Social media blows up during post-Belmont Stakes exit fiasco (PHOTOS)

As a crowd reported at 102,199 left the racetrack in Elmont, Long Island en masse after Tonalist ended California Chrome's Triple Crown hopes at the Belmont Stakes, some attendees took to social media to describe what they called a massive traffic jam both in the parking lot and on the rails.

Three hours after tearing up their losing tickets, frustrated railbirds were still in a state of denial as they tried to exit the overcrowded parking lot.

Some said they suffered through delays for hours, using terms like "nightmare" and "gridlock" to describe the exodus.

After not learning a thing from the MetLife Super Bowl transportation fiasco, it seems Belmont and local authorities left fans on their own and banging their iPhones during a nightmare traffic jam and while standing on long lines for nonexistent public transportation.

Even hardened veterans of the Long Island Expressway and LIRR were in a state of exit rage.

So yea Belmont was such a good time so was off-roading the q5 to skip some traffic.... But sitting in this for 2 ... pic.twitter.com/gRwb7bka15
— Samuel Talavera (@SamuelTlvr) June 8, 2014

Belmont blue parking lot is a disaster. Hundreds of idling cars. No rhyme or reason to where people are going. People can't find their cars.
— Jim Baumbach (@jimbaumbach) June 8, 2014

People straight up leaving their cars since there hasn't been movement in about half hour. I'd sleep here were I not afraid for my life.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) June 8, 2014

Hour 3 of @TheNYRA Belmont abandonment in parking lot. Still no way out. We are about to elect our own government.
— Rob Westervelt (@slakboy) June 8, 2014

Line to get to LIRR leaving Belmont Park. A cop just said the trains were closed. The best way out is on horseback.. pic.twitter.com/Vx65r5IfDG
— Antoine Gara (@AntoineGara) June 8, 2014

California Chrome's newest Triple Crown challenger — an opossum (VIDEO)

California Chrome was unfazed,  but millions of bettors might be skittish, after a wayward opossum ran next to the Triple Crown contender and came in ahead of the Derby and Preakness winner. 

The homely little critter briefly joined the majestic chestnut colt during his 1 3/4-mile gallop Friday morning at Belmont Park and came in first by a little pointed nose.

Assistant trainer Alan Sherman said the opossum's run not far off the outside rail and parallel to the colt's right flank, didn't make California Chrome lose focus.

"Nothing," Sherman said. "It didn't faze him. We get coyotes in California all the time, so it was no big deal.

"The track was a little heavier than it was, but he seemed to handle it fine."

Bandwagon bettors might take this as an bad omen but po' cat lovers — and there are a few — think this is a good sign.

Horse's freak death at Churchill Downs blamed on track's new sound system: Report

A racehorse died Thursday at Churchill Downs after a freak fall that the trainer blamed on the sound of a starting gate bell blaring on the track's new sound system attached to the racetrack's vaunted new video board.

The 5-year-old mare Never Tell Lynda was walking toward the paddock on the dirt track when she reared, twisted and fell, hitting her head, said her trainer, Kenneth Wirth. She died before the first race of the day at the track that's home to the Kentucky Derby.

A heartbroken Wirth later said the horse was spooked by what he thinks was the sound of a starting gate bell coming from a commercial on the track's ear-blasting speaker system.

Churchill Downs recently debuted the world's biggest HD video screen  — the "Big Board," as it has been dubbed — and boasted about its 750-speaker sound system going into Derby week.

Towering 170 feet over the backstretch, the high-definition, $12 million video screen is bigger than three basketball courts and larger than any single panel of the giant display hanging above the field at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

"We teach horses to break from that," he said. "And you've got it on a loud speaker that everybody in a two-city block can hear. Well, what's she going to do? She thinks she's supposed to take off. And that's what she did. And when she did, she lunged and she lost her balance and went down."

The fall was not witnessed by any of the track veterinarians, but staff rushed to her aid, said Will Farmer, chief racing veterinarian for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

"It was quickly evident that this horse was in the process of expiring," he said. "To ease her suffering, one of our veterinarians euthanized her."

A necropsy will be performed on the horse, but the clinical signs matched the trainer's description, Farmer said.

Wirth said the sound system was "way too loud" at the time of the accident.

"The only thing you can blame is the music," Wirth said. "They've got to do something about it... The horses are the main thing here."

California Chrome's Triple Crown bid could hinge on nasal strip: Report

You might want to call this losing by a nose — or at least the nasal strip on it.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome might abandon his Triple Crown bid if New York officials do not allow the colt to wear a nasal strip in the Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Art Sherman made no threats about the Derby and Preakness winner passing on a chance to become horse racing's 12th Triple Crown winner, but he suggested it was a possibility.

"I'd have to leave it up to the owners," he said Sunday. "I know they'll be upset."

While  California Chrome couldn't be stopped by a huge field at Churchill Downs or a tickle in his throat at Pimlico, this potential obstacle reared its head Sunday about whether the big favorite would be allowed to wear the breathing device in the Belmont Stake on June 7.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is 6-for-6 for trainer Art Sherman since being equipped Dec. 22 with a Flair nasal strip, which helps horses breathe more easily. He was 2-for-6 before that. Sherman said the colt doesn't wear it while training, and that it was co-owner Perry Martin's idea to use it. Sherman said Martin might scratch California Chrome from a Triple Crown bid if he's not allowed to wear the strip, which is legal in virtually all of this country's racing jurisdictions.

"That's going to be interesting. Perry is funny about things like that," Sherman said. "It might be an issue. I'm not saying it will be. I'll let the owners make the decision.

"They allow it [in New York] in harness racing but not for thoroughbreds. That's bogus."

The Daily Racing Form reported that Martin Panza, the New York Racing Association's senior vice president of racing operations, said Sherman made a formal request to Belmont Park's stewards Sunday afternoon to allow California Chrome to wear the nasal strip, and that the decision was expected within 24 to 48 hours.

The New York State Racing Commission's thoroughbred rule 4033.8 states: "Only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race."

"I don't know why they'd keep you from wearing it," said Sherman, who was surprised when informed of the rule Sunday morning. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Even if the strip were not allowed, it would be a stretch for the commission to scratch a horse just one victory from making history and in a sport which could really use the hype.

Sherman said he could run his star instead in the July 5 Los Alamitos Derby, joking, "Orange County would be pretty overcrowded that day."

Pace car slams into racehorses and drivers on racetrack (VIDEO)

Slippery conditions at a New Jersey racetrack might have caused the starting gate car to skid out of control and into six horses and drivers Friday afternoon.

The bizarre accident occurred when field of seven trotters was entering the first turn on Freehold Raceway's half-mile oval during the fifth race. Video replays show the pace car sliding toward the infield, doing a 180-degree turn and facing the field head on. Only the lead horse, Civic Duty driven by James Clarry, cleared the car, which has large gates on either side that are folded back in after a race starts.

The second horse, driven by Hall of Famer Catello Manzi, and the sulky were the first to crash into the car and into a gate that was still fully extended, according to nj.com.

"We don't know what happened. It was definitely a freak mishap. Something I've never seen in 40 years in racing," said Freehold Raceway director of facing and race secretary Karen Fagliarone.

Track conditions were not an issue for the first four races of the day, Fagliarone said, adding that there was no ice reported on the track. However, Freehold immediately canceled its final six races of the day following the accident.

Track superintendent Michael Fagliarone and Freehold general manager Howard Bruno both refused to comment. The driver of the starting gate car, Robert Blum, could not be reached.

"The initial inspection was that the horses are all okay. Four of the drivers have been transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center" in Neptune, said Fagliarone, who did not know the specific conditions of the drivers.

The track was slick, but temperatures at the central N.J. track hovered around 37 degrees at race time.  Freehold officials declared the fifth race a no-contest and cancelled the final six scheduled races.

First hand view of a horse race from atop a throughbred (VIDEO)

Ever wonder what it's  like to race 1200-pounds of muscle and mane around a track?  Well this video might the closet you ever get.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez had his goggles outfitted with a camera so he could document his ride Greyfell, a two-year old colt, at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. from start to finish. The video features some pop-up commentary from Velazquez, who explains his moves throughout the race.

And to all of you railbirds who bet 10 bucks on Greyfell to show — congratulations.

Riderless horse 'wins' sixth-race at Belmont (VIDEO)

A determined mare bucked her jockey at the starting gate Wednesday and still managed to win the race without the burden of the tiny man and his forceful hand on her back.

Six-year-old Downtown Hottie broke free of her whip-holding rider during the sixth race at Belmont Park and the liberated lady still managed to gallop to victory.

The racetrack's "official results," listed her as having not finished the race and a filly named "Wholelottashakin" won with a final time of 1:35 but we all know who the real winner in this video is.

Retired racehorse becomes best selling abstract painter

An acclaimed racehorse forced to retire because of bad knees is finding success as an in-demand abstract artist whose works hang in a Pennsylvania gallery.

Metro Meteor, a 10-year-old thoroughbred racehorse recently removed from the racing oval, has found a more genteel – and slightly lucrative - second career as a painter.

As an athlete and an artist, it seems Metro Meteor is quite the Renaissance man.

A-Rod the racehorse strikes out again

It hasn't been a very good week for anyone or anything named A-Rod.

While the New York Yankees slugger got benched at Comerica Park during the ALCS, his equine counterpart finished seventh in an eight-horse field at Belmont Park on Wednesday.

In his first start since Feb. 18, the four-legged A-Rod — a 4-year-old gelding who shares the nickname with baseball's Alex Rodriguez at an unfortunate time — broke last from the gate and trailed most of the race.  He finished 10-1/4 lengths behind the winning horse Orsonian in the sixth race.

"A-Rod is slumbering at the back of the pack," track announcer Tom Durkin.  Joe Girardi couldn't have said it better.

The 28-1 longshot managed to catch a fading Tazered in the final yards and earned $267 for its owner Peggy Vandervoot.  A-Rod's career earnings have now reached $58,422 and include two wins in 18 races.  The horse's .111 average is just a nose behind the third baseman's .130 playoff average in the playoffs this season.

The two-legged A-Rod is 3-for-23  down the stretch this year.

"He started slow and stayed slow," said the horse's jockey Mike Luzzi — an avid Yankees fan.  "I guess the grass is better."

Both of A-Rod's trips to the winner's circle have come after racing on turf courses.

At least this frisky "A-Rod" can throw salt blocks requesting stable stall numbers to the fillies and he won't care who says neigh.

Closing of OTBs is the end of a NYC era ... and culture

By Tony Mangia

It looks like this could be the final stretch for a lot of the dreamers, schemers and a cultural stereotype in New York City if a last ditch rescue of the Off-Track Betting Corporation doesn't come through—and it looks like a long shot.

After a year of Chapter 9 bankruptcy, it appears the New York State Senate has failed to vote on a bailout package and will shut the doors on Friday. A last minute vote is the OTB's only chance of survival. Over a thousand employees of the legal bookmaking joints are bracing for the impact of the closings. 

OTB has run this sloppy track before.  Since 2008—when the state took control—and as recently as last April, talks have swirled of shutting down the forty year-old old state-run betting parlors.  Analysts have called for privatization of the system as a way to rid the city of it's debt. It is currently short-changing the New York Racing Association $2 million a month and owes them over $25 million. OTB filed for bankruptcy exactly one year ago tomorrow and has been—like trans fat and salt portions—a sore spot with Mayor Bloomberg for years.

OTB's CEO, Greg Rayburn, said OTB is "prepared for the shutdown, if it's necessary...and [he] would continue to talk to people in the Senate and explain to them what the provisions are in the bill."  Rayburn—who pulls in $125,000 a month—said he would "urge them to come and act before Friday, because, realistically, once you close, you close." 

The pending plan is to design a new business model with concessions by unions and management in an effort to modernize and lower expenses. Hmm ... maybe Rayburn could start with his salary.

The New York City institution once had parlors in every neighborhood and catered to die-hard railbirds, senior citizens and a wide array of characters who couldn't make it out to Belmont or Aquaduct. Just plunk down a talent agent and every OTB could pass for a Central Casting office. Where will where these New York City extras play the ponies, loiter and socialize after the windows are permanently closed?

Even the adventurous and curious, who didn't know a furlong from a filly, learned how to parlay and pick a trifecta under the fluorescent glow of a ticket-strewn linoleum floor. There were the frat boys and yuppies, with fat bankrolls and loud talk, who strolled in before their Triple Crown parties—and were about as welcome to the old ticket-rippers as Julian Assange is to a White House dinner.

Now, only a dozen or so of the once ubiquitous hangouts remain scattered about the boroughs. Old timers—who think Facebook is the 5-2 favorite at the Meadowlands—blame the decline in OTB attraction on everything from computer games and Internet wagering to a new generation raised on televised football and basketball. Native New Yorkers, who grew up with OTBs, just blame it on more lousy government involvement and believe it should have been sold to a private corporation years ago. Others cried slot machines were the OTB's only salvation and now it is too late.

It's reasonable to suggest that this race between the frisky Senate and the has-been OTB was over before they hit the gates. There was never going to be a neck-and-neck finish down the stretch. Even though one thousand jobs and a way of life in New York City are on the line, it's looks like they're going to put the old nag out of her misery.

No Seabiscuit story here.