"It's awesome" said Mike, he spent some time in San Diego, California.
"Went to Coronado Island, La Jolla Cove, saw sea lions and shit" Mike went on a southern California safari.
It's like handicappers going to Keeneland for the first time.
Keeneland doesn't have 'sea lions and shit', but has the best horses in the country. It doesn't have Coronado island, but Lexington has its charm, and the fall colors add to the scenery.
Keeneland is a gem, a diamond in an industry where tracks are becoming condemned building, see Pimlico for that reference, Aqueduct for some of you.
These same horses in the marquee races are trying to get to San Diego and the Breeders Cup, in the North County of San Diego at Del Mar, but this weekend its all about Keeneland.
There is many ways to enjoy Keeneland, you get the best of the best, and you have to have some luck, but its surely set with a great background.
You got the famous Keeneland burgoo, and their bread pudding is sure to raise your blood sugar levels.
Handicapping-wise, I approach Keeneland straight up, I don't do any post position studies, trainers stats for prior meets, which jockey have done well, because it resets every meet.
One meet you are a rock star, next week your record label drops you.
Every race meet is different at Keeneland, I approach it like I do most every place else, with the horse coming first.
Doing works in the morning is more than the 'sea lions and shit', its more than the stop watch, its about how horses are overall are coming into a race, dull, sharp, wet, dry, in maintenance, refreshing, but overall how well physically, they need to be thriving.
Last spring, Bo Cruz came into the Commonwealth in fantastic form, hitting on all cylinders to win the Commonwealth, that's what you need.
Sharp, well trained horses, win, poor, over the top trained horses lose, Keeneland has in some ways has a knack for cinderella stories, I am not shy playing a trainer that isn't Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, Bob Baffert, or Brad Cox.
In fact, there is a few horses and trainers that come to mind this weekend.
I am not going to be shy on liking and playing price horses, that is Keeneland in a nutshell.
The weather is going to be perfect, there wasn't a cloud in the sky today, mid 70s, if you are coming to Keeneland the nights are cool, so windbreaker, jacket, and you are Johnny on the spot. This entire week looks golden, at this time.
I got some great stories of scores at Keeneland, but let's make new ones, let's march into the Breeders Cup breeming with confidence. Keeneland can do that for you, you win at Keeneland you win anywhere.