Friday Post Parade: Gearing Up For Road To The Roses

It's Presidents' Day weekend.  Kentucky bred Abraham Lincoln has got to get his props on this blog.  LaRue County baby!  Reprazent!

Next weekend you will need set you stable of horses along with a couple of jockeys and trainers.  We will then be counting up points on a weekly basis.  Until then you have some time to think about your picks and watch a few good prep races this weekend.

•  The El Camino Real welcomes California Derby winner Russian Greek along with stable mate Lady of Fifty (filly in the house!)
• 2YO sensation Creative Cause makes his 3YO debut in the San Vicente @ Santa Anita.  It's a seven furlong race and you know how fond I am of distances under a mile this time of year.  
•  Southwest Stakes is on Monday in Hot Springs.  Entries aren't out at yet.  Reckless Jerry is an entry and is owned by 'country music' 'star' Toby Keith.  His stable is called Dream Walkin' Farms.  Didn't think Toby could get any more annoying, but with that farm name he just out did himself. 
• We need to get a celebrity to join our fantasy league.  We can just send messages via Twitter (this is the real value in this medium-access to famous people!) until someone relents.  We need to shoot big, but not too big and find somebody with an interest in horse racing and a sense of humor.  Hmmm...  Easy.  BOOM.  I'm happy to send the first begging, badgering, harrassing plea.  I'll need you all to follow up.  Who's with me? 
• We again will play for our favorite charity Old Friends.  We'll set things up a bit differently this year to honestly just make things easier on me-more about this later.    
• Would love to hear how some people pick the horses in their fantasy stable.  Maybe a blog post will spark some banter.  Maybe not.  
• Heading to Portland Meadows for racing Oregon style on Presidents' Day.  I'll try to remember to tweet some photos so you can see what that looks like.  Expect some cowboy hats and large belt buckles. 

OK, time for music.  Let's see, San Vicente Stakes so how about some Saint Vincent?

Great song, but was that too much of a stretch?   How 'bout some Black Keys off their latest release El Camino?  Thought about putting a deep album cut here, but the man dancing in this video will get your weekend rocking by noon today.  If you aren't drinking by 5:05PM you obviously didn't watch the video. 

El Camino Real
1. Daddy Nose Best (KY), J R Leparoux, 121, S M Asmussen
2. Senor Rain (IN), K Krigger, 121, P Miller
3. Cahill Chrome (CA), J J Hernandez, 121, R W Hansen
4. Russian Greek (KY), A T Gryder, 121, J Hollendorfer
5. Unveiled Heat (CA), F T Alvarado, 121, S Specht
6. Lucky Chappy (IRE), A Garcia, 121, H G Motion
7. Handsome Mike (KY), C S Nakatani, 121, D F O'Neill
8. Rockinarz Recruit (CA), A Cedillo, 121, L C Mason
9. All Squared Away (KY), K John, 121, P Miller
10. Lady of Fifty (KY), R A Baze, 116, J Hollendorfer

 San Vicente Stakes
1. Let's Get Crackin (KY), V Espinoza, 118, C Dollase
2. Creative Cause (KY), J Rosario, 123, M Harrington
3. Drill (KY), M Garcia, 123, B Baffert
4. Smoking G (KY), C S Nakatani, 118, P Miller
5. American Act (KY), M A Pedroza, 118, J Carava
6. Captain Obvious (IRE), M Gutierrez, 118, B D Cecil

Southwest Stakes