Tim Blair

Another live thread here.

I thought "Read The Footnotes" (who ran 7th in the Kentucky Derby) was a pretty good name for a horse, considering it was foaled on tax day, April 15, 2001.

A few months ago, I heard a great bit on NPR about horse naming -- and the rule was it had to be (I think) 18 or fewer characters and ought not be offensive. Nothing else. No need to keep the lineage in the name itself, like some damned King Charles Spaniel named "Ch Tortola's Fancy French Ambergris Cake" or some such.

Some time ago, late 80s, an Australian horse ran under the name "Merkin". Race authorities check names out pretty completely, but this one managed to get by. For a couple of weeks.

The best racehorse name I ever heard was ``Police Car.'' As the joke went, he'd have to win because who would dare to pass him? Don't know if he lived up to his name though.

It's like two-and-a-half hours till the race, right? 2.30 Pacific daylight time?

I think that "Rock Hard Ten," also racing today, is an awesome name. Pretty damned filthy.

It's funny how everyone here in Philadelphia has become absolutely nuts about horse racing these past few weeks. Considering our long string of failures in the realm of human sports, we will take what we can get.

Right. 5:30 Eastern.

Thanks, Donnah. Anyone got any bets on Spiny Joe? Or whatever his name is?

(This horse is the Time magazine cover story if it wins, according to recent emails. Go, Sparky Jim!)

television coverage in the U.S. starts at 5:30; the race begins about 6:30 Eastern standard time.

In Philadelphia, where I'm from, it's all Smarty, all the time.

It's hard to believe that "Merkin" got by race authorities, but then I said the same thing about "Star Jones' Queef Cloud" (placed in '94 Preakness).

You're right, Anne. I was going by TV coverage.
Riders up.

Hate to say it, but he lost. Came in second. Had the lead going into the home-stretch but that little frame of his just didn't have a mile-and-a-half in it. Didn't help that he had to see off 3 other horses in the back-stretch (Rock Hard Ten, Eddington, Purge.) Oh well. Gutty little pony, that's for sure.

Harold.

*****************NEWS FLASH***************
Ronald Wilson Reagan has died today.

God Speed to him.

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I always liked Exterminator, from back in the '30s or so. He was also called "Old Bones."

Actually, Exterminator was a contemporary of Man O' War, whose last racing season was 1920. There were some efforts to arrange a match race between the two great horses, but they never came off. Pity--the well-regarded gelding might have given Man O' War the race of his life.

Smarty lost his pants.

Sad, so sad.

LOL! LOL!