Our Horse, of Course

An inveterate reader of the small print, Unreal took note yesterday morning that St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thoroughbred handicapper John Scully was touting River Front Times to take Friday night's seventh race at Fairmount Park.

"A little excursion to the race track might be just what the doctor ordered to erase the memory of a nose-to-the-grindstone week," Unreal said to ourself. The horse has been a little lackluster of late, but youneverknow, right?

Right.

Instead we shuffled off for home, a good stiff drink and a few prescription drugs our attorney has advised us not to name.

Shoulda coulda woulda. By the time we remembered Our Little Pony, it was nigh cocktail time on Saturday. Sure the heck enough, the Horse Formerly Known as Pollys Jaybird put away a field of seven nonwinners-of-three, making the circuit of Fairmount's one-mile dirt track in 1:43.40.

From the Equibase chart:

RIVER FRONT TIMES rated from outside, bid for the lead four wide on the second turn, floated out further into the stretch, gained a narrow advantage inside the eighth pole and edged ahead in the waning yards.

Went off at a hair over 5-1 and paid $12.40, $6.80 and $4.00.

Congrats to owner extraordinaire Lou O'Brien and his tip-top trainer Ralph Martinez, as well as to jockey Luis Medina.

Hope ol' Scully had his money where his mouth was.

-Unreal