Vote in Pick 4 contest

During the last Fair Grounds meet I moderated a Pick 4 contest. In order to encourage interest in the contest, contest participants "won" if their Pick 4 sequence included a winning Pick 3 ticket. Some of last year's participants want to make this year's contest a pure Pick 4 contest, while others want to keep the Pick 3 consolation. So I have left it up to the contestants to decide. Go to http://www.nola.com/forums/startinggate/ to cast your vote before noon on Wednesday.

Pago Hop and Thanksgiving Hcp nominations have been posted

Graham Motion and Billy Mott both have two nominated to the Pago Hop. Asmussen has a new runner, New Edition, nominated to the Pago Hop. New Edition ran second in the Virginia Oaks and Lake Placid for Larry Jones this year.

Update on trainers

The Racing Form reports that apprentice Aldo Arboleda, whose agent is Randy Romero, will be riding first call for Richard Dutrow at Fair Grounds this year. Bobby Frankel will also be using the young rider.

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching

Just 15 days until the gate opens for the first race of the 2007-2008 Fair Grounds meet. About this time every year I start wondering about which prominent trainers other than the usual suspects are going to winter at Fair Grounds. I know that many trainers had reservations about coming to New Orleans last year because of housing and worker issues, but hopefully many of those problems have been sorted out.

Stakes nominations for the Thanksgiving Handicap and Pago Hop close on November 10. Those nominations will give a clearer picture about which new faces may be on the backstretch.