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Psst… Christmas card requests are due in by this Saturday (December 15)! Lava Man will be getting one per a request on Doug O’Neill Stables’ Facebook. Send him one too if you want! (Lava Man c/o 122-A E Foothill Blvd #300, Arcadia, CA 91006)

IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME… the Delaware Handicap (I) is finally a G1 race after being a G2 for leading ladies like Blind Luck in her unforgettable stretch duel with Havre de Grace, and winners Royal Delta, Life at Ten, and Hystericalady. It really should have been upgraded before the Cotillion got its boost.

Even though I’m not into Pletcher horses, I really liked In Lingerie back around the time leading up to her win in the Bourbonette… probably because I like Empire Makers so much. She didn’t retire in the same form, but I have high hopes for her future Frankel baby. Can’t. Wait.

Ughh… that photo of Michael Phelps and Graham Motion. Graham looks like a classy Brit… Phelps… those glasses… I didn’t think it was possible to despise him more than I already do. Gold medal collection or not, don’t nobody give me a hard time about it or ask me to explain. The man just looks weird and it always looks like he’s breathing out of his mouth.

He can dirt as well as turf! Fredericksburg made his dirt start yesterday at the competitive Gulfstream Park and finished 2nd!

How the tables have turned… Henny Hughes is welcomed back into Kentucky’s bluegrass with open arms. Who’d have thought he’d sire so many stakes winners so soon?

I honestly don’t see Gary Stevens actually returning to race-riding, but it’s a cozy thought.

Remember last year’s Illinois Derby (III) winner Joe Vann? He just got adopted as an OTTB at New Vocations!

Madman Diaries… now that is a name I have not heard in a long time…

Part of me is intrigued and excited to see the CashCall (I), the other part chortles at the thought of a legitimate Derby horse emerging from this race. Why is this still a Grade 1 event?

Paynter got my vote for the Vox Populi.

I read somewhere that Buffum was purchased for $1.2 million as a yearling. Oh ow…

I’m kind of surprised that the New York Times won the Team Valor journalism award. Half of the racing-related stuff they published was demeaning smut, and don’t get me started on what I think of Joe Drape’s personality. (Which is saying a lot having read some of his work before reading what he had to say to people)

Tweet o’ the Week: No pun intended?

Shanghai Bobby is not a cool name. Still in love with Fortify and looking for that one colt to root home in the Derby next year.

More “racehorse Twitter account” problems: horses do not have political views, nor do they have opinions on people they do not interact with, even within the sport. No reason to put these things on there or really most anything that has nothing to do with the actual horse. (I almost prefer the “FOUR PANELS IN :49 FLAT WHEEEE!” updates)

Even if I liked someone else to win a whole lot more, my anguish is extinguished when I see the winning jockey and horse smiling and ears forward coming down to the finish. Worth it!

As long as the Breeders’ Cup stays in Los Angeles/California, I will likely not be able to go. It’s just too far and expensive a flight not to mention the hassles of traffic and expense issues associated, even within the Arcadia area. I officially would like to endorse Arlington Park— a central, spacious, and historic location— for a future revival of the championships. Plus, imagine how many Euros would try the Breeders’ Cup Classic on the poly surface. If not Arlington, I’d also vouch for Gulfstream, which would be an easier climate for Californian/Floridian horses to ship to in November.

My I’ll Have Another poster matches my new room walls perfectly. If only the poster didn’t mysteriously somehow get stuck together and rip on the edges >.> YOUR NAMESAKE SHIPS WELL WHY CAN’T YOU #wtf

Something I hope catches on: #FoallowFriday on Twitter.

Tornados in Long Island? Apparently so on Belmont’s opening day yesterday. Please, we don’t need any more disasters in racing this year…

POWER UP, PAYNTER! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before, a horse making a conscious effort to fight off his many life-threatening illnesses…

Did anyone else find watching the I’ll Have Another video of the Derby winner arriving in Japan a little sad? Sure, he’s showing off and frolicking, but he clearly wants to be with the other horses he’s neighing to, and will probably never be allowed too close with another horse apart from “business” purposes. He’s only 3!

After seeing what’s been going on with Robby Albarado, it kind of makes me glad that it was Johnny V riding Animal Kingdom that one day in May.

My life is complete. Graham Motion replied/retweeted me (I think I have enough Twitter mentions this week).

Zo Impressive’s surgery went well and she’ll be retired of course. Hmm… what goes good with a speedy Danzig?

Tweet o’ the Week

Went the Day Well

(Proud Citizen x Tiz’s Maie Day, by Tiznow)

Trainer: Graham Motion (Animal Kingdom, Toby’s Corner, Bullsbay)

Jockey: John Velazquez (The go-to jockey for many top trainers, and for good reason: Hall-of-Famer Johnny V has been a regular atop the earnings list with 2 Eclipse Awards, a Dubai World Cup, 10 Breeders’ Cups, 1 Belmont, and 1 Kentucky Derby. His prolific Derby history: Animal Kingdom in 2011 [1st], Devil May Care in 2010 [10th], Mr. Hot Stuff in 2009 [3rd], Cowboy Cal in 2008 [9th], Circular Quay in 2007 [6th], Bandini in 2005 [19th], Pollard’s Vision in 2004 [17th], Saarland in 2002 [10th], Invisible Ink in 2001 [2nd], More Than Ready in 2000 [3rd], Three Ring in 1999 [19th], Basic Trainee in 1998 [15th], Built for Pleasure in 1996 [19th], Truth of It All in 1993 [10th], Snappy Landing in 1992 [17th], Kingspost in 1988 [14th])

Owned by: Team Valor International and Mark Ford

Record: 5-2-2-0

Earnings: $315,344

Summary: Featuring the same connections and same qualifying win as last year’s winner Animal Kingdom, there’s enough reason in one sentence to feel optimistic about Went the Day Well. While not a well-developed, large type of three-year-old, WTDW is the typical off-shoot purchase made by Team Valor’s Barry Irwin, who went abroad to find to this bay colt.

Prep Schedule: A loose and light schedule has WTDW warmed up to the American racing scene. He broke his maiden over 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Gulfstream after a couple seconds on grass in Europe and one previous 2nd place effort on dirt, then went on to the synthetic Spiral Stakes (III). He beat some modest company, eating up the track to win by 3 1/2. He suffered some setbacks that kept him out of the Gotham (III) and did not appear to get additional practice that was anticipated to happen with another start before the Derby.

Running Style: Off-the-pace

Pros: Out of all the horses, he has the biggest potential stretching out, in my honest opinion. Despite heavy grass and synthetic experience, he does not seem to be discouraged by the dirt and has been working well at Churchill and even as the pedigree to show— classic distance on the bottom with Tiznow and Roberto, and his Mr. Prospector-influenced sire Proud Citizen ran 2nd in the 2001 Kentucky Derby to record-breaker Monarchos. Graham Motion is a class act in preparing his horses.

Cons: The last and only New York-bred to win the Derby was Funny Cide in 2003. He is not as experienced as much of the field, and faces a pretty steep class test going from maiden break to a G3 to this in a short time frame. He would have to improve vastly from his 92 Beyer in the Spiral. The horse who beat him at his maiden try at dirt, Teeth of the Dog, is a fellow improver but one I rank higher despite coming in third in the Wood Memorial (I) behind Gemologist and Alpha. It’s also not comforting to know Johnny V said he didn’t know what to do once he got the lead in the Spiral…

Final Word: The biggest reason WTDW is here is because of Graham Motion and Johnny V; I had Toby’s Corner flourish in my fantasy stable last year while Animal Kingdom went on to win after his stablemate was injured. Visually, he is very bright-eyed and alert and the more distance this horse is given the better he is bound to do. However, I nearly balked at adding him to the Dozen because of his light prep work… I could care less that he’s supposedly farther along than Animal Kingdom at this point, AK had a softer field to challenge than the one WTDW will face. I’m giving him a shot here, but I cannot shake the feeling that this is more a Belmont horse timing and talent-wise.