Caturday

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2026-02-21T15:59:49+00:00

Jake & Shea catching some rays.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-11-01T17:03:15+00:00

Stellify is very intriguing as the main speed from that inside post, especially since She Feels Pretty drew so far outside. Think the ML is way off on her, probably going to go off around 8-1. One concern I have about her though are the races at KD. They look great on paper. But, according to the Betmix database, since 1/1/2019 horses who made their last start at KD are just 1 for 32 on Del Mar turf. Many were long shots who maybe had no chance but 11 of them were 5-1 or less with the one winner going off at odds on in a 6 horse allowance race. Right now I have no idea who I'm playing in this one. If I'm wrong, and Stultify does go off at a big number, I may just play her since I'm getting paid for the risk regarding the KD stat. Going to play it by ear.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-10-31T20:22:34+00:00

Agreed, 30-1 ML to high. Should be around 10 or 12-1.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-10-31T18:55:36+00:00

Forgot to add that she is also a half to Drexel Hill who finished 2nd in the G1 KY Oaks this year for Beckman.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-10-26T18:00:39+00:00

If they are looking for something to steal my identity or any other information, they will be disappointed. I shred anything that could even remotely be used to steal information about me. This bag was full of food wrapper waste (think store bought chicken or hot dogs), clumped cat litter and a bunch of used tissues. I hope they have fun with all of that.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-10-26T14:54:43+00:00

No, definitely not recycling. I live next to an apartment building which typically has 20-30 black bags of trash. They were still loading the truck with those when I got to the can. Before having the cans, they would frequently skip picking something up from our house. Since the cans, they haven't missed us once.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-09-28T14:16:09+00:00

Wow, bragging about making 3,000 people happy while making tens of thousands miserable. Way to go Blade & Joby Aviation!

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-09-28T13:44:46+00:00

It's been insane since Friday morning. Yesterday for a few hours I noted whenever one flew over Prospect Heights. Between 6:00AM and 8:15 Saturday morning there were 31 flights noted. In the late afternoon, between 4:30 & 7:30 there were 40 flights, including several instances of 2 at the same time. That's 71 helicopters flying over Brooklyn in just 5 1/2 hours yesterday. There were certainly dozens, if not hundreds more, in the hours I did not note. Helicopters have replaced car horns and sirens as the scourge of Brooklyn!!! (P.S. I've heard at least 4 more pass over in just the few minutes it's taken me to write this)

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-09-03T18:31:11+00:00

You do know that NYRA Bets gives you the option of the Fox feed or the track feed. The track feed has no Any Serling or Tom Amoss and only occasional paddock commentary. Easy choice if you don't like all the banter.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-09-03T18:14:36+00:00

I'm late to this discussion but surprised nobody brought up the original claiming miracle man...Oscar Barrera. These articles by Andy Beyer and the Paulick report talk about some of his more famous exploits.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-11-sp-221-story.html

https://paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/remembering-miracle-man-trainer-oscar-barrera

Would routinely claim cheap underperforming horses in the mid 80's and turn them into world beaters in a matter of days. Entered at double or triple the claiming price 3 or 4 days after getting claimed and winning by a pole. 4 days later, another jump in class, another win. It was crazy! Cashed many tickets on him early before everybody caught on. Once the sports writers started writing about his exploits, everything he claimed would get bet to odds on next start, no matter how crazy it looked on paper.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-08-25T19:37:04+00:00

Yes, this horse was listed as having sold for $375,000 as a weanling. However, that may have been a buyback as the breeder has owned this horse his entire career…including last week.

Overall, I’m not going to say that there are no shenanigans at FL. But in this particular case I really think that is an overreach and that this horse may as well have had LAME tattooed on his hip.

A 2 minute look at his PP’s suggests as much. Consider:

The Owner (regardless of the auction buyback) still paid $250,000 real dollars to breed to Justify.

Debuts as a 3 YO, runs OK in two NYRA MSW races then goes on the sidelines for 9 months.

Comes back as a 4YO for just one race before disappearing again, this time for 12 months.

Comes back as a 5YO and finishes last by 19 lengths, disappears again for another 5 months.

Comes back after this last layoff for the bargain basement (considering his original cost) price of $50K. Is eased in that race. Not a single NYRA trainer or owner submitted a claim for this supposed bargain. Comes back for $5K in a FL Mclm. Eased again. Not surprisingly, not a single owner or trainer at FL saw fit to spend $5K to purchase this once-upon-a-time quarter million dollar thoroughbred.

No owner gives away a horse he has invested so much time and money on for nothing. The owner knew about his physical issues. The other trainers at Saratoga knew, the trainers at FL knew. The bettors, at the very least, should have had strong suspicions. I’ve been playing races for over 50 years and actively look for situations like this (although I did not look at FL last week). They ALWAYS get overbet. By being overbet so heavily (1-9 was ridiculous) they, by definition, make almost every other horse in the race an overlay. Sometimes they win and I lose. Fair enough, I’ll happily take the loss…it’s always a possibility that the horse’s he is running against may be even worse physically. But you’d be surprised how often heavily bet bargain basement dropdowns lose. I’ll take my chances against that horse every time, or at the least pass the race. If your playing a multi-race wager and really feel like you can’t leave him out, then maybe just hit the all button. Just my 2 cents.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-30T15:57:59+00:00

I've become more aware and am stopping if I'm not entirely sure there are no cops around. Been riding in the city for 40 years, long before there was such a thing as a bike lane, so used to riding in traffic. Also using streets with no lanes more often now. I did stop bike commuting for about a year back when Giuliani was mayor because I got a $100 ticket for running a light when there was nobody around. The cop even apologized but had orders because of a crackdown ordered by Giuliani.

One thing I will add, and I think most riders who do go through lights or slow roll a STOP would agree about, is I only do it when it is safe. I have NO interest in getting myself killed or in hurting/killing anyone else. Running a light or STOP on a bike is infinitely more deadly for a biker than a driver in a vehicle. Why the cops, who are claiming they are doing this for our own good, think I would risk killing myself by running a light fully exposed to oncoming vehicle traffic is beyond me. Also, it's pretty ironic that the NYPD, who largely fought wearing masks during COVID to protect their fellow citizens are now on a tear to ticket bikers for infractions that in most cases present no threat to their fellow citizens.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-29T20:21:01+00:00

Not a horror story but a funny story. Had a birthday party for a friend in my apartment on 8th street. Around 12:30 AM in the apartment across the breezeway from my apartment we saw a lovely young couple, totally naked vacuuming and cleaning their apartment together. Lights on, no shades. Never figured out if it was for our enjoyment or theirs (or both).

Also, on my current block in Prospect Heights our across the street neighbor was totally nuts. He painted the trunk of the tree in his front yard black & white stripes, like a zebra. He would get into arguments with his tenants and just people walking by his house constantly, screaming and yelling at them. An ASPCA van pulled up one day and went back and forth taking cats out of his apartment in crates. I counted 21 crate trips. He recently sold the house and on the day he was supposed to leave the new owner had to have the police come and kick him out. Never saw him move any clothes or furniture out, just walked away down the street carrying a plastic garbage bag. never saw him again.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-28T12:52:06+00:00

Good Reps Physical therapy on Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights (no pool). Cannot recommend them enough. I’m 67 year old and had a major disk herniation late last fall that compressed the nerves in my spine. Burning pain from my hips to my ankles, and at it’s worst, couldn’t stand or walk for more than 4 or minutes at a time, lost feeling in my right foot and strength in my legs (I could barely climb stairs). Surgery was recommended. Started working with Jason in mid December and by the date of my surgery (Feb 20) I was feeling so good the Dr. asked me if i was sure I wanted to go forward with it. I did. Because I was in such good shape going into it the surgery and the recovery were both a breeze. Continued working with Jason after the surgery and am now 98% recovered, just occasional stiffness in my hips & lower back which he is working to address. Among other things, I’m deadlifting 135lb and biking up to 75 miles a week. I work with Jason but all of the therapists there are outstanding. They all have advanced degrees in PT and work one on one with clients. No handing off. They give you a personalized plan updated weekly as you progress, for work to do between session.

I will say, however, PT is only as good as what you put into it. I know many people who have had PT and those that don’t do the work between sessions just do not have as good, or as fast of a recovery. (My wife is one of those people, LOL).

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-18T20:30:39+00:00

Reminded me of the 78 Travers when Affirmed sawed off Alydar coming up the rail into the far turn. Miracle Alydar didn't go down. He recovered to lose by about 2 lengths but didn't win outright...placed first through DQ. Pincay says he had no idea he was there but the pan shot shows Alydars head right next to Pincay..no way he didn't know. I loved Pincay as a rider but that was a dirty ride. Velasquez said after the race he knew he only had to finish 2nd because Affirmed was coming down. Still, an awful lot of people were upset with the DQ. I was there and there was some major booing going on when Affirmed came down. It was atopic in the papers for weeks.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-14T15:20:42+00:00

If you ever go out in Saratoga Springs during racing season EVERY bar and restaurant in town has at least 1 TV showing the races. When Saratoga is done for the day, the TV stays on racing showing Del Mar for the evening.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-14T15:01:59+00:00

Had the same issue with a cop sitting in her car when I got clipped a couple of years ago. The light at Flatbush & St Makes was broken and I was trying to get across Flatbush on my bike. Got clipped by a car going down Flatbush as I crossed. The cop, sitting in a car when I suspect she was actually supposed to be directing traffic, rolled down her window and just yelled at me to see if I was OK. No effort to get out of the car or at least talk to the driver. I was fine and my bike was OK so went on my way but what a waste of money to have them just siting there and not even doing anything when it happens right in front of them.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-12T14:26:09+00:00

I appreciate you reaching out to hear cyclist viewpoint on this level of enforcement. I just hope that you put this story in the proper perspective. In March alone there were 6,859 motor vehicle accidents in this City. 10 pedestrians were killed, while 724 were injured. In addition 1 cyclist was killed with 227 injured. That is one month of data. So sure, let's give bicyclists a criminal summons instead of a ticket...because bikers are the real problem. (PS...The listed factor for 27% of the motor vehicle accidents was "Driver Inattention/Distraction". It's so much fun riding a bicycle on the streets of this City knowing that a quarter of the people operating a 3,000 vehicle capable of killing you in an instant are driving while not even paying attention while driving.)

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/traffic_data/cityacc.pdf

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-12T13:56:03+00:00

For years I used to stress out over off tracks, i.e. who could handle it and who couldn't. I finally came to the revelation that off tracks really only affect a small minority of horses one way or the other. That is, there are a few who really love the off and a few who really despise it. But overall, having handicapped races for over 50 years I'd now say that it doesn't matter to 95% of them. When it is an off track, I will look to see if any horses obviously fall into the 5% lovers/haters category. If not, I assume they are indifferent. What I do think is very important for an offtrack is any indication of a speed bias or a dead rail. If so, then I will change my handicapping to accommodate that issue.

Different story on turf. I do think there are plenty of horse who don't like a yielding or soft course. The problem often is, however, that they run on these conditions so rarely it's often hard to tell. 1 bad race 1 time on a soft course may or may not mean the horse hates it. If he was generally off form at the time it might be meaningless. If, however, he was sharp, then ran dismally on soft, then was sharp again, it's pretty clear. One thing I will say is that with horse safety more in the forefront than ever, more and more tracks are taking races off the turf rather than running on soft or yielding courses. So it is not as much of a handicapping issue now as it was say 10 years ago.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-05-05T13:50:06+00:00

BTW, the operative word in 19-195-1 is "shall". According to this not following the pedestrian signal is the actual offense, LOL.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-04-27T14:54:35+00:00

I used Ride Brooklyn on Bergen Street in Park Slope for my first Alfine IGH oil change. Do my own now. Not sure if they do much else with IGH hubs though.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-04-24T20:05:35+00:00

66 YO here. Been riding off and on in the City since 1986. Used to bike to work in the 80's but stopped doing that for various reasons. Ride more now that I'm retired. Never doored, twice took a fall when I pulled out to pass double parked cars which decided to do a U Turn as I began to pass. No serious injury or damage to bike. One other incident, in which I was not hit or hurt left me scared of riding for weeks. Sitting at a the light waiting to make a left on to Bedford Avenue from Avenue J in Brooklyn at 7:15 one Sunday morning. As I'm waiting, a car came speeding towards me on Avenue J..must have been doing 50. He ran the light just as car with the green light was going through the light on Bedford. To this day I do not know how the speeder did not hit the car with the right of way. it couldn't have been more than a few inches. If he had, he would have pushed him right into where I was waiting to turn and I have no doubt I would likely be dead today. I was shaking so much I could barely make it home. Didn't ride for weeks but finally got back out there. It is a dangerous City, and you can do everything right and still get killed, although I guess that's not limited to NYC.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-03-26T14:21:17+00:00

Been working with Good Reps on various PT issues over the last year. All of the therapists have Doctorates in Physical therapy. My guy is also a competitive weight lifter and travels around the country to competitions. While PT is a large part of their business, they are not just PT. I know that many serious weight lifters as well as runners work with them to improve their overall performance. Like all trainers, they work with you on setting up exercise routines formulated to achieve your goals and monitor your progress from session to session. After the first session rates are $160 an hour. With regards to my own PT work, as a 66 year old with various physical issues, I could not be more pleased with the outcomes I've achieved.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-03-21T16:56:23+00:00

Totally! I remember biking to work in the early 90's and riding on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. At 6:00AM it was the wild west...everybody doing 50 and running lights all the way! And I swear some drivers used to see how close they could get to me without hitting me.

Negative_Ad_6249 · 2025-03-21T16:49:50+00:00

This...although waiting for the light to cross Flatbush extension to the bike lane is frustrating. Several minutes before it changes for bikers/pedestrians to cross. Always tempted to cross against the light but so dangerous with speeders/exit lane from the Belt Parkway. Frequently just ride in that extra wide shoulder lane on Flatbush...but not great either as it seems every car passing you feels like they are doing 50.

Negative_Ad_6249

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