Track President Phil Ziegler joins as Co-Host - Episode #152

Get your Fab Friday T-Shirt this Friday at Emerald Downs! Racing June 6 at 7 pm and with your paid admission (half-price $5.00!) receive the valuable T-Shirt which gets you free admission on all subsequent Fridays in 2025. It’s Vince and Track President Phil Ziegler this week with Joe a little under the weather. Ziegler speaks to great start at 2025 meeting, while guests include top Belmont Stakes handicapper Anthony Stabile and Secretariat author Patricia McQueen.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
macOS. It doesn't matter if you love craps, blackjack machines
or dining on the finest Asian, American and Salish cuisines.
It doesn't matter what you do or where you're coming
from Mucos. What you do is all at Muckleshoe, an

(00:21):
easy drive from wherever you are, all roads lead to Muckleshoe, Mucosuit.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hello, Aaron, Welcome to horse Racing Northwest. As we move
into the month of June at sunny emerald downs. As
we speak, we're going to have some beautiful weather again
this weekend. Don't forget. Beginning Tomorrow, Friday, June sixth, we
have Twilight Racing at seven o'clock. You get the free
T shirts, the bab Friday ones. They are a gorgeous well,

(01:12):
you know, I'm not sure. I guess I would call
it kind of an emerald or teal color. Anyway, they'll
say runners away and we all know where that comes from.
And then Saturday Sunday at one fifty pm. You will
note that this is Vince Bruin talking. Normally, Joe with
you would be speaking at this point introducing the show,
but Joe's a little under the weather. Hope to have
him back probably tomorrow and certainly by the weekend. So

(01:35):
it's my pleasure then to introduce in the substitute chair.
And he's been on here many times before. The President
of Emerald Downs, Phil Ziegler. Phil, welcome.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Well, that's great to do this. Of course, it's not
good that Joe is feeling under the weather, but it's
always fun to do the podcast with you.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
You bet and this show. This weekend we got a
big show. We got Patricia McQueen. She's going to have
a book signing Secretariat's legacy and of course the means
one thing is in the history of the Belmont, no
one can ever top Secretary's nineteen seventy three performance and
she's got a gorgeous book and as I mentioned, she'll
be signing it from one thirty to three thirty on

(02:11):
Track level this weekend. And then we'll have the big
a Anthony stabil Everyone knows Anthony. He gave out the
Derby winner sovereignty when we had him on in May,
so we'll see if Anthony likes sovereignty in the Belmont.
It's we got the top three finishers from the Derby
in sovereignty journalism, who overcame Trouble to win the Preakness,

(02:33):
and then Baiza jumps back in, plus a couple others
including Bob Bafford Horse Rodriguez. It looks like he's going
to be going for the early lead on Sunday and
then well, and then this weekend. We were going to
have bulldog races on Sunday, but we're not canceling. We're
just going to postpone them, correct, Phil.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Yeah, believe it or not. You know, we've had you
talk about the sunny weather, and we've had the mountains
been out once or twice this year. We haven't had
the greatest weather here. It hasn't been bad, but it
hasn't been great either. Well, this weekend, as most of
you know, and I don't know when people are actually
listening to this podcast, but it may already be happening
by the time you hear it. It's going to be

(03:12):
hot this weekend and the Sunday's high temperature is supposed
to be very close to ninety So bulldogs are not
the best in the heat. And also the bigger bulldogs
can't kind of be carried over the asphalt. So and
the best interest of the dogs and the people and
the owners and stuff. We figured we would postpone it.

(03:33):
You don't expect this kind of warm weather in early June,
but this is what we're getting. So we're going to
do it on the twenty eighth, the twenty seventh or
twenty eighth of June later in the month, either Friday
night or Saturday, depending on the weather. We'll decide about
a week in advance on when we're going to have
the bulldog races, and we will let everybody know. And
the other question that comes up, will people say when

(03:54):
it's hot out? We often get a question, what about
the horses? Right, Well, the horses, the heat index that
we're gonna be running under doesn't come close to really
something that would be concerning about horse racing, and trainers
do take precautions with warmer weather. And it's different here
because we haven't had this kind of heat since what
lasts August, So it'll be a big adjustment for all

(04:17):
of us to feel some nice warm weather here this weekend,
but a beautiful weekend to come to the track. It's
gonna be nice and warm and sunny and we have
some great racing.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, and we mentioned tomorrow night we're taping this on
Thursday Friday Night, June sixth. That's a real tradition here
at Emial Downs. The T shirt giveaway.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, people get a free T shirt just for showing up,
and then you wear that T shirt back on future
Friday nights during the season and you get free admission.
Plus it's half price Friday Night, so we have a
whole bunch of specials from draft beard to ice creams,
to different food items and lots of different things that
are half priced. Also on Friday Night, we have our
traditional horseshoe toss where people can enter and throw a

(04:59):
horse you for a chance to hit a ringer and
win one thousand dollars. Now, what's interesting about the horseshoe
toss is since I have been here and we brought
it back maybe six seven years ago, we skip a
year for COVID, the only people that have hit a
ringer are our own people who are our guest throwers,
so they don't get paid and they don't get paid. Right,

(05:19):
it can be done. It has been done, but nobody
that we have selected from our fan base who have
had a chance to win the money has done it yet.
But the person that comes closest to the pin gets
one hundred dollars. Every week we give that out and
everybody gets something for participating. And some folks you look
at and you just know to get out of the way.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Right. Well, since we do prognosticate on this show, I'm
going to go out on the limb and say a
ringer gets thrown in the air twenty twenty five. Okay,
there you go, Bye bye bye, a not buy an employee.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
We're going to get the thousand bucks.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
We're going to give away the thousand Okay, and it's
it's high time it happens. We've had a lot of
close call the du factor.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
It's definitely due the do factor.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
And then Phil on Saturday the Belmont. You're certainly familiar
without race.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yes, I've been to the Belmont a number of times
that I grew up on Long Island, as I've talked
about in the past, and went to my greatest Belmont
memories and going during the period of time that Woody
Stevens won five unbelievable five of them in a row,
and I was there on the fifth one and didn't
bet his horse.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
So Danzig connection, I think it was in the mud. Well,
they talk about records, it will never be broken that one.
That's pretty safe. Five Belmonts in a row, just think
about that, that's almost impossible. Course this year they are
running again at Saratoga as Belmont is being refurbished. So
a mile and a quarter the race this Saturday, and
we will be talking to Anthony Stabill as I mentioned,

(06:47):
and get his overview on what's shaping up. Nominally is
a great race, but an unbelievable card with eight stakes,
five grade ones, a lot of person money, so a
tremendous card for the fans who want to come out
Saturday and not only play our A races, but also
the card at Belmont. Okay, well, this is one thing
we usually do in the opening segment here, I'll take
a quick look at last week's weekly honors winners and

(07:11):
this would be for May thirty, first June first, the
final two day week. Now we go into our three
day weeks. The Valpak Jockey of the Week David Haldar
has been a real good newcomer to Admiral Downs. He
went two for four last week. He had a beautifully
time ride on Tisses Harbor to win a twenty five
thousand dollars allowance race for three year olds. Did a
little research on David. He's ridden mainly at Mahoning Valley, Thistledown,

(07:33):
Bell Terra Park and one of his biggest wins was
a eighty five dollars and seventy six upset on a
horse called Beg Warrior in the Valdale Stakes at Turfway Park.
And he's talented and he's one of twenty one or
twenty two riders. I think we have in the room
right now a very very deep jockey colony. The lost
Margarita's Trainer of the Week. This was interesting, Phil last week.

(07:53):
Seventeen races, seventeen different trainers, one races. Yeah, that's called
Sharon the wealth a little bit, so we kind of
drew it in a hat. In Washington Hall of Fame,
trainer Howard Belvoir went one for one. It was like
old times with Howard and Jennifer Whittaker. That is the
three hundred and eighty ninth time those two have teamed
up for a win at Emerald Downs. The horse was
Settler's Cove fifty eight dollars ninety six dollars when mutual.

(08:17):
For those lucky enough to have it twenty eight to one,
went wire to wire. The owner of the week. Well
this this guy is no stranger either. At Emerald Downs,
the yellow and black silks of John Parker back in
the winter circle first time this year. Yeah, it's two
hundred and second win at Emerald Downs. The horse was
called Ruby Rendezvous. Caddie Kreiderman the trainer, and then the
wab Bread also Ruby Rendezvous, bred by Steve Meredith, longtime

(08:41):
breeder led Gate Wires, score her maiden victory under Javier Mattias.
She's by Ruby rendezv excuse me, Ruby Rendezvous by gold
Alley out of Emeralds City Kitten who was a filly
in Mayor around here about a decade ago. And then
the groom of the week lost Margin's Groom of the week,
Ramon Landeros of the Dan markle Bar and Dan had
a great winter last week. Britas Aquitas, a four year

(09:04):
old by keen Ice, rally from last to score a
mild upsetting a twenty five thousand dollars allowance option optional
claimer at one mile. So nice work by Ramon Landaros. Okay,
so that'll take care of our first segment. That will
be right back As we continue with horse racing Northwest
with the big A Anthony Stabil.

Speaker 4 (09:27):
macOS.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
It doesn't matter if you love craps, blackjack machines or
dining on the finest Asian, American and Salish cuisines. It
doesn't matter what you do or where you're coming from Mucoson.
What you do is all at Muckleshoe, an easy drive
from wherever you are. All roads lead to Muckleshoe Mucoson.

Speaker 5 (09:57):
Tonalist, California Chrome is in the on the fire outside,
and now he's coming. California Crome is coming down the
side of the racetrack, but it's Tonalist with a narrow lead.
California Crom is there, wicked strong Lake been on the
fire outside. Commiss You're hanging tough down to the rail,
time ticking away in the triple Crown to Mish. You're
down inside Tonist between horses. California Chrome laboring late. Here's

(10:20):
the wire and it's a photo finish that goes to Tonalist.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
That was Tonalist winning the Belmont Stakes. And unfortunately the
trainer of Tonalist, Christophe Clemont, I know we're all stunned
at the sad news. Only fifty nine years old, one
of the great trainers in our sport died from cancer.
But our next guest has some memories about christoph and
he's also going to look at the big Belmont card

(10:46):
on Saturday. Let's welcome back into horse racing Northwest, the
big A Anthony Stabill, Anthony, how are.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
You, gentlemen, Good evening.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
Good to hear you.

Speaker 4 (10:57):
Ready for a big ready for a big week. Unfortunately
we'll have it without Christophia. I've lost a battle to
a rare form of eye cancer at the age of
fifty nine. And son Miguel has taken the reins. He's
won two races already, one one yesterday, one well, one
one on Wednesday, one one on Thursday. And uh yeah,
that tonalist Belmont, you know he was. He was a

(11:20):
special horse trained by a guy who just did it
right all of those years he trained horses twenty nine.
I believe, never a positive in a day and age
where they pop up like like flies and like whack
a moles in the old carnival game. And Christop did
everything right. He was a you know, a strong had
a strong belief in his faith, and a wonderful family

(11:43):
man and just somebody who did everything the right way.
I had the fortune of getting kind of close to him. Uh.
His daughter in law, Kesia Clemont, one of my closest friends.
She's like my little sister. We worked together for a
long time. And yeah, Tonalist when he won the UH,
when he won the Cigar Mile in twenty fifteen, I
was ready to walk away from the game. Just was

(12:04):
a little sour on things. And he won the race
and I went on. It was a it was a
domino effect of things that happened after that. I started
doing TV Fanira I called my first horse race. I
met the I met my person in this life. And
you know, I don't know if I would have done
that without Tonalist winning and without Christoph. And when Christoph

(12:26):
heard that story, he gave me the last Tonalist hat
that they had, and I had a guarantee to my heart.
I started a YouTube show called The Big Time with
the Big A and we did a we did a
tribute to him. I told the story about the hat.
I actually wear the hat towards the end of the
tribute on the show. So if you have a chance

(12:47):
The Big Time with the Big A on YouTube, and yeah,
just be a tremendous loss of the industry and for humanity.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
Really, we'll check it out. Yeah, you know, all right,
forty one grade one wins. I believe Christophe Clemont had
and as you said, just a tremendous record, both on
and off the track. And I didn't even know he
had been ill. So I was certainly stunned by the news.
And I'm glad to see his son, Miguel is carrying
on the family tradition. Did you mentioned he already has

(13:14):
a couple of wins under his belt, and I'm sure
he's gonna do his father just proud. You know. I
got a text from Joe White Anthony. He said, you
are on a podcast with Matt Dinnerman, I think he said, And.

Speaker 4 (13:29):
That's what that's my show. Yeah, The Big Time with
the Big a whach of Them. Macarthy was the first guest.
We dropped the second episode Tuesday. It's up on the
YouTube page. If you guys follow me on Twitter at
the Big A Studio. I've tweeted the link out also
a Big A Big Time show on Twitter. As the
show handles well, yeah over there. I had Matt as
my guest this past Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
We'll check it out and just to show of things
come full circle. The man sitting right across from me here,
Phil Ziegler, is the man who hired Matt Dinnerman and
his first job in racing well already ten years ago,
which is hard to believe in fifteen And Phil, don't
you briefly just share how that all came underway again too?
That that was quite a time when Robert announced he

(14:11):
was leaving.

Speaker 3 (14:11):
Yeah, Robert was leaving, Robert Yeller who's now at Woodbine,
and we didn't have anybody and it was mid season.
Robert left during a season and we didn't have a
lot of time, and our marketing director at the time, Sophia,
came and said, hey, this guy Matt sent this tape.
Take a listen to it. And we all listened to

(14:32):
it and it was pretty good. And the next thing
you know, she's Sophia McKee is flying him up here,
and Matt Dinnerman shows up and he called a couple
of races. I don't think he had ever called live
race anywhere before that, and called a couple of races
with Robert there, and he was just he was so young.
I sat across the table from him as well. You

(14:54):
want the job, and of course he said yes, And
when we hired him, we knew was not going to
be long before he would be leaving us because he
was that good right his description, and boy, you know,
he can look out the track and even during training
and he knows every horse. I mean, once he gets
to know these horses in the stable area, there could

(15:16):
be a thousand of them and he can look all that.
So and so, I mean incredible. So he's got a
great eye for the sport and he's We're just so
proud of the career that he has had.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah. Right now he's at Oakland Park and also at
Monmouth Park, which is not a bad way to go
in our sport. And he's still a very young man.
I learned another thing too, that both Anthony Stabill and
Phil Ziegler kind of grew up in the same area.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah, we were just talking about that. Yeah, yeah, where
are you from on Long Island?

Speaker 4 (15:43):
Well, I'm in Queens. I'm and Howard be to be
in the same house my whole life.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Oh wow.

Speaker 4 (15:46):
Okay, right, about a mile and a quarter from Aquarre.
It's about about about about a twenty twenty five renewal
of the Thomon Stakes not a mile and a half,
about about a mile and a quarter from Macla. Matt
actually tells the story Guys Emerald and gets a nice
little plug on the program this week, and I tell
that story. But yeah, so I know Phil was telling

(16:07):
me he's a Limbrook guy. I spent a lot of
time there, my friend doctor Jeff, who's not with us anymore,
in his Stagar lounge out there. So yeah, we're you know,
Queens neighbors.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
Queen's is part of New York City, but it is
also part of Long Island. Technically correct, yes, yea, Queens.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
And Brooklyn are all Long Island. Nationale County and Stufforld
County are in Long Island. This is what I'm told
all the time. I try to keep the vernacular straight.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
And you know, the one thing for folks that have
ever lived or been in New York, it's like, and
I won't do it here, but I could still name
every single stop on the Babylon branch of the Long
Island Railroad because it's embedded in your mind when you
get on that train and they say the same thing
over and over and over again.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
That's great. Well, okay, folks, let's get to it. On
Race thirteen on Saturday. I think Phil, you said it's
four oh four pm are no time, four pm, our time,
seven oh four Eastern time, race thirteen, and I guess
it'll be after our fifth race, in between our fifth
and sixth races. And when we talked about the Derby one,

(17:12):
Anthony Stabil gave out seventeen dollars Winter Sovereignty about a
month ago. So, without further ado, Anthony, how do you
see as you mentioned this mile and a quarter Belmont
shaping up?

Speaker 4 (17:25):
Yeah, so I've had a humble brag here and not
so humble Bregg. Maybe we've had so much success Joe
and I together doing the Winplay show and now the pod.
The Tonalist was a was a very key part of that.
But I have an uncanny knack of picking those mile
and a half Belmont Stakes winners. Mile on a quarter
is a little different, So I'm gonna go with what
I know. Sovereignty was so good in the Kentucky Derby,

(17:51):
and I don't remember events if I said it to
you and Joe, but I did a couple of podcasts
and a couple of radio spots that week and was
up at Heagan Son and if you're in the northeast.
I'll be at Mohegan Sun again for the bellm on
me and Mike mcnansky. We do a fantastic job of
their big party, drink specials, lunch buffet, come on in.

(18:11):
I basically said, you know, I just the reason I
was boxing sovereignty and journalism was because I was afraid
that sovereignty was going to have to go run that
big thing down in journalism. And that was my biggest fear.
And at about the three sixteenth pole, that fear became
reality and then it went away. In about sixteenth of

(18:32):
a Miami ran right by him that was coming in
off similar breaks, similar you know, time off four weeks,
five weeks, a little bit of a more abbreviated campaign
for sovereignty journalism had one more race in there for
the year, but they kind of came into it the
same way, and sovereignty d journalism on the square. I

(18:57):
don't know what happens in the five weeks that changes that.
And journalism has gone now from California to Kentucky, took
Pimaico to Saratoga. You've seen a little bit of a
decline in the speed figures. He went through all of
that trauma in the Preakness a very hairy situation. It

(19:17):
was one of the most remarkable last sixteenth of a mile.
It makes sense though, because my partner on the show,
my producer Andy Cooley, and I were alive for thirty
two thousand the Gozgar. So that's about it. Oh boy,
we made some money, don't get me wrong, but yeah,
we were alive for a score to Gozger and I choke,
but I only say that half tongue in gee. I

(19:39):
think I stopped Gazaga that day, but he still did
not run the fastest Preakness. And I know if he
gets through it, maybe it's a different story. But I
have to think some of the sharpness is gone. And
I have to think, if Sovereignty beat him on the square,
how's it going to be now at a little bit
of a freshening edge. I mean, Sovereignty's been at Saratoga
since the Tuesday after the he kind of calls it

(20:01):
home half the year. You know, he's got three breezes.
Hall of Famer Bill Mott has you know, decided early
on no Preakness, and I think it's good to be
decisive because when you train a horse or a big
race like this, I think you want to know what's
going on and what your plan is. And Bill had
a plan, and Godolphin had a plan, and it was

(20:22):
to skip the Freakness, and it was controversial, and you know,
but to me, Bill Mock's the greatest trainer kind of lived.
I think the man that just passed away is very
very high on that conversation with his staff going on
on that list. But I think Bill is the best
trainer that's ever been. And if he's telling you his
horse needs time and his horse is gonna benefit from
the time off he needs the time, I think he's

(20:43):
a tinch. I don't know where Baza finds a couple
of lengths. I don't know how journalism finds a couple
of lengths. I just I don't see it. Maybe it happens.
So I'm going to attack the race. I'm going to
fade journalism. I'm gonna play a pretty big two sick
and see if Baasa can improve a little bit more
and get a piece of a pie here. He'll probably

(21:05):
have a cactical advantage on journalism and sovereignty. He'll be
in front of those two. But you know, when Crudeo
enters the fray on the over the weekend, the pace
becomes a little stronger with him and Rodriguez, So I
don't think that's gonna be a problem. So I'm gonna
make a big two six sovereignty over Baeza, and I'm
gonna make a small savor with hill Road. Hill Rode

(21:25):
was a horse who before Crudo entered the fray, I
don't know how much pace he was going to have
to run into. Well now he does, and I know
his trainer, Chad Brown's been high on this horse since
he took his training over. After the Breeders Cup last year,
fever kept them out of the kept them off the trail.
After the Tampa Bay Derby. He was good in the

(21:48):
peter Pan. He did have some pace to run into,
but he made up a lot of ground and passed
him off a lot of horses. He was next to
last at one point and just kept on coming. He
looks like the kind of horse that a mile and
a quarter is going to be in his wheel house.
Us he gets a rod Ortiz Junior as practicides to
stay would buy eight not surprisingly, and that's how I
see it. I think it's I think it's a two

(22:08):
six two one, and if you get two to one
on sovereignty, if I'm getting through to one on sovereignty, guys,
I'm going to make a pretty good, pretty healthy win.
Bet on him, like a real healthy win.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
Bet onf Well, Phil, I didn't hear him mention the
word Rodriguez once in there?

Speaker 1 (22:20):
Did you know?

Speaker 2 (22:22):
We're Bob Baffert And a lot of people think, looking
at rod reason, that's a horse, Anthony that did win
the Wood Memorial back in your neck of the woods,
And uh are you dismissing him?

Speaker 4 (22:32):
So now they want him to go, guys off nine weeks.
They want him to deal with a horse in Crudo
who's faster than him. Crudo is faster than Rodriguez because
of the post positions. Excuse me, I don't know how
that plays out, Mike. That's probably going to protect his

(22:52):
inside position with Rodriguez. But if John Velasquez sends Krudo
after him, a Crudo's gonna get around him. Crudro's faster
than him. Rodriguez has won both of his races when
he's on the lead. He's lost the three he hasn't
been on the league. Crudo lost the race. He wasn't
on the lead when he broke so slowly. He won
the two races when he was on the lead. That's

(23:14):
the you know, theresistible force, meaning the immovable object, as
the Great Gorilla Monsoon used to say. So I got.
I think they're gonna hit, and I think that puts
Rodriguez at a serious disadvantage. I don't like the nine
weeks for Rodriguez, and quite frankly, I don't like the
three weeks back for Crudo. Todd Pletcher does not ordinarily

(23:37):
do this. It's why Todd doesn't run a lot of
horses in the Freakness after the Derby. He'll run there,
he'll run his Derby horses and then he'll wait for
the Belmont. They don't turn him around. Often it's the
Plutcher one. So I don't know. And I'm a Crudo fan.
I think we're gonna hear from Crudeo before this is
all said, and then I gotta do this to you.
I'd love to see Crudo with his pedigree take to
the turf. I'd love to see him on the grass.

(24:01):
But I just think they're gonna hit, and I think
that helps sovereignty. It helps soil road, and you know
Baiasa could be the one that benefits from it as well.
So I don't like So, I don't like Rodriguez. And
listen everybody else like Caese, we see Bob Baffert and
Mike Smith. He's gonna be over Bet he's going to
be a shorter price than he should be.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
Phil, Yeah, you know, two questions for you because obviously
it's different, you know last year and this year being
at Saratoga, and what do you know what when you
look at this and you say, wow, Belmont stakes at Saratoga,
different distance, what kind of difference does that make in
your mind? And also just curious as to your thoughts

(24:46):
with all the latest talk, with the changes possible for
a triple crown and spacing it out more, how do
you feel about that?

Speaker 4 (24:54):
So, Phil, it's it's a fantastic question. Part of the
reason and again this it sounds a little condescending, and
it sounds a little self serving, But part of the
reason I've had success in the Bellman is because I'd
like to do I'm forty eight years old. George Velaskaz
and Angel Crdero's flowers eating my father's to the hospital
room the day I was born, So I've been doing

(25:16):
this my whole life. I'd like to think myself is
a little bit of a pedigree expert. Experts probably too
strong of a word, but I think I can separate
the stayers from the phony distance horses. I also when
the races a mile and a half, I'll watch them.
I'll literally watch it there every twenty five to thirty times,

(25:37):
and you're looking for horses that are staying on, not
necessarily flashy, making these big runs at the end. More
king than not, it's to horses that are not plotting,
but just kind of staying on and not losing ground
the last three sixteenth of a mile or so when
they spit into the scratch and you know, kind of
just running through the wire. I remember in twenty seventeen

(25:58):
everybody was having a handicapping it, and I made one
of the biggest bets of my life on Taprit for
that very reason. So I feel like I lose part
of my edge in this race going a mile and
a quarter because the category doesn't come into it as much.
You're not asking these horses to do something they've never
done and probably never will do again. In a mile
and a half because some of them have already been

(26:18):
a mile and a quarter to my own three sixteen
from the Derby of the previous So it kind of
levels the handicapping playing field. I think I lose a
bit of my edge With that said, you know, I
don't think the field would be as competitive, the field
would be as competitive as they've been in the last
couple of years. I feel like trainers and owners and
the way the game has changed with the abundance of

(26:41):
money available seemingly every month. I mean, you know, when
you think about things when we were all younger, right
when we were all younger, the races like the Ohio
Derby and the West Virginia Derby, we're after thoughts and
you know, I'm saying this is I'm on hiatus right now,

(27:03):
but I'm the track announcer finger Lakes not considered enough
echelon track. You know, you guys have worked all around
the country at big tracks and small tracks alike, Like
it's the game's different. But the Ohio Derby's worth a
half a million dollars, so you know, West Virginia Derby
was worth seven fifty at one point. These are races

(27:25):
at places that nobody went. So it's changed in the
fact that there's will money available and you don't have
to be ready to run all these races. With that said,
and I am as big of a romantic and a
traditionalist as you will ever meet, I think they have

(27:47):
to change it to avoid things like this, because, let's
face it, there are other trainers out there. You know.
I'm not one to really pull punches all name names.
I don't know if Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown are running,
they de'd be winning back in the preque Guys that
give their horses ample time between races. I don't know
if Bill Mott's running any horseback in the Freakness after that.

(28:08):
I just I don't. I don't see it happening. You know. Uh,
these barns that they don't they don't treat their horses
that way. And that's not necessarily a knock on Dafford. Okay,
I'm not the biggest about Baffort. Then about Baffords a
little harder on his horses than I than I am
accustomed to and with life, but it's not built for

(28:30):
the bulk of the horses, even brad Cox. Brad Cox,
you don't see brad real horses back real quickly. It
just doesn't happen. So if you want to, with all
of the hubbub from Bill skipping it with sovereignty this year,
if you'll want to change it, if you want to
preserve it, it almost make you have to change it.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, you know, I think it's it's probably easier to
change it now. I think for a while, when we
went so many years without a triple crown winner, it
would have felt different if somebody suggested changing it, because
somebody would have said, well, nobody's done it, so you're
changing it. But now that it's been done a couple
of times, why not change it?

Speaker 4 (29:11):
And let me ask you this. And again I'm not
looking to really point fingers or name names. With all
of the negativity that has surrounded Baffert at times, I
think a couple of people, actually, I think there are

(29:33):
people out there that don't acknowledge those horses. I think
it's ridiculous because the horse is accomplished what they accomplished.
I'm not in that camp per se, but I don't know.
I kind of feel like either way, you look at it,
all right, it's happened a couple of times or Wow,

(29:53):
I'm not acknowledging that. So had that happened in seventy eight,
that's forty that's now forty seven years so, and I think,
if you want to there are only four American classics.
People won't realize that the three Triple Crown Races and
the Coaching Club American Oaks the three year Old Phillies

(30:14):
are the only four races considered American classes. One of
those races, at the very least right now, is in
peril being the Freakness. The Ccaoas isn't what it used
to be by any means, and the Belmont has suffered
in recent years and a mile and a half. So

(30:35):
I don't I don't think they're just going to change
the order. I think they're going to change the distances.
I think all three races will be at a mile
and a quarter. I think there'll be a month apart,
and I think they might even be out of order
unless NYRA is willing to bend, which I don't know
if that's going to happen. I can see things changing

(30:56):
dramatically over the course of the next several years. Yeah,
you know, the next five year.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
Yeah, COVID and the COVID year changed so much in sports, right,
the National League having a designated hitter. I mean before
that it was a big debate, and then all of
a sudden it just happened. And during COVID Year you
had a Kentucky Derby that ran in September, and you
had I believe the Belmont went first that year.

Speaker 4 (31:18):
And Belmont first, then they moved. Yeah. I mean, I'm
watching my beloved New York Mets right now. It's tied
in we're recording this third. They were just tied in
the fifth. In the eighth inning, if they go to
extra innings, they're going to put a silly runner on
second base.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
That's right. Things change change, That's right. We talk about
they hear a lot about horse racing just being so
slow to We can probably talk for hours about changes
and lack of changes and how other sports evolve, and
sometimes racing traditionalists win the battles that they shouldn't be winning.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, even out a mile and a quarter. Though, it
sounds like Anthony's going to stick with sovereignty to win
two thirds of the Triple Crown, and he's taken a
stand against journalism and also by ASA, so sovereignty on
top of by ASA correct.

Speaker 4 (32:10):
Correct two six, so the little savor two to one.
He'll wrote, maybe come running late. If you're playing tries,
I would use Hill Road Phil.

Speaker 2 (32:17):
Does Phil have a preference in the Belmont?

Speaker 3 (32:18):
Who me, Well, I'm just going to bet whatever he
told me to bet. Okay, Anthony says, that's good enough
for me.

Speaker 4 (32:23):
With your record, he's got agree with Well, that's worked
a lot in the last twenty years.

Speaker 3 (32:27):
I know I've heard Joe with He tells me all
about it every time you're on one of his shows. Oh, Anthony,
you picked another winner, and it's usually at a decent
price too.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
I'm probably fifty percent when I talked to Joe, which
is just the remarkable number when you think about our sport.

Speaker 2 (32:44):
Okay, and we mentioned, I asked Anthony, you know, we
mentioned that the card has eight stakes races. A couple
of the other ones Anthony wanted to look at are
the seventh h which is the true North for four
year olds and up going six and a half furlongs,
and the sixth race right before the Wonder again for
three year old phillies going a mile to sixteenth on

(33:05):
the turf. In that one. Nitrogen is even money going
for five straight and Anthony, I think you're gonna try
to beat nitrogen.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
Yeah. I mean if you're playing pick fives and then
there's like seven pick fives on literally like six pick
fives on the card Saturday, one of them starts to
race five, that's one I'm going to take a look
at for the simple fact that I think, whereas I'm
going to use the favorite in here, I'm going to
use nitrogen off on the wind streak. I don't know
if she's ever faced a horse the caliber of may

(33:34):
Day Ready number two. Mayde already comes in for her
named Joe Lee. I know a lot of people don't
know Joe Joe as a longtime assistant training Cherre mclachham
before Kira retire. He's had this Philly since Jump Street
three in a row before finishing a real good second
to Lake Victoria and the breeders of juvenile Phillies Turf.
They failed the tempt over in Japan, which might not

(33:55):
have been the smallest idea. But if she gets about
six months off, she comes back Frank and Grory stays aboard.
She already has a win over a course at Saratoga
with some giving the ground. That could be key this
weekend because there's some rain coming Friday and maybe a
little bit less than they forecasted for Saturday, but they're
still gonna have a good deal of rain Friday and Saturday,
probably a little less than an inch which is going

(34:18):
to affect the course. And she's run well on firm
ground too, so I'm not worried about the ground necessarily,
but she does have that good maiden win at fifty
three bucks with some good with some give in the ground,
So I'm taking a look at maybe ready to post
the slide was she's the second choice at nine to two,
but I think she could post a little bit of
a slight upset in the wonder again. And then in

(34:39):
race seven, there's not a lot of speed signed on
in nfls and congrete Glory from the Rail comes in
for Saffie Joseph. He had the misstep where he turned
his head at the start of the Maryland Sprint and
some people thought maybe he should be a refund, but
it looked like he kind of broke cleanly. He gets
one of the hottest riders in the country and one
of the best gate riders in the world. And Louis said,

(35:00):
and I'll tell you why he looks loosey goosey. From
the rail. He's already won from inside draws. He's long
time a lone race on the card. From the Rail
he went Wy to wire coach stream going seven eighths
and one twenty two and some change. He's another one.
He had to win on a wet track in case
there's some residual moisture in the dirt, and I just
think he gets loose. I don't trust the mullikan who's

(35:23):
going to be the favorite who sits off when mullikin
kind of takes advantage of the opposition, and maybe he
can do that in him. Maybe Concrete Glory is not
that good. And I'm not too worried about the rest
of them. You know, Tony's a little dressed up from
the Golden Shaheen book him danos as run well a Saratoga,
But I think Concrete Glory can upset this. For the
Way to Wire job Vasafi and Louisias from the Rail.

Speaker 2 (35:46):
You know, as you mentioned book him Dano I was
quite a fan of that horse last year in New
Jersey bread and was a real hard hitter at three,
maybe seems to have just lost a little bit a
half a step as a four year old Anthony.

Speaker 4 (35:59):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 6 (36:00):
So.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
I think he kind of lacks that punch a little
bit now. I think he kind of lacks that punch
a little bit now. But we'll see, We'll see if
they change tactics too. I wonder if Paco gets a
little more aggressive with him. When he got aggressive with
him in that restricted race Colonial during the during the
Virginia's Derby Festival, he was a little bit better a
heat and race fine he was running against. I think

(36:22):
it was a Maryland, Virginia New Jersey bread race, wild
condition race. You know when he won the Jersey Shore
last year, his life and death. So yeah, after Woodie
Stevens win last year where he held on for dear
life with Prince of Monaco flying at him, I think
he's kind of lost a little bit of a step here.
I agree with you there. So I'm gonna try and

(36:44):
beat them all with Concrete Glory.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
Very good. If may Day Ready wins the six the
Wonder again and Concrete Glory wins the True North Race seven,
I imagine you would be hitting a pretty good double
and sitting pretty good in your pick threes, pick four's
and pick five.

Speaker 4 (36:56):
Well that is a no lies detective in that stair anyway.

Speaker 2 (37:01):
Yeah, thank you so much, Anthony, our great information. As always,
appreciate you taking the time to give us interesting look.
And Phil as usual, Anthony is uh, well he's actually
sovereignty is not the morning. My favorite journalism is the favorite.
It's gonna say. Anthony usually comes up with the price,
so he's not picking the favorite there and a couple

(37:22):
of shots in the other races.

Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, and Anthony, you have to come out and see
us someday. I don't know the last time you've been
out to Emerald Downs, but you have to make a trip.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
Phil, I have never been on an airplane that's taken off.
Oh my train, it comes full circle. I was going
to Akasha and Miguel's wedding Miguel's Clement married Akaisha Corton.
And the airplane they were having some trouble with the
with the landing gear and they made us all the
plane and one of us, one of us get back

(37:54):
on the plane. That was it. One of us jobs
dumped in the modes X five and drove twenty hours.
Make sure he got to the wedding.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
Well, we can get you on a train out here.
Maybe sure be a fun way to come across. Anyway,
Thank you so much. Anthony will be following New York's
card on Saturday on Belmont Day, and always admit, as
I mentioned, thank you so much for joining us. You
always give us some great information. So have a great weekend.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
And look for you guys and Joe have a good one.
Good luck everyone.

Speaker 2 (38:24):
That was Anthony stabil Phil the Big, a fellow New
Yorker like yourself. And you know what I like by Anthony.
He doesn't waiver. If he doesn't like something he's not,
he just throw it out.

Speaker 3 (38:34):
I could listen to him to a course racing for hours.
It's great. The plane story, though, that's I didn't know
that got on a plane.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
I did not know that either.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
It didn't take off and that was it.

Speaker 2 (38:45):
I'm not the greatest flyer in the world, but I
kind of gotten a little better as I've gotten older.
And if if it's my time, it's my time.

Speaker 3 (38:52):
Yeah that kind of I don't like that turbulent stuff,
but I go, I do it.

Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
Anyway, we'll be back with our third segment here on
horse racing Northwest.

Speaker 6 (39:02):
The Muckle Shoot Gold Cup. Indian Relay races return to
Emerald Downs June thirteenth to fifteenth. The best teams in
North America compete for over seventy five thousand dollars. Relay
racing is a Native American sport where bareback riders switch
horses three times Friday. Racing begins at seven pm Saturday
and Sunday at one fifty pm. There's also great food,

(39:23):
entertainment and exciting thoroughbirg races each day. Don't miss Indian
Relay Racing June thirteenth to fifteenth, only at Emerald Downs.

Speaker 3 (39:35):
The secretariat is all alone.

Speaker 5 (39:37):
He's out there almost the sixteenth of a mile away
from the rest of the hustle. Tecatariat is in a
position that has been happy of the cab the hang
of the set. Secretariat A is deealed by eighteen length
and now fight a.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
Person picking seventh and my ballot of w back recurred.

Speaker 4 (39:54):
They're in the set.

Speaker 5 (39:55):
Secretariat has opened the twenty teen length. Please he find
good triple crown from tecretariot.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
To the wire.

Speaker 5 (40:04):
I'm unbelievable. An amazing performance.

Speaker 4 (40:06):
Had copy money.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Fine. Thanks. That was Secretariat's unforgettable stretch run in the
nineteen seventy three Belmont Stakes where he broke a twenty
five year drought in the Triple Crown. And this Saturday
at Emerald Downs, we have author Patricia McQueen and she's
got a beautiful new book called Secretariat's Legacy, and she

(40:29):
will be signing the book from one thirty to three
thirty at track level right by the gift shop. And
we welcome to horse Racing Northwest. Patricia McQueen.

Speaker 7 (40:39):
Thank you, Vince. I appreciate the opportunity to be here.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
You bet, and a little bit of your background as
a writer and in your background and throw bread racing.

Speaker 7 (40:50):
Well, it all started with Secretariat. Well, since you just
played that Belmont stake so which still brings tears to
my eyes when I see that and hear that call.
I was just a ten year old girl when he
won the Triple Crown. I watched it on television. I
knew nothing about horse racing, but he had me hooked.

(41:10):
And so I spent the next part of my life
just following learning about horse racing, learning about more about Secretariat.
And I was just hooked and he had me enthralled,
and so I followed his offspring as well. And that
led to the idea of the book because I became

(41:33):
a writer, and so I was decided to focus on
the fact that he was a much better stallion then
people gave him credit for. So I aimed to write
about his offspring, tell the story of his impact on
horse racing. Yeah, and that's where it all came through.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
And you know, it's funny because I was a couple
of years older than you in nineteen seven, and that
kind of mirrors my background in racing as well too.
There hadn't been a triple crown winner in twenty five years,
and the whole country kind of gathered around the TV
set that Saturday. And you have to understand, he was
Secretary was on the cover of Newsweek, He was on

(42:16):
the cover of Time, He was on the cover of
Sports Syllistry, he was on CBS TV. He transcended into
the mainstream and Secretariat was just, you know, a giant
rock star in America, Patricia, he definitely was.

Speaker 7 (42:31):
He It was a time, it was a tough time
for the world back then, in America, back then, and
he just he had it all, and he had the charisma,
he had the talent, and everyone just fell in love
with him. And I was no different.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
You know, it's interesting you mentioned that he kind of
did you know, no one could ever be another secretariat.
Maybe as a race horse, but he is generally thought of,
not as a flop as his stying, but certainly not success.
But you're here to beg to differ with that.

Speaker 7 (43:04):
I here am. He sired some very very good horses.
He sired a daughter that it is in the Hall
of Fame right with him, her name Lady's Secret. He
fired a horse that almost became a triple Crown winner,
Risen Star, but for some bad luck in the Derby,
he could have done it. But his impact is really
about through his grandsons. And you'll notice that every Derby

(43:28):
starter this year, every Priatness starter this year is a
secretary at descendants through primarily through his key grandson's because
he was best known as a Brudner sire. And my
goal was just not let people forget that that it's
his influence through his mayors that really is a dominant

(43:48):
force still today more than fifty years.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
That's great, And how does one go about putting together
a book on Secretary. Imagine there was a lot of interviews,
a lot of research.

Speaker 7 (43:59):
Well the church, it's about his offspring more than anything else.

Speaker 4 (44:03):
And so.

Speaker 7 (44:05):
As part of my childhood love of him, I created
scrap books. So I have scrap books all through those
the late seventies and the eighties about his offspring. I
tracked everything they did that I could get my hands on,
and so I had a lot of that material and
I just ran with it and studied his offspring and
where they went and what they did and their influence

(44:27):
as their own impact on the breeds.

Speaker 4 (44:29):
So that's it.

Speaker 7 (44:32):
Just I read everything I could find, and I just
gather the information.

Speaker 2 (44:37):
Yeah, and you mentioned that the legacy includes even in
twenty twenty five the Triple Crown races, of which we
have the Belmont this weekend. And then also your research
has even shown that Secretariat has had an influence in
our part of the country up here in the Northwest.

Speaker 7 (44:56):
Yes, it's very funny. There was Downs of course, opened
nineteen ninety six and the last crop of Secretary's last
runners were already six years old by that time, right,
So he was didn't have a chance to have a
lot of horses, you know, running up there. But he did,

(45:17):
in fact get the couple of horses that raced at
Emerald Downs. He had one horse named Secret Damascus that
actually won a couple of races of Emerald Downs. So
there wasn't a lot of Secretariats running up there, but
there's certainly there were some and that's kind of a
local impact, a local connection there.

Speaker 2 (45:40):
Well, that's great. I certainly planned to pick up a
copy this Saturday, as I do love my horse racing books.
Where can people get the book if they can't make
it out Saturday?

Speaker 7 (45:52):
If they can't make it out Saturday, And I would
love to meet some people out there, so hopefully some
can make it and we can talk Secretariat. I always
loved talking Secretary. But I do sell the site directly,
sell directly through an order page on my website and
you can just go find it at Secretariats Legacy dot
com makes it easy.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
That's great. And have you kind of had a little
tour around the country promoting the book.

Speaker 7 (46:15):
I have gone. I've been fortunately, I've been to several
race tracks around the country. I've been to other events
and museums, and I just I've got a lot of fun,
because since I said, it's just it's really fun just
to talk about Secretariats impact and talking to people who
after all these years still love the Big Red, you know.

(46:36):
So it's just it's hard, it's it's just it's it's
it's a feel good story because his story has lasted
so long, and it's just so much fun.

Speaker 4 (46:44):
You know.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
A couple times a year, if I'm feeling down, I
will go on YouTube and I will watch that Belmont
Stakes and it's it's just watching the horse run, the
call of the race, the crowd, the whole thing is magical.
Just what an absence loute specimen he was as a racehorse,
and just what it meant, as you mentioned to the

(47:07):
United States that day in nineteen seventy three, to watch Secretariat,
it truly was.

Speaker 7 (47:13):
He truly was remarkable that bell must take because I said,
I still cry when I see that. It just you
just can't avoid it. It just it was such such
a tremendous thing that will never witness again.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, and I would have the book itself. How many
pages is it, Patricia.

Speaker 7 (47:32):
It's about three hundred pages, and it's loaded with photographs
from crusted from around the world. Some of which most
any of which people have never seen these rights before.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
I know, glancing through it, there was many photos that
were the first time I have seen it. And he
was such a photogenetic horse in his offspring, he tended
to stamp them too correct.

Speaker 7 (47:54):
There's a difference of opinion on that. Some say you
didn't really stamp them too much, because it's like, look
about his two best offspring, and one was a tiny
little gray pilly and one was a giant dark bay horse.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
So interesting.

Speaker 7 (48:08):
But what he did was was the good ones had
had his look, had his talent, had had his ability
to just do some remarkable things. Very good.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
Well, Patricia, thank you so much for joining us. We'll
look forward to seeing you again this Saturday, one thirty
to three thirty track level right by the gift shop.
That's right when you go up the escalator. When you
come in the track, right there on the left, Patricia
will be at a table and we look forward to
seeing you on Saturday. Thanks so much for joining us
on horse Racing Northwest.

Speaker 7 (48:40):
Thank you so much. I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
Thank you again to Patricia McQueen with their beautiful book,
Secretariats Legacy Beyond sale as we mentioned here at track
level from about one thirty to three thirty on Saturday,
and I'll be picking up a copy of that for
my horse racing library. And well, who better to talk
about a very busy month of June here at Emial

(49:04):
Downs and the president himself, Phil Ziegler.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
Well, we have so much going on as we hit
their prime season here. The best event in anybody, if
you've never seen it before, it's coming up next weekend.
It's a Muxshuet Gold Cup Indian Relay weekend. We have
twenty one teams. If you have not seen or don't
know what we're talking about, even though we've talked about

(49:27):
it a lot on podcasts and on live racing, and
of course they come every year. It's incredible. They call
it the original extreme sport, goes back hundreds of years
and it's Native American teams from all over North America,
not just the US because the team from Canada won
last year. And it's riding bareback in a relay, jumping

(49:49):
on and off horses over two miles, around four different
horses they're riding. If you look it up online, check
it out. It's just a spectacle of talent and pageantry
and tradition that you cannot see in any other venue
and it's certainly not on horse racing anywhere else. Because
we're the only racetrack that has a Indian relay event

(50:14):
during the Thoroughbred meat So you can come out on
Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, the thirteenth of the fifteenth
and the fifteenth is Father's Day and that's our championship
Sunday for the relay teams and it is just incredible
to watch these guys. Every single year. The competition heats
up and there's some big money involved. There's like eighty
five thousand dollars in first enterprises on the line and

(50:37):
this thing. So these are the best of the best
teams that are coming here this year.

Speaker 2 (50:41):
Yeah, And as you mentioned, there will be three events
each day, including on the final on Fathersday, June fifteenth,
and that's in addition to our normal card of thoroughbred
racing here. And you kind of mentioned that one of
the things I've really grown to enjoy about Indian Relay
racing is a racing, of course, but also you feel
the culture, yeah, when you come out to the track.

Speaker 3 (51:04):
Yes, and we have different entertainment in between the races
and the drum group that's here, and also a lot
of the horses that participate in the relay are Some
of them are ex thirbod race horses that competed here
and the team that went from Canada last year. A
couple of those horses were just in races like a

(51:24):
couple of weeks before and then a few weeks after
the relay race. And these horses are versatile and what
they can do as well, so the talent of the riders,
the teams, the guys that catch the horses, everything from
the start to the finish, and all the people involved
in the horses themselves. It is again there's nothing like it.
So if you haven't been out to Emerald Downs to
see Indian Relay in person, make sure to make it

(51:47):
a point to come out here sometime over the weekend
on Friday, Saturday or Sunday the thirteenth of the fifteenth.

Speaker 2 (51:53):
You will not be sorry. As Phil said, it's quite
a spectacle. The following weekend. Well, we're doing a little
different with the stakes this year. Twenty two steaks on
four days, or excuse me, twenty stakes on four days
beginning with a four bagger on Sunday, June twenty second,
we've got Auburn for colts and Gildings three year rolls,
the Seattle for three year old phillies, and then Hastings

(52:16):
for older phillies and Mirrors and the Budweiser, which is
kind of our glamour division here for three year olds
and up heading towards the long Acres mile Phil interesting.
Your thoughts on having the stakes concentrated this year, Well.

Speaker 3 (52:28):
We've seen other tracks do this day have a super
kind of Steaks Day, and you're seeing it at Saratoga
on Belmont Stakes Day, all the different races that are
being run on that day. So this is a chance
for folks to come out to the track or watch
on simulcasting and see multiple stakes races. We have four
on this particular day, and then the next round we're

(52:49):
gonna have six, and then six and then four. So
those six Steaks race days, you're gonna have an all steaks,
pick six and pick fives and pick fours and pick
So I think the betting opportunities, because we usually wind
up with full fields for these races, that's going to
be very intriguing because this year in particular, we have
horses here from northern California and coming from different parts

(53:13):
of the country, and I think these stakes races are
going to be some of the most competitive races we've
seen in years here at Emial Downs, and having four
of them to kick it off is going to be
a lot of fun to watch.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
I agree, and you know, I think, you know, just
even this weekend looking at some of the fields, Race
seven on Saturday is kind of what we all envision
this season could be. We've got a field of eleven
twenty five thousand dollars claimers. These are good horses in
which we've got a seven or two morning line favorite, Prisoner,
who I believe is like fourteen for thirty lifetime, a

(53:44):
horse like of you from above coming off a nice win.
He's been a good horse here in Well, it's twelve
to one on the morning line. This is good racing.

Speaker 4 (53:51):
You know.

Speaker 3 (53:51):
I feel bad for our morning line guy, which is you,
that it's become very difficult this year because you have
horses shipping in, yeah, and running. Some came from Arizona,
of course, a lot of them from Arizona, and a
lot of them from northern California. And then some are
coming from southern California now up here and you see
them and you don't know exactly how they're going to

(54:13):
fit in. Some of them are coming from the turf
to the Dirted Emerald downs. I mean, it's really hard
to handicap very much.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
So, although last week I did say we had a
wide open race for Phillies and Malors and Grease Missile
ended up going off at three to five and winning
by eight and three quarter lengths, so I kind of
aired on that one. I'm pretty confident this race Saturday
and the sixth race on Saturday is it's a field
of seven or six, but these are six quality older
Phillies and Mayors. Yeah, it's just solid horses.

Speaker 3 (54:40):
Yeah, and we're seeing and looking ahead to our glamour division.
As you said. You know, you mentioned earlier in the
show that John Parker was the Owner of the week
and he's been leading owner here a number of times,
and he was leaving the track early the other day
and I said, oh, where you go? And he says, oh,
I have to go to the airport and pick up
Lonesome Boy. And Loansome Boy was our Washington brid Horse

(55:00):
of the Year. That ran fourth in the Wood Memorial
last year and won some races at parks and back
on the East Coast. And Lonesome Boy was taking a
plane and landed here on Sunday evening and is ready
to run in our stakes races. So that's just another
great horse to add to the mix and another handicapping challenge.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
Yeah, it sure is. And I can't wait to see
how those divisions are going to fold this year. I
think we'll have the numbs out next week and we
can really start talking about our stakes. But yeah, three
very good cards again this weekend. As Phil mentioned, the
weather looks summary here at Emerald Downs Summary. Yes, yes,

(55:42):
I like that. And now, Phil, did you have a
sports short which Joe likes to do?

Speaker 3 (55:47):
A sports short? Is that any other sports?

Speaker 2 (55:49):
Any other sports? Some tidbit you want to throw out there.

Speaker 3 (55:52):
If it's me and you, you know we're going to
talk hockey.

Speaker 2 (55:54):
Well that's what mine is for sure.

Speaker 3 (55:56):
Of course, Game one of the NHL Finals, great game
and seeing I think what's incredible about what we're witnessing
is it isn't just Edmonton, it's the entire country of Canada.
They haven't had a Stanley Cup winner and what you
just said thirty two years in nineteen ninety three, that's incredible.
So like you're seeing buildings lit up in Toronto for Edmonton, Yeah,

(56:22):
that's I don't think you'd ever see Seattle putting up
like New York Yankee colors. No on the space needle,
and they's not going to happen.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
They scored that overtime goal last night Edmonton Leon Dry
Sidle and it was like they won the cup. Yeah,
it just went on and on and on the celebration.
I would never count Florida out. They were down to
nothing to Toronto and down two goals in that game,
and they came back and beat them in seven. They
are a tough veteran team. So I still think the
series is going seven. Slight nod to Edmonton in my opinion.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Yeah. And the state of Florida they've had enough, right, Yeah,
they've had so much success.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Yapa Bay made three straight Cups and now Florida finals
and now Florida has And it's funny because down there
they can barely even get on the news, whereas in
Toronto it's leaves twenty four hours a day and they
haven't won the Cups. In sixty seven.

Speaker 3 (57:07):
What about the NBA any opinion on that as well?
Says we're taping this, they haven't played a game yet.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
I'm just rooting against Oklahoma City because they're the former Sonics,
just like most people around here right now, around here. Yes, yeah,
so I'm becoming a big Indiana Pacers fan. And our
former track announcer Bill Downs a huge Indiana Pacers fan.
He was at Game six texting me when they won it.

Speaker 3 (57:26):
Nice, so he is all in.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
He still insists Indiana is going to win it, so
we'll see. I know Oklahoma City's.

Speaker 3 (57:33):
Favored, so big time, yes, big time.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
Yeah. So I did have one sport short. We talked
about hockey. While the Kracking have named their third coach
Lane Lambert, and Phil's kind of an Islanders fan, and
Lane Lambert was only other head coaching job in the
NHL was with the Islanders. I was just going to
mention I saw Lane Lambert play in the Seattle Center
arena when he was with the Saskatoon Blades in nineteen

(57:57):
eighty one eighty two, and did just just show you
how much much hockey has changed. That Saskatoon team had
thirteen players with over one hundred minutes and penalties. Now
in the NHL, if you've got one guy with one
hundred minutes, he's considered a quote unquote I hate to
use it, the kind of a goon.

Speaker 4 (58:12):
I know.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
I went to I have half season tickets to the Kraken,
as you know, and we go to a bunch of
games together. I think I saw one fight this year. Yeah, one,
that was it.

Speaker 2 (58:21):
I'm telling you that the worst Western hockey league in
the eighties. He really had to see to believe so
that they were the breakers back then, not the te Birds.
They had fourteen guys with over one hundred minutes and penalties,
four with over three hundred minutes and penalties. One where
was the guy's name, Mitch Wilson had four hundred and
sixty six minutes and penalties. That's like averaging over a

(58:42):
fight a game if you have pencil it out. It
was just incredible stuff. I remember one game where two
garbage cans ended up on the ice and the coach,
one of the coaches maybe it was New Westminster, lit
a towel on fire and was waving it at the
referee and surrendered. I was just say it was very
close to being done WWF type stuff.

Speaker 3 (59:01):
We live in a much kind of world now, Like,
when's the last time you saw a good horse racing fight? Yeah,
because that was happening too. Remember there was a couple
of pretty.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
Yeah I remember Public Costellano and Calvin Burrell. Yeah, the
scales got into it.

Speaker 3 (59:17):
That was like in a big race.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
It was English Bringers cut Marathon. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (59:21):
Yes, so in the Winter Circle.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
We do live in a kaya. I mean, I'm not
going to say things were better back then, but maybe
we could meet it halfway. I mean, we don't need
eighteen fights a game, but maybe one.

Speaker 3 (59:35):
No, we don't want any jockey fights. But you know,
obviously those things happened, right.

Speaker 2 (59:39):
Those things happened. Oh they did for sure back then. Anyway,
that'll about do it for this edition of Horse Racing Northwest. Phil,
thank you so much for pinch hitting on short notice here.

Speaker 3 (59:50):
It's always fun.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
Yes, yes, sir, and Joe Whithie will be back soon,
hopefully this weekend.

Speaker 4 (59:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:57):
So until next week, have a great Belmont everybody, and
see you back next week for Horse Racing Northwest