Saratoga, New York's 2021 Travers and You

travers-stakes-grid-chartDownload Going to Saratoga this weekend for what is considered the Mid Summer Derby aka the Travers Stakes so you can catch a glimpse of Essential Quality? If so , here’s a chart with Transpluto, the Nodes and Part of Fortune to help you out.  Continue reading Untitled

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Safety during Travers Stake increased throughout city

Safety during Travers Stake increased throughout city

The Spa City expecting more people than ever before for this weekend’s Travers Stake. The city’s police department is taking steps to address public safety concerns ahead of the mid-summer derby. More than 30,000 people will visit the city in the coming days. Saratoga police say they are ready.  they even have the help of new member of the force fans are sure to appreciate.   Ground breaks on…

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totk cataclysm event wasnt just a great (but utterly missed) opportunity to change the map in techincally little ways that has drastic consequences both in stakes and in gameplay (like i mentioned before, flooding the gerudo desert would have meant devastating consequences for its ecosystem- like imagine little islands of sand still poking out, acting as a sort of last doomed refuge for sandseals- but also cahnged the entire gameplay of it, good chance to introduce some neat new ways to surf on water like a new ridable creature or an ice shield freezing a path while you surf on it, the gerudo being forced to save the city from drowing in various means or now living on the roofs, trying to adapt by building boats ect - also call back to older games?? since totk loves that so much ..-, vah naboris serving as the savest refuge being high above the water, even if non functional; similarly takign away ALL water from the zora region, gaving it all dry out would imemdiately turn into something way different and could mean death for the zora- forcing them to move to the lower parts of akkala for example- maybe vah ruta is still halfway functioning bc the faith the zora have to mipha, dorephan and sidon is, while not enough to keep it fully functional, but enough to generate some water so the most stubborn or brave zora set up around it like a last oasis; i know its somewhat done with death mountain but the gorons dont really suffer from it bc their only problem is a drugged rock that makes them mean and lazy ..- what about collapsing or exploding it, leaving a large crater that over the course of the game could start to grow with plant life since vulcanic earth is so fertile- some never seen before ones that was dormant in the lava and now that its cooled off is springing to life, which might seem good at first but for the area and its wildlife means loss of their habitat; the rito freezing over, but actually having to move, maybe into the tabantha canyon, building their new makeshift homes in between the walls of it- generally just switiching things around a bit would have done so much wihtout having to edit every last detail ((seriously tho, how did this game take so long given that botw took similar but they did that ENTIRE main map as detailed as it is AND made it all coherent with itself and its themes- im ranting again ..)

-but it ALSO would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce new weather types created by the sudden change in environment, somethign like a super strong wind that slows you when walking agaisnt and lets you jump much farther when with it- a darkness thing that clouds the world in utter darkness with only little light getting through anything that is caused by mushrooms from the udnerground invading the surface and their spores snuffs out all light (which could explain the weird darkness in the ruins from botw too!!), or just simply mist! making everything misty changes the entire feel of any environment drastically- you could make vertain enemies spawn only in certain weather conditions, lessening the repetive overuse of them; and that is only on the surface- what if the sky had sunbeams so strong it sets anything on fire if you dare to leave the shadows- to comabt it get a armor with a giant hat!! the underground could have been filled with different environments in the first place, but then of course thered be those dark spores of mushrooms, an entire forest you have to carefully travers other wise making them release their spores and make it all more difficult, glowy mushrooms, MORE glowy mushroms, theres so many weird ass shrooms IRL you could take inspo from!! maybe soemthing like a forest of kelp, long flowy plants obstructing view and making you anxious by any movement- there could be one thats a mimic or infected with miasma, slightly off color and its knobs are malice eyes that open only if it thinks you cant see it

(also for the idea of taking botws stuff and recontextualizing it, the guardians or shrines, now non fucntional, could be infected my miasma sometimes, maybe randomly to keep you guessing- an overgrown shrine suddenly lifting itself up with hands clawing at you when you get too close or do sth wrong to distrub it- similar with guardians tho the effect might be less since you know them as a threat already- or sth i mentioned in another post, a tower being used as a weapon by a gigatic miasma monster- the one in the gerudo region with the bottomless pit for example, perfect for an arena for you to run around in the spiral while its swinging at you etc etc)

JUST taking what botw had and mixing it up, expanding on it, even if technically little change, it could do so much but in the actual game death mountain and rito is the only ones that saw anything of a change like it, and it largely .. didnt change anything or was reversible easily, and had no actual consquences that meant anything, neither stakes nor environmental or narratively (the gerudo felt like it at first but its also largely reversible, its just kinda .. adding a bit of city)

i hhhhhhhhhhhhhh have so many thoughts still, i am just better at holding them back .... also dont wanna annoy lmao

May 11, 1892: At 16 years old, Alonzo Clayton rode Azra to victory in the Kentucky Derby, which made him the youngest jockey in history to ever win the Derby.

Clayton and Azra followed up their Derby success with victories in the Clark Handicap and the Travers Stakes.

Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton was a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing described by author Edward Hotaling, as "one of the great riders of the New York circuit all through the 1890's.”

Lonnie Clayton's success had allowed him to acquire a property in Little Rock, Arkansas, upon which he competed construction of a new home in early 1895.

Described by the Arkansas Gazette as the "finest house on the North Side," it was designed in the fashion of Queen Anne style architecture in the United States.

As a businessman, in 1897 Clayton also built a commercial building at 617–619 Main Street in Little Rock, which stood until about 1980. However, denied the right to earn a living in racing, he was forced to sell his investment property and his home.

His residence is today known as Engelberger House and since 1990 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arkhelios Adventures

"Thanks for agreeing to hold the party here," Roman said, looking proudly at the decorations he'd bought and the impressive cake he'd made for his son's important day. It wasn't every day that your kid turned fourteen and Roman wanted to make the party special.

Ewan Traver merely shrugged back at him, like it was nothing to use his estate to entertain a group of hyper teenagers. Truthfully, nothing seemed to bother the duke, and it made Roman incredibly uneasy to see such a laid back parenting style. Maybe if he lived on a tropical island and hadn't been a teenage father, Roman might be the same. But then again, Adrian had grown up in Twikkii Island, and he was just as bad as Roman when it came to his clingy parenting style.

"It's all good," Ewan assured his guest. "The kids love having their friends over and we have more than enough space to accommodate them. Tell you what. If you make one of those bat cakes for Bronwen's birthday, I'd be in your debt. Not many bakeries have vampire friendly designs, and it would mean a lot to her."

"Done," Roman agreed, eager to continue his party setup and ditch the hovering duke. "Is everyone here? I haven't done a head count."

"All of them are present and accounted for," Ewan confirmed. "I think they've found the pool table. If I know my kids, they're probably hustling the group. Never bet against a vampire or witch in a contest of skill."

"Uh...huh." Roman had no idea of what to say to this man. He was the father of Theo's closest friends though, so Roman tried his best. Ewan wasn't snobby or pretentious, nor was he trapped in the same constant anxiety that Adrian felt being a duke. If anything, the man reminded Roman of an eager puppy, excited and ready for anything fun. If Roman had to blindly guess who was married to stuffy, curt Edana, he would never have guessed Ewan in a million years.

"Where is Edana? Does she want to help set up?"

For the briefest of seconds, Ewan's face fell before he could correct it. It wasn't anger or frustration that Roman had briefly saw, but some kind of sadness. He didn't resent his wife like Roman would have assumed with such an emotionally mismatched couple. Instead, it almost looked like the look he sometimes caught Abe giving him whenever the subject of Roman's family came up. Ewan was just as worried about Edana as Abe worried about him. It was touching to see, and it gave Roman hope that the children of this man also inherited that same compassion. Any friends of Theo needed some extra compassion should anything terrible happen to their friend, and if Elowen and Bronwen were anything like their father, Theo would be in good hands.

"Edana's working," Ewan explained. "She's got this huge research project she's working on and it's very important. She promised to come up for cake though."

With the noise of a birthday party around her, Edana was finding it difficult to concentrate on her work. Several excited teenagers crowding around a pool table did not make it easy to stare endlessly at photo after photo of boring historical records.

Truthfully, she would much rather be upstairs, ensuring that the teens behaved like the young magical apprentices most of them were instead of staring at ancient records. She was certain that Adam was probably letting that demon hybrid of his push past acceptable boundaries, and that Remy and Elowen were likely trying to do some juvenile prank like spiking the punch or whatever it was that teens did these days. Ewan could handle the party itself, but his wife needed to be the stern authority figure ensuring that nothing went awry.

But her brother had given her a mission that superseded everything else. No one escaped death to pass something unimportant to their angry sister. For the measures he had taken to see her, Edana knew that this required her full attention. Something big had to be at stake and she wasn't about to stand over the dead bodies of her friends again, not when she could have prevented it. What if something happened to one of her children? She would never recover from that loss. If it took hours hunched over a computer to save her family, then it was worth all of it.

He said that the Darktides were in danger, but we're not originally from Strangetown, our ancestors are from Pleasantview. Why care so much about a supernatural being from another country?

Why did the answer to a mystery in Twikkii Island all revolve around Strangetown or Josh Toyonaga's husband? They lived in Strangetown, but neither of them came to Twikkii Island regularly. They came from time to time to visit Ewan and Edana, but not often. Besides, Josh's own mother died in that explosion. He wasn't close to the former queen consort, but Edana could never accuse him of murder. She'd seen for herself how devastated he'd been at her funeral.

Couldn't Adam have been at least a little more specific about this threat? If he hadn't spent so much time being a jackass, he could have explained this threat easily and she wouldn't be forever wandering libraries to search for whatever it was she was supposed to be looking for.

"There!" she gasped, scrolling back to a picture she'd nearly missed. "Finally!"

Atem Spector and his mother, Morganna Grunt, in the palace of Alpheus Toyonaga, Strangetown, Circa 678, photo from a private collection.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Edana groaned, desperately scanning the photo for clues that might point her in the right direction.

The picture was blurry and barely showed what Atem looked like. His eyes were closed and his hair could have easily been dirty blonde or brown. The woman beside him didn't look much like her son. Green skin with green eyes. He must have taken after his father.

The year 678 would place this picture right in the middle of the Demon Wars. If she ignored Master Thorne's warning, she could probably summon a demon that old. It was only 2210, surely something that old would still respond to a summons?

No, Master Thorne was right. Adam would have rushed headfirst into summoning something that old. Edana was the smart one. The careful one. The one currently fearing for her family's safety.

She'd never seen a blood demon before. No one alive likely hadn't either. She used to sit on the memorial to Alpheus outside of the public library when she did her schoolwork as a girl. The shrine to the powerful blood demon always inspired her to strive for power like his. Perhaps that was why her coven had stumbled in the end. Power like that came with a price too high for mortals to pay. Her son's boyfriend worried her with his own power, but she was comforted by the fact that Alpheus had been a full demon, while Theo was merely a hybrid. He was dangerous, sure, but nothing like the demons of the past.

Master Thorne was displaced from another time, centuries ago where maybe he'd seen a blood demon for himself. He probably knew what he was talking about; witches and warlocks had differing practices back then, and not all of them were moral. Still, the urge to throw caution aside to play with something that far overpowered her was intense. What would it be like to see a demon so powerful? Would it be like staring at Anna Goldman's true reaper form, beautiful and terrible all at once?

"Dammit!" she swore, throwing one of her reference books across the room. "What am I supposed to do with this, Adam? None of this makes any sense! Just tell me how to save my family!"

"Edana?" Ewan's worried voice floated down the stairs, grounding her in her surrounding once more. In her anger, she'd worried her poor husband and been just as rash and improper as she forbid her children to be. This mystery was getting to her, but she couldn't worry her family or travel down forbidden paths like her brother.

"Everything's fine, honey," she called, picking up the book she'd thrown. "I just knocked a book over. I think I'm making progress though."

"Okay, well we're going to cut the cake now, if you wanted to join us. Theo's dad made it."

"Yeah, yeah okay. I'll be right up."

By the time Edana made it up the stairs, the cake was already cut and the teens were having a birthday toast with what she hoped was ginger ale. Ewan knew better than to let champagne anywhere near the kids who were all studying magic at a level he was incapable of matching. Their alcohol was stored safely in a locked cabinet, but Edana knew better than to trust a simple lock to keep the teens out. Elowen was getting better each day at subverting her mother's traps. Between her and Remy, Edana was going to have to be on top of her game to parent her children.

"To the birthday boy, Theo." Ewan toasted. The teens followed his example and clinked their glasses together to toast the young demon.

"To Theo!"

"Alright, cake and ginger ale is on the table if anyone wants refills," Roman said. "You guys have fun, and if you need anything, the grown ups are going to be here, doing boring grown up stuff."

"Ugh, Dad, I'm not four," Theo groaned, shooting his father a nasty glare. "We don't need 'grown ups' for anything. We're fine."

"Well the grown ups have actual champagne to drink, so we'll be fine too," Ewan laughed before Roman could snap at his son. "Go have fun. We certainly will be."

"Gross," Adam said, looking at his step-father like he had three heads. "Are our parents friends now? I don't like it."

"My dad doesn't have any friends," Theo replied snarkily. "At least we know they'll get along at our wedding."

"Ha ha, you two are funny," Roman grumbled, reaching for the bottle of champagne Ewan had produced. "Go have fun while the adults have their own party."

"Your mom is getting worse," Eliana said, while lining up her shot. The three sisters were pool enthusiasts and far too skilled to hustle anyone. No one believed that they could beat any of the sisters, so most of the gambling was on which of the sisters would win.

"You're not wrong," Remy replied. "She spends all her time at home on the computer and all her time at school in her office. I think my dad is worried about her, but he doesn't want to say anything."

"What do you think she's working on?" Eliana asked. "Not all of us are witches who know what mysterious secret she's looking for."

"You don't have to be a witch to figure it out," Elowen answered. "She's upset about Uncle Adam. She's always upset about Uncle Adam. It must be his like birthday or death date or something lame like that. I see her staring at pictures of him at school all the time."

"Nah, I think she's worried about Adam Jr and his demon companion," Remy laughed. "She's looking stuff up about demons, really old demons. All the blood demons died ages ago or whatever and she's worried that Adam's going to get himself killed too. Maybe one day, Theo's going to snap and kill us all and she wants to be ready."

"Remy, be serious," Eliana said. "The last person Theo's going to snap and kill is Adam. I don't think that those two can stand to be away from each other for even an hour."

"Yeah, you're right," Remy conceded. "They're probably making out downstairs and skipping the rest of the party."

"You and Theo should really come to the school dance next semester. Josh is taking me and my uncles said that I could wear one of my mom's dresses to it. It's going to be a lot of fun, and outside students can come by invitation."

"I don't know, Medora, Theo would probably want to go, but I'm not really into dances. The ones at our own school are more than enough for me."

Adam fidgeted, trying to politely refuse the invitation to a pretentious dance that he would likely be completely miserable at. Medora was really excited and Theo would love to let loose and dance wherever he could, so it felt like he had to say yes, despite his reservations.

"What's this about a dance?"

Theo waved at his friend and boyfriend, watching Adam's face flush like he was hiding something.

"It's only the largest dance in the school that isn't prom," Medora exclaimed. "I think we're supposed to practice our social and political skills or whatever, but it's a dance! I have my outfit all picked out. My uncles are letting me use my mom's clothes and jewelry and Josh has a matching outfit that will look amazing."

"Aren't you wearing your mom's dress now?" Adam asked, gesturing to the photo behind them. "That's your mom isn't it? My step-dad's sister?"

Medora was the spitting image of her mother, especially when she wore Tristianne's clothes. The resemblance was remarkable, something Theo was sure the princess heard all the time.

"This?" Medora repeated, looking offended. "Adam, I know that you have no knowledge of fashion, especially when it comes to what a princess gets to wear, but this is not one of my mom's dresses. Her dresses cost about the same as a year of tuition."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Adam didn't look like he really understood or cared about Medora's wardrobe, but he didn't want to be rude to an orphan trying to connect to her mother in whatever way she could. If he lost his father or step-father, maybe he'd want to use one of their suits to remember them too. His father's warlock robes probably cost a small fortune and since his recently discovered half-brother wasn't a warlock, Ewan's robes would likely go to his only magical son.

"I was just about to get my swimsuit, but I was going to head back to get another piece of cake," Theo announced, while his boyfriend mentally compiled his likely inheritance. "Wanna come with me?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. That cake was awesome," Adam replied. "Do you want some too Medora?"

"No thanks, I'm going to get changed too. The pool is calling my name. Can you believe that I live in a castle, and we don't even have a pool on the property? My grandfather says we don't have the infrastructure to support one, but he's the king. He can hire someone to install whatever it needs."

"A pool's not everything," Adam pointed out. "It's a lot of work and uses a lot of water for a desert nation like Strangetown. My step-dad makes us take turns cleaning it when we're living here."

"Well, either way, I'm headed for the pool," Medora announced. "See you out there. And think about the dance. Seriously. It'll be fun."

By the time that Medora emerged from the house in her swimsuit, a vicious water balloon fight was already underway. A balloon narrowly missed her head, but didn't break upon hitting the ground.

"Oh my god, you never said there was going to be water balloons!" she shrieked, picking up the fallen balloon and whipping at Elowen. "How many do we have left?"

While the other guests were distracted, Adam and Theo were changing into their bathing suits a little more slowly than the other teens. They changed together all the time at school when they had gym class or when they changed into their pajamas at night, but it was never usually while they were alone. Having a few moments of privacy together now was somehow very different than at school. The air crackled with tension and before he knew it, Theo's lips were on Adam's, pulling him as close to him as he could.

"We need to go," Theo whispered between kisses, only to have Adam move his hand and completely silence all thoughts of leaving.

"Your dad is busy and no one will notice we're gone," Adam whispered back, punctuating his words with kisses down Theo's arm.

"My dad will definitely notice a hickey," Theo protested, pushing his boyfriend away halfheartedly. "You know how pissed he'll be if he catches us in here."

"Yeah, my mom will probably murder us both," Adam conceded. "It would be pretty horrible to die on your birthday."

"Worth it though. Plus then I wouldn't have to go to dinner at home with my grandma. All she does is drink and scowl at me while going on about how much money my school costs. Rien says my grandma's just going to give me some money in my college fund for a gift anyway."

"Well, it beats hanging out here with my sisters," Adam replied. "All they do is talk about their partners and tease me. Plus, Mom's still acting like some kind of zombie. I don't think she's even made a single comment once today about you or your dad."

"Maybe she likes me now," Theo teased. "Maybe she's finally seen how perfect we are for each other and wants to apologize for everything she's said."

Both boys laughed at the thought of Edana Darktide ever apologizing for anything, especially when Theo was involved.

"Maybe one day. But definitely not today."

"You're almost out of balloons, you'd better surrender while you still can.'

Elowen stared menacingly at her half-sister, water balloon in her hand, ready to be thrown. Their water battle was down to just Elowen and Remy and Elowen had the clear advantage. Remy had just a few balloons left, but she wasn't about to lose and have her half-sister gloat about it all week.

"Maybe you should surrender before I tell Dad about your boyfriend."

Remy's taunt worked, and Elowen's angrily tossed balloon easily missed its target. It landed on the ground beside Remy, allowing the witch to scoop it up and hurl it back towards her half-sister.

"So the rumours are true," Remy laughed. "Who is he? Does he go to our school?"

"Mind your own business," Elowen snapped, launching another balloon at Remy that also missed its target. "If you don't, maybe I'll tell Malika that you've been flirting with the girl in potions class. Plus the guy you looked really into at lunch last week."

"It's not cheating to admire an attractive person," Remy insisted. "Malika knows that and I'm sure she looks at all kinds of people herself. Your boyfriend probably does the same thing.'

"He does not!"

"So I guess I'll see you again at our kids' wedding?" Ewan joked, looking over his shoulder to see if Adam or Theo were nearby to hear.

The dads had finished their alcohol fueled conversation upstairs and had finally changed into the bathing suits to supervise anyone swimming in the pool. Roman wasn't thrilled to see his son absent in the yard, but some of the other kids were missing too, which meant that there could be an innocent explanation, like Theo playing a game of pool. Roman had promised his husband not to be paranoid or suspicious about Theo's whereabouts during the party, but it was difficult. Theo was probably getting into trouble somewhere, but both Adrian and Abe had pleaded with him to keep Adam's parents happy. The last thing they needed was another inquiry by the Maricourts.

"You know they're going to break up long before they're nineteen, right?" Roman replied. "They're just kids."

"Oh, I thought Edana said that you married your high school boyfriend?" Ewan said in a tone that Roman couldn't discern the true intention of. He didn't sound like he was asking the question sincerely. More than likely, he and Edana had come up with topics to discuss with Theo's parents to continue their interrogation of the Bellamy family.

"Well, eventually," Roman conceded. "I did marry someone else first, and we broke up a few times since high school."

"Well, there you go," Ewan replied. "There's hope for them yet. Edana married someone else first too and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out."

"There's no way that Theo is getting married as a teenager. All he's doing is trying to get our approval and permission to have sex."

Ewan choked back a powerful laugh at this, clapping Roman's shoulder as he laughed.

"I had no idea that you needed parental permission to have sex," he laughed. "Oh man, if I did, my father would have me die a virgin. My sister too. The look on his face when she told him that she had no idea of who Medora's biological parent was because she and her husband had attended an orgy together! I wish I had had a camera. Trust me, Roman, Adam is his mother's son. He's not going to ask permission for anything. Kids are going to be kids, just like we were."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Roman sighed. "Theo's too much like we were."

"Ah well, my brother and sister and I all put my parents through hell," Ewan laughed. "Leo was almost murdered for defying the queen of Pleasantview, and Tristianne, well, it's not right to speak ill of the dead, even if her antics were hilarious. I have three kids with three different women who are pretty much all the same age. Being a parent means watching your kids make mistakes while helping them learn from them. My dad never gave up on me, even when I deserved it."

"I never really had parents growing up," Roman said. "My mother tried to kill both me and my kids and my dad was physically present but never there with me. Theo has a magical disability that's potentially fatal if he gets too powerful without something to ground him. He's almost died more than once and I can't lose him, Ewan. I also can't watch him struggle like I did with a teenage pregnancy either. If I let go of him for even a second, I'll-"

"You'll push him away," Ewan replied. "I almost pushed my dad out of my life when I was young and thought I knew it all. Everything he did, I assumed was just to punish me for having a good time. It took a tragedy for us to come together again and forgive, don't let the same happen to you and your son."

Roman stared closely at the man he'd underestimated. Ewan may not be as sharp as his wife, but he really did care about his kids and their happiness. He was just as fiercely protective of his kids as Roman was, though he didn't look like he spent long nights worrying himself to death like Roman did. He was still too close to Edana to trust, but Roman could still appreciate Ewan's advice.

"Any tips on letting go?" Roman sighed. "I don't know how I'll sit through a wedding between two nineteen year olds without saying something."

"Well, like you said, who marries their high school sweetheart?" Ewan laughed. "I'm sure they'll have a bunch of relationships in high school and forget all about each other. The only other time I'll ever see you again is when you drop off Bronwen's birthday cake next year."

"That sounds like a deal," Roman said, allowing himself a small smirk while still worrying about his son. "Adam's not a bad kid though, I don't want you to think that Abe and I hate him or anything like that. Just try to put in a good word about Theo with your wife if there's a wedding. I have a feeling that she'll call another 'meeting' about my son if there's a ring involved."

Ewan sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I guess it's no secret that she thinks that your son is going to burn all of Pleasantview down. We're all trying to reason with her. The last thing the school needs is a reputation for harassing demon students. He's only a hybrid demon though and he only seems to endanger himself with his powers, which is what has pacified her for now. Adam tying his bloodline to Theo's though- you should have seen her reaction. I thought the house was about to implode."

"Yeah, we had that reaction too," Roman groaned. "No offense, of course. You seem like a nice family, but-"

"But your thirteen year old playing with blood magic? Yeah, I get it. Still, yelling at them didn't change anything. If you push too hard, teenagers are going to push back. Give them a little room to breathe and your son just might come to you with his problems first."

"Yeah, that will be the day," Roman murmured, scanning the yard again and still finding no signs of his son. "Theo? Theo, it's a pool party because there's a pool. Hurry up and swim with your friends!"

"Coming, Dad!"

Theo and Adam emerged from the house, dressed in their bathing suits and looking guilty.

So he was inside with Adam, probably this entire time. Doing god knows what.

Roman was about to shout at his son, when his eyes met Ewan's and he reconsidered.

Don't push him away. You can trust him. Yelling will only push him away.

"Get in the pool now that we can supervise," Roman said, though his teeth were still tightly clenched. Beside him, Ewan gave him a quick thumbs up. "This is a pool party after all."

So I stayed up late to finish reading book 6 of "Aileen Travers series", "Nightfall's Prophet" and wow, this was such a good book

I honestly thought this would be the last book in the series because the author has 4 series she writes on, so I was like "ok, we're on book 6 now, I bet she's going to wrap things up and call it a day because I bet it's exhausting juggling 4 different book series right?"

wrong. this book is just getting started.

(book 1 blurb)

Life as Aileen knew it ended when she woke up in a morgue sporting a new set of fangs after a wild night out. Now as a courier for the supernatural world, she balances figuring out this whole vampire thing with making enough to support her ice cream habit. When a job goes disastrously awry and ends with a body on the ground, Aileen finds herself in over her head as she draws the attention of a powerful creature intent on her death. Aileen will need to separate her allies from her enemies before it’s too late. To survive, she’ll work with a being she swore to avoid at all costs—a powerful vampire who may hold the key to her survival. Or the flame from which her world burns.

This series has the fae, vampires, werewolves, witches, demons etc.. the supernatural world is hidden from mortals but living side by side next to them. Aileen must figure out this new world as she slowly adapts to life as a newly made vampire after her death, and she doesn't know who to trust.

Each book builds upon the previous in world building and character growth, and it leaves you wanting to find out more in each book as the stakes are raised. The books do feature romance and sex scenes, but they're not the focus of the series as much as the actual story (I personally kinda wish the author would make them smutty and add even more romance in between the story but that's just me)

In this latest book, Aileen is being targeted by a powerful vampire, but who? The obvious answer is the vampire with a vendetta against her Sire, but she begins to have ominous dreams of an ancient vampire as rumors grow that he has returned.

The plot is really good and has you devouring the pages to find out what the hell is happening (in a good way), while also you savor the interactions between Aileen and her new found family. And speaking of family, Aileen learns world shattering secrets about her own human family that she's been hiding her vampire nature from. She desperately wants them to continue thinking she's still human, however that may pale in comparison to what unfolds for them.

These books keep getting better and I can't wait for the next book in this growing series.

Nightfall's Prophet - 5/5

General Assembly, track and stakes record winner of the 1979 Travers

(x)

Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton (January 4, 1876 – March 17, 1917) was a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing described by author Edward Hotaling, as "one of the great riders of the New York circuit all through the 1890s" and who holds the record as the youngest jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby. He was most likely born in Mississippi, which is the date of birth and place of birth that is given on his death certificate. He was one of the nine children of Robert and Evaline Clayton. At age twelve he left home and made his way north to Chicago's Washington Park Race Track where his brother Albertus was a jockey for prominent Thoroughbred horse racing stable owner, Lucky Baldwin. He was given a job as a stablehand and exercise rider for the Baldwin stable then the following year he moved east to the Clifton Race Track in New Jersey wherein in 1890 he began his professional riding career. In 1891 at Morris Park Racetrack in The Bronx, he won the important Champagne Stakes aboard Bashford Manor Stable's two-year-old colt, Azra. He rode Azra to victory in the Kentucky Derby which made him the youngest jockey in history to ever win the Derby. He and Azra followed up their Derby success with victories in the Clark Handicap and the Travers Stakes. At Monmouth Park in New Jersey, he won the Monmouth Handicap and went on to win the fall riding title at Churchill Downs. One of the leading money winners on the East Coast racing circuit during the 1890s, he won races from New York to California. He captured back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Oaks in 1894 and 1895, the latter a year in which he won 144 races and finished in the money sixty percent of the time. He won the Arkansas Derby and in 1896 finished third in the Preakness Stakes aboard the filly, Intermission. His accomplishments in racing were recognized by the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame with his induction in 2012. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_gpogr1NB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Travers Stakes Day Key Horses at Saratoga 8/26/23

No need for the Conductor to play in the slop Friday. Especially after a brutal Thursday with two 2nds and a 3rd. The Ductor can’t believe it’s already Travers Stakes day. The worst meet in Saratoga history is coming to an end. Let’s get it over with. Skip. Race 8: 5½ Furlongs. (Turf) Alw 149500n1x #6 Highly Flammable (9/2) – This gelding has improved in his last three starts since moving to the…

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Crypto monnaies pour les Nuls:

Les cryptomonnaies ont pris d'assaut le monde financier, suscitant à la fois l'enthousiasme et la confusion chez les novices. Si vous vous sentez dépassé par le jargon cryptographique et les concepts complexes, ne vous inquiétez pas, vous n'êtes pas seul. Dans cet article, nous allons démystifier les cryptomonnaies et vous guider à travers les bases pour vous aider à démarrer votre voyage dans ce monde fascinant mais parfois déconcertant.

Qu'est-ce qu'une cryptomonnaie?

Commençons par les bases. Une cryptomonnaie est une forme de monnaie numérique qui utilise la cryptographie pour sécuriser et vérifier les transactions et pour contrôler la création de nouvelles unités. Contrairement aux monnaies traditionnelles émises par les gouvernements, les cryptomonnaies sont décentralisées et fonctionnent sur un réseau informatique distribué appelé blockchain.

Comment fonctionnent-elles?

Imaginez la blockchain comme un grand livre de comptes public et décentralisé, où chaque transaction est enregistrée de manière permanente et vérifiée par un réseau de participants. Lorsque vous effectuez une transaction en cryptomonnaie, elle est ajoutée à un bloc de transactions, puis cryptée et ajoutée à la blockchain. Cette technologie de chaîne de blocs garantit la transparence et la sécurité des transactions.

Comment puis-je obtenir des cryptomonnaies?

Il existe plusieurs façons d'obtenir des cryptomonnaies. Vous pouvez les acheter sur des plateformes d'échange en ligne en échange de monnaies fiduciaires telles que le dollar ou l'euro. Vous pouvez également les gagner en participant à des activités telles que l'exploitation minière ou le staking. Une autre option consiste à les accepter en paiement pour des biens ou des services que vous fournissez.

La sécurité est-elle importante?

Absolument. Comme toute forme de valeur, il est essentiel de protéger vos cryptomonnaies contre le vol et la perte. Assurez-vous d'utiliser des portefeuilles numériques sécurisés pour stocker vos fonds et activez des mesures de sécurité telles que l'authentification à deux facteurs. Soyez également vigilant face aux escroqueries et aux faux projets, et ne partagez jamais vos informations privées avec des sources non vérifiées.

Conclusion

Les cryptomonnaies peuvent sembler intimidantes au début, mais avec un peu de patience et d'apprentissage, vous pouvez commencer à explorer ce monde passionnant. Continuez à vous informer, restez vigilant et n'ayez pas peur de poser des questions. Qui sait, vous pourriez bientôt devenir un expert en cryptomonnaies!

Disclaimer: Cet article est uniquement à des fins éducatives et ne constitue pas un conseil financier.

Token MITHRANDIR s'engage pour le nettoyage des berges des rivières

La fondation "Token Mithrandir" a collaboré avec ses bénévoles et, dans certains cas, avec des équipes d'autres projets, tant du réseau CARDANO que du réseau polygone, pour nettoyer les berges des rivières. Ces nettoyages ont lieu dans plusieurs pays d'Amérique latine, tels que l'Argentine et le Venezuela. Parmi les projets participant avec Token Mithrandir, on trouve ADA Solar, One Pool Stake et Chacra Mithrandir. Du côté de Polygon, nous trouvons Bosque Venture Capital, The AquaPurge Project et la liste est vraiment très longue, l'important est que les lecteurs voient qu'il y a une équipe de projets engagés dans la protection de l'environnement.

Token Mithrandir est un projet qui n'a pas de nationalité, il est donc présent dans 13 pays, formant un grand réseau qui a comme lumière le soin de l'environnement, et l'aide humanitaire. Nos actions dépendent mois après mois des donations qui entrent dans la trésorerie du projet, à travers la vente de NFTs ou de nos actions digitales "Token MITHR" qui se trouvent dans le DEX de CARDANO. Si vous voulez faire partie de cette merveilleuse communauté, rejoignez nos équipes, nous sommes présents dans 13 pays, et la Bolivie fait partie de notre agenda.

Comme vous pouvez le voir sur l'image de cette newsletter, il s'agit de l'équipe de Costa de Oro, qui rassemble plus de 70 femmes et hommes qui vont nettoyer leur territoire sur une base pro-bono, ils sont un exemple de solidarité sociale et de dignité humaine. Le Token Mithrandir, ainsi que d'autres projets du réseau Cardano et du réseau polygone, ont travaillé dans cette ligne de nettoyage des berges. Parmi les projets Cardano qui collaborent avec Token Mithrandir, on trouve ADA Solar, One Pool Stake, et du côté du Polygone, il y a Bosque Ventura Capital, Polygon Guild, et bien d'autres. Il est merveilleux de voir autant de projets œuvrer pour l'environnement.

El estelar látigo venezolano obtiene triunfo selectivo en Nueva York que otorga puntos al Kentucky Derby Efrén Rodríguez Javier Castellano ganó su primer Derby de Kentucky en 2023 y esa una sensación que al excepcional jockey venezolano de 46 años, sin duda le gustaría volver a experimentar. Castellano monta a Drum Roll Please para terminar en tercer lugar en el Remsen Stakes Grado 2 el mes pasado en Aqueduct y viaja para montarlo de nuevo la primera carrera del potro de 3 años el sábado en Nueva York, el Jerome Stakes. Queda por ver si será Drum Roll Please la monta de Castellano en el 150º Derby de Kentucky a correrse el 4 de mayo de 2024, ya que el potro da el siguiente paso en su búsqueda para llegar allí, al ganar el Jerome Stakes de $145,000 por 3 3/4 cuerpos sobre El Grande O, ejemplar criado en Nueva York que hace su primera prueba a los 3 años La victoria le valió a Drum Roll Please 10 puntos clasificatorios para el Kentucky Derby y le otorga 13 puntos en total en el sistema que Churchill Downs usa para determinar los participantes si más de 20 ingresan a la carrera. Castellano se separó de la baranda temprano, deja ir a su caballo último, pero a sólo dos cuerpos del lote, antes de la curva final Castellano lleva a Drum Roll Please hacia la parte exterior, para pasar de viaje a ganar la carrera. Al respecto declara Javier Castellano a DRF “Me gusta la forma en que lo hizo porque fue a un ritmo lento, en pista profunda, lo hizo de la manera correcta, iba detrás de los caballos con arena en la cara, con tranquilidad sale afuera y remata. Este es el tipo de preparación que me gusta hacer a los caballos”. Sobre no haber sido nominado al Eclipse Award, un premio que ha ganado cuatro veces, refiere Castellano: “Es lo que es. Gracias a Dios tengo un gran año, gané dos carreras de la Triple Corona en el mismo año, la Travers, las United Nations, el Jockey Club Gold Cup. Gracias a Dios pude volver al panorama general y al alto nivel, simplemente estoy agradecido”. Para recibir en tu celular esta y otras informaciones, únete a nuestras redes sociales, síguenos en Instagram, Twitter y Facebook como @DiarioElPepazo El Pepazo/Meridiano

An Overview of Glee

General Summary For this post, we chose to review the show "Glee." We selected Glee because it's known for addressing various social issues, including those related to race, sexuality, and gender. The show features characters from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as characters with different sexual orientations and gender identities. This diversity allowed the show to portray a range of experiences and perspectives, contributing to a more inclusive representation on television. Through its diverse cast, compelling storylines, and musical expression, the show contributes to a broader cultural conversation about acceptance, identity, and the importance of embracing diversity. While not without its criticisms, "Glee" remains a landmark series in its efforts to bring these important issues to a mainstream audience.

Prior to making Glee, Ryan Murphy had a hand in creating two other shows. These shows include high school drama Popular and medical drama Nip/Tuck. However, Glee was Ryan Murphy’s first major cultural hit, leading to many of his popular series in later years. His post-Glee TV shows include American Horror Story, Scream Queens, American Crime Story, and Pose.

Glee is a widely popular show featuring an ensemble of diverse characters with differing races, gender identities, sexualities, disabilities all with one thing in common: show choir. Ryan Murphy created a satirical reading of high school chaos mixed with the competitiveness and high-stakes of show business. Through all the drama that’s inevitable with teenage hormones and spotlight craze, the main message of Glee shines through. Be who you are, even when the rest of the world is against you. And this message is clear from the blissfully ignorant and sweet characters of Becky Johnson, Britney Pierce, and Sam Evans to the at times unbearable characters of Rachel Berry, Sue Sylvester and Santana Lopez.

"Glee" stands as a compelling testament to the creators' ability to infuse depth into the seemingly simple setting of a high school glee club. Ryan Murphy's background in crafting narratives that challenge norms is evident in the way "Glee" tackles issues of diversity. The show's unique format, incorporating musical performances into its storytelling, adds an extra layer to the exploration of gender, race, and class dynamics. This choice not only entertains but also serves as a powerful vehicle for conveying messages about acceptance and self-expression.

Episode Reviews

"The Power of Madonna" - Bryson Travers

In season one episode fifteen of Glee, entitled “The Power of Madonna”, ideas regarding patriarchy and misogyny are explicitly addressed through Madonna’s musical catalog and cultural relevance. When Glee Club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) notices how poorly the women of Glee Club are being treated by the men, he decides to teach them about equality. After Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) tells Mr. Schuester about the impact of Madonna’s songs on women's empowerment, he assigns the glee club the task of performing Madonna's musical numbers. In doing so, he believes he will inspire the women of the Glee Club while also allowing the men of the Glee Club to recognize their misogyny. Although the context of this episode is encouraging for women, the episode unfortunately fails to acknowledge the complexities or intersectionality of misogyny.

Within this episode, there are several liberal feminist perspectives. For instance, the character of Sue Sylvester represents many of its core ideals. She desires political, social, and economic equality and believes more representation within these oppressive systems means true equality. Her poor treatment at work by her male colleagues contributes to her viewpoint. Sue is constantly belittled by Will Schuester for her physical appearance and age, yet she is the one seen as mean and cruel. Much of this perception stems from Sue being a woman and is a common societal double standard. Although Will instigates multiple of their hostile interactions, his negative attitude is omitted because he is a man. Sue addresses this in a speech given to her cheer squad, where she quotes Madonna and says, “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay” (“The Power of Madonna” 2:16). While this episode specifically condemns this double standard, future episodes seemingly forget about Sue’s unfair treatment and continue to depict her simply as a “mad woman”. Another moment showcasing liberal feminism is in a scene with Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron). Quinn tells Mr. Schuester “Women still earn 70 cents to every dollar that a man does for doing the same job. That attitude starts in high school” (“The Power of Madonna” 4:55). This line emphasizes the economic inequality women face, in addition to how misogyny is ingrained into people from a young age.

Although the episode succeeds in its discussions of economic, political, and social inequities, its discussion of feminism is extremely white-centric. Sue Sylvester, a white woman, is the primary story the audience sees regarding misogyny. Characters of color, such as Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz), Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), and Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley) are lumped together with the white characters in its conversation of feminism, disregarding the distinct oppression women of color experience. Not only is the interconnectedness of racism and misogyny ignored, but explicit racism persists in the episode. The character of Mercedes is a black woman who endures racist scrutiny at the hands of Sue Sylvester, the same woman who advocates for women's empowerment. Sue makes countless offensive remarks towards Mercedes, such as when she refers to her as “Whoopi” or a “brassy hag”. These insults are not the only examples showcasing Glee’s poor racial representation. Mercedes, one of the show’s few black characters, is largely vocally absent for much of the show’s earlier performances. Mercedes even calls this out, stating, “And ya’ll just trot me out at the end of every number so I can wail on the last note” (“The Power of Madonna” 34:25). While this line demonstrates self-awareness in the show’s treatment of Mercedes, this issue continues throughout the show. In addition to Glee’s version of feminism being white-centric, it is also very cisgender. This episode sees misogyny as a binary issue between two genders: men and women. There is no conversation concerning the difficulties non-binary or a-gender people experience. Moreover, Glee never ends up having a prominent non-binary or a-gender character as all characters are assumed to be cisgender.  

Fortunately, “The Power of Madonna” has a positive and complex understanding of sexuality. At the beginning of the episode, Sue Sylvester discredits guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) for not being “sexual enough”. She states, “You don’t deserve the power of Madonna. Simply put, you have all the sensuality of one of those pandas down at the zoo who refuse to mate” (“The Power of Madonna” 13:57). As the episode progresses, it becomes more evident how Sue’s words are harmful. When Ms. Pillsbury feels shamed into embracing her sexuality, she believes she must have sex, which she confides in Mr. Schuester. She says to him, “I need to take control of myself and my body” (“The Power of Madonna” 22:47). However, by the end of the episode, Ms. Pillsbury realizes she does not want to sleep with Mr. Schuester, and she only wants to so she can fulfill Sue’s expectations of what sensuality looks like. This episode shows the adverse effects of forcing all women to be sexually empowering. Not every woman wants to be sensual, and enforcing these expectations onto women, thereby limiting their choice in sexual expression, is not empowering or feminist. Moreover, pushing the narrative that you must have sex to have bodily autonomy is also damaging. The show acknowledges this when Mr. Schuester tells Ms. Pillsbury “You took ownership of your body on Friday when you told yourself you weren’t ready” (“The Power of Madonna” 32:49). Glee explains to its audience that choosing to either engage or disengage in sexual activity is equally empowering, and bodily autonomy is achieved in both instances.

"Theatricality" - Sydney Ruiz

"Theatricality" is the 20th episode of Glee. Throughout this episode, viewers are introduced to the diverse ensemble cast, which features notable characters like Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry, and others, each bringing their own personalities and skills to the stage. This episode explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the challenges faced by the characters in expressing themselves within their sexuality, gender, and race both on and off the stage. The representation throughout Glee is notable for its diversity and encompassing characters of various ethnic backgrounds and LGTBQ+ identities. The show attempts to depict a range of experiences and challenges faced by individuals from different racial backgrounds within the context of high school life. Gender representation in "Theatricality" is multifaceted, with characters challenging traditional gender norms. Kurt Hummel, for instance, struggles with his relationship with his father, who feels uncomfortable with Kurt's flamboyant personality and choice of clothing. In an attempt to connect with his father, Kurt decides to redecorate their house to make it more masculine. These approaches to sexuality show how Glee relies on taking a comedic effect on certain stereotypes, but it also actively works to defy these stereotypes. Characters like Kurt challenge preconceived notions about gender and sexuality, contributing to a more nuanced portrayal of identity. Sexuality is another significant theme throughout "Theatricality," with characters exploring their sexual orientations and relationships. There is a scene where Finn Hudson uses a homophobic slur against Kurt Hummel. Finn discovers an intimacy aid in Kurt's dad's room, mistakenly thinking it's a prop for a role Kurt is preparing. In frustration and confusion, Finn uses the derogatory term to insult Kurt. This moment is significant in the episode as it addresses issues of homophobia and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ characters in a high school setting. Glee often incorporates contemporary political issues or private matters with political implications into its narrative. The characters' personal struggles with identity, acceptance, and societal expectations contribute to broader conversations about tolerance and diversity, making the show a reflection of the evolving cultural landscape.

"Saturday Night Glee-ver" - Alexa Thompson

Towards the end of its third season, “Saturday Night Glee-ver” introduces what becomes a major character in their later seasons, Unique Wade Adams. While Mr. Schuester works to stir up some inspiration amongst the lost seniors of the Glee club, Unique—who’s first introduced as Wade—seeks advice from Mercedes Jones and Kurt Hummel on if she should wear a dress and perform as a woman during her show choir competition. At this time, Unique goes by Wade and presents as a male, while regarding her true identity as an “alter ego”, saying she resorts back to Unique as a game to comfort herself, ("Saturday Night Glee-ver" 5:56). At first, Kurt and Mercedes advise Unique against performing as a woman, as they all live in a conservative area of Ohio. But when Coach Sue Sylvester hears of this, she demands the two convince Unique to go through with her idea, as Sue is convinced it will ruin Vocal Adrenaline’s chance at the competition, thus securing New Directions for a regionals win. When Mercedes and Kurt try sneaking away to stop Sue’s attempted sabotage and prevent Unique from performing, she goes against their warnings and performs in a dress, wig and heels anyway, claiming her identity as a woman.

While there is not much commentary on race in this episode, Glee was especially diverse for its time, and the casting shines through with characters like Unique, who is a black transgender woman. Transgender people are grossly underrepresented in media, especially transgender people of color, so the introduction of Unique was an especially profound one for the show. Gender and sexuality are often spoken about hand in hand in this show, with many characters making jokes about femininity in men directly correlating to homosexuality. But topics of gender identity hadn’t been so heavily shown until this episode, in which Unique differs herself from the show’s cisgender cast. Sexuality, however, is a topic frequently shown since the beginning of Glee. Kurt Hummel was not the first gay character shown on screen, but his character was certainly a breakthrough in modern television. Unique was the same, being the first transgender character on what was such an iconic and large-scale show. It is quite possible that much of the audience hadn’t been introduced to transgender characters in the media, and if they had, then Unique still might have been the first to ever be humanized instead of turned into a villain or the butt of a joke.

Unique eventually becomes a major part of the show in the 4th and 5th season, after transferring to McKinley High and adopting her alter ego. Many have criticized the fact that her character has evidence of being tokenized, as she is the only transgender character up until the last season. And many could also say that her ultra-femininity and rambunctiousness were stereotypical, while others argue that that is the whole point of Glee, to depict an ensemble of stereotypes. While Glee’s depiction of her could definitely have been improved, Unique was full fledged with motivations and goals and troubles outside of her gender identity. She was enormously talented and given the spotlight for many iconic moments in the show. Unique Adams was a breakthrough in transgender representation, and “Saturday Night Glee-ver” was only the start for this beautiful, gifted character.

La Monnaie Numérique

La Monnaie Numérique : C'est similaire aux monnaies traditionnelles ! Vous pouvez les acheter, les vendre, les échanger, les utiliser pour des paiements en ligne, dans les magasins physiques, et même les retirer en espèces aux distributeurs automatiques. La différence réside dans le fait que ces opérations s'effectuent à travers des autoroutes numériques, notamment les blockchains (plus de 1 000, dont seulement une centaine est rentable). Les Super Blockchains utilisent une technologie SMART CHAIN, avec 20 d'entre elles figurant dans le top 5 des BXN en janvier 2023. Stefan Huber lance sa SMARTCHAIN, plus puissante, plus rapide (6 millions de transactions par minute) et aussi moins coûteuse (voir comparatif des frais ci-dessous).

En 2022, Blackfort a introduit sa monnaie numérique utilitaire, le BXN (non spéculatif). Le BXN (Proof of Stake and Authority) sert à régler les frais de transactions dans notre écosystème décentralisé 3.0 (davantage de détails à suivre). Profitez de notre offre de pré-lancement pour devenir copropriétaire à vie de notre Smart Chain et générer des BXN avec un contrat de 10 ans.

Pour les experts, notre SMARTCHAIN est listée sur Coinmarketcap et Chainlist.org, et vous pouvez explorer notre blockchain sur explorer.blackfort.network. Elle a également reçu une certification de sécurité de haut niveau par CERTIK.

L'écosystème multivers de BLACKFORT est comparable à une fusion entre Ethereum, Binance et Revolut, avec plus de 11 entreprises opérationnelles en seulement deux ans.

[ad_1] SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Trainer Jena Antonucci heard all the skeptics of Arcangelo and how the two-and-half month layoff between starts would effect the 3-year-old thoroughbred in Saturday’s 154th running of the Travers Stakes. She elected to tune them out, and let her horse do the talking. And Arcangelo delivered, backing up his win in the Belmont Stakes in June with a decisive victory in Saratoga Race Courses’ mid-summer derby. “Thanks to the naysayers for motivating me a little bit more; not that we need a little bit more motivation,” said Antonucci. “But we will stay focused on what works for this horse.” The $1.25 million, grade one race for three-year-olds offered a star-studded seven-horse field – perhaps the deepest pool of talent the race has seen in years. Arcangelo was one of three Triple Crown race winners in the lineup, including Kentucky Derby winner Mage, and Preakness victor National Treasure. But none of those three horses were favorited Saturday. The leader atop the odds board was trainer Todd Pletcher’s Forte in the first post position, who won the Jim Dandy Stakes earlier in the meet. He closed at 8-5 odds, and was followed closely by Arcangelo at 5-2, who occupied the two-post. The field raced five-wide into the home stretch. But with a furlong-and-a-half to go, Arcangelo found a second gear that slingshot him into a convincing, three-length lead by the 1/8th pole. The three-horse and seven-horse both dropped back, leaving the six, Disarm, as the only horse within striking distance of the two. Disarm fought hard on the inside, but the gap was too much to overcome. Jockey Javier Castellano guided Arcangelo on a brilliant trip to victory for Antonucci, who, after becoming the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race, was just the second female trainer to reach the winner’s circle in the Travers. “The significance of accomplishing anything in any gender at the top of any sport, or industry, is a gift,” said Antonucci. “It doesn’t come without the team, and without every single person on our team. So, the significance of this – it’s hard to put completely into words right now.” Castellano continues to own the Travers. Saturday’s win marked his record-extending seventh victory in the mid-summer derby. “Seven wins means a lot to me,” said Castellano. “A lot of people gave me help to get it done. It’s hard. That’s why I like to enjoy those beautiful moments when you win those types of races (with) those beautiful horses. I’m really appreciative and thankful for that.” Disarm finished in second place and the three-horse, Tapit Trice, managed to hang on for the show. The Travers was just one of five grade one stakes races on the card; the first coming in race seven with the Forego Stakes. The underlying theme of the Forego was one of redemption. The two favorites of the five-horse field, Elite Power (3-5) and Gunite (6-5), finished first and second, respectively, in the grade one Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap earlier in the meet. The two horses linked up around the 1/8th pole and battled to the finish line, but Gunite was able to fend off Elite Power – flying down the final furlong to earn a grade one victory for trainer Steve Asmussen. “Gunite’s just a very special horse,” said Asmussen. “To race at the level he has for as long as he has consistently…very tough to (be) beat in the Vanderbilt, but for him to not blink an eye, come back and lay it down again today just proves what a special horse he actually is.” Asmussen’s day didn’t end there. His 4-year-old filly Echo Zulu entered the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap in race 10 a heavy favorite at 3-5. Following a victory in the grade two Honorable Miss Handicap on July 26, Echo Zulu looked just as sharp in the Ballerina. She picked up the lead on the backstretch and never looked back. Trainer Chad Brown’s Goodnight Olive, out of the seven-post, threatened with a late push, but Echo Zulu still managed a two-and-half-length victory for Asmussen – his second grade one win of the day. The Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes served as the precursor to the Travers in race 11, and boasted a $750,000 purse. The six-horse field was perhaps the most wide-open of the five grade one’s, as no horse maintained better than 2-1 odds going in. Two horses were tied atop the odds boards at the outset: the one, Soldier Rising, and the seven, Stone Age. Around the final turn, Stone Age was running stride-for-stride with Ireland-bred five-year-old Bolshoi Ballet, who, winless in his previous nine starts, was going off at 5-1. Bolshoi Ballet, trained by Aidan O’Brien, had impressed before as a three-year-old winner of the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes in 2021, and he found his stride again in his return to the States Saturday. He blew right by Stone Age around the 1/16th pole, and strolled to a victory of four-and-a-half lenghs. “When he kept pulling away, it was unbelievable to see,” said Charlie O’Connor, director of sales for Coolmore America, which represents Bolshoi Ballet’s owners. “Another great group one winner for Galileo. And Aidan O’Brien had this race pinpointed for him (Bolshoi Ballet), and how right he (O’Brien) was again. It’s always an away game for us coming over here; this horse is shipped all over the world. He’s just one hell of a race horse.” Amid the stretch of grade one’s was the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in race nine, which, unfortunately, resulted in tragedy. New York Thunder was leading down the home stretch when he collapsed to the track in a situation eerily similar to that of Maple Leaf Mel in the Test Stakes on Whitney Day three weeks ago. The New York Racing Association confirmed with NEWS10 Sports New York Thunder’s injury was catastrophic, and the three-year-old colt was humanely euthanized on the track. NYRA’s full statement regarding the incident can be found below: Update on New York Thunder (Race 9 on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course) New York Thunder (#6) sustained a catastrophic injury to his left front leg in the stretch run of Race 9 on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course . Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the horse was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. New York Thunder was trained by Jorge Delgado and ridden by Tyler Gafflione, who was uninjured. Seven horses have sustained catastrophic injuries during racing at the 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opened on July 13 and has featured 2,461 horses starting in 324 races. One horse (Burning Bright) died suddenly during the running of a race due to a major cardiovascular event. NYRA Statement regarding the 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course “The safety of horses and jockeys competing at Saratoga Race Course is paramount,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O’Rourke. “NYRA is continuing to investigate these catastrophic injuries with HISA officials, the New York State Gaming Commission, and the New York State Equine Medical Director. We will immediately consult with HISA’s Track Surface Advisory Group to further examine the overall condition of all three racing surfaces at Saratoga prior to Sunday’s program. In addition, NYRA will convene a group of relevant outside experts to evaluate our current safety protocols and procedures. While NYRA has made meaningful and sustained progress reducing the frequency of serious injuries over the last ten years, there is always more work to be done to build upon that progress now and in the future.” [ad_2]

Discover the majesty of the Travers Stakes, Saratoga's legendary 'Midsummer Derby' where speed and stamina collide in a captivating horse race. Experience the rich traditions, culinary delights, and vibrant atmosphere that make Saratoga Springs an extraordinary destination. Get ready for this year's Travers Stakes as Forte, a force to be reckoned with, prepares to leave his mark on the racecourse. Embrace the past, savor the present, and look forward to a promising future in Saratoga Springs. https://joespicks.com/2023/08/23/the-majesty-of-the-travers-stakes-saratogas-midsummer-derby-2023/?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Joes