Miami Mile preview

In honor of the late Mambo Meister who won this G3 race in 2010, I am previewing this year's running of the Miami Mile. Run on Saturday at a mile on the grass at Calder, a field of eleven plus two Also Eligibles (AE) are entered. Let's take a look at the field:

1. Sette E Mezzo (Dynaformer) is coming off a 4^th place finish in an allowance race at Gulfstream. On March 7^th, he won a claimer at Tampa Bay. Last year he finished third in the G2 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga.

2. Chinglish (War Front), is making his first start for his new connections after finishing 6^th and being claimed for $30,000 in late March. He won the James W. Murphy last season at Pimlico, but his best finish in a graded stakes race was a 6^th place finish in the G3 Saranac at Saratoga also last season.

3. Za Approval (Ghostzapper) makes his stakes debut here and is coming off a win by a neck at Gulfstream in an allowance race. He was second in his first start of the year, also at Gulfstream.

4. Decisive Moment (With Destinction) has always done well at Calder finishing no worse then third, and winning in the El Kaiser last year. Those races where on dirt and not turf. He did well last year finishing behind Animal Kingdom at Turfway in the G3 Spiral Stakes on polytrack which is similar to turf, however the turf debut didn't go well as he finished 6^th in the G3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream last time out.

5. Ducduc (Langfur) comes into the race off a 2^nd place finish in a Starter Handicap at Gulfstream. He has a stakes win on the surface last year in the Joey Blueeyes by a head.

6. Perfect Footprint (Pleasently Perfect) finished 8^th in the G3 Canadian Turf Handicap at Gulfstream last time out. His best finish in a stakes finish is on this surface last December in the G3 Tropical Turf Handicap.

7. Mutural Trust (GB) (Cacique (IRE)) makes his 3^rd start in the US. A G1 winner in France, his best finish in the states is a 5^th place finish in the G3 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream in January. He is coming out of a 7^th place finish in the G3 Canadian Turf Handicap at Gulfstream. Tannersville (West Acre) has been running in handicap and allowance company this year so far finishing as high as 3rd. He finished third to Ducduc in the Joey Blueeyes last year.

8. Upgrade (Saint Liam) makes his stakes debut here. He won an Allowance/Optional Claimer at Gulfstream in his last start.

9. Yummy with Butter (Silvador) is coming off a 4^th place finish in the G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. He won two G3 last year (the Oceanport and Cliff Hanger) at Monmouth.

10. Numb Lips (Olmodavor) has won over this surface before, but is making the dirt to turf switch after a 5^th place finish in the G3 Skip Away at Gulfstream last time out.

11. Monument Hill (Royal Academy) is very consistant finishing in the top 3 in each of his starts. He is coming off a 3^rd place finish in the G3 Appleton.

Also Eligibles:

Imperial Czar (Imperialism) is coming off a win in a starter allowance at Gulfstream. Before that he was third in the Challenger Stakes at Tampa, but both of those races where on dirt.

It's Never Too Late (Repent) is another dirt to turf horse, he won a starter allowance at Gulfstream last time out and was fifth in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream earlier in the year.

Picks: Za Apporoval, Monument Hill, Yummy with Butter, Upgrade

Review: Undercover Boss

Yesterday, the COO of Churchill Downs Incorperated (CDI) Bill Carstangen, was on the CBS show Undercover Boss. Based on a show in England, Undercover Boss lets CEO's go undercover in their companies.

Carstangen, tried several jobs including:
Working for a trainer at Calder
Bugler at Arlington
Cleaning at Arlington
Helping the Press Box cordinator at Arlington
Valet at Arlington (Inez Karlsson's valet was who Carstangen was shadowing)

The show itself is somewhat contraversial, because there only a few people working with the boss, and it's really not focusing on the entire company. However, keep in mind that they shoot for hours and have to cram it into a 60 minute program. I don't know for sure if Carstangen did anything else other than the jobs that I posted. Shows are not going to please everybody all time.

I wanted to do a review of this because it this gives CDI good PR. Will it bring people out to the track? In most likelyhood not, because horse racing is not a popular sport. However, I think this put Arlington and Calder in a good light. It will be very interesting what the ratings are for this episode, and how everyone else feels about this.

As for the show itself: I most likely won't watch the show again, except maybe once a blue moon On Demand. If I do watch it again, I'll have to make sure to watch a show I live (i.e. NCIS) afterwards. Nice show, but really not my cup of tea.
As for the rest of this week, we really start to get down to crunch time. A new top 10 list will be coming out next week, and more is to come soon.