Tuesday, May 3, 2016
I hope I don't jinx the Derby probables with this, but has anyone noticed that there hasn't been one significant defection and here we are just four days from D-Day? Usually, by this time, there have been three or four bowed tendons, or pulled muscles, or bad steps, or a fever, or something else, allowing No. 21, or 22, or 23 into the Run for the Roses.
Every winner of every major prep is still on the list - Nyquist (Florida Derby, San Vicente, Breeders' Cup Juvenile); Destin (Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, Sam F. Davis Stakes); Outwork (Wood Memorial); Creator (Arkansas Derby); Brody's Cause (Toyota Blue Grass); Exaggerator (Santa Anita Derby); Gun Runner (Louisiana Derby, Risen Star); Suddenbreakingnews (Southwest Stakes, 2nd, Arkansas Derby); Mor Spirit (Robert B. Lewis Stakes, 2nd, Santa Anita Derby); Mohaymen (Fountain of Youth Stakes, Holy Bull Stakes).
Also of note is every horse listed above is a Kentucky-bred, except for Mor Spirit, who's from Pennsylvania. Nary a Florida-bred among them. And, lest somebody thinks there's an upset in order by a modestly-bred contender, here are the sires in the order the runners are listed above - Uncle Mo; Giant's Causeway; Uncle Mo; Tapit; Giant's Causeway; Curlin; Candy Ride; Mineshaft; Eskendereya; Tapit. Get the picture?
IT MUST HAVE BEEN A JOKE - In an "are you kidding me?" follow-up to that recent article in the Tampa Bay Times in which Mary Ellen Klas and Jeremy Wallace informed us that there's one other thing nobody's talking about, "slots are declining, too," here's the latest from the Resorts World Casino New York.
New York closed out its fiscal year on March 26 and the total amount of "credits played" reached an all-time high of $20.4 billion. The record from the 2014-2015 fiscal year was $18.3 billion. The year before it was $17 billion. So the notion that slots are declining in New York is absurd.
For the record, the "net win" in New York was a record $856,634,479, with 7.5% going to purses and another 1.5% to breeders' awards.
In this last fiscal year, the credits played was more than $400 million for just three weeks between April and Christmas. Then, it surpassed $400 million twice during the holidays, and it has been over $400 million for the last 12 consecutive weeks beginning in mid-February. Doesn't sound like they're getting tired of slots in New York, New York.
As for Florida, the stats that are supposed to be updated weekly haven't been updated since March 31. With the fiscal year set to end June 30, we'll have a better idea of how Florida's machines are faring when they get around to the next update. Assuming they'll get around to it.
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