I've been away from the computer for a couple of days; the holiday season always seems to bring about hectic days and weeks, along with it some severe weather to contend with. I know that much of the country (at least those in the northern half) are dealing with a lot of snow, while out here in the Northwest we're trying not to get washed into the Pacific. I've been meaning to get Christmas lights put up outside the house but every time I think about doing that I see rain and wind pelting the house, a wind that last night blew over the grill in the backyard. I've got no desire to stand on a ladder in those conditions. We're just going to have to make due with inside lights this year.
Moving on to some of the news making headlines around the world of horse racing. In Kentucky, the state has put on hold new rules for regulating ADW companies that do business within the state. DRF.com has a nice write-up of the current situation (DRF: Kentucky puts new account wagering rules on hold.)
In more ADW news, TwinSpires is currently not carrying the signal for Tampa Bay Downs. Someday, if we're all lucky, we'll be able to bet on any track we want without these ridiculous disputes.
On Sunday night, Snow Fairy added the Hong Kong Cup to her list of impressive group wins during 2010 with a spirited late charge at Sha Tin. Snow Fairy had previously won the Epsom Oaks, the Irish Oaks and the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in Japan. Mastery won the Hong Kong Vase.
Another of the 2010 three-year-old class has been sent to stud, as Discreetly Mine, winner of the G3 Risen Star, G3 Jersey Shore, G2 Amsterdam Stakes, and G1 King's Bishop, was retired and sent to Lane's End. It would be interesting to take a look at the horses that competed in this year's Triple Crown races and note which ones are still in training heading into their four-year-old season.
There is a bit of good news with respect to three-year-olds coming back in 2011; WinStar's Endoresment, Drosselmeyer and Rule are all expected to race next year. Endorsement might be the most promising of all those colts but was only able to display just a hint of his abilities before suffering an injury prior to the Derby.