Just When We Think He's Hit the Bottom...

~ ...he finds a new way to disgust us all. His $1.7 billion slush fund that is earmarked for all his January 6th co-conspirators is highly illegal on its own. But he had to add all the legalese so that he, his family and busineeses would never be held accountble for anything. We'll see about that. ~ And this after he has pushed through his plans for a "triumphal arch in DC and his mucking up of the reflecting pool between the Washington and lIncoln monuments by having it painted swimming American flag blue by his swimming pool technicians. Good God! I cannot imagine what is next. (Oh, and not to mention ripping up more of the White HOuse lawn for a proper helipad. It will take years and billions to undo all the tackiness. ~ Meanwhile, down the road towards Baltimore, the Preakness was held at Laurel last weekend. The "crowd" was limited to 6400 people and shots of the track showed lots of space for everyone. Winner was Napoleon Solo, a new shooter. Hopefully, Pimlico will be back online next year - I'm sure the infield denizens were not happy about his year. ~ Janet Mills has dropped out of the Senatorial race and the DCC has endorsed Platner to be their golden child. I'm not convinced.

Hallmark & Horses

~ As lifelong horse lover and former rider, I am always up for a good horse-related movie. I'm also a devoted Hallmark movie fan, however they really need to hire a dedicated consultant when diving into the horse world. Three cases in point: 1) Taking the Reins - set in the show jumping world (although not at the elite level) the fault that I could not get past was the rider's hold on the reins that was so reminiscent of many beginners and certainly not the position that one would expect to see in a jumping class. Hands way too high and static. I suspect the actress was not a rider and had only rudimentry skills taught to her as it was obvious when the jumping started that there was someone else in the saddle. Close ups only, please. 2) Hats Off to Love - set in Lexington with a fictional Lexington Derby as the main event. There is a scene where the trainer of one of the horses entered (the eventual winner, of course) is leading the horse having apparently just come back from a training session. Sadly, the saddle on the horse is a standard jumping saddle and not a racing exercise saddle. Just a simple detail overlooked, that the casual viewer would never notice. 3) Kentucky Roses - the latest, set against the spectacle at Churchill Downs at Kentucky Derby time. Early in the movie, the main character and her trainer friend are at the Derby draw where the friend's horse draws post 17. Yet when raceday arrives and the horses hit the track in the post paraade, there are at most 10 horses on the track. Did the other 5-6-7 scratch? (Highly unlikely.) Just my observations and a hope that in the future there may be better attention payed to the details.

Historic Kentucky Derby

~ That sound at approxiamtely 7 pm ;ast evening was the glass ceiling breaking in the trainer's old boys club. Cherie DeVaux from Saratoga Springs weilded the hammer that was Golden Tempo and had help from a very capabable jockey in Jose Ortiz, who just edged out his brother Irad at the finish line. The video of Cherie during the final moments of the race is priceless - jumping, slumping and finally rejoicing. All the emotions. And so so gracious in all her remarks. No deceision yet on the Preakness and no need to push that decision. ~ My Threads timeline was filled last night and this morning with all the casual horse racing fans (and some not so casual anti-fans). Some misinforamtion but it's all good. No public breakdowns just a gate scratch of Great white who reared behind the gate before loading, dumping his jockey and landning on his side. He appeared no worse for wear but the vets did their job and he was led away. ~ Just before the Derby NBC aired a retrospective of Barbaro 20 years ago. Footage of Michael Matz showed a much older, wiser and posssibly more tirede man. I have noticed fewer and fewer workouts and entries for his horse and his barn at Fair Hill has a new owner. I think he still has a few horses, likely in the Runnymoore barn. ~ Trump and his minions are still blaming the Dems for last Saturday's shooter incident at the White House Press Association event. And The Justice Department indicted Comey yet again, this time for his "86/47" social media post last year. He reported and was released the same day but what a clown show this administration is proving to be, with all their lies and dodges. No one takes responsibility for their actions and they all have been coached to deflect. The latest dodge is that the 60 day limit before the Senate has to be involved in a war hasn't been reached because when the cease fire went into effect the clock was stopped. Not the case according to the law but no one is stopping them. Meanwhile, Trump says the war is over but then turns around and says he'll start bombing agin if Iran doesn't agree to his terms. ~ Closer to home, in a move I didn't see coming, Janet Mills suspended her campaign for Senate, effectively assuring Graham Platner of the nomination. Something about him just doesn't sit right with me - his testosterone "bro" vibe, his past mysoginistic statements - PTSD: I wonder what sort of decisions he would make. I don't see him going full Fettermen on us but I'm not ready to trust him. And, once Janet was out he bowed out of all future debates with 2 other candidates still in the race. That shows a lot of disrespect to me.