A splendid day on the boulevard brought a record crowd and featured excellent racing. Our ticket imploded in leg one however and the recap follows.

Handicappers have long since been perplexed by two turn races and their plethora of pace possibilities. Short fields and racing secretary weighted entrants further complicate matters and yet, Saturdays New Orleans Handicap offered a strange twist, moments after the gate opened.

Probable pace setter Silver Lord ducked in and dumped Corie Lanerie making all prerace, pace analysis, plenty moot! Undaunted, our single Grasshopper grabbed the track, settled nicely, then nightmare number two occurred. As we posted prior to the race, we feared Prado on Magna Graduate would turn up the heat and he did poking his head in front on the far turn. Blinkers on in a horses 29th start ( Pletcher put blinkers on this one for his 3yo debut after he acted a fool for Pat Day in the Jockey Club) is desperation. Albarado, ever the chilly one waited, as well he should have, but Grade One winner and freshly blinkered (start #12 ) Circular Quay made his charge. Both 4yo's ran hard to the wire with Grasshopper necked while giving up three pounds. Magna Graduate was beat a pole and the others never threatened. Tough to single the highweight at even money, but tougher to see the turn around for 'Quay. Both colts came back well and may point for the Oaklawn race.

Muniz

Our opinion here was solid; Daytona would not win! We went shopping and landed PROUDINSKI among our five pack. The Frankel charge returned $9.60 and gave Gomez back to back scores.

OAKS

Only eight nominations and it was difficult to seperate Indian Blessing and Proud Spell $5.80.

Derby

Another workmanlike performance by Pyro ($3.60) inspite of another slow pace. Six strong rallies in as many races but, we are still not convinced that this one gets ten panels. No one more volatile on horseback than Desormeaux, although Coa fans might disagree, but it was very surprising that this one was not on the lead. Bet way down to second choice J BE K did not relish the distance and Zito can rest a little easier, although his colt has far less chance to stay ten panels, than Pyro does. The four comes back some $750 for a deuce.

Coach: It was a difficult sequence to bend. Our horses, on average, were off at a bit more than four to one, hardly bombsville and very chalky for us.

God: We were not thrilled with our single. As for your exacta Grasshopper walked past Silver Lord in the Mineshaft and figured to be much tighter for this and 7yo Brass Hat seemed over the top from a woeful barn.

Hooves:. Thanks, not a bad effort but we would not call it a bang up job. Handicapping is like swimming or riding a bike or speaking German; either you can or you cannot. We do not employ your method, where you look at a card for twenty minutes and list four or five horses for each race, but to each his own.

CSC Which picks?

BTW We have been over this. For the umpteenth time; ALL our pick four bets are posted beforehand and if you do not realize the horse was plugged in; you are either a novice, naive or both. BBB