Fourstarmike

Long time, no blog.  

I'm still here (thanks for asking, Big Randy), it has been an exceptionally busy summer season.  I have saved up a veritable treasure trove of photos to share, both my own and of the reader-submitted variety.  We'll get to them some day soon.  Perhaps in the form of a thrilling multi-part serial.

In the meantime I wanted to notify you of the following programming alert so you'll have something to do Saturday evening;  The Wise Dan free money tour rolls into historic Saratoga this weekend when the reigning Horse of the Year takes on all comers in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (Grade II).  This will be the first race for Wise Dan since he stormed home in a monsoon to win the Firecracker at Churchill Downs last month as the high weight.  This Saturday, Wise Dan will once again be assigned the high weight (reportedly equivalent to a MINI Cooper).   You can watch the action live on NBC, between 5 pm and 6 pm.

Steve Haskin from The Blood-Horse posted a nice write-up today on Wise Dan and the Fourstardave Handicap.  You can read it here.

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Last year Calumet Farm sold for something north of $30 million.  In the weeks (or months, who can remember such things?) prior to that, one nation-wide lottery reached a half-billion dollars.  It would have been nice to hit that and to have bought Calumet.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity, in advance of last night's $400 million lottery I spent a scant few minutes on the Information Superhighway investigating similar opportunities and discovered a dandy:  The Vinery in Lexington, Kentucky.  The asking price is only - I say only - $14 million.  A steal, I say!  And less than 10 miles from Keeneland.

Alas, my dream of establishing the next great American racing stable remains on hold as I came up just short in my skillful bid to win last night's lottery.   OK, I had merely one number.

Unless, of course, I can convince each of you to join me in a syndicate.  No?  Hello?  Is this thing transmitting?

You always need to have a Plan B (which might also make for an excellent title to my never-to-be-published history of The B Team Syndicate.  "Plan B: The Electrifying History of Magnificent Kentucky Derby Scores and Bank-busting Pick Six Near Misses."  Or something like that.  It's a work in progress.).  At only $5 million, directly across the street from Calumet and just one mile down the road from Keeneland, this might be the world's most perfect residential property.

Sweet equine dreams.