$68,000 The Hard Way

[Marat]

Always A Player, a 10-year-old gelding, runs Thursday for the 72nd time, at Solano in the 9th race.

His record shows 8 thirds, 14 seconds and 19 (nineteen!) wins. Total earnings? $68,334.

Even this old curmudgeon might get p*ssed off if Always A Player ever gets sent to the killers. (Not that I'll ever know; doesn't have quite the cachet of Ferdinand.)

Also entered in this race is Red Seattle, a 13-year-old with 27 (twenty-seven!) wins, 15 seconds and 19 thirds for total lifetime earnings of $141,579. I hope he lives out his days as a lawn ornament, as well.

[White Hat]

Both are Ferndale specialists, maybe a prep in this one.