It’s that time of year…the Derby preps have begun, the first Derby future pool has closed…and the Road to the Roses fantasy league has kicked off its 2012 season.
I’ve chosen my fantasy stable (feel free to look at it so that you’ll know which horses to avoid), and the Brooklyn Backstretch Charity League is set to go for year #5.
As in past years, the winner of our league will have a donation made in his or her name to the racing charity of his or her choice. Past recipients include the Belmont Child Care Association, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, Days End Farm Horse Rescue, ReRun, All About Spay Neuter, and Old Friends at Cabin Creek.
I pledge $75; in past years, league members have voluntarily contributed, and last year, our donation totaled $600. In the four years of our league’s existence, we’ve donated nearly $2,000 to racing-related charities.
You don’t need to contribute to win…just join! Standings will be posted here regularly, and the races begin next Saturday, February 25, with the Risen Star at Fair Grounds, giving you a little more than a week to get your stable in order. The only rule is that you don’t get to make fun of me (publicly, anyway) for my picks.
Oh, yeah, one other rule: one stable per person, please.
My guiding principles in choosing my stable this year are not so different from previous years: A cat horse is obligatory (made rather difficult this year by the temporary Ramsey moratorium on Kitten-naming – I’ll certainly be glad when that comes to an end); I don’t pick horses with terrible or misspelled names, or onesthatrunalltogether; a hockey horse would be nice.
So get your stable set up and start collecting points—you can join our league with this information:
League Name: Brooklyn Backstretch
League Identifier: 1513977600
Activation Code: 2496062994
And if you’re interested in contributing to the donation, please e-mail me, leave a comment, or contact me through Facebook (message or at the Brooklyn Backstretch page) or Twitter. And while you’re at it, follow on Twitter and “like” on Facebook!
If you’d like a little help as you put your stable together, check out the lists at Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Times, and the Louisville Courier Journal.
I will be joining! This is always fun and a great way to raise money. I’ll pledge $30 this year. Now to pick horses…..
I will not only be joining but will post a link on my blog to try and get more donations. In addition I will pledge $50 for the prize pool.
Todd
I’ll join again this year and pledge $30. I’ll set my stable up sometime next week, not that it will make any difference, lol!
Welcome back! And thanks for pledging. I feel the same way about my stable.
Todd and Linda — thank you! And Todd, thanks for the link. I am humbled and amazed by the money pouring in. Some lucky winner is going to have a hefty donation to make –
I’m in Teresa. I pledge the same amount that I did last year. Good Luck to All with your selections!
By the way Teresa, there will be what I believe will be a terrific new book about understanding horses and their psychology written by Kerry Thomas and Calvin Carter. It’s at the publisher right now but, will be out before the Kentucky Derby. I already pre-ordered based on the piece of the chapter that I read. Those familiar with Thomas know that he has keen insight into equines and is consider a horse whisperer. In case anyone in interested, the Trafalgar Square Books telephone number is 800 423 – 4525 to place an order.
http://www.horseandriderbooks.com/pdfs/Horse%20Profiling%20Web%20exc.pdf
Im in for $30 this year!
Thanks, August and Ted! Our donation is now up to $415, with some unspecified pledges.
I’m in. Message me on how to pledge to the cause.
Teresa,
Put me in for $25. I will join up before the end of the week. Just let me know where to send the check.
Good luck with the “no-meat” Lent thing. Still figuring out what to do this year.
I’m in for $100 this year. And if I win, I’ll 2x that pledge. Of course you know my history here, which is terrible, and this year looks no different given the way Junebugred ran in the Southwest this past weekend. But how can you not love that name, Junebugred. Maybe our NY based Alpha bails me out, we’ll see.
Scott, that is amazingly generous…good luck! I’ll have serious reason to root for you this year!