Author Archives: Elizabeth

Another Lauer Wedding Complete!

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Our oldest daughter (Elizabeth) got married this weekend (to Luke). The ceremony and reception were both outside on the farm. The weather looked shaky in the morning but cleared in the afternoon which made for a beautiful day. Late in the evening we did get about a ten minute shower, which sent a few attendee’s scattering. Most retreated to the barn until it passed and then the band restarted and they took off again. By the end of the evening you could see stars in the sky.

Our family has grown with another son in law. It was a great gathering of many friends and family as well as many wonderful new friends and family of Luke’s. It is always amazing how everyone comes together for a wedding from a variety of places and then they redisperse back to their normal schedule. They came from Nicaragua, Virginia, Alabama, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Michigan, Chicago, St. Louis, Bowling Green, Nashville, Huntsville, Columbus and Hamilton, Ohio, Washington DC, Texas and Atlanta. Wonderful times!

Photo above by Billy GrubbsPhoto above by Billy Grubbs

Derby Wrap-Up!

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We survived the “flood” of the Kentucky Derby and still managed to make a little as we had the exacta. It was an interesting weekend. Very nice weather Friday for the Oaks with the winner paying $79.00. There was a great card Saturday with the highlight being the Kentucky Derby. A light rain began early Saturday morning and continued right up to the Derby and then gave us a small window of no rain until after the race was run and then it started raining again.

The Derby is such a great betting race where the favorite pays $12.00! How great is that!? I always thought that less than half the people handicap the Derby, they just bet. Whether it be names, jockey, owner/trainer, color of the horse or which horse had the best pre race hype and stories in the media, everyone places a bet. The big gambling money shows up late. That is why a horse like ORB can pay $12.00.

There is a high-five carry over of over $300,000 going into Thursday’s card. Another perk of the Derby. This year someone hit the pick-six Derby Day or we would have a big carry over from that as well.

Now we get settled into the rest of the race meet here at Churchill (30+ days of live racing) as well as the Indiana Downs meet outside of Indianapolis. Purses are good at both places.

Two weeks to the Preakness with a good chance at the Triple Crown.

 

 

Open for Business!

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Churchill opens on Saturday, in case you want to get into something more exciting than golf.

Indiana Downs opened yesterday and we had a winning double header. ON Z RUN was coming off 9 1/2 months and ALL THAT GLIMMERS had not raced in 90 days.

Nine days to the Derby. If Lukas wins, he would be the oldest trainer ever. Don’t leave him out of your exotics. Him and Stevens were kind of “testing the waters” in the Arkansas Derby.

The talk of the grounds this week in the press is NORMANDY INVASION. The Paulick Report has ORB as the favorite from a poll. Pletcher’s Oaks fillies looks bigger than 90% of the Derby horses.

 

April Fools!

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Today is April Fool’s Day and baseball season opens today. We hope to see the Red’s in the World Series and that is no April Fool.  The Cubs went up two runs in the first inning to give their fans some new hope that usually fades away by June.

Oaklawn Park  has two weeks left and Keeneland opens Friday, so spring is here! It is 34 days to the Derby and this past Saturday and this coming Saturday’s preps are definitely shaking up the field. I don’t know about this new points, system, but it is there and that is what they are going by. Over the last ten years there have been numerous horses that have done well in the Derby including Mine That Bird and War Emblem who both won the Derby and would not have qualified to run under this point system. Food for thought.

I know most of you have watched the basketball games and especially the gruesome leg fracture to Kevin Ware. The good news is he is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to play in the 2014-15 season. Louisville did go on to win the game and will head to the final four in Atlanta next Saturday.

My team, the Buckeye’s decided to give Wichita State a big head start then tried to catch up and couldn’t get it done. Next year………

Only five months to football season.

Bracket bust!

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Since ESPN has about 5 million or so brackets and none were correct at the end of Friday Night (the first two games), none of our contestants were right either. To be honest, none of ours were right by the end of Thursday. So it was fun while it lasted!