Ma's Meatballs (Turfway Park)

[Glimmerglass]

I’ve seen a fair amount of races, but never the escape by Ma’s Meatballs at Turway Park in the 3rd race. $15,000 maiden claiming at 1 1/16 miles.

At the break, he was in Post Position 1, he walks out and bends immediately to the left where there is enough gap between the rail and the portable gate. He was outta here Sneaky move for a horse that had no interest in running.

The replay is not up yet but typically Turfway races are on the calracing.com/replays.php site

(Do the race search not by Ma’s Meatballs as he failed to finish and the effort would not be found. So look under the winner: Accreditation )

[Barnfairy]

Can you blame him, with a name like that?! He’s a Cryptoclearance; could no one come up with a moniker less demoralizing than Ma’s Meatballs?

Chart comment: “wheeled”. I’m guessing he scraped off the jock in the process? 'Will look for this on calracing.

Ma’s Meatballs. Sheesh. :rolleyes:

[caffeinated]

but… but… there’s NOTHING better than Ma’s Meatballs!

Except maybe Grandma’s Meatballs, which are like little round pieces of heaven.

Can’t wait to read the story and see video… drf is blocked from work :sadsmile:

[Glimmerglass]

Oh come now Barnfairy as a New Englander you should think the name is fitting for today - as isn’t Wednesday “Prince Spaghetti Day”

I still recall that ad as a kid!

As for the jockey, he held on just fine with the quick U turn.

[Barnfairy]

Now that makes my inner instructor want to say “Right rein. RIGHT REIN! STICK LEFT SHOULDER!” to the jock. 'Must see this replay.

Sigh…Oh yes, I vividly recall our class field trip to the Prince spaghetti factory and restaurant. Fifty or so fourth graders yelling “ANTHONYYYYYYYYY!!!” must have been really fun for the waitstaff. Day after day.

[texang73]

I really need to see this race replay!

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Barnfairy;2925818]
Sigh…Oh yes, I vividly recall our class field trip to the Prince spaghetti factory and restaurant. Fifty or so fourth graders yelling “ANTHONYYYYYYYYY!!!” must have been really fun for the waitstaff. Day after day.[/QUOTE]

Ah, it must have been a bit trying for that staff, but alas it is gone now. July 1997 marked the sale (and closure) of the Prince facility in Lowell, MA. Senator Ted Kennedy remarked that it was “a sad day in Spaghettiville”. I only wish I could find a clip of him saying that The founding family cashed out for $164 million - now that’s a spicy meatball!

Still no luck in getting the race replay on the Calracing.com site. Maybe they aren’t carrying replay’s of Turfway in 2008? I tried another runner in the field, Deckmate, and no luck there either.

[Barnfairy]

It was a sad day indeed.

'Love calracing.com for the free race replays.

I looked up another horse for a race held 1/3/08 at Turfway, and that replay was up so I think we’ll just have to be patient.

In the meantime, to see a tiny bit of fun racehorse behavior, take a look at Ruthless Rebecca, 1/3/08 in the second at Tampa Bay. (The three horse gets pulled up about halfway through but that’s not what I’m referring to.) It happens at the finish. Don’t blink!

BTW, the winning jock in that race, Tammi Piermarini, finished up as the leading jockey last season at Suffolk Downs with 100 wins, 79 2nds, & 86 3rds from 584 starts, earnings $1,101,292. Go Tammi!

[Alibhai_s_Alibar]

[QUOTE=Barnfairy;2925206]
Can you blame him, with a name like that?! He’s a Cryptoclearance; could no one come up with a moniker less demoralizing than Ma’s Meatballs?

Chart comment: “wheeled”. I’m guessing he scraped off the jock in the process? 'Will look for this on calracing.

Ma’s Meatballs. Sheesh. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Exit Stage Left!!! It seems like I’ve heard about an unusually high number of Cryptoclearances having gate issues.

[tecumsea]

I did the search and does not seem to be on the site anymore. Anyone got the utube link???

[Barnfairy]

The race replay is up at calracing. (I searched by the name Accreditation as Glimmer suggested. 1/09/08)

Wow! Naughty naughty bad pony!

I was reminded to look for it as I was watching a video linked on the Blood-Horse about track vet Jeff Blea (an inspiring story in itself worth watching). About 1/4 way into that story is a clip of a race in which a horse does the exact same thing as Ma’s Meatballs, but lightning fast and sans jock.

[Glimmerglass]

If you watch the ‘Head-On’ shot for the race you can clearly see it was his plan the whole time

Mike Battaglia is dumbfounded having to call the start.

[Barnfairy]

@Glimmerglass;2969639

Mike Battaglia is dumbfounded having to call the start.

Totally!

[Glimmerglass]

I googled his name and didn’t know it but the DRF later had a blurb on the incident when they profiled his jockey:

Daily Racing Form 1-11-08 “McKee stays in bid to retain momentum”

John McKee considered spending another winter at Oaklawn Park or maybe even Gulfstream Park, but in December, the 26-year-old jockey made a U-turn - just like one of his recent mounts.

[b]Ma’s Meatballs, his mount in the third race Wednesday at Turfway Park, “did the strangest thing I’ve ever had happen to me” as a rider, McKee said. After coming out of post 1 in a two-turn race, the 4-year-old maiden took two tentative steps, then wheeled 180 degrees to his left and jogged straight through the narrow opening between the starting gate and the inner rail, winding up behind the gate.

“He just made this left-hand turn and acted like he knew what he was doing all along,” McKee said.[/b]

For McKee, the sudden turnaround is somewhat symbolic of the course he plotted for himself this winter. … article continues on John’s career - link at top…

[luvmytbs]

I think he wants to be a trail horse, LOL.

What a smart, smart cookie.

[system]

Note to self, no crypotclerances, my boyfriend, who happens to be my trainer, would go crazy! He tells me that I have a knack for finding the ‘crazy’ ones!

[Beezer]

I’m so glad I finally saw the replay! The certainly seemed like a well-planned and -executed about face. And I loved, too, how flummoxed Battaglia sounded.

[Glimmerglass]

To his credit if you watch his maiden start (11/28/07) also at Turfway and available on www.calracing.com Ma’s Meatballs as part of a 12 horse field actually runs extremely well and closes very swiftly for 2nd. Something must’ve made him care little in between that time for the racing life.

[miss_critic]

What am I missing? I clicked on the date and “No Track Information Available.” I did a search by Track, same thing, and I did a search by the name.

Is it a seperage login?

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=miss_critic;2975790]
What am I missing?[/QUOTE]

You’d have to search only by horse name if you’re looking for a non-California track.

Go to:

http://calracing.com/replays.php

Login

Click on the tab that reads HORSE

Populate his name (just as its shown below):

Ma’s Meatballs

Then click with your curser on SEARCH

The horse’s name in a grey rectangular button will show up, click on it

You should see <RACE 3 TP 1/9/2008> which is the race in question, click on RACE 3

(I just punched the above in and it worked fine)