Ostrich racing is all fun and games, until the jockey gets trampled. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Honest.

As with all ostrich races, it's all fun and games until someone, usually a jockey, gets run over by its own ostrich.

Here's an ostrich race from three weeks ago at Colonial Park in Virginia. And by the way, the ostrich is one fast animal. Ostriches can run as fast 43 miles per hour. But with a 115-pound jockey aboard, they may be a bit slower. Ostriches weight between 140-320 pounds with a life span of 40-45 years. And at 43 MPH, that makes them as fast as horses.

And if you want to watch it all in Super Slo-Mo, checkout the video blow.

For more horse racing news, go to Furlong News.

Steve Haskin, Steve Byk and Lenny Shulman breakdown the 2013 Belmont Stakes

Steve Haskin, Steve Byk and Lenny Shulman cover a lot of ground in this Bloodhorse video, but one of the more interesting topics is discussion about the filly, Unlimited Budget, owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher.

Haskin gives the filly a shot in the 2013 Belmont Stakes. Byk? Not so much.

Haskin said he does not see Unlimited Budget (8-1) as a "gimmick" in the race. Byk is another story.

"Nothing about her says, 'I have to have this horse involved (in the race),' " Byk said.

And both Byk and Haskin realize the filly, with jockey Rosie Napravnik aboard, will be over-bet. Or as Haskin says, "Totally over-bet. But she is a contender."

Byk said he just feels there are too many "crazy prices" involving the 14 horses in the race to consider the filly whose odds are already 8-1 and may drop because the popular Napravnik is riding.

And this is just in the first few minutes of the video. They also interview Golden Soul trainer Dallas Stewart. Love how Bloodhorse's Lenny Shulman asks Stewart: "Okay, honestly, were you shocked to finish second in the Derby?"

Haskin, Byk and Shulman wrap it up by making their Belmont picks. Not going to spoil it, but there is mention of Orb, Palace Malice and Incognito.

Here's the Belmont Stakes field:

1. Frac Daddy (30/1)

2. Freedom Child (8/1)

3. Overanalyze (12/1)

4. Giant Finish (30/1)

5. Orb (3/1)

6. Icognito (20/1)

7. Oxbow (5/1)

8. Midnight Taboo (30/1)

9. Revolutionary (9/2)

10. Will Take Charge (20/1)

11. Vyjack (20/1)

12. Palace Malice (15/1)

13. Unlimited Budget (8/1)

14. Golden Soul (10/1)

Good luck with that: Kentucky Derby winner Orb draws inside post position in 2013 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico

Kentucky Derby winner Orb drew the No. 1 position for this year's Preakness. The last to win the Preakness from the No. 1 spot was Tabasco Cat in 1994 (VIDEO). The Preakness winner has come from the No. 1 spot just once in the past 52 years. Listed below is the Preakness field and odds. Also below, Bloodhorse.com's Steve Haskin breaks down the 2013 Preakness Stakes for us in less than three minutes.

Trivia question: Who won the 1960 Preakness Stakes on the rail? (Answer below video.)

PP, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Odds

1. Orb, Shug McGaughey, Joel Rosario, 1-1

2. Goldencents, Doug O’Neill, Kevin Krigger, 8-1

3. Titletown Five, D. Wayne Lukas, Julien Leparoux, 30-1

4. Departing, Al Stall Jr., Brian Hernandez Jr., 6-1

5. Mylute, Tom Amoss, Rosie Napravnik, 5-1

6. Oxbow, D. Wayne Lukas, Gary Stevens, 15-1

7. Will Take Charge, D. Wayne Lukas, Mike Smith, 12-1

8. Govenor Charlie, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, 12-1

9. Itsmyluckyday, Eddie Plesa Jr., John Velazquez, 10-1

Answer to trivia question: Bally Ache won the 1960 Preakness Stakes from the rail position. Bally Ache won the Preakness by four lengths. Bally Ache was entered in the Belmont, but withdrew before the start. Bally Ache died in October of 1960 following an intestinal ailment. Bally Ache was second in the 1960 Kentucky Derby, behind Venetian Way. Bally Ache won the 1960 Florida Derby. Say, didn't Orb, who's sits in the same rail spot as Bally Ache, win the Florida Derby? Hmmm.

Interview with Katie Gensler after recently joining Keeneland

Katie Mikolay Gensler joined Keeneland recently. She will provide commentary in the paddock area. Gensler will join handicapper Mike Battaglia. The interview comes via Bloodhorse.com.

Paul Harvey's "So God Made A Farmer" commercial: Best of Super Bowl 2013

Chrysler Group LLC called its Super Bowl XLVII commercial "Farmer." According to The Wall Street Journal, the truck maker "commissioned 10 photographers including William Albert Allard of National Geographic and documentary photographer Kurt Markus to create the images that form the commercial’s backdrop." The Wall Street Journal reported that Chrysler worked with the Richards Group of Dallas, Texas, to create the Super Bowl commercial.

There will be much debate on the commercial, but it was easily one of the best ads for the 2013 Super Bowl. If not the best.

Here's the transcript for the ad.

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,'Maybe next year,' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours." So God made the farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark."

It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk, . Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. So God made a farmer.

And now the outtakes from Jockey Style — the Gangnam Style imitation

First there was the "Jockey Style" video that was viewed over 600,000 times. Then there were the interviews. It was filmed by Luke Harvey. The song was written and sung by Kevin Tobin. The jockeys are: David Crosse, Gerard Tumelty, Sam Jones and Charlie Huxley. They go "Jockey Style."

And now we may be nearing the end. Here are the outtakes.



Here's the video — one last time.

San Pablo enters Aqueduct's $75,000 Queens County as heavy favorite on Saturday

San Pablo enters Saturday's $75,000 Queens County at Aqueduct as the 3-5 favorite. The race is a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. San Pablo is 3-2-0 at Aqueduct. The last time San Pablo raced at Aqueduct was in March in the Excelsior Stakes (Grade 3), finishing second behind Marilyn's Guy in the six-horse field. San Pablo's last race was Nov. 21 in the Swatara Stakes at Penn National, where the four-year-old placed first, beating Norman Asbjornson in the four-horse field. Also in that race was Isn't He Perfect, who enters the Queens County at 5-1. Isn't He Perfect ran in the 2011 Preakness (9th) and Belmont (12th).

The second favorite is Gallant Fields (4-1). Gallant Fields has just one first-place finish in the past 12 races. In his last race, the Bold Ruler Handicap (Grade 3) at Belmont Park, Gallant Fields (ridden by Joel Rosario) finished sixth, a length ahead of heavy favorite, Caixa Eletronica.

The 2011 Queens County winner was Ron The Greek, beating Inherit The Gold.

PP Horse, Jockey, Weight,Trainer, Odds
1 Indy Scent, A. Smith, 117, L Gyarmati                  15-1
2 Arch Traveler, E. Castro, 117, J A Jerkens             12-1
3 Tonto Fontenot, J. Navarro, 117, D Kobiskie          6-1
4 Gallant Fields, J. Alvarado, 117, R E Dutrow, Jr.      4-1
5 San Pablo, C. P. DeCarlo, 123, T A Pletcher          3-5
6 Isn't He Perfect, M. J. Luzzi, 117, D Shivmangal       5-1

Jockey Style revisited ... for better or worse. Kevin Tobin admits he wrote Jockey Style — a Gangnam Style imitation

Former English jockey Kevin Tobin admitted he was the wordsmith behind "Jockey Style," the semi-popular musical hit in the horse racing industry. (The definition of "semi-popular hit" can be debated by future generations, but it has nearly 600,000 views on YouTube.)

So what follows is horse racing's version of VH-1's semi-popular hit Behind The Music. The 90-second Gangnam Style imitation leads the video below, followed by an interview with Tobin, where he admits to writing the song. "I want to say I put a little bit of an effort into this, so I'd say it was upwards of 10 to 12 minutes," he joked. Tobin does credit fellow former jockey Luke Harvey for producing the video.

During the phone interview, Tobin, who currently resides in Baltimore, is goaded into singing the song with no musical accompaniment. And then, after about 10 seconds of a capella singing, he is told by the host: "Shut up. I can't stand anymore."

If you wish to just watch the "Jockey Style" music video, click here. Otherwise, watch video below, which leads with the 90-second music video, followed by the interview with Tobin.



OTHER INTERESTING NEWS:

Oh, Dear: Three deer hold up racing at the Meadows Racecourse. Announcers yuk it up: "And it's Bambi in the lead, with Rudolph making a move."

Jockeys go Gangnam Style, er, Jockey Style. Unfortunately these horse racing jockeys are singing, too.

Obama tweeting like the rest of us. "My Tweet has been posted. That's what I'm talking about."

Here's a short video of President Barack Obama tweeting on Twitter like the rest of us.

He types up one tweet. Clicks. Then says: "My Tweet has been posted. That's what I'm talking about."

Never got a chance to ask him who he likes in the fifth at Aqueduct. Oh well.

Oh, Dear: Three deer hold up racing at the Meadows Racecourse. Announcers yuk it up: "And it's Bambi in the lead, with Rudolph making a move."

Three deer broke onto the Meadows Racecourse on Wednesday. Announcers Roger Huston and Jeff Zidek decided to have some fun. "And it's Bambi in the lead, with Rudolph making a move," said Mr Huston. The race was delayed and no one was harm — drivers, horses, deer.

Associated Press: Deer get onto racetrack, announcer plays along

It's out with the old (Rafael Bejarano) and in with the new (Mike Smith) for Game On Dude in the Native Diver

Trainer Bob Baffert gets another chance to hit the re-set button on Game On Dude. After using jockey Rafael Bejarano aboard Game On Dude in the Breeders' Cup Classic (placing a disappointing seventh), Baffert switches to famed jockey Mike Smith. The switch makes one wonder whether the recently retired Chantal Sutherland was the best jockey for Game On Dude afterall.

The Native Diver Handicap is a Grade 3 race for three-year-olds and up. The purse is $250,000. The race is slated for 5:01 p.m. EST, Saturday, December 1, at Betfair Hollywood Park.

With the Native Diver slated as the fourth race, that leaves it out of the Pick Six on the Hollywood 10-race card. Smart move with Dude On Dude as the heavy favorite in just the five-horse field.

PP Horse, A/S, Jockey, weight, Trainer, ML
1 Game On Dude, 5/G, M E Smith, 124, B Baffert 3-5
2 Richard's Kid, 7/H, R Bejarano, 119, D F O'Neill 3-1
3 Make Music for Me, 5/H, T Baze, 117, A Barba 15-1
4 Nonios, 3/C, M A Pedroza, 119, J Hollendorfer 5-1
5 Kettle Corn, 5/H G K Gomez, 119, J W Sadler 5-1

Headlines:
Brisnet: Game on Dude looks tough to catch in Native Diver
DRF: Nonios faces tough task in Native Diver
isportsweb.com: 2012 Native Diver Handicap Preview
Bloodhorse: Game On Dude Draws Rail for Native Diver
TrackSideView: Game On Dude will try again in Native Diver

Here's the 2011 Native Diver Handicap. Spoiler alert: Race won by Kettle Corn.

Sappy, but worth watching people complimenting each other. You probably say, "Ahhhh." You might even tear up.

If you teared up watching commercials, this three-minute video is for you. If friends laugh at you because you cry at the drop of a hat, this three-minute video is for you. If you just wanna cry, this three-minute video is for you.

SoulPancake hit the streets seeking one thing -- compliments. SoulPancake asks people to compliment each other. Nothing complicated. Just a compliment. Here is the result.

Jockey DeShawn Parker returns to horse racing action December 5, 2012, at Tampa Bay Downs.

For those wondering where jockey DeShawn Parker has been, he will return to action Tuesday, December 5, 2012, at Tampa Bay Downs. As many of you know, Parker competes mostly at Mountaineer Park. For 2012, Parker has 1,273 starts (303-223-189). He will ride in four claiming races in his return.

On Tuesday, Parker will ride Robin des Concorde (Race 3), Slam Runner (Race 5), Big Gavel (Race 7) and Alex's Vision (Race 10).

Despite not racing since Nov. 13, Parker is ranked 59th in earnings — $3,751,497. Of those ranked in the top 100, only Ramon A. Dominguez (1,363), Javier Castellano (1,367) and Leandro R. Goncalves (1,329) have more mounts this year. (Stats are as of the morning of Nov. 30.)

Tampa Bay opens Saturday. Tampa Bay is off the next three days before returning to action Wednesday, which is part of its 91-day meet, ending May 5, 2013.

Nonios and Paynter get schooled in the paddock earlier this year. A chance to get them familiar with the paddock.

Nonios and Paynter are schooled in the Monmouth paddock earlier this year during Haskell week at Monmouth.

Christina Jelm, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, explains Nonios' schooling session, while Jim Barnes, assistant to Bob Baffert, shares his thoughts about Paynter's session.

Betting on horse racing online is legal, so gamblers who love Zynga Poker and Angry Birds may have hit Derby Jackpot. The next new thing that may save horse racing?

If horse racing is ever to increase its popularity with the younger crowd, Derby Jackpot may be the way. But as always, we shall see. Derby Jackpot could be horse racing's first real step into social media that could have a true impact. Yes, race tracks, handicappers, trainers, jockeys, owners are on Twitter and Facebook. Yes, there are apps to follow and bet on horse racing. But, now comes the important question: Is Derby Jackpot different?

Again, we shall see.

In describing Derby Jackpot, The Verge reports:

There is no information about the jockey, for example, or the horse's history, or even its age — just the horse’s name and its odds. Bets are as low as $2 and can pay out as much as $2,000. Once the results come in, the site encourages players to tweet their winnings.

Derby Jackpot may have as much to do with horse racing as FarmVille has to do with agriculture, but casual fans are exactly what the horse racing industry needs. Horse racing is going the way of Latin — to put it bluntly, it appeals mostly to old white aristocrats. The average age of a horse racing fan is 51, expected to increase to 57 by 2020, according to a comprehensive industry report released in 2011. And with recent crackdowns on many of the major poker websites, there is a hole in the market for a new breed of online gambling.

The company was founded by brothers Tom, Walter and Bill Hessert, as well as CTO Eric Gay, after a trip to Preakness Stakes. One of Derby Jackpot's advisers is economist and Freakonomics co-auther Steven Levitt.

Here's a video on the topic:

A walking tour of 2012 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita with actor John Ortiz, previously known as Turo Escalante

Here's a walking tour of 2012 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita with actor John Ortiz, previously known as Turo Escalante on HBO's short-lived series Luck. It's in three parts, but, unfortunately, there are only two parts of the tour to be found.

Part I


Part III


And as many know, HBO's Luck had one of the best musical openings — by Splitting Atoms. Only True Blood and Sopranos were better.

La Prevoyante Handicap set at Calder. In 1972, 2-year-old La Prevoyante was the Queen of horse racing while Secretariat was the King

The La Prevoyante Handicap is a $100,000 Grade 3 race for fillies and mares at Calder Race Course at 3:05 p.m., Friday, November 30. The distance is 1 1/2 Mile on turf.

PP   Horse:  Jockey,  Trainer,  ML
1    My Pal Chrisy: Luca Panici, Lutchman Padarath   15-1
2    Ciao Bella: John R. Velazquez, Todd Pletcher   5-2
3    Closing Range: Elvis Trujillo, Philip Oliver  12-1
4    Clarinet: Joe Bravo, Josie Carroll  4-1
5    Centring: Luis Saez, Thomas Albertrani   6-1
6    Peekablue Sue: Luca Panici, William A. Kaplan   20-1
7    Thislilsoulofmine: Paco Lopez, Roger Attfield   8-1
8    Havant (GB): Jose Lezcano, Christophe Clement   9-5


Other La Prevoyante Handicap headlines:
Brisnet: Tropical Turf, La Prevoyante highlight Calder closing day.
DRF: Havant gives Clement good shot at fifth La Prevoyante victory
Sun-Sentinel:Calder ends season with a pair of graded turf stakes
Bloodhorse.com: Ciao Bella Could Make La Prevoyante Impact

The history of La Prevoyante?
A horse by the name of Secretariat was King of the two-year-old males in 1972, but it was La Prevoyante who was Queen of the two-year-olds. In fact, it was Secretariat who nipped La Prevoyante for Eclipse Award's Horse of the Year in 1972. While Secretariat went on to bigger and greater things, La Prevoyante was no slouch.

La Prevoyante won her first 12 races as a two-year-old. In her three-year-old season, she placed second in the Kentucky Oaks to Bag of Tunes. La Prevoyante, who won 25 of her 39 races, was inducted into the United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1995. On December 28, 1974 — the day of her final race in the Miss Florida Handicap at Calder — La Prevoyante collapsed and later died after rupturing her left lung.

Here is the 2011 Handicap. Spoiler alert: Won by Casablanca Smile, who when wire-to-wire.

"You're taking one step at a time, and you are in your zone."

Aerial Video Systems (AVS) supplies a different look (via video) at 2012 Breeders' Cup — including aerials and in-field camera car

Aerial Video Systems (AVS) just posted video of the company's video work at the 2012 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

Here's the YouTube description of this video: A short montage of AVS' involvement in the 2012 Breeder's Cup. AVS provided the wireless HD links, wireless P1 Steadicam camera package, in-field camera car with Cineflex V14-HD, audio, comms, P/L and aerials



Here is other work done by AVS:
AVS Aerial Demo 2011 —  YouTube
Aerial Video System - Providing the Aerials for Deadliest Catch —  YouTube
Other AVS YouTube videos.

Mizdirection owner, guy called Jim Rome, lands sports talk show on Showtime.

Mizdirection owner, Jim Rome (whose filly won the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita), says his new Showtime talk show will be "a more elevated conversation about sports."

Rome's favorite spectator sport? Horse racing? Nah ... hockey.

Here's some free advertising for Rome's new show. The short video is a Q&A.