New York has finally taken the Off-Track Betting Corporation out behind the barn and shot it.
I know what you’re asking yourself: “Gee, I wonder what Jesus Leonardo is going to do?” For those who may not recall, Mr. Leonardo was profiled in the NYT last year; he’s a “stooper”, someone who picks up discarded tickets and cashes in the winners. Somehow, he’s able to make a claimed $45,000 a year off of this activity.
Robert “Ratso” Rizzo, the indicted former city administrator of Bell, California, has lost his horse owner’s license. The license was suspended after he failed to appear at a hearing to answer charges of “conduct detrimental to horse racing”.
According to the LAT, Rizzo owned “dozens” of horses
including a thoroughbred named Depenser de l’argent — French for “to spend money”
See also the Daily Racing Form‘s summary, which gives more details on Rizzo’s racing ventures.
I saw this post over at Borepatch’s earlier in the week, but I didn’t get curious until I saw this one over at Crider’s place about the Christie’s auction of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans art collection.
One Google search later, and I found out that the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Musuem is closed.
Seriously, that’s a shame. Roy, Trigger, and Dale were really more of my father’s time than my own, but I have a certain amount of respect for Roy and his legacy. I’m kind of sad the museum couldn’t stay open; according to Roadside America, they got an estimated 200,000 visitors a year, but that wasn’t enough to keep the lights on.
Of course, you know I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t ask: are they going to sell Trigger? I actually expected that Trigger would stay in the family, since Roy Jr. is still performing in Branson. Then I found this AP article, and after much searching of the auction lots…here’s Trigger. Here’s the link for Buttermilk. If you have an estimated $200-$300 to spare, you can buy horseshit from Christie’s. Here’s Bullet. And here’s Trigger, Jr.
Michael Gill owns a mortgage brokerage and a string of paloponies racehorses. Unfortunately, Mr. Gill’s racehorses have a problem. Specifically, they tend to die on the track at Penn National Race Course. Gill blames the track; the jockeys that don’t ride Gill’s horses blame him, and are boycotting races involving Gill’s horses.
This is sad and awful, but I also like saying “Swedish rapper?”: Swedish rapper convicted in road rage killing of jazz pianist.
I can’t come up with anything more clever than the headline: Fung shui master loses bid for ex-lover’s fortune.