No Road to the Roses for me

I was discouraged to find out while reading through the rules of the Road to the Roses contest that  as a Louisiana resident, I am not eligible to play. I always knew this state was particularly unique in its law system, but it’s interesting how I can wager on any of the ADW’s legally, enjoy on-line handicapping tournaments but cannot play in this contest. Oh well. For a one lump sum of $1,000, I will sell a list of the horses and connections I was going to use.

If I had to put my hand on a few “must use” horses at this point, I would have hard time coming up with a concrete list. I think Midshipman was the goods, but now he’s in Dubai, so that axes that angle. Old Fashioned is the likely leader and will extremely tough to top if he wins this weekend, but there’s nothing outside the box about him as a selection.

Meanwhile, the races last weekend at Santa Anita have caused quite a buzz. Stardom Bound to the Santa Anita Derby? Possibly. Haynesfield wins again, but the Beyer comes back low. Pioneer of the Nile runs hard, but reminds me of Colonel John.  The week prior, Capt. Candyman Can was solid, but I wonder if he’s not just a miler. West Side Bernie put in a good run against the bias in the Holy Bull, but the field was weakish on paper.

So, where do we stand? I have no idea. And with that, it’s probably a good thing I cannot play in the Road to the Roses contest this year.

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About Travis Stone

Travis Stone is the track announcer for Louisiana Downs, home of the Super Derby. He has also called races at Churchill Downs, Golden Gate Fields, Calder, Suffolk Downs and Sam Houston Race Park.

In 2009, he was featured in the Thoroughbred Times' Top 10 To Watch in the horse racing industry. His blog features insight into race calling and horse racing - with a minor diversion here or there. Also, you can learn how to handicap and become a fan of the game from his free on-line handicapping class.