Crist Blog With Steven Crist

Day 36: 9/1/08

Crist Blog — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:07:49 GMT

Today's fourth race is officially listed as the "Lue Donville Stakes." Who's Lue Donville? A typo for the local hamlet of Loudonville, that's who. Read More......(read more)

Day 35: 8/31/08

Crist Blog — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:32:44 GMT

After waiting three months for his first winner, Benzel waited only another two hours for his second, as Walkabout Winner... Read More......(read more)

Day 34: 8/30/08

Crist Blog — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:32:45 GMT

Delta Sea, an 8-year-old NY-bred gelding by Sea Hero (before the 1993 Derby and Travers winner was moved to Turkey), has now won 12 of 66 career starts... Read More......(read more)

Day 33: 8/29/08

Crist Blog — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:36 GMT

Cocoa Beach couldn't have fit the "nonwinners of a graded sweepstakes over a mile in 2008" conditions more snugly... Read More......(read more)

Day 32: 8/28/08

Crist Blog — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:42:38 GMT

Why is a maiden race with seven first-time starters being run as the 9th of 10 other than as a craven attempt to create a carryover? Read More......(read more)

Day 31: 8/27/08

Crist Blog — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:09:56 GMT

Horseplaying and a fuzzy head make a bad cocktail, but I did most of the work late last night and haven't had any pharmacologically-induced new insights I'm going to regret... Read More......(read more)

Dark Day 5: Breather

Crist Blog — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:05:00 GMT

If we do get our first double-carryover of Saratoga '08, Thursday's card includes the only steeplechase of the meeting that's part of the pick-6... Read More......(read more)

Day 30: 8/25/08

Crist Blog — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:50:04 GMT

Mott's record at this meet, and the reaction to it in comparison to Pletcher's 2007 meet, says more about our expectations and prejudices than..... Read More......(read more)

Day 29: 8/24/08

Crist Blog — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:49:28 GMT

BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Made it back from Spa City in 3:15:00.01 or so, and qwik-capped the card just enough to play this very difficult carryover... Read More......(read more)

Day 28: 8/23/08

Crist Blog — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:00:06 GMT

Between the spectacularly good card and perfect weather, both of which were in short supply during much of the meeting, business should boom today... Read More......(read more)

Day 27: 8/22/08

Crist Blog — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:45:16 GMT

I found it a tough card to make my usual sort of multiple zigzag-tickets play, due to too many mains and not enough backups... Read More......(read more)

Day 26: 8/21/08

Crist Blog — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:54:23 GMT

Just watched poor old My Cousin Matt trail at every call. Here's hoping someone will give him a a good home and a happy retirement.... Read More......(read more)

Day 25: 8/20/08

Crist Blog — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:02:57 GMT

Jerkens and Zito have seen enough Travers to know that this is a good year to take a shot with any 3-year-old who's eating well... Read More......(read more)

Dark Day 4: Q&A Catchup

Crist Blog — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:46:28 GMT

The official explanation was that there were "marketing benefits" and "synergies" in having the BC at the same site for two years... Read More......(read more)

Day 24: 8/18/08

Crist Blog — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:44:12 GMT

Country Star in the 7th and By the Light in the 9th will both be heavy favorites, potentially making the late pick-4 a double and the pick-6 a pick-4... Read More......(read more)