HorseBoard

 ...... after watching the FL. D. several more times .. I'm still on the amazed side.. Winning by 13 lengths .. running a 13+ second final 1/8th .. almost walking ..? I'm struck by two things .. other colts in that race need not bother going to the KY Derby.. That Fierceness can run a 1.48.22 9f and little to now effort in a very fast final 1/8th walk .. not sure any of the other colts will give him a contest .. unless the timing of the FL. races is suspect ..?
   Three more 100 point preps to go on the 6th .. and the winners of the Ruby and Ark D. are not going to the KY. D. .. That appears it will make the KY. D. very interesting.. Wonder if Baffert has another colt that will run in the SA. D. .. if he does and it wins.. Will their be and asterisk by the winner the KY. D. ..? As a result of keeping Baffert's colts out ..?   

    

  ..... anyone think the Florida Derby .. looked a little odd ..? Timing was a little weird as well .. according to the official timer .. Fierceness ran the last 1/8 in a little over 13 seconds "walking" ..? 

As for the pandemic...  well, I was supposed to go on a trip to England in April 2020.  Obviously, that didn't happen.  I managed to amuse myself with online "panels" arranged by Galaxy Con.  There were Doctor Who mass viewings, often with online commentary from the creatives from whichever episode it was.
But hell hit in 2021.  Nope, didn't get COVID but developed sepsis.  A week in the hospital with noone allowed to visit.  Then a couple weeks in a nursing home that was terribly understaffed.  I still have nightmares about the place - they even forgot to feed me a couple of times!  Then my father started having trouble talking.  He was in south central PA.  Once I was well enough, my kids started alternating trips to see him (yes, they really did want to see him), bringing me along.  He died of, mostly, glioblastoma late in the year. The last time I saw Dad, a couple of my siblings were there.  He could no longer talk or feed himself, although he could understand us.  We took him on a picnic and discovered if we put on the music he loved, he could sing along.  So we all sang with him until he got too tired.
Of course, there was a new great-granddaughter, eventually we could have family parties.

 have nothing pithy or inciteful to say.  The only horse that impressed me was trained by Baffert, so I've already forgotten his name!

Sorry for your loss.

I feel  like I took my first steps out of isolation last year.  Because of arthritis and peripheral neuropathy from chemotherapy, I am mobility impaired.  Driving makes my legs hurt and John has dementia - still him, but he should not drive.  The upside of this is that my family looks for things to take us to, so I got back to Saratoga last year. (I dunno, it feels a bit different, but I don't get around like I used to), My daughter and I have been planning a trip to Vermont of the eclipse next mont.  Started thinking about it after the last one.

Hi, RoMo.  Looks like we've picked up a few people in the last couple month since I've checked.  Good time to start checking again.Life has been both interesting and dull...  I do have a 3 year old great-daughter.  Saw her yesterday at her Aunt Alysha's birthday party (my granddaughter is 25)

 ...... watching the Louisiana Derby .. the winner "Catching Freedom" looked to be a "pick" for the 10f's of the KY Derby ..? Only issue would be if he comes from off the pace .. getting caught in the "scrum" behind front-runners of the/a 20 colt field .. 

  ...... fun getting back into the game ..  

 ....... well on a personal note.. My son and soon to be daughter in law (#2) have both now retired from the Air Force/Space Force .. moved from CA to Bama.. My (STBDI) got her PHD in some obscure under populated area of security something or other ..? Both she and my son are working as contractors.. My daughter and her boyfriend got tired of the rat-race in CA and has also moved to Bama (?) where they could afford a nice house on a couple acres.. Have started getting used to the "culture shock" of the different environment..
   As for me .. have been in the Hospital a couple more times .. and am not ageing out all that well ..? A little more stumble to my motion as time passes.. Still feel somewhat relevant ..?
   I've been going out of my way to avoid what's going on with the political climate .. produces to much .. more anxiety than I can handle.. My old long-bed pickup crapped out .. so had to trade it for a little new old compact eco-sport .. much easier to drive and gets 3 times the gas millage..  

 ...... anyway .. getting old is really starting to suck ..!     

I've played a horse racing game since 2006.  Back in 2019, a young man joined the game.  In the game he goes by the name of Nathan, and he would sometimes make videos of the fake horses in the game...using footage of various t-breds that kind of fit the description of the fake horse...such as chestnut with a blaze. 

He's on YouTube now, and has some pretty nice videos/histories of thoroughbreds.
I thought I would share his channel with you. 

His YouTube persona is Sketchy The Horse Guy

https://www.youtube.com/@SketchyTheHorseGuy/videos

I loved his video on Silky Sullivan and also the worst runners:
Zippy Chippy vs Haru Urara

He recently did one on Vigors "The White Tornado"...a name I hadn't heard for a long time.  He raced during mid/late 1970s  I can remember being a fan of both him and Ancient Title, so when they competed together I never knew which one to cheer for

I hope you watch one or two of his vids. and give him a thumbs up, or even a short comment if you like this stuff. I think it's good to see a younger person getting so involved in horse racing history and taking so much time to produce these videos.

Stormy

 ........ you maybe on to something.. If what I'm told is true .. only a fraction of the ransom attacks ever hits the news.. On top of that .. not all hacks are even detected ..?
    On another note .. of the hacks that do make the news .. very rarely if ever does resolution of the hacks make the news ..? Mostly it's just some implication that it was a Foreign Military's Cyber Unite .. that "did the deed"..?