As a hardcore race fan who knows the ins and outs of the game, I was impressed with the treatment versus last year. The flip side of that, of course, is that someone with a more novice knowledge of the game could feel lost, and that's what happened to my wife.
The plight of Kristin Mulhall trying to sneak her homebred maiden through a claiming race was somewhat insider baseball. I related to it and enjoyed the drama the producers created from it, but my wife was somewhat lost trying to follow that particular story line: the secret workouts, why'd they sell the horse, and the difference in class between races in which horses are for sale versus those who aren't.
For those interested, Bullybullybully has run twice since his debut win, running second and fourth at Hollywood Park. The gelding by Speed Jaro (Fr) has not raced since July 11.
The producers also struck a chord by casting Corey Nakatani as the bad boy, a reality archetype if there ever was one. The riding infraction the stewards called him in for looked very minor to me, but my wife was flipping out about why a rider would endanger his brethren like that.
Iggy Puglisi looks like he'll be a great addition to the cast—the veteran journeyman who does OK but never really "made it."
Judging by the previews, it looks as if the Derby-related episodes will be the most interesting, and the season premiere didn't really talk much Derby, so that gives me some optimism for the rest of the season.
3 soothsayers: