May 18 2021

Late Night Today

Late Night Today is for our readers who can’t stay awake to watch the shows. Everyone deserves a good laugh.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

A Tiger Update From Dave Bickler, Voice Of “The Eye Of The Tiger”

There’s no one better to give this important tiger update.

Sketchy Behavior Lands Bill Gates In A Segment With Matt Gaetz

Stories of questionable behavior by Bill Gates are coming to light in the wake of his divorce announcement, landing the Microsoft founder in the same Late Show monologue segment as Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who had a very bad day Monday when his associate pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Most Incredible Pro-Trump Argument Republicans Have Ever Made

Here is the story of the most incredible argument Republicans have ever made in favor of Donald Trump: Donald Trump is a greater President than Joe Biden because Trump didn’t sleep.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Biden’s Venmo Contacts, Confirmed UFOs & South Carolina’s New Execution Methods

Reporters find President Biden’s personal Venmo account, a former Navy pilot says his squadron consistently sees UFOs, and South Carolina’s death row inmates have to choose between electric chair or firing squad.

CDC Says Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks & Why the Honor System Won’t Work

The CDC says that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks, but experts feel that it’s too soon and that using the honor system probably won’t work.

Late Night with Seth Meyers

CDC Announces Fully Vaccinated Americans No Longer Need to Wear Masks

Matt Gaetz Wingman Pleads Guilty and Says He’ll Cooperate with Feds: A Closer Look

Seth takes a closer look at Trump threatening to abandon his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani amid his criminal investigation and Congressman Matt Gaetz’s wingman pleading guilty and promising to cooperate with prosecutors

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Biden’s Venmo Revealed, UFOs Definitely Exist & Exclusive Look at The Bachelorette Men

“60 Minutes” did a story last night about UFOs and it should be the biggest news story of the year, our house band Cleto and the Cletones made their triumphant return to the studio, President Joe Biden reportedly used Venmo and there are some interesting transactions, Republican lawmakers are up in arms about Biden canceling the “Garden of Heroes,” Joe Exotic is still seeking a pardon, the tiger on the loose in Houston is safe now, and since the 17th season of The Bachelorette starts next month, Jimmy gathered his Bachelorette crew (his wife Molly, and pals/staffers Louis, Erin & Maggie) for an exclusive look at the men who will be competing for Katie’s heart.

The Late Late Show with James Corden

How Has President Obama Found Post-White House Life?

James Corden welcomes 44th President of the United States Barack Obama to the show, and the two recall some of First Lady Michelle Obama’s past adventures on the show. After, James asks the former president about what his life has been after his second term ended and what sense he gets from young people and how they feel about public service. And the “Promised Land” admits he hasn’t made his famous chili in nearly 20 years – he’s been a little busy for the kitchen.

What Was On Candidate Obama’s Debate Prep Playlist?

James Corden asks 44th President of the United States Barack Obama about the stories in his book “Promised Land” that recalled the time he became superstitious on his first campaign trail, as he met people across the country who gave him their good luck charms. And he shares with us what rituals he had before his presidential debates, including what was on his playlist.

President Barack Obama on How Bo Changed the White House

After James Corden shares his condolences for the recent passing of his family’s dog, Bo, he asks President Barack Obama about The First Dog’s arrival to the White House and how it changed the dynamic of everything in the residence. And President Obama shares what kind of nearly universal response he received when his family announced Bo’s passing.

May 18 2021

Pondering the Pundits

Pondering the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news media and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

Thanks to ek hornbeck, click on the link and you can access all the past “Pondering the Pundits”.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

Michelle Goldberg: Kushner’s Absurd Peace Plan Has Failed

There’s no ignoring the plight of the Palestinians.

“We are witnessing the last vestiges of what has been known as the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Jared Kushner crowed in The Wall Street Journal two months ago.

He was surveying the results of the Abraham Accords, the ersatz Middle East peace plan he helped negotiate under Donald Trump. At the heart of his supreme self-assurance, and of the accords themselves, was the deadly fiction that the Palestinians were so abject and defeated that Israel could simply ignore their demands.

“One of the reasons the Arab-Israeli conflict persisted for so long was the myth that it could be solved only after Israel and the Palestinians resolved their differences,” wrote Kushner. “That was never true. The Abraham Accords exposed the conflict as nothing more than a real-estate dispute between Israelis and Palestinians that need not hold up Israel’s relations with the broader Arab world.”

To circumvent that dispute, the United States set about bribing other Arab and Muslim countries to normalize relations with Israel. The United Arab Emirates got an enormous arms deal. Morocco got Trump to support its annexation of the Western Sahara. Sudan got taken off America’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.

But the explosion of fighting in Israel and Palestine in recent days makes clear something that never should have been in doubt: justice for the Palestinians is a precondition for peace. And one reason there has been so little justice for the Palestinians is because of the foreign policy of the United States.

Alexis Goldstein: These Invisible Whales Could Sink the Economy

Regulators have shockingly little insight into the inner workings of funds like Archegos. Here’s how to fix that.

Before he almost lost everything overnight, Bill Hwang was having a comeback.

In 2012, Mr. Hwang, a former hedge fund manager, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and settled insider trading charges. But he started over in 2013, using $200 million from his shuttered hedge fund to create Archegos Capital Management — a so-called family fund. The scandal-tainted Mr. Hwang then turned that $200 million into some $20 billion, betting big on a portfolio of high-flying media and tech stocks.

But Mr. Hwang built those riches on a mountain of debt — and when his bets went bad, it wasn’t just Archegos that paid the price: The banks that lent Mr. Hwang money, including Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, lost over $10 billion, while the stocks he gambled on shed $33 billion in value.

From regulators to the financial press, everyone seemed mystified by the implosion of Archegos. In part, this is because when Congress passed the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which brought new measures of oversight to private money managers, they exempted family funds like Mr. Hwang’s. Hedge funds must publicly report certain stock and option positions every quarter, filing a Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But family funds don’t need to file a 13F, so their portfolio positions remain hidden.

For the average American dealing with the ravages of life under Covid, the story of Bill Hwang and Archegos may seem like just another Wall Street fat cat who got too greedy. But there may be many more Archegos-size risks — hidden from regulators, lawmakers and traders alike — now threatening to spark the next financial crisis.

Amanda Marcotte: No, the media can’t “move on” from Trump’s Big Lie — not until Republicans end their war on voting

Journalists should not give into GOP bullying to ignore the full-scale war Republicans are waging on democracy

Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw was pretty angry with NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday’s episode of “Meet the Press.” Todd was uncharacteristically determined to hold the Republican’s feet to the fire, calling him out for his support of Donald Trump’s Big Lie.

Republicans are increasingly circling around this talking point. They insist that the coup is ancient history and that it’s churlish to keep rehashing who did and did not join in efforts to overturn democracy. It’s the favored justification for the ouster of Wyoming’s Rep. Liz Cheney from House GOP leadership, with Republicans claiming it’s not that she refuses to support Trump’s election lies so much as that she just keeps going on about it. And it was the line that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., trotted out last week, while trying to wave off media inquiries about the GOP’s increasingly fierce backing of Trump’s Big Lie: “I don’t think anyone is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election. I think that is all over with, we’re sitting here with the President today.”

The problem with this “water under the bridge” approach is twofold. First, it should be self-evident that seditious behavior should not be so easily forgotten or forgiven. Second, Republicans themselves have not moved on from the attempted insurrection or the lies that Trump used to justify it. On the contrary, Republican leaders have spent the past four months actively moving not just to turn Trump’s Big Lie into GOP canon but to use it to justify laying the groundwork for Trump or some other GOP nominee to successfully steal the 2024 election.

Katrina vanden Heuvel: Democrats can claim the ‘family values’ mantle with paid leave and affordable child care

For young American families, having both kids and healthy finances can feel nearly impossible.

The American family is shrinking. And not necessarily by choice. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that births in the United States fell by 4 percent in 2020. The pandemic is likely compounding this decline, but the trend began long before the current crisis: Last year’s census showed that the U.S. population increased by just 7.4 percent in the 2010s — the slowest rate of growth since the 1930s.

It’s no surprise why. For young American families, having both kids and healthy finances can feel nearly impossible. Thanks to our uniquely byzantine health-care system, the average delivery costs more than $4,500 with insurance. To make matters worse, parents may not get any paid time off, since the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without paid family leave. When parents return to work, they’re saddled with exorbitant care costs, with center-based infant care averaging over $1,200 a month. And many balance these expenses with crushing debt; the average student loan borrower has over $39,000 in loans.

Clearly, American society is not structured to help families thrive. Democrats have an important chance to change that by meeting the two most obvious needs for parents: paid family leave and affordable child care.

Leana S. Wen: The CDC shouldn’t have removed restrictions without requiring proof of vaccination

The vaccinated may be well-protected, but let’s not forget our obligation to those who do not yet have immunity.

For months, I have been criticizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for being too cautious with its guidance for what fully vaccinated people can do. I saw little incentive for people to be vaccinated against covid-19 if they had to keep wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and refraining from nonessential travel. On Thursday, the CDC abruptly reversed course, announcing that fully vaccinated people can essentially resume all aspects of pre-pandemic life.

This announcement would be very welcome if not for one big problem: There is no concurrent requirement for proof of vaccination. Without it, the CDC announcement could end up increasing confusion, removing incentives for those yet to be inoculated and delaying the eventual goal of herd immunity that would get society truly back to normal.

Don’t get me wrong, I agree with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky that there is extensive and growing evidence that those who are vaccinated are very well protected from becoming ill and spreading the coronavirus to others. In fact, the most recent data from the CDC reports only 9,245 infections in 95 million fully vaccinated people, an infection rate of less than 0.01 percent. As I’ve written before, if you’ve reached the two-week threshold after inoculation, you should feel free to be rid of restrictions for yourself.

May 18 2021

Cartnoon

Explosions at Mount Saint Helens

Mount St. Helens (known as Lawetlat’la to the Indigenous Cowlitz people, and Loowit or Louwala-Clough to the Klickitat) is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 52 miles (83 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon, and 98 miles (158 km) south of Seattle. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire. [..]

On March 20, 1980, Mount St. Helens experienced a magnitude 4.2 earthquake; and, on March 27, steam venting started. By the end of April, the north side of the mountain had started to bulge. On May 18, a second earthquake, of magnitude 5.1, triggered a massive collapse of the north face of the mountain. It was the largest known debris avalanche in recorded history. The magma in St. Helens burst forth into a large-scale pyroclastic flow that flattened vegetation and buildings over 230 square miles (600 km2). More than 1.5 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide were released into the atmosphere. On the Volcanic Explosivity Index scale, the eruption was rated a 5, and categorized as a Plinian eruption.

The collapse of the northern flank of St. Helens mixed with ice, snow, and water to create lahars (volcanic mudflows). The lahars flowed many miles down the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers, destroying bridges and lumber camps. A total of 3,900,000 cubic yards (3,000,000 m3) of material was transported 17 miles (27 km) south into the Columbia River by the mudflows.

For more than nine hours, a vigorous plume of ash erupted, eventually reaching 12 to 16 miles (20 to 27 km) above sea level. The plume moved eastward at an average speed of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h) with ash reaching Idaho by noon. Ashes from the eruption were found collecting on top of cars and roofs the next morning as far as the city of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.

By about 5:30 p.m. on May 18, the vertical ash column declined in stature, and less severe outbursts continued through the night and for the next several days. The St. Helens May 18 eruption released 24 megatons of thermal energy; it ejected more than 0.67 cubic miles (2.79 km3) of material.[6] The removal of the north side of the mountain reduced St. Helens’ height by about 1,300 feet (400 m) and left a crater 1 mile (1.6 km) to 2 miles (3.2 km) wide and 0.4 miles (600 m) deep, with its north end open in a huge breach. The eruption killed 57 people, nearly 7,000 big game animals (deer, elk, and bear), and an estimated 12 million fish from a hatchery. It destroyed or extensively damaged over 200 homes, 185 miles (298 km) of highway, and 15 miles (24 km) of railways.

Between 1980 and 1986, activity continued at Mount St. Helens, with a new lava dome forming in the crater. Numerous small explosions and dome-building eruptions occurred. From December 7, 1989, to January 6, 1990, and from November 5, 1990, to February 14, 1991, the mountain erupted with sometimes huge clouds of ash.

Magma reached the surface of the volcano about October 11, 2004, resulting in the building of a new lava dome on the existing dome’s south side. This new dome continued to grow throughout 2005 and into 2006. Several transient features were observed, such as a lava spine nicknamed the “whaleback”, which comprised long shafts of solidified magma being extruded by the pressure of magma beneath. These features were fragile and broke down soon after they were formed. On July 2, 2005, the tip of the whaleback broke off, causing a rockfall that sent ash and dust several hundred meters into the air.

Mount St. Helens showed significant activity on March 8, 2005, when a 36,000-foot (11,000 m) plume of steam and ash emerged — visible from Seattle. This relatively minor eruption was a release of pressure consistent with ongoing dome building. The release was accompanied by a magnitude 2.5 earthquake.

Another feature to emerge from the dome was called the “fin” or “slab”. Approximately half the size of a football field, the large, cooled volcanic rock was being forced upward as quickly as 6 ft (2 m) per day. In mid-June 2006, the slab was crumbling in frequent rockfalls, although it was still being extruded. The height of the dome was 7,550 feet (2,300 m), still below the height reached in July 2005 when the whaleback collapsed.

On October 22, 2006, at 3:13 PM PST, a magnitude 3.5 earthquake broke loose Spine 7. The collapse and avalanche of the lava dome sent an ash plume 2,000 feet (600 m) over the western rim of the crater; the ash plume then rapidly dissipated.

On December 19, 2006, a large white plume of condensing steam was observed, leading some media people to assume there had been a small eruption. However, the Cascades Volcano Observatory of the USGS did not mention any significant ash plume. The volcano was in continuous eruption from October 2004, but this eruption consisted in large part of a gradual extrusion of lava forming a dome in the crater.

On January 16, 2008, steam began seeping from a fracture on top of the lava dome. Associated seismic activity was the most noteworthy since 2004. Scientists suspended activities in the crater and the mountain flanks, but the risk of a major eruption was deemed low. By the end of January, the eruption paused; no more lava was being extruded from the lava dome. On July 10, 2008, it was determined that the eruption had ended, after more than six months of no volcanic activity.

Future eruptions of Mount St. Helens will likely be even larger than the 1980 eruption. The current configuration of lava domes in the crater means that much more pressure will be required for the next eruption, and hence the level of destruction will be higher. Significant ashfall may spread over 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2), disrupting transportation. A large lahar flow is likely on branches of the Toutle River, possibly causing destruction in inhabited areas along the I-5 corridor.

 

TMC for ek hornbeck

May 18 2021

The Breakfast Club (Believe In You)

Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:00am (ET) (or whenever we get around to it) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.

This Day in History

Mt. St. Helens erupts in Washington State; The U.S. Supreme Court upholds racial segregation; Pope John Paul II born in Poland; Movie director Frank Capra born; ‘Les Miserables’ ends its Broadway run.

Breakfast Tunes

Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

Bertrand Russell

Continue reading

May 17 2021

Cartnoon

Stand Your Ground: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

John Oliver takes a look at why “stand your ground” laws were created, who they protect, and, crucially, who they don’t.

TMC for ek hornbeck

May 17 2021

The Breakfast club (Maximum Of Reason)

Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:00am (ET) (or whenever we get around to it) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.

This Day in History

Brown vs. Board of Education ends separate but equal; Watergate hearings begin; NYSE is born; First Kentucky Derby.

Breakfast Tunes

Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac

Through the centuries, men of law have been persistently concerned with the resolution of disputes in ways that enable society to achieve its goals with a minimum of force and maximum of reason.

Archibald Cox

Continue reading

May 16 2021

Cartnoon

Elon Musk Is Not Your Friend – SOME MORE NEWS

Cody Johnston- “Hi. Elon Musk will not save us. Sorry. Get your Warmbo merch here…”

BobbyK for ek hornbeck

May 16 2021

The Breakfast Club (Blueberries Maple Syrup Whipped Cream)

Welcome to The Breakfast Club!

AP’s Today in History for May 16th

President Andrew Johnson survives a key vote at his Senate trial after his impeachment; First Oscars are presented; Actor Henry Fonda born; Singer Sammy Davis, Jr. and Muppets creator Jim Henson die.

Breakfast Tune To-Morrow

Something to think about, Breakfast News & Blogs below

Something to think about over coffee prozac

Japan Ambassador Rahm Emanuel Asks New Hosts For Best Black Site Recommendations
Continue reading

May 16 2021

Pondering the Pundits: Sunday Preview Edition

Pondering the Pundits: Sunday Preview Edition” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

On Sunday mornings we present a preview of the guests on the morning talk shows so you can choose which ones to watch or some do something more worth your time on a Sunday morning.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

The Sunday Talking Heads:

This Week with George Stephanopolis: The guests on Sunday’s “This Week” are: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky; and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

The roundtable guests are: Cecilia Vega, ABC News White House Correspondent; Pierre Thomas, ABC News justice correspondent; Mary Bruce, ABC News congressional correspondent; and Rachel Scott, ABC News Capitol Hill correspondent.

Face the Nation: Host Margaret Brennan’s guests are: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA); Sen Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY); Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA); Krebs-Stamons Group partner Chris Krebs; and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

Meet the Press with Chuck Todd: The guests on this week’s “MTP” are: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky; Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL); and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).

The panel guests are: Peter Baker, New York Times White House correspondent; Brendan Buck, Republican strategist; former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD); and Kristen Welker, NBC News co-chief White House correspondent.

State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash: Mr. Tapper’s guests are: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky; Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD); and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).

May 15 2021

The Preakness: The Middle Child Of The Triple Crown

The Preakness Stakes is the second of the three horse races for the Triple Crown .

The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs (1+3⁄16 miles (1,900 m)) on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 pounds (55 kg). It is the second jewel of the Triple Crown, held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes.

First run in 1873, the Preakness Stakes was named by a former Maryland governor after the colt who won the first Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico. The race has been termed “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” because a blanket of Maryland’s state flower is placed across the withers of the winning colt or filly. Attendance at the Preakness Stakes ranks second in North America among equestrian events, only surpassed by the Kentucky Derby.

Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Then Maryland governor Oden Bowie named the then mile and one-half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford’s Preakness Stud in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico opened (October 25, 1870). The New Jersey name was said to have come from the Native American name Pra-qua-les (“Quail Woods“) for the area.[1] After Preakness won the Dinner Party Stakes, his jockey, Billy Hayward, untied a silk bag of gold coins that hung from a wire stretched across the track from the judges’ stand. This was the supposed way that the “wire” at the finish line was introduced and how the awarding of “purse” money came to be.[2] In reality, the term “purse”, meaning prize money, had been in use for well over a century.

The first Preakness, held on May 27, 1873, drew seven starters. John Chamberlain’s three-year-old, Survivor, collected the $2,050 winning purse by galloping home easily by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin of victory until 2004, when Smarty Jones won by 11 1/2 lengths.

In 1890, Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx, New York hosted the Preakness Stakes. This race was run under handicap conditions, and the age restriction was lifted. The race was won by a five-year-old horse named Montague. After 1890, there was no race run for three years. For the 15 years from 1894 through 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York. In 1909 it returned to Pimlico.

Seven editions of the Preakness Stakes have been run under handicap conditions, in which more accomplished or favored horses are assigned to carry heavier weight. It was first run under these conditions in 1890 and again in the years 1910–1915. During these years, the race was known as the Preakness Handicap. [..]

The 145th running of the Preakness Stakes was held on Saturday, October 3, 2020, a delay resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak earlier in the year, and setting the year’s contest four weeks after the also-delayed Kentucky Derby. It was held without spectators for health reasons because of the outbreak.

Today’s race is 146th running of the race.

In May of 2019, ek hornbeck  wrote this about the Peakness

Preakness Trivia

  • Actually 2 years older than the Kentucky Derby.
  • Shortest in distance (1/16th shorter than the Derby).
  • Only the Derby has a larger attendance.

There have been 37 winners of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes including the 13 Triple Crown winners.

Preakness Traditions

Winners don’t get the real Woodlawn Cup, which is rumored to be the most valuable in Sports, to keep but a half size replica (oh, and the Woodlawn Racing Club is defunct).  Black Eyed Susans don’t bloom until 2 months after the Preakness.  No Black Eyed Susan has ever been used, currently it’s painted Chysthanthemums.  The Old Clubhouse was destroyed in a fire in 1966.  They paint the winner’s racing silks on the weathervane.  No one on the internet knows why it’s called the Alibi Breakfast.

Official Website

I need a drink-

Black Eyed Susan Recipe
(Official, but without the brand names)Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 oz. Bourbon (20% of Early Times is aged in used barrels)
  • 3/4 oz. Vodka
  • 3 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
  • 2 oz. Orange Juice

Preparation:

Fill a highball glass with shaved ice, add the liquors first, then top off with orange juice and sweet and sour mix. Stir and garnish with an orange slice, cherry, and stirrer.

It is impossible to talk about the Preakness this year without mentioning the 2 major controversies. The first and most easily disposed of is the fouling at the finish of the Kentucky Derby. Clearly Maximum Security violated some arcane rule about shutting down racing lines during the stretch and it’s easy to see why that can create a dangerous situation because horses don’t crash very gracefully. On the other hand it’s very difficult to distinguish that from mere hard racing. My advice is to hire some veteran refs from the NHL who can distinguish between a Legal and an Illegal Check (NFL refs being clearly hopeless for the task).

The other thing you can’t escape so easily are the deaths-

A horse died at Santa Anita on the same day another died at Pimlico
By Jacob Bogage, Washington Post
May 18, 2019

As horse racing reels from the shocking death of a horse on Friday at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course that marred the weekend of the Preakness Stakes, another horse was killed training across the country at historic Santa Anita Park, thrusting the sport further into controversy during its most important period of the season.

Commander Coil, an unraced 3-year-old gelding, broke down of a shoulder injury during a routine gallop in training hours at the California racetrack. He is the 24th horse to die there since Dec. 26, and track executives still have yet to identify the underlying cause of the fatalities. One executive called the issues “multi-factorial,” but soil experts have not discovered anything unusual at the 84 year-old facility.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) has called for the state’s horse racing commission to halt racing until four full-time investigators conclude their work studying the horses’ deaths, and state legislators have pledged to hold hearings on the state of the track.

Officials halted racing there in March after 21 equine deaths in a three-month span, but another horse, 3-year-old filly Princess Lili B, was killed after breaking both legs at the conclusion of a timed workout the day after the track reopened. Two weeks later, 5-year-old gelding Arms Runner, broke down during a fall on the turf course.

Before Commander Coil’s death, Santa Anita had gone six weeks without a horse fatality.
…
The same day, Congrats Gal, a 3-year-old filly, collapsed of what veterinarians suspect to be a heart attack after the Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

“The sickening collapse and sudden death of Congrats Gal at Pimlico are proof that the Maryland racing industry has not done enough to protect horses,” Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement. “ . . . We will be contacting the district attorney’s office, as we did in California, where the D.A. has appointed a task force to investigate training and veterinary practices.”

This happened just yesterday, Friday, less than 24 hours ago. The Stronach Group that owns Santa Anita also owns Pimlico Race Course.

This year’s race is dominated by the news of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failing a post race drug test. The horse has since been cleared for today’s race and the owner Bob Baster agreed to “rigorous testing and monitoring” and a “commitment from Bob Baffert to full transparency of medical and testing results that will allow for all results to be released to the public.”

There are just 10 horses in he race. Here are the starting positions and odds as of May 12.

 

Finish Program
Number		 Horse Trainer Jockey Morning
Line Odds[6]		 Final
Odds		 Margin
(Lengths)		 Winnings
1 Ram D. Wayne Lukas Ricardo Santana Jr. 30–1
2 Keepmeinmind Robertino Diodoro David Cohen 15–1
3 Medina Spirit Bob Baffert John Velazquez 9–5
4 Crowded Trade Chad Brown Javier Castellano 10–1
5 Midnight Bourbon Steve Asmussen Irad Ortiz Jr. 5–1
6 Rombauer Michael McCarthy Flavien Prat 12–1
7 France Go de Ina Hideyuki Mori Joel Rosario 20–1
8 Unbridled Honor Todd Pletcher Luis Saez 15–1
9 Risk Taking Chad Brown Jose Ortiz 15–1
10 Concert Tour Bob Baffert Mike Smith 5–2

The 2021 Preakness Stakes will air on Saturday, May 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN and from 5 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com and on the NBC Sports app. Post time is 5:45 PM ET. I’ll post the results as soon as they are available.

Results

Finish Program
Number		 Horse Trainer Jockey Morning
Line Odds[8]		 Final
Odds		 Margin
(Lengths)[12]		 Winnings
1 6 Rombauer Michael W. McCarthy Flavien Prat 12–1 11.80 — $1,000,000
2 5 Midnight Bourbon Steve Asmussen Irad Ortiz Jr. 5–1 3.10 3.6 $600,000
3 3 Medina Spirit Bob Baffert John Velazquez 9–5 2.40 5.6 $200,000
4 2 Keepmeinmind Robertino Diodoro David Cohen 15–1 14.50 9.7 $110,000
5 4 Crowded Trade Chad Brown Javier Castellano 10–1 8.50 12.4 $60,000
6 8 Unbridled Honor Todd Pletcher Luis Saez 15–1 13.70 17.2 $30,000
7 7 France Go de Ina Hideyuki Mori Joel Rosario 20–1 24.60 17.6  
8 9 Risk Taking Chad Brown Jose Ortiz 15–1 14.30 23.5  
9 10 Concert Tour Bob Baffert Mike Smith 5–2 3.70 34.2  
10 1 Ram D. Wayne Lukas Ricardo Santana Jr. 30–1 15.90 36.8  

Payout

Pgm Horse Win Place Show
6 Rombauer $25.60 $10.00 $5.20
5 Midnight Bourbon – $4.60 $3.00
3 Medina Spirit – – $2.80
  • $1 Exacta (6–5) $49.30
  • $1 Trifecta (6–5–3) $162.70
  • $1 Superfecta (6–5–3–2) $1,025.50
  • $1 Super High Five (6–5–3–2–4) $4,857.80

No Triple Crown Winner this year.

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