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Pro tip!: If you want to participate and are afraid of missing races, start tracking the #derby handicap tag to get all the updates, reminders, and analyses!

Beginning with the Holy Bull Stakes (III) on January 26 and lasting through to the Blue Grass Stakes (I) on April 10, followers can submit their guesses for the top 3 finishers of each listed race for a chance to win some awesome prizes! The 1st Annual Derby Handicap was a popular success, so the contest is back for a second year with just a few minor changes:

• Contest races have been rearranged due to the Derby point system and the competition will run just 10 races over 12 weeks. I have also dropped the Arkansas Derby (I) this year in favor of the Blue Grass (I) and have swapped the Wood Memorial (I) for the Santa Anita Derby (I).
• Players can accrue an extra point if their 1st place horse wins at 5-1 odds or better. Emphasis is still on picking the right horse to win, but rewarding those who take a little risk!
• Not sure if I allowed this or not last year, but you may change your picks right up until the 1 hour deadline as long as I can confirm receiving it and you don’t blow up my mailbox. Instead of submitting through Tumblr (which can be sketchy), I’ll be using Jotform submissions as I did in the Breeders’ Cup contest to ensure I receive all entries and on time.

I will post reminders, race analyses, and updates several times leading up to each race, all of which are on Saturdays if that helps. Contest is open to all followers internationally and you can jump in at any time. There will be awards for first through third place with prizes:

• FIRST PLACE - A beautifully framed 8x10 photograph of deceased 1984 Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol with a lock of his mane.
• SECOND PLACE - A medley of racing awesomeness in a box! A Seabiscuit bobblehead, a Seabiscuit mug, a vintage jockey silks pin of A.P. Indy, and a copy of Thoroughbred Legends: Native Dancer.
• THIRD PLACE - A Derby Hopefuls 2013 tee, your choice of style, size, and color!

Please refer to the Contest tab for complete details. Message me if you have any questions!

My mommy inadvertently added to the Fred Stone art gallery I have going on in my room away at school. Barbaro, Zenyatta, and a medley of champions like John Henry and Secretariat. My wall is full of pony.

Ehmmm… I’ve toppled off the wagon a bit with the start of spring semester. Forgivies. I still have a crapload of things to unpack from Christmas and a new schedule to adjust to, which I am trying to change around today. GOOD CLASSES. GIVE IT ME! I also gotta pick up a magical grant application that will hopefully give me $500 toward financing my pony documentary.

I haven’t forgotten about the video. In fact it is much of what I’ve been thinking about, but I’ve been lazy. I have decided to wait until after Eblouissante’s second start today to comment further because that makes the most sense. Laziness + freakish control over how I want things + too many things going on + Netflix = delays. I’m a delay fish.

Better news? After class Friday (tomorrow) I’ll be announcing the Derby Handicap Contest process/guidelines/rest of info this year. For those who did it last year the Holy Bull is shaping up to be much, much deeper than the two-horse race between Hansen and Algorithms. DUN DUN DUN! Prepare thyself!

Instead of a typical stakes analysis, I’ll be doing the late pick 4 at Gulfstream Saturday, which has a very decadent card for the Sunshine Millions. Palace Malice is running in the first race, yeehaw! So… yes… like I said, late pick 4… hopefully done by later today as soon as I get my grown-up stuff done.

High hoof!

Dawna

Harley says “Merry Christmas GHR readership!” Santa Dawna got him [way too many] toys and his favorite kind of bone! If you get pony racing stuff for the holidays I wanna hear about it! :D

Moar update? Yes!

• I hope the Christmas card peeps enjoy(ed) their cards. They were shipped outta Massachusetts on Monday!
• Just finished with finals, so the Eblouissante video will be posted within the next day or two!
• Coming soon are end-of-the-year posts: Top 20 Best/Most Exciting Races of 2012, my own personal Best Pony honors, and the Year-End Reflections & Goals for 2013, where I will announce super cool future project(s).
• Because of the dumb Kentucky Derby points system, a lot of prep races got smooshed together on the same weekends or eliminated (the San Vicente for example is no longer going to be a real prep). Thus, the Derby Handicap Contest will span 10 weeks, not 12, starting with the Holy Bull (III) on January 26 and ending with the Arkansas Derby (I) on April 13. Look for an announcement next month… I’m slowly picking up cool prizes already for the top 3 winners! If you like racing memorabilia, you don’t want to miss this. I kind of don’t want to give away first prize which should be arriving in a few days…
  

And that about does it. Hope everyone has a safe, fun holiday and gets a little rest from the rigors of work and school!

High hoof!

Dawna

I can’t visit home without taking new pictures of my dog… SORRY NOT SORRY!

I just survived a horrible 7 days without my laptop’s power cord (I stupidly left it at home when I returned for Thanksgiving). Now that I have returneth’d to full functioning mode, a few tidbits of announcements ‘n updates!:

• YES, I have thrown my hat in the ring for one of the ABRV jobs. I don’t think I could possibly make myself feel any more self-conscious than having to watch and edit video clips of myself, me: the awkward talking stick in crystal-clear 720p. BUT HELLO HORSE RACING BUCKET LIST I WOULD GET PAID TO FULFILL! But seriously, it’s a great opportunity that I could not feasibly turn down considering what I would ultimately like to do in life. If something happens, I’ll post again about it, but if not, I’ll just go to spring semester and pretend this whole thing never happened! >.>
• I have a cool new interview to post this week involving someone in the horse racing industry.
• Requests for Christmas cards are due by December 15! Send me your address if you’d like to get a fancy racing-themed holiday card in the mail! For you guys, I will deal with the stupid, condescending USPS guy who always seems to drag on my nerves…
  
• The first video I’m going to do is about Eblouissante, Zenyatta’s half-sister who recently lived up to the hype in her maiden victory. If you’d like to comment or ask me a question related to Ebby, send them on in and I’ll answer them in the video.
• Plans & prizes are in the works to start up the 2nd Annual Derby Handicap Contest beginning with the Holy Bull Stakes on January 26. Look for a post about it in January, same guidelines apply if you played earlier this year!
• I have just 2ish weeks left of school so finals may slow my posts a wee bit. Not much, but enough to mention.

Hope all of you are well! Purple Egg’s looking better and better!

High hoof!

Dawna

If you were a sneaky fish late last night and looked at the home page, you may have noticed a new link go live…

It’s time to drop what you’re doing, ignore your parents, blow off your teachers, and get down to the business of picking winners! Everyone had a lot of fun with the Derby Handicap Contest earlier this year, so it was a given that something special be done with the Breeders’ Cup. Make mythical wagers on all 15 races, and the person with the most pretend winnings is declared Tumblr’s Best Handicapper (I can think of no better, official alternative). I tempt you to beat my own picks, which go live on Halloween, to win Kentucky Derby pins!

Read the rules and submission details over here. You have until 11am EST Friday to submit for the first day of races and until 11am EST Saturday for the second day of races. Message/email me if you have any issues or questions. Take your time and have fun!

Today marks my first cup of hot cocoa for the season!

Hey ya’ll!

How you liking my Breeders’ Cup spam attack? I really went all out this year… I was just plain determined to make it all count seeing as the Halloween blizzard wrecked any plans I had last year. I’m just about done with the posts now and have them all queued, so even if I’m hit bad tomorrow by the storm, you’ll still get the posts. I’m saving the big three— the Mile, the Ladies’ Classic, and the Classic— for my top picks reel.

Welcome to the new followers, as well!

For contest enthusiasts, I also need to make an announcement: I struggled for some time to find myself a job, and while I recently got one, it is only 30 hours guaranteed per week plus a good-sized commute (ew, gas + parking fees along with rent + tuition) plus I’m paid much less than before. I won’t get my first check until well into November, so while I do intend to give something to the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Handicap, it will have to be something planned afterwards once I get my financials sorted out. Pray that I can get something full-time soon!

The handicap contest information will be posted late Wednesday/sometime after midnight Thursday this week, depending on my schedule and when the post draws happen. It’s going to be an easy process where you submit an online form that gets emailed to me, and it has a setup similar to the official Breeders’ Cup Fantasy Handicapping Contest where you pick a $20 win/place/show or $10 exacta box. Stay tuned to see that post go up!

And I think that is just about all I have to say… ‘til then…

High hoof!

Dawna

Yup, for anyone who manages to beat me in handicapping the Breeders’ Cup races this November will win a collectible, authentic Kentucky Derby pin! I originally bought 5, but the one for the 2011 Derby broke so in all I currently have 4 to give away in the fall.

• 1988 pin - Winning Colors
• 1995 pin - Thunder Gulch
• 1996 (Derby 122) pin - Grindstone
• 2012 pin - I’ll Have Another

I should also clarify that these are not the only prizes and that the “Beat the Host” challenge is a contest within a contest. There will still be a top 3 winners (if all goes according to plan), and those who do not win a top prize but still manage to beat the host will win a pin. If no non-prize winner beats the host, the pins will be sorted to the prize winners who do, and if no one beats the host, they will likely be carried over to the Derby Handicap Contest next year.

Just like last time, international entries will be welcome. Work on your skills now, people!