Shelley Lee Riley's Blog: https://shelleyleeriley.com/my-thoughts/, page 5
November 29, 2014
Hollywood Derby - California Chrome
November 29, 2014
Dear Readers,
It’s been awhile since I posted a blog entry, and there’s been a good reason. With the success of my memoir, I’ve been caught up in the promotional aspects of having an International award winning book.
Added to the demands of that schedule, I’ve been enthusiastically writing a series of short stories, and I hope to publish them as a collection before the end of the year. Needless to say, time is running short.
Despite my hectic schedule, I’ve turned on the races and followed my favorite runners over the months. This year’s Breeder’s Cup was yet another extravaganza for the senses. My enthusiasm knew no bounds as I sat entranced before the television.
Today, one of my favorite horses is running in the G1 Hollywood Derby—California Chrome. Reading the comments on line about the horse and his owners, I felt compelled to add mine.
Overall I find it interesting, though not surprising, that California Chrome's connections have decided to try him on the turf. Why not? The horse of the year contest has become a contentious mess, with rumors circulating that the personalities and reputations of owners and trainers will be a determining factor in the voting. Geez, I hope that’s not true.
Along with California Chrome's other three losses since his thrilling Triple Crown campaign began, if he doesn’t win today, horse of the year honors would be a huge surprise. However, if Chrome does win today, he should be one of the favorites in the voting. Horse of the year accolades or not, win or lose today, no one can deny California Chrome was great for horseracing this year. The excitement California Chrome engendered, around the world, was monumental. And he reminded a whole lot of people that you don’t have to be a bazillionaire to get a good horse.Take care,
Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
It’s been awhile since I posted a blog entry, and there’s been a good reason. With the success of my memoir, I’ve been caught up in the promotional aspects of having an International award winning book.
Added to the demands of that schedule, I’ve been enthusiastically writing a series of short stories, and I hope to publish them as a collection before the end of the year. Needless to say, time is running short.
Despite my hectic schedule, I’ve turned on the races and followed my favorite runners over the months. This year’s Breeder’s Cup was yet another extravaganza for the senses. My enthusiasm knew no bounds as I sat entranced before the television.
Today, one of my favorite horses is running in the G1 Hollywood Derby—California Chrome. Reading the comments on line about the horse and his owners, I felt compelled to add mine.
Overall I find it interesting, though not surprising, that California Chrome's connections have decided to try him on the turf. Why not? The horse of the year contest has become a contentious mess, with rumors circulating that the personalities and reputations of owners and trainers will be a determining factor in the voting. Geez, I hope that’s not true.
Along with California Chrome's other three losses since his thrilling Triple Crown campaign began, if he doesn’t win today, horse of the year honors would be a huge surprise. However, if Chrome does win today, he should be one of the favorites in the voting. Horse of the year accolades or not, win or lose today, no one can deny California Chrome was great for horseracing this year. The excitement California Chrome engendered, around the world, was monumental. And he reminded a whole lot of people that you don’t have to be a bazillionaire to get a good horse.Take care,
Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
September 19, 2014
California Chrome - In It to Win
September 19, 2014
Dear Readers,
I’ve not hesitated over the course of 2014, to share my enthusiasm for California Chome. Feelings which ranged from amazement, to complete respect, and over the year these feelings have matured.
What a major coup for Parx Racing in Bensalem, to get California Chrome’s connections to commit to the Grade II Pennsylvania Derby. Their grandstand will be heaving by the time the horse’s line up in the starting gate to contest the one-mile and one-eighth distance. The eventual winner will take home the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 dollar purse.
So what do I think? I think this is a talented field of horses. Tons of speed and bucket loads of class abound. But then that describes Chrome, doesn’t it?
Of course, opinions exist in large numbers, and I write this blog to express my own. So here goes. First I can’t fault Art Sherman and his team, for anything they have done with this horse. Obviously they are privy to things the rest of the world is not. Turning the horse out at a Harris Farm where the staff was familiar with the horse was brilliant. Chrome didn’t just stand in a stall and then jog around the training track, he was let down to the point where they could turn him out in a pasture, and they just let him be a horse.
Working Chrome between races at Los Alamitos was the next brilliant move. Talk about a good work, and with the crowd cheering his every stride? Better than a race, at least by my way of thinking. Chrome jogged off the track looking and feeling like a winner.
Now he’s been shipped to Pennsylvania to hook, arguably, some of the best three-year-olds on the east coast. Not a good idea? Well I say, why not? When you get to the level this horse is at, there are no easy races. Do you really think anybody would have filled a conditioned allowance race written to accommodate California Chrome? Not likely.
So here’s the field:
1. California Chrome – Everything that could be said has been said about the horse. I don’t think Sherman and crew have any other outcome in mind, other than a first place finish. They didn’t take him all the way there, just to give him a race. And yet, having said that, I think if he comes up short, they won’t be disappointed if he runs competitively.
2. Candy Boy– What a nice colt, and he sure has been getting lined up against the best. In the Mountaineer he was pretty flat footed when he came out of the gate. Hustled up into contention, he then stayed on the outside for the entire race. This overland route kept Candy Boy out of trouble, as compared to the eventual winner who got in all kinds of trouble.
3. Protonico – Lightly raced, looked good overcoming problems in the Smarty Jones to win. He would be a surprise. I love his pedigree.
4. Bayern – My goodness that last race was a clunker. I know the fractions were fast, but to me this horse never looked comfortable. They didn’t chart him as having been eased, but he sure looked like he was right on the ragged edge of it. I’m surprised to see him in here. Maybe he hated Saratoga’s surface.
5. Noble Moon– Might be a bit overmatched in here. He’s a nice horse, no doubt, but I think at best, he might get up in time for a piece of it.
6. Classic Giancroll – Another nice horse who also looks a bit overmatched. Would be a surprise for me if he were to win it.
7. Tapiture – This horse got mugged twice in his last race. Once in the first turn, and then a total smack down in the lane, and still he got up in time to win.
8. C J’s Awesome – And he may very well be awesome, but I don’t see him upsetting this field. He does have a little speed.
Looking critically at the field, there is no reason California Chrome can’t win this race. If he doesn’t win, I sure hope he’s close, because other than Tapiture, Candy Boy and Bayern, the remainder of the field shouldn’t outrun him, even in a comeback race after a layup.
Art has to be nervous, despite the way the form handicaps. As a trainer you do what you can and then the race is run. Sometimes you drive home exhausted and downcast. Other times it’s a good thing there’s a roof on the car, otherwise you’d float right on out.
I’m glad Shared Belief didn’t come back for this race. If California Chrome wins the Pennsylvania Derby and Shared Belief wins his next race at Santa Anita, the Breeder’s Cup Classic could be monumental.
I’ll be clinging to the television tomorrow, and I hope to be dazzled.
Take care,
Shelley Riley – Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
I’ve not hesitated over the course of 2014, to share my enthusiasm for California Chome. Feelings which ranged from amazement, to complete respect, and over the year these feelings have matured.
What a major coup for Parx Racing in Bensalem, to get California Chrome’s connections to commit to the Grade II Pennsylvania Derby. Their grandstand will be heaving by the time the horse’s line up in the starting gate to contest the one-mile and one-eighth distance. The eventual winner will take home the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 dollar purse.
So what do I think? I think this is a talented field of horses. Tons of speed and bucket loads of class abound. But then that describes Chrome, doesn’t it?
Of course, opinions exist in large numbers, and I write this blog to express my own. So here goes. First I can’t fault Art Sherman and his team, for anything they have done with this horse. Obviously they are privy to things the rest of the world is not. Turning the horse out at a Harris Farm where the staff was familiar with the horse was brilliant. Chrome didn’t just stand in a stall and then jog around the training track, he was let down to the point where they could turn him out in a pasture, and they just let him be a horse.
Working Chrome between races at Los Alamitos was the next brilliant move. Talk about a good work, and with the crowd cheering his every stride? Better than a race, at least by my way of thinking. Chrome jogged off the track looking and feeling like a winner.
Now he’s been shipped to Pennsylvania to hook, arguably, some of the best three-year-olds on the east coast. Not a good idea? Well I say, why not? When you get to the level this horse is at, there are no easy races. Do you really think anybody would have filled a conditioned allowance race written to accommodate California Chrome? Not likely.
So here’s the field:
1. California Chrome – Everything that could be said has been said about the horse. I don’t think Sherman and crew have any other outcome in mind, other than a first place finish. They didn’t take him all the way there, just to give him a race. And yet, having said that, I think if he comes up short, they won’t be disappointed if he runs competitively.
2. Candy Boy– What a nice colt, and he sure has been getting lined up against the best. In the Mountaineer he was pretty flat footed when he came out of the gate. Hustled up into contention, he then stayed on the outside for the entire race. This overland route kept Candy Boy out of trouble, as compared to the eventual winner who got in all kinds of trouble.
3. Protonico – Lightly raced, looked good overcoming problems in the Smarty Jones to win. He would be a surprise. I love his pedigree.
4. Bayern – My goodness that last race was a clunker. I know the fractions were fast, but to me this horse never looked comfortable. They didn’t chart him as having been eased, but he sure looked like he was right on the ragged edge of it. I’m surprised to see him in here. Maybe he hated Saratoga’s surface.
5. Noble Moon– Might be a bit overmatched in here. He’s a nice horse, no doubt, but I think at best, he might get up in time for a piece of it.
6. Classic Giancroll – Another nice horse who also looks a bit overmatched. Would be a surprise for me if he were to win it.
7. Tapiture – This horse got mugged twice in his last race. Once in the first turn, and then a total smack down in the lane, and still he got up in time to win.
8. C J’s Awesome – And he may very well be awesome, but I don’t see him upsetting this field. He does have a little speed.
Looking critically at the field, there is no reason California Chrome can’t win this race. If he doesn’t win, I sure hope he’s close, because other than Tapiture, Candy Boy and Bayern, the remainder of the field shouldn’t outrun him, even in a comeback race after a layup.
Art has to be nervous, despite the way the form handicaps. As a trainer you do what you can and then the race is run. Sometimes you drive home exhausted and downcast. Other times it’s a good thing there’s a roof on the car, otherwise you’d float right on out.
I’m glad Shared Belief didn’t come back for this race. If California Chrome wins the Pennsylvania Derby and Shared Belief wins his next race at Santa Anita, the Breeder’s Cup Classic could be monumental.
I’ll be clinging to the television tomorrow, and I hope to be dazzled.
Take care,
Shelley Riley – Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
August 27, 2014
California Chrome vs. Shared Belief
California Chrome vs. Shared Belief
August 27, 2014
Dear Readers,
Well, I have certainly taken a long vacation from my blog. There’ve been many reasons for this, but suffice it to say, sometimes life consumes your will.
I watched Sunday’s Gr. I TVG Pacific Classic, going one mile and a quarter, a diminutive colt with the iron will of a giant, took on a stellar field of hardened runner’s. To say Shared Belief spanked them, might be a bit of an over statement. But when the running was over, and the time of the race was registered, few would say they hadn’t just witnessed a very special horse.
So what’s next? Apparently, a clash of the titans is on the horizon and a lot sooner than Breeder’s Cup weekend.
I’ve been anxious to see California Chrome run again. Now I’m nervous. You can’t expect a million dollar race to be easy. But it just got a lot harder. Shared Belief’s connections are eyeing the same race California Chrome’s camp has chosen for their super stars comeback. And that is the nine furlong Gr. 2 Pennsylvania Derby with a one million dollar purse up for grabs. Yikes!
No matter how confident California Chrome’s people are, this can’t be what they had in mind for his first race after a layoff.
Now about that layoff, everyone expected the horse to get a break. But most trainers would have given their horse that break, in house, so to speak, walking and jogging, along with the occasional easy gallop.
My hat’s off to Dumb Ass Partners and Art Sherman. Turning Chrome out, in a safe and familiar environment, was a brilliant move. The first week or so, I’m sure the horse was wound up, whinnying constantly. But once his mind cleared and he calmed down…let the healing begin. The picture posted, of Art standing in a wide open paddock, communing with Chrome, no halter, no shank, it says it all.
So California Chrome is back in training, and from all reports doing so in an impressive manner. How much condition does a horse lose with that amount of time off? It depends on the individual, but very little in most cases, especially when it’s weeks, rather than months we’re talking about.
But nonetheless, and I repeat, they can’t be thrilled with the possibility of facing a monster like Shared Belief, and without a race under their belt.
We will see what the coming weeks bring, but the showdown, now or later, will be watched by untold millions.
On other subjects, I lost my lovely Nigel to an incurable condition. He faded quickly, and though he wasn’t in pain, death had clearly crept towards his soul. The decision to let him go, rather than suffer to the end, was a struggle between need and loss, for me.
Nigel was a rescue from Florida greyhound racing. He was a rack of bones, with untold ticks stuck-in over a good deal of his body, when he arrived to the rescue organization. We treated him and then I took him home to foster, and ultimately he stuck like one of those ticks into my heart, and I adopted him.
Over the five years I was blessed to have Nigel in my life, he never barked once, he didn’t lick me or other people, he didn’t get on the furniture, he loved children and small dogs. Halloween was a treat for both him and the kids who came to the door. RIP my gentle friend.
On a less sad note, Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure won a Bronze Medal in the just announced 2014 Global EBook Awards.
I’m working hard on a book of short stories, as well as a novel length piece based in Kentucky during the American Civil War. Here are the opening lines of “To The Steeple.”CONFISCATED, TRADED, AND STOLEN. The armies, on both sides, had taken all their horses. What they’d left, along with the detritus of armies on the move, were the disease-ridden, starved, and crippled horses, like this one.
Isabella placed the saddle over the withers of the scarred veteran of the War Between the States. Pausing, she let her fingers trail across the flank of the huge stallion. Dull and straw-like to the touch, the horse’s chestnut coat did little to hide the outline of his boney frame. I hope to have the story done and published before the end of the year. I will keep you apprised.
Take care and thank you for sharing,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
August 27, 2014
Dear Readers,
Well, I have certainly taken a long vacation from my blog. There’ve been many reasons for this, but suffice it to say, sometimes life consumes your will.
I watched Sunday’s Gr. I TVG Pacific Classic, going one mile and a quarter, a diminutive colt with the iron will of a giant, took on a stellar field of hardened runner’s. To say Shared Belief spanked them, might be a bit of an over statement. But when the running was over, and the time of the race was registered, few would say they hadn’t just witnessed a very special horse.
So what’s next? Apparently, a clash of the titans is on the horizon and a lot sooner than Breeder’s Cup weekend.
I’ve been anxious to see California Chrome run again. Now I’m nervous. You can’t expect a million dollar race to be easy. But it just got a lot harder. Shared Belief’s connections are eyeing the same race California Chrome’s camp has chosen for their super stars comeback. And that is the nine furlong Gr. 2 Pennsylvania Derby with a one million dollar purse up for grabs. Yikes!
No matter how confident California Chrome’s people are, this can’t be what they had in mind for his first race after a layoff.
Now about that layoff, everyone expected the horse to get a break. But most trainers would have given their horse that break, in house, so to speak, walking and jogging, along with the occasional easy gallop.
My hat’s off to Dumb Ass Partners and Art Sherman. Turning Chrome out, in a safe and familiar environment, was a brilliant move. The first week or so, I’m sure the horse was wound up, whinnying constantly. But once his mind cleared and he calmed down…let the healing begin. The picture posted, of Art standing in a wide open paddock, communing with Chrome, no halter, no shank, it says it all.
So California Chrome is back in training, and from all reports doing so in an impressive manner. How much condition does a horse lose with that amount of time off? It depends on the individual, but very little in most cases, especially when it’s weeks, rather than months we’re talking about.
But nonetheless, and I repeat, they can’t be thrilled with the possibility of facing a monster like Shared Belief, and without a race under their belt.
We will see what the coming weeks bring, but the showdown, now or later, will be watched by untold millions.
On other subjects, I lost my lovely Nigel to an incurable condition. He faded quickly, and though he wasn’t in pain, death had clearly crept towards his soul. The decision to let him go, rather than suffer to the end, was a struggle between need and loss, for me.
Nigel was a rescue from Florida greyhound racing. He was a rack of bones, with untold ticks stuck-in over a good deal of his body, when he arrived to the rescue organization. We treated him and then I took him home to foster, and ultimately he stuck like one of those ticks into my heart, and I adopted him.
Over the five years I was blessed to have Nigel in my life, he never barked once, he didn’t lick me or other people, he didn’t get on the furniture, he loved children and small dogs. Halloween was a treat for both him and the kids who came to the door. RIP my gentle friend.
On a less sad note, Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure won a Bronze Medal in the just announced 2014 Global EBook Awards.
I’m working hard on a book of short stories, as well as a novel length piece based in Kentucky during the American Civil War. Here are the opening lines of “To The Steeple.”CONFISCATED, TRADED, AND STOLEN. The armies, on both sides, had taken all their horses. What they’d left, along with the detritus of armies on the move, were the disease-ridden, starved, and crippled horses, like this one.
Isabella placed the saddle over the withers of the scarred veteran of the War Between the States. Pausing, she let her fingers trail across the flank of the huge stallion. Dull and straw-like to the touch, the horse’s chestnut coat did little to hide the outline of his boney frame. I hope to have the story done and published before the end of the year. I will keep you apprised.
Take care and thank you for sharing,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
June 8, 2014
California Chrome Remains Untarnished
June 8, 2014
Dear Readers,
Bummer! Oh well, that’s why it’s so hard to run in all three Triple Crown races, let alone win them all. I’m not going to comment on the verbal shenanigans going on all over the airways yesterday and today. I would wager my odds, for garnering negative criticism, would be far shorter than those of California Chrome. But having said that, it is my blog, and I can say what I want. So I choose to take a look at some remarkable images that have surfaced after the race.
If you want to write a script and include the perfect excuse for California Chrome failing to win the Belmont Stakes and thus the Triple Crown, start by going to Google and do a search using: California Chrome and Matterhorn start, and then select images. Now look at the images frame by frame. Clearly there was contact.
Matterhorn’s rider, Joe Bravo is standing up in the stirrups and trying to pull his horse off of California Chrome. Matterhorn’s left leg is stuck under California Chrome and behind his right leg.
Next frame, California Chrome’s right leg is at an unnatural angle, his head is going down and his rider is desperately trying to pull it up and steady his horse. This would be where the inside right bulb of California Chrome’s hoof was nearly torn completely off. From what I can see, it is unlikely that they will be able to leave that piece attached. It will have to be removed and it will take some time for it to grow out. It’s not a life threatening injury and in fact the whole incident could have been far worse.
Instead of criticizing Victor Espinoza, people should be showering him as well as Joe Bravo with accolades. This incident out of the gate could have, and it’s a wonder it didn’t, resulted in a spectacular spill. Instantaneous reflexes by two very talented riders secured the safety of both their mounts and tragedy was averted.
Just take the time to reflect on the last seven weeks leading up to and through the Triple Crown. Try to remember that for one brief shining moment, there was a country mesmerized by the glory and wonder of a brilliant chestnut star.
California Chrome’s star remains untarnished for me, and I hope for all of you reading this, that you feel the same way. He is just a horse, a horse who gives his all every time he is asked to run, and no matter what comments are said…California Chrome neither reads them nor hears them.
Take care,
Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
Bummer! Oh well, that’s why it’s so hard to run in all three Triple Crown races, let alone win them all. I’m not going to comment on the verbal shenanigans going on all over the airways yesterday and today. I would wager my odds, for garnering negative criticism, would be far shorter than those of California Chrome. But having said that, it is my blog, and I can say what I want. So I choose to take a look at some remarkable images that have surfaced after the race.
If you want to write a script and include the perfect excuse for California Chrome failing to win the Belmont Stakes and thus the Triple Crown, start by going to Google and do a search using: California Chrome and Matterhorn start, and then select images. Now look at the images frame by frame. Clearly there was contact.
Matterhorn’s rider, Joe Bravo is standing up in the stirrups and trying to pull his horse off of California Chrome. Matterhorn’s left leg is stuck under California Chrome and behind his right leg.
Next frame, California Chrome’s right leg is at an unnatural angle, his head is going down and his rider is desperately trying to pull it up and steady his horse. This would be where the inside right bulb of California Chrome’s hoof was nearly torn completely off. From what I can see, it is unlikely that they will be able to leave that piece attached. It will have to be removed and it will take some time for it to grow out. It’s not a life threatening injury and in fact the whole incident could have been far worse.
Instead of criticizing Victor Espinoza, people should be showering him as well as Joe Bravo with accolades. This incident out of the gate could have, and it’s a wonder it didn’t, resulted in a spectacular spill. Instantaneous reflexes by two very talented riders secured the safety of both their mounts and tragedy was averted.
Just take the time to reflect on the last seven weeks leading up to and through the Triple Crown. Try to remember that for one brief shining moment, there was a country mesmerized by the glory and wonder of a brilliant chestnut star.
California Chrome’s star remains untarnished for me, and I hope for all of you reading this, that you feel the same way. He is just a horse, a horse who gives his all every time he is asked to run, and no matter what comments are said…California Chrome neither reads them nor hears them.
Take care,
Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
June 6, 2014
California Chrome - Belmont Stakes - Gone with the Wind
June 6, 2014
Dear Readers,
“After all, tomorrow is another day,” declared Scarlett O’hara at the end of Margaret Mitchell’s, Gone with the Wind.
Tomorrow is the day. The day which I hope, with a good many others, that California Chrome will indeed be gone with the wind.
Scarlett declared, “I will find a way to win him back.” It’s been thirty-six years since owners and trainers of top level Thoroughbreds have been able to find a way to win all three, back to back races, and go home with the Triple Crown.
I’m not going to handicap the field looking for another horse, one who might be able to outrun the horse that I want to win. While I know, as well as any other trainer of Thoroughbreds, that these critters stay up nights to ruin our days, until California Chrome crosses that wire in front on Saturday, there are no guarantees.
For me, the best indicator, I’ve seen from afar, that California Chrome is right and ready for this race, was the look on Victor Espinoza’s face, as he and the pony rider back-tracked after last Saturday’s workout over the Belmont strip. You couldn’t have wiped that grin off his face with battery acid. It wasn’t a smile for the camera’s, it was a grin that starts somewhere in the middle of your being, and bursts out like the sun after a hurricane.
Will California Chrome wake up on the right side of the stall tomorrow? Will he clean up his feed? Will he jog around the track and get back to the barn without getting hurt. Will he handle the crush of people? Can he go the distance? Will he get away clean out of the gate? Will he get in trouble during the race? In other words…can something go wrong?
Can California Chrome get outrun? I’m going to channel Scarlett and say, “I can’t think about that right now. If I do I’ll go crazy, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Have fun horse racing fans. This could be a glorious moment, a bright shiny moment. This could be the moment, where the beautiful part of horse racing, the animal himself, can bring joy into the hearts of so many.
Win or lose, this horse has already brought joy into my heart. I will be cheering along with an estimated eleven hundred people at the Pleasanton off track betting facility, where I’ve been invited to sign copies of my memoir.
Take care,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
“After all, tomorrow is another day,” declared Scarlett O’hara at the end of Margaret Mitchell’s, Gone with the Wind.
Tomorrow is the day. The day which I hope, with a good many others, that California Chrome will indeed be gone with the wind.
Scarlett declared, “I will find a way to win him back.” It’s been thirty-six years since owners and trainers of top level Thoroughbreds have been able to find a way to win all three, back to back races, and go home with the Triple Crown.
I’m not going to handicap the field looking for another horse, one who might be able to outrun the horse that I want to win. While I know, as well as any other trainer of Thoroughbreds, that these critters stay up nights to ruin our days, until California Chrome crosses that wire in front on Saturday, there are no guarantees.
For me, the best indicator, I’ve seen from afar, that California Chrome is right and ready for this race, was the look on Victor Espinoza’s face, as he and the pony rider back-tracked after last Saturday’s workout over the Belmont strip. You couldn’t have wiped that grin off his face with battery acid. It wasn’t a smile for the camera’s, it was a grin that starts somewhere in the middle of your being, and bursts out like the sun after a hurricane.
Will California Chrome wake up on the right side of the stall tomorrow? Will he clean up his feed? Will he jog around the track and get back to the barn without getting hurt. Will he handle the crush of people? Can he go the distance? Will he get away clean out of the gate? Will he get in trouble during the race? In other words…can something go wrong?
Can California Chrome get outrun? I’m going to channel Scarlett and say, “I can’t think about that right now. If I do I’ll go crazy, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Have fun horse racing fans. This could be a glorious moment, a bright shiny moment. This could be the moment, where the beautiful part of horse racing, the animal himself, can bring joy into the hearts of so many.
Win or lose, this horse has already brought joy into my heart. I will be cheering along with an estimated eleven hundred people at the Pleasanton off track betting facility, where I’ve been invited to sign copies of my memoir.
Take care,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
California Chrome - Gone with the Wind
June 6, 2014
Dear Readers,
“After all, tomorrow is another day,” declared Scarlett O’hara at the end of Margaret Mitchell’s, Gone with the Wind.
Tomorrow is the day. The day which I hope, with a good many others, that California Chrome will indeed be gone with the wind.
Scarlett declared, “I will find a way to win him back.” It’s been thirty-six years since owners and trainers of top level Thoroughbreds have been able to find a way to win all three, back to back races, and go home with the Triple Crown.
I’m not going to handicap the field looking for another horse, one who might be able to outrun the horse that I want to win. While I know, as well as any other trainer of Thoroughbreds, that these critters stay up nights to ruin our days, until California Chrome crosses that wire in front on Saturday, there are no guarantees.
For me, the best indicator, I’ve seen from afar, that California Chrome is right and ready for this race, was the look on Victor Espinoza’s face, as he and the pony rider back-tracked after last Saturday’s workout over the Belmont strip. You couldn’t have wiped that grin off his face with battery acid. It wasn’t a smile for the camera’s, it was a grin that starts somewhere in the middle of your being, and bursts out like the sun after a hurricane.
Will California Chrome wake up on the right side of the stall tomorrow? Will he clean up his feed? Will he jog around the track and get back to the barn without getting hurt. Will he handle the crush of people? Can he go the distance? Will he get away clean out of the gate? Will he get in trouble during the race? In other words…can something go wrong?
Can California Chrome get outrun? I’m going to channel Scarlett and say, “I can’t think about that right now. If I do I’ll go crazy, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Have fun horse racing fans. This could be a glorious moment, a bright shiny moment. This could be the moment, where the beautiful part of horse racing, the animal himself, can bring joy into the hearts of so many.
Win or lose, this horse has already brought joy into my heart. I will be cheering along with an estimated eleven hundred people at the Pleasanton off track betting facility, where I’ve been invited to sign copies of my memoir.
Take care,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
“After all, tomorrow is another day,” declared Scarlett O’hara at the end of Margaret Mitchell’s, Gone with the Wind.
Tomorrow is the day. The day which I hope, with a good many others, that California Chrome will indeed be gone with the wind.
Scarlett declared, “I will find a way to win him back.” It’s been thirty-six years since owners and trainers of top level Thoroughbreds have been able to find a way to win all three, back to back races, and go home with the Triple Crown.
I’m not going to handicap the field looking for another horse, one who might be able to outrun the horse that I want to win. While I know, as well as any other trainer of Thoroughbreds, that these critters stay up nights to ruin our days, until California Chrome crosses that wire in front on Saturday, there are no guarantees.
For me, the best indicator, I’ve seen from afar, that California Chrome is right and ready for this race, was the look on Victor Espinoza’s face, as he and the pony rider back-tracked after last Saturday’s workout over the Belmont strip. You couldn’t have wiped that grin off his face with battery acid. It wasn’t a smile for the camera’s, it was a grin that starts somewhere in the middle of your being, and bursts out like the sun after a hurricane.
Will California Chrome wake up on the right side of the stall tomorrow? Will he clean up his feed? Will he jog around the track and get back to the barn without getting hurt. Will he handle the crush of people? Can he go the distance? Will he get away clean out of the gate? Will he get in trouble during the race? In other words…can something go wrong?
Can California Chrome get outrun? I’m going to channel Scarlett and say, “I can’t think about that right now. If I do I’ll go crazy, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Have fun horse racing fans. This could be a glorious moment, a bright shiny moment. This could be the moment, where the beautiful part of horse racing, the animal himself, can bring joy into the hearts of so many.
Win or lose, this horse has already brought joy into my heart. I will be cheering along with an estimated eleven hundred people at the Pleasanton off track betting facility, where I’ve been invited to sign copies of my memoir.
Take care,Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
May 23, 2014
California Chrome's Pretty Story
May 23, 2014
Dear Readers,
I’ve been working diligently on my latest short story, one of many that I plan to include in a collection that’ll be published later this fall. I took a few minutes out to Google the latest news on California Chrome. Unfortunately the first article on offer was the rant pinned by Gregg Doyal on cbssport.com who proclaimed he was trying to be fair, even though he said he was firmly entrenched on the side of those who would like to see the sport eliminated. With that caveat, does anyone reading the article really expect unbiased?
I carefully read every word and found the usual, “death and destruction, cruelty and slaughter, discarded commodities,” peppered with hackneyed cliché’s like, “the sound of one hand clapping.”
Okay, so he filled his column, and earned his paycheck. I don’t want to get embroiled in the decade’s old debate about sports, of any kind, and medications or performance enhancing drugs. But what I will do is offer up this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QvAgbIMzD3o
Produced by the Blood-Horse, this video says far more than I can to clean the rust off the old saw espoused in Gregg Doyal’s rant. I urge you to watch this video and I defy you to finish the piece without feeling at least one smile curve your lips.
I love Horse Racing,
Shelley Lee Riley, author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
I’ve been working diligently on my latest short story, one of many that I plan to include in a collection that’ll be published later this fall. I took a few minutes out to Google the latest news on California Chrome. Unfortunately the first article on offer was the rant pinned by Gregg Doyal on cbssport.com who proclaimed he was trying to be fair, even though he said he was firmly entrenched on the side of those who would like to see the sport eliminated. With that caveat, does anyone reading the article really expect unbiased?
I carefully read every word and found the usual, “death and destruction, cruelty and slaughter, discarded commodities,” peppered with hackneyed cliché’s like, “the sound of one hand clapping.”
Okay, so he filled his column, and earned his paycheck. I don’t want to get embroiled in the decade’s old debate about sports, of any kind, and medications or performance enhancing drugs. But what I will do is offer up this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QvAgbIMzD3o
Produced by the Blood-Horse, this video says far more than I can to clean the rust off the old saw espoused in Gregg Doyal’s rant. I urge you to watch this video and I defy you to finish the piece without feeling at least one smile curve your lips.
I love Horse Racing,
Shelley Lee Riley, author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure
www.shelleyriley.com
May 19, 2014
California Chrome Retains his Nasal Strip for Belmont
May 19, 2014Dear Readers,
Hot off the presses, California Chrome can wear his nose Band-aid.
Yippee-yi-yo-kayay.
Put a check in the box marked “reasonable, fair and right.”
Now that this ridiculous bump in the road is behind California Chrome, and all his fanatical fans. We need to keep our fingers crossed for the remainder of the three week wait until Belmont Stakes Day.
The card Belmont Park has compiled is so strong; it is hard to call it an undercard for the feature race. What a festival, I wish I could be there. The grandstand should be heaving, and the excitement thunderous.
One pretty chestnut, with lots of jewelry will walk onto the track carrying the kind of weight that comes from the hearts of all the people around the world, who love a good story.
My vision for the race includes the rest of the field chasing a wide-eyed, bucktoothed turquoise jackass down the lane in the Belmont Stakes.
Now, where are those Berkenstocks?
Take care,
Shelley Riley, author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
May 18, 2014
California Chrome, Nasal Strips & New York Racing Commission
May 18, 2014
Dear Readers,
Alrighty then. Everybody feel as good as I do today? I declare far and wide I am a Chromey. I’m going out and buy some white tube socks, brown Birkenstocks (since I’m not willing to glue horseshoes to my feet), a turquoise blouse and purple peddle-pushers. Decked out in my regalia I shall attend the first Belmont Party I’m invited to and sing the Chromey anthem. Is there one? Well I hope someone is penning one as I write this. All hail dumbasses everywhere, we have our heroes.
But wait, the Grinch is about to steal our victory away. Nasal strips verboten? Seriously? Are you kidding me? Really? It’s a piece of adhesive paper that goes on the outside of the horse, not up his nose or any other orifices. Tell me ain’t so.
Dumbass Chromey’s everywhere unite, write your elected officials, and petition the New York Racing commission and Tweet, Tweet, Tweet. If our pleas fall on deaf ears and California Chrome skips the Belmont because of a ruling against nasal strips, a ruling made by the New York Racing Stewards. Raise your voices and shout out, “Hell No We Won’t Go,” and boycott the Belmont.
It would be kind of cool if the other horsemen got together and didn’t enter their horses in the Belmont Stakes, and showed some solidarity over a ridiculous ruling. But alas, knowing what I know about horseracing, I doubt that will happen. But then again it might.
Until the ruling is in, let’s keep our fingers crossed. To have a Triple Crown snatched from our grasp, and by the lone racing commission to ban the use of a piece of paper as equipment, is unthinkable.
Take care,
Shelley Riley, Author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure.www.shelleyriley.com
May 15, 2014
California Chrome, Throat Blister & the Preakness Stakes
May 17, 2014
Dear Readers,
Over morning coffee, while keeping up on the latest news coming out of Baltimore, I felt I would add an addendum to my Preakness comments.
The pressure is on for the all members of California Chrome's team. Unlike my team, coming into the Kentucky Derby with Casual Lies, where other than us, nobody thought we had a chance and they weren’t particularly opposed to voicing it. California Chrome came into the Kentucky Derby with a four race win streak, where he didn’t just finish first; he made the rest of field look like cheap claimers jumping up in class to allowance company. The pundits, pulling out all their prejudices against California runners, couldn’t ignore California Chrome, but nonetheless they didn’t want to believe.
That made the media shark pool a lot easier to handle for Art Sherman. With a shrug of the shoulders and a ready smile, Art could wrap himself in the astounding race record of his charge, and take the high road. Cool and confident…wait and see.
Now we have a cough. I’ve heard it referred to as Throat-Gate, the reports of a blister on the horse’s throat which was the cause for the cough heard around the world. Horses cough; I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been left to brush wads of partially chewed hay off my blouse after one of my charges has coughed.
Having said that, I would have been beside myself if Casual Lies had coughed four times as he stepped off the track. This is not good on any level. Every trainer worries about their horse getting an upper respiratory, particularly during a campaign. With the scoping and the blood work, Art and his team know what they are dealing with. They will do what is right for the horse, he is to precious not to.
But now, let’s just ratchet up the pressure on Art and his crew. If the horse doesn’t win, they will be excoriated, whether or not the blister had anything to do with it. Their hearts will be jumping out of their chests when the field turns for home, and so will mine.
Carry on reading if you haven’t seen my thoughts on today’s field and would like to.
May 15, 2014
Dear Readers,
The draw for post position is complete and the ten horse field is set for the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes. When there is a prohibitive favorite in a race, I pride myself on looking for the possible amidst the improbable. Today as I peruse each horse, I realize unlikely is the word I keep repeating.
I can’t pick a horse to win this race, save one—California Chrome. But it is a horse race and in the face of certainty, lies roughly ten-thousand pounds of horse flesh, each with a mind of his own. There-in lies the uncertainty and that uncertainty is the fodder pundits live for.
I won’t repeat accolades that have already been extolled ad nauseam from too many keyboards, printed columns and media broadcasts. How many ways can you say California Chrome is fantastic? Since I already have, I will not spend time on a laudatory elucidation extolling all the reasons he is such a nice horse.
So who can run second and third or even win?
1. Dynamic Impact – Ran full out and gamely in the Illinois Derby. Dynamic Impact comes into this race with tactical speed and a willingness to lay off the front runner. Unlikely.
2. General A Rod – He was never in position to make an impact in the boxing match that was this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby. I think this horse will be a lot closer to the front end in this race and he should have no trouble with the tight turns. Nevertheless, Unlikely.
3. California Chrome – Needs to break well and hopefully he’s sound. I’m a fan.
4. Ring Weekend – Looked pretty green in his last race, over correcting at the head of the stretch. The race before, in which he won, he was also sensitive to guidance by the jockey. Should improve. Unlikely.
5. Bayern – Didn’t have enough points to get into the Derby, and this may turn out to have been a blessing for him. He’s got speed, lots of it. I don’t see Baffert sending his horse out for a suicidal duel on the front end and he did take the blinkers off. We’ll see if this horse can be rated; because I think that will be the plan. Very interesting.
6. Ria Antonia – There is no doubt this is a nice filly, but for me this is not the type of filly that can out run colts of this quality. Unlikely.
7. Kid Cruz– I don’t think I would survive if I owned this horse. Dead last by twenty-five and then he wins? Wow Silky Sullivan reincarnate? You know if there’s a real speed duel on the front end of this race…..hmmm. But… and that is a big but, in the other races Kid Cruz won, the frontend fractions were ridiculously slow. Interesting.
8. Social Inclusion – This is probably the biggest question mark for me in this race. Clearly an impressive colt, and with only two races under his girth, he takes on the likes of the Grade I Wood Memorial field. In the far outside at the start, his rider asked him straight away to get some position going into the first turn. The colt gets hung out and now that he’s up in the bit, he refused to come back. Head and head he raced around there and opened up down the lane, only to tire in the final eighth of a mile. Huge third place finish against a stellar field, and in a race where he didn’t have the best of racing luck. Very Interesting.
9. Pablo Del Monte – Another nice horse, but he needs to learn how to win. Unlikely.
10. Ride On Curlin – This horse is almost always in some kind of trouble. But in the end, with only a few exceptions, he makes his presence known. He’s got technical speed and I would argue he runs well when they use it. Still I can’t get behind this horse. Unlikely.
That brings us to the big reveal….
1st California Chrome – Because, even as good as he is, we don’t know how good he’s going to get, and also because I’m a fan. I know he has a few issues, starting gate as number one of those, but I want to see him win. I want the thrill when he surges to the front and I'm reminded what it feels like to see a prohibitive favorite fulfill their promise.
2nd Social Inclusion – I like that he's fresh coming into this race. I think this colt is definitely one to watch in the fall and in the races leading up to the Breeder’s Cup.
3rd Bayern – Locked and loaded. Baffert is canny and wily, he’s got a plan.
4th Kid Cruz – I’m afraid to bet a two dollar combination ticket on this horse, my heart might give out.
I can’t wait for Saturday. What a thrill.
Take Care,
Shelley Riley author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
Dear Readers,
Over morning coffee, while keeping up on the latest news coming out of Baltimore, I felt I would add an addendum to my Preakness comments.
The pressure is on for the all members of California Chrome's team. Unlike my team, coming into the Kentucky Derby with Casual Lies, where other than us, nobody thought we had a chance and they weren’t particularly opposed to voicing it. California Chrome came into the Kentucky Derby with a four race win streak, where he didn’t just finish first; he made the rest of field look like cheap claimers jumping up in class to allowance company. The pundits, pulling out all their prejudices against California runners, couldn’t ignore California Chrome, but nonetheless they didn’t want to believe.
That made the media shark pool a lot easier to handle for Art Sherman. With a shrug of the shoulders and a ready smile, Art could wrap himself in the astounding race record of his charge, and take the high road. Cool and confident…wait and see.
Now we have a cough. I’ve heard it referred to as Throat-Gate, the reports of a blister on the horse’s throat which was the cause for the cough heard around the world. Horses cough; I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been left to brush wads of partially chewed hay off my blouse after one of my charges has coughed.
Having said that, I would have been beside myself if Casual Lies had coughed four times as he stepped off the track. This is not good on any level. Every trainer worries about their horse getting an upper respiratory, particularly during a campaign. With the scoping and the blood work, Art and his team know what they are dealing with. They will do what is right for the horse, he is to precious not to.
But now, let’s just ratchet up the pressure on Art and his crew. If the horse doesn’t win, they will be excoriated, whether or not the blister had anything to do with it. Their hearts will be jumping out of their chests when the field turns for home, and so will mine.
Carry on reading if you haven’t seen my thoughts on today’s field and would like to.
May 15, 2014
Dear Readers,
The draw for post position is complete and the ten horse field is set for the 139th running of the Preakness Stakes. When there is a prohibitive favorite in a race, I pride myself on looking for the possible amidst the improbable. Today as I peruse each horse, I realize unlikely is the word I keep repeating.
I can’t pick a horse to win this race, save one—California Chrome. But it is a horse race and in the face of certainty, lies roughly ten-thousand pounds of horse flesh, each with a mind of his own. There-in lies the uncertainty and that uncertainty is the fodder pundits live for.
I won’t repeat accolades that have already been extolled ad nauseam from too many keyboards, printed columns and media broadcasts. How many ways can you say California Chrome is fantastic? Since I already have, I will not spend time on a laudatory elucidation extolling all the reasons he is such a nice horse.
So who can run second and third or even win?
1. Dynamic Impact – Ran full out and gamely in the Illinois Derby. Dynamic Impact comes into this race with tactical speed and a willingness to lay off the front runner. Unlikely.
2. General A Rod – He was never in position to make an impact in the boxing match that was this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby. I think this horse will be a lot closer to the front end in this race and he should have no trouble with the tight turns. Nevertheless, Unlikely.
3. California Chrome – Needs to break well and hopefully he’s sound. I’m a fan.
4. Ring Weekend – Looked pretty green in his last race, over correcting at the head of the stretch. The race before, in which he won, he was also sensitive to guidance by the jockey. Should improve. Unlikely.
5. Bayern – Didn’t have enough points to get into the Derby, and this may turn out to have been a blessing for him. He’s got speed, lots of it. I don’t see Baffert sending his horse out for a suicidal duel on the front end and he did take the blinkers off. We’ll see if this horse can be rated; because I think that will be the plan. Very interesting.
6. Ria Antonia – There is no doubt this is a nice filly, but for me this is not the type of filly that can out run colts of this quality. Unlikely.
7. Kid Cruz– I don’t think I would survive if I owned this horse. Dead last by twenty-five and then he wins? Wow Silky Sullivan reincarnate? You know if there’s a real speed duel on the front end of this race…..hmmm. But… and that is a big but, in the other races Kid Cruz won, the frontend fractions were ridiculously slow. Interesting.
8. Social Inclusion – This is probably the biggest question mark for me in this race. Clearly an impressive colt, and with only two races under his girth, he takes on the likes of the Grade I Wood Memorial field. In the far outside at the start, his rider asked him straight away to get some position going into the first turn. The colt gets hung out and now that he’s up in the bit, he refused to come back. Head and head he raced around there and opened up down the lane, only to tire in the final eighth of a mile. Huge third place finish against a stellar field, and in a race where he didn’t have the best of racing luck. Very Interesting.
9. Pablo Del Monte – Another nice horse, but he needs to learn how to win. Unlikely.
10. Ride On Curlin – This horse is almost always in some kind of trouble. But in the end, with only a few exceptions, he makes his presence known. He’s got technical speed and I would argue he runs well when they use it. Still I can’t get behind this horse. Unlikely.
That brings us to the big reveal….
1st California Chrome – Because, even as good as he is, we don’t know how good he’s going to get, and also because I’m a fan. I know he has a few issues, starting gate as number one of those, but I want to see him win. I want the thrill when he surges to the front and I'm reminded what it feels like to see a prohibitive favorite fulfill their promise.
2nd Social Inclusion – I like that he's fresh coming into this race. I think this colt is definitely one to watch in the fall and in the races leading up to the Breeder’s Cup.
3rd Bayern – Locked and loaded. Baffert is canny and wily, he’s got a plan.
4th Kid Cruz – I’m afraid to bet a two dollar combination ticket on this horse, my heart might give out.
I can’t wait for Saturday. What a thrill.
Take Care,
Shelley Riley author of Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventurewww.shelleyriley.com
