So the first week of Road to the Roses is in the books, and I’m still in the realm of respectable. The standings:

Tied for first: Triple Crown73 Stable, The Aspiring Horseplayer Redux, Grevelis Racing Stable, Big Dreams Stable

5th: Blake Griffin For President

Tied for 6th: Vision Stable and Tripledeadheat

Tied for 8th: Brooklyn Backstretch, Sleipnir Stables, RivaSecBar, New Jersey Derek, BrooklynSaint Stables, FoolishPleasure

14th: starkravingmad

Tied for 15th: Green but Game Stables, On the Lead, zf

18th: Raceland

Our eighteen participants come from two countries and eight states, and our pledged donation is up to $110. Stay tuned for my inevitable plummet from midpack to the bottom.

In some sad news, Old Friends recently announced the death of one of their newest residents, Stage Colony. He charmed me during my visit there in December, and while I’ll be sorry not to see him next time, I’m glad to know that he spent a bucolic few months in the Kentucky countryside, being spoiled rotten. RIP, Stage Colony.

In some oddly amusing news, Jerry Bossert reported this last Saturday:

OUCH: Jockey Orlando Bocachica was off his three mounts Friday after being bitten by a cat, resulting in swelling to his right hand.

For real? Or a Friday the 13th joke? Madison and Floyd do not approve.

In some surprisingly romantic news, NYRA released on its YouTube channel the video of Beam of Love winning the first race on Valentine’s Day, as first predicted by On The Lead.

And in this week’s edition of why the OTB channel drives me nuts:

Sunday, February 8th: the entire menu of race replays run without sound.

Sunday, February 14th: Posts 10 – 14 in Gulfstream race 10 got a good hour of uninterrupted air time.

Tuesday, February 17th: Pioneerof The Niles’ name spelled wrong (well, right, actually) in the reply title from the Robert B. Lewis.