However, he showed no signs of being fatigued in the race. Therefore, Secretariat's race in the Belmont, which won the first Triple Crown in twenty-five years, was the greatest performance in horse racing history.

Thanks to the librarians at the Keeneland Library for their research help with this article. Major sources for this article included Charles Hatton's analysis of Secretariat in the 1974 American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form, 1974) and William H. Rudy's "Reactions" article in the Blood-Horse (June 18, 1973). For more information, see www.secretariat.com.

Yet another General Assembly resolution is awaiting its approval and the Security Council is pondering over its adoption in the SC Chambers behind the milti-national flags and the famous sky-blue UN backdrop that we often see on television across the world.

Dashing over to the 2nd floor briefing room to attend a "UN accredited press only" conference with one of the head bureaucrats, humanitarians, diplomats, etc. Usually, it's the same old story: all the goodwill in the world, highly enthusiastic speeches and rather critical questions (slowly crossing over into more "editorial" comments) posed by the press corp...

Welcome to work, Tinatin - the day job has now officially kicked off!

When I first stepped inside the Turtle Bay building, the last thing on my mind was making a career out of it... Or a side-career, anyway. The purpose of my initial meetings with the UN Department of Public Information was a song that I had wanted to dedicate to the struggle against HIV/AIDS - "I Pray". From then on, one meeting after another with various diplomats in different departments spread up and down across the building... Months of hand-shakes, introductions, letters, CDs sent back and forth through various bureaucratic corridors. It all shaped itself into a brand new project of its own - "We the Peoples", my UN song, or in other words, a song based on the United Nations Charter. An idea that first crossed the mind of an incredibly creative author and UN expert, Ian Williams.

When Ian first mentioned this unusual idea to me ("Put the 'I Pray' idea on hold for now - at least until you are more established so that you can really try and make a difference with the song and its purpose - and think about doing something that has never been done before - write a pop song based on the UN Charter... Now that's original!") I didn't immediately grasp the originality of it until I went back and read more about this big organization that I had only driven past throughout the years but had never known much about.

Whilst working my way up the bureaucratic ladder (and that did take a few months, I have to say) I read overwhelming amount of literature about the UN, asked questions (Ian Williams and my other friend, Mark Seddon, who at the time was the UN Correspondent for Al Jazeera English, were incredibly patient and generous in their informative discussions with the new student of theirs!) and tried to learn all there was to know about this fascinating place located in the very heart of Manhattan.

Up until the entire music project was fully and officially approved on all fronts (no one had ever written a pop song, or any other type of song, for that matter, based on the sacred Charter of the United Nations, so having no analogy to refer to, we really had to cross every single bridge up the UN ladder of approvals), I had quite a few months at my full disposal and I slowly developed a serious interest and enthusiasm for "everything to do with the UN"... Hence, I landed a job at one of the Russian papers as the UN Correspondent.

To make the long story short, it really did become a day job after all. Now I host a weekly radio show on Progressive Radio Network here in NY, a station run by Gary Null (a highly inquisitive mind, I admit!) and to be honest, the split-personality (singer/songwriter vs. political/diplomatic correspondent) has become a serious habit - it's not so easy to distinguish between the two... The music being a passion for life, the journalistic side of my life is a real bonus in every way - not only do I get to live and experience work on both sides of the fence, but the inquisitive mind and an overwhelming thirst for all this information across the board is more or less satisfied through the day job.

Referring to your question earlier on whether I'm a part-time DJ, well I guess you could say that - except not a club DJ but a radio DJ with a political flavor.

So there you have it... That's the day job...

Back to music now! :-)

 Twice a Stranger : The Mass Expulsions That Forged Modern Greece and Turkey

On July 24, 1923, the Peace Treaty of Lausanne was signed in Switzerland by Greece, Turkey and other countries that fought in WW1, setting out the boundaries of modern Greece and Turkey. One result of this was the large compulsory exchange, based on religion, of populations between the two countries.  As Bruce Clark, international security editor of the Economist, says in his book " Twice a Stranger: The Mass Expulsions That Forged Modern Greece and Turkey," it was "a massive, yet little-known landmark of modern history that made nearly two million citizens of Turkey or Greece move across the Aegean.” Using a variety of sources — interviews with some of the last surviving eyewitnesses, documents and accounts from the time, research by local historians in Greece and Turkey — Clark tells both the diplomatic and human stories of the exchange. Clark points out in his book that the exchange achieved its goals by creating clear boundaries and thus making it possible for the two countries to live side by side, while illustrating at the same time the human cost of the population exchange.     Secretariat General of Information: Books - Modern Greek History

I just got this article forwarded to me, from the Richmond Times-DIspatch in Virginia.   Skimming it, I could not help but notice the similarities in the legacies  of Big Red and Elvis Presley.

Secretariat was born in the Thoroughbred backwaters of Virginia.
Elvis was born in the Mississippi podunk town of Tupelo.

Secretariat was the king of racing.
Elvis is the King of ROck n'Roll

Elvis lived at Graceland mansion in Memphis.
Secretariat lived at a mansion-sized stallion barn at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY.

Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973, with his peak performance in the Belmont.
In 1973, Elvis reached his peak with the Aloha From Hawaii special, broadcast via satellite to over 1 billion people. 

Elvis died unexpectedly at 42.
Secretariat died unexpectedly at 19.

Elvis is buried in the Meditation Garden behind his mansion.
Secretariat is buried in the Claiborne Cemetery behind the farm office building.

Secretariat is the benchmark by which all other 3year olds are measured.
Elvis is the artist all other rock stars aspire to be.

Elvis set album sales records that have never been broken.
Secretariat set speed records in all 3 Triple Crown races, 2 of which have never been broken.

Elvis was famous for his good looks and colorful fashion sense.
Secretariat had perfect conformation and was famous for his brilliant red chestnut coat, three white socks and handsome blaze face.

30 years after his death, Elvis fans still make pilgrimages to his home, buy millions of dollars in merchandise, and listen to his music on the 24/7 Sirius radio station.
35 years after his Triple Crown sweep, Secretariat fans still flock to autograph sessions, buy photos and $73 bobbleheads, and watch his Belmont every year during the Belmont STakes telecast.

Elvis had one daughter, Lisa Marie.
Secretariat's lasting legacy is through his daughters, Weekend Surprise, Terlingua and Lady's Secret.

I could go on, but now's the time for you readers to add to the list!