Points Results 02.15.2020

[JolyB]

With a relative dearth of stakes races and surprisingly no Derby preps on the calendar, next Saturday might be one of those times to play a track that we normally wouldn't visit. Just a thought.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by cal828

Thanks. Have to venture some guesses at the names of the races. I've always loved trivia. I think Little Magician might be Madison. Trust Buster might be Teddy Roosevelt, but Rough and Ready might be too, but maybe that might be one of the military men that was President like Zachary Taylor?
Sage of Monticello has to be Jefferson. Rail Splitter has to be Lincoln. Have no clue who Fabius was or Old Man Eloquent. Maybe John Adams? Of course, Old Hickory everyone will know as Andrew Jackson. Mary Todd is Mary Todd Lincoln. Lady Bird is Lady Bird Johnson. Mrs. Presidentress? No clue. Maybe Martha Washington?

I think I got about half of these right which is a decent effort, but I won't spoil it for anyone else by saying which ones. I thought I might know one because of a book I read about the writing of the constitution by Ed Asner of Mary Tyler Moore fame. Who would have thunk that Mr. Asner would be capable of such a thing? Must admit that I had no clue about the American Fabian thing although after finding out who it was, it makes perfect sense.

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by cal828

I think I got about half of these right which is a decent effort, but I won't spoil it for anyone else by saying which ones. I thought I might know one because of a book I read about the writing of the constitution by Ed Asner of Mary Tyler Moore fame. Who would have thunk that Mr. Asner would be capable of such a thing? Must admit that I had no clue about the American Fabian thing although after finding out who it was, it makes perfect sense.

I thought that some of them were very interesting, but then again I've always enjoyed both trivia and American history, so when they are coupled together I'm all in. I'll post the answers later this evening to give anyone who desires more time to ponder.

[Real Quiet]

Congrats on the win Cal. As for next weeks venue the 29th could be Gulfstream if that matters to anyone. The other pickings next week are slim. Last year we were at Golden Gate but they changed their stakes schedule. Other than disliking every Gulfstream race going off late I have no preference. They haven't invented a track I can't pick losers at.

[RUFFIAN]

~ ~ ~ THE COLORADO QUIRKY CAT CHOICE
PURRRING FOR GULFSTREAM PARK THIS SATURDAY

At least for now until the cards are up for the other possibilities

[Alli]

I have come to the conclusion that I am not very good at this. It's fun, though....and no money lost, so....

[JolyB]

Hope that you hang in there Alli and don't get discouraged. This is a very tough game to learn, but the hope is that we learn a little bit each day and get a little bit smarter each year. Doesn't always work out that way. Mickey Rooney famously said that the first time he went to the races he lost $5 and then he spent the next 50 years trying to get even.

[Alli]

Love it!! I've been working at this for about 15 years...I think it's a habit now!

My favorite was the trifecta. Won over $800 the first day I wagered on horse races at Del Mar...been trying to do that ever since....lol. I didn't even know what pp's were....just eyeballed the horses.

I can't wait for Colonial Downs to start up in the summer. That was fun! My son lives in San Diego, so I'm going to have to plan a visit while the racing is at Del Mar.

Can't wait to see where we go next! Have a good evening, everyone!

[DonGuido]

Originally Posted by Alli

Love it!! I've been working at this for about 15 years...I think it's a habit now!

My favorite was the trifecta. Won over $800 the first day I wagered on horse races at Del Mar...been trying to do that ever since....lol. I didn't even know what pp's were....just eyeballed the horses.

I can't wait for Colonial Downs to start up in the summer. That was fun! My son lives in San Diego, so I'm going to have to plan a visit while the racing is at Del Mar.

Can't wait to see where we go next! Have a good evening, everyone!

Alli, it took me several years figure out some approach to the Points contest then it started working more often than not. My wagering is very iffy for sure, here and at the track. That's where the rubber meets the road so I continue to try harder on the ROI but rarely land anything. Frustrating!!!

Been doing this on one forum or another since around 2000. Besides affording my competitive soul a needed challenge every week, it's fun and helps to keep my "senior" brain alert as well.

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by JolyB

In honor of Presidents' Day, Gulfstream Park is running a series of starter handicap races that they have named after the nicknames of either former Presidents or, when the races are for fillies and mares, after former First Ladies.

The races are named: Little Magician, Trust Buster, Mary Todd, Lady Bird, Mrs. Presidentress, Rough and Ready, American Fabius, Sage of Monticello, Rail Splitter and Old Man Eloquent. There is also one allowance race since a race that was to be named the Old Hickory didn't fill. Quick, without using Google, how many can you identify?

Here are the Presidents and First Ladies after whom today's Gulfstream Park races were named. Some were very obvious, while others were more obscure

Little Magician: Martin Van Buren, who had a number of nicknames due to his Machiavellian nature. He was also called the Sly Fox, and because the panic of 1837 occurred on his watch, Martin Van Ruin. During the campaign of 1840, the pro-Harrison song Tippicanoe and Tyler Too referred to "Van, the used up man".

Trust Buster: Teddy Roosevelt

Mary Todd: Mrs. Lincoln

Lady Bird: LBJ's wife

Mrs. Presidentress: Julia Tyler, who was President Tyler's second wife and the first woman to marry a President while he was in office. She was 30 years his junior.

Rough and Ready: more frequently called Old Rough and Ready. Zachary Taylor as a soldier was apparently ready to share the hardships of a military campaign with his troops.

American Fabius: George Washington. The reference is to a famous Roman general, who like Washington was able to engage in smaller battles without ever losing his army in a large battle. He could afford to lose a series of smaller battles to the British, but was always able to keep his ragtag army intact to be able to fight another day and ultimately achieve victory.

Sage of Monticello: Thomas Jefferson

Rail Splitter: Abraham Lincoln

Old Man Eloquent: John Quincy Adams, not for anything he said as President but for his long career in the House of Representatives after leaving the Presidency in which he made many speeches on the floor of the House advocating the limitation and then the repeal of slavery.

Old Hickory: Andrew Jackson

There are a couple of less complimentary presidential nicknames (in the 19th century) that could have been used. The ones that come to mind are His Accidency, referring to President Tyler's unexpected elevation to the Presidency after William Henry Harrison's death and His Fraudulence, referring to all of the unsavory back room deals that were made in 1876 that resulted in Rutherford B. Hayes becoming President.

[Alli]

Thanks for the cool history lesson!

[cal828]

You got to admit, I made some fair guesses. If points were assigned, I might have done better. I thought Madison might have been the "little magician" because I knew he was very short in stature. About 5'4". Good guess on my part on Zachary Taylor, but knew he was a military man. One of the heroes of the Mexican War I think. Almost guessed the Eloquent One also, but got the wrong Adams. Love trivia, but not as quick as I was at one time. My son and I watch Jeopardy together. He always beats me. Just don't have that immediate recall that I had at one time, but I think he just knows more than me too, but maybe I did my job by imparting a love of learning to him, even if it's just about trivial matters.