Welcome back and glad to see you’ve almost made it through another week.  As we mentioned last week, the first half of this column will continue to focus on our recently formed Horses to Watch lists.  We have some up and some down, and some staying put.  Updates will be bolded, so let’s get on with the show:

Kentucky Derby Trail  (not be confused with top 3yo)

• Listed – Court Vision, Into Mischief
• Knocking on the door – War Pass, El Gato Malo, Cowboy Cal, Giant Moon, Z Fortune 
• Out – Everyone but War Pass (for now) that ran in the BC Juvenile

Older Horses (4yo+)

• Listed – Curlin, Chatain
• Knocking on the door – Johnny Eves, Go Between (needs to prove his SM Classic was no fluke, but he did set a new track record.)

F&M (3yo+)

• Listed – Ginger Punch, Wait a While, Indian Blessing
• Knocking on the door - Zenyatta (undefeated, beat two G-1 winners last out in first graded stakes try)
• Out – Nashoba’s Key (Lost two in a row, needs to get back on track)

• Listed – Champs Elysses, Daytona (forgot him last week, has won three stakes in a row, two GR-II and one Gr-I)

• Listed – Midnight Lute, In Summation, Benny the Bull (showing top form in winning back to back stakes), Dearest Tricksi (has now won 8 of 9, and set the track on first in the F&M Sprint)

Look for the results of this week’s bevy of Derby Prep races and major Handicap Division stakes to shake up the list next week

G-t-W Shot of the Week – After hitting the mark three weeks in a row (with four picks nonetheless), we at G-t-W are feeling confident in our handicapping abilitiesagain .  This week, we will change things up a bit and focus our attention overseas.  Specifically Australia, where we will pick the mare Gold Edition to come home ahead of the males in the Gr-I Lightning Stakes

But to stay true to the column title, let’s get Off Topic and take a few minutes to read this story: Senator Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will eventually call NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in front of the committee to address the destruction of evidence related to spying by the New England Patriots.  Now as you know, I don’t care about the Pats one bit, but if there currently is a bigger waste of tax payers money than having Senators looking into this, I can’t think of it.  Hey Specter, if you want to get on the new, just proposition an undercover policeman in an airport bathroom and call it a day

Now continuing off topic:

Super Bowl – NYG 27, NE 24… Believe it! The Giants have been the NFL’s best team in January and that is who wins the Super Bowl

Super Bowl, part 2 - NE backup QB Matt Cassell played in the Little League World Series final, won two BCS titles at USC while backing up Matt Leinart and doing nothing, now he's part of the undefeated and heavy Super Bowl favorites while backing up Tom Brady... and doing.  I think Matt is a guy we want to bring to the track for luck, as long as he just sits there and does nothing.

Santana / Mets – Less than eight hours to go until the signing deadline.  If the deal does not get done, no need to plan a demolition of Shea Stadium prior to opening Citi Field.  The current crop of Mets fans will have that finished by tomorrow afternoon

Finally, as always, the Denise Milani Pic of the Week.  No need to say anything else.

(image courtesy of denisemilani.com)

This midweek ‘relief’ piece has featured a number of things in the past, starting off with some equine humor, to providing a comprehensive, if scantily-clad, public service announcement mini-series and most recently, some build up the that football game on Sunday. Now the word Relief has various possible uses, but the most common can be defined as: The easing of a burden or distress or Something that alleviates pain or distress or even A pleasant or amusing change. 

This week, G-t-W will simply stick to the facts and the plain and clear definition listed above, as events yesterday accomplished those three things, at least for me.  Selfish, absolutely.  So without further preample, I present the following piece of art.

(courtesy of Matt Cerone from Metsblog.com)

In closing though, this column was founded on the principle of presenting fair and balanced reporting, by providing a place to feature the stupid and immature.  And to some, the above qualifies.   But I’m more into making fun of others and what they like, so instead I turn the focus to the “upcoming” book put forth by the Boston Globe and, as of yesterday, on pre-sale at amazon.com: 19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots.  Yes the link, which worked yesterday, does not work anymore.  But if you checked yesterday, you could have pre-ordered the collector’s item above for (and I quote) the “bargain price of $14.95.”  I’m imaging perhaps a little negative feedback might have caused the link to be disabled by Amazon, but too little to late.  If there is such a thing as jinxes, and that is something Boston fans claim to be true, it will rear its ugly head on Sunday...

At the risk of jinxing everything, I still want to provide the following link:

Twins have last offers; decision expected soon

... in which ESPN's Buster Onley reports that "the Twins have fielded offers from all interested parties by a mid-day Tuesday deadline, and Minnesota is expected to make a decision soon on whether to keep the left-hander or trade him" and that "Some officials engaged in the talks strongly believed that Santana will land with the Mets."

Living in Sports Hell (Boston for a non-Boston fan), PLEASE let this happen...

(update)

Mets reach deal to acquire Santana

YES!!!!!

Sorry for the delay, but I was traveling for work yesterday so all secondary activity had to wait.  But I did put together a quick Top 5 as I waited for my delayed flight out of Dayton…

Johan Santana – The latest rumors have the Twins ready to accept the Mets offer as long as they include their top prospect, Fernando Martinez, in addition to their current package.  I must admit at first I had a bit of a problem with the Mets basically trading their entire minor league system away for one player.  But the more I think about it, the more I am certain they have to pull the trigger.   Getting a bona fide #1 starter is hard enough.  But getting the #1 starter in the game is once in a franchise.  Yes this will handcuff any future trades, but it will also make the Mets the team to beat in the NL right now.  World Series now and sucking later vs. consistent, yet never, all the way results?  Pull the trigger…

NFL Playoffs – If it was not for two measly play allowed by the awful Titans, we would have ended 3-1 last week.  But we’ll settle for 2-2 and say that our picks of the Giants, Pats, Packers and Colts will lead us to a sure 4-0.

Shot of the Week – As has been the case recently, not only did our shot not win, but he (Thorn Song) took the lead and was ahead heading for home.  Which meant nothing as he faded out during the stretch drive.  That’s okay, we’re used to it.  So to rebound, we are making Wait a While in the San Gorgonio the Shot of the Week.  And as a bonus pick, take El Gato Malo in the San Rafael.

Movies – Saw Shoot ‘Em Up last night and have to say that if you are in the mood for a (unofficial) satire of extreme violence, guns blazing, kill everyone movie in the style of vintage 80’s showings ala Cobra, put it on your Netflix queue.  I went in with low expectations and definetely enjoyed it.

Roger Clemens – Everyone is caught up reporting on Roger, did he do it or not, where’s the third ear and so forth, I’d rather bring up a different Clemens topic in relation to my Mets. No, not the infamous coming-out-of-game-6-in-86-moment, but the classic Mike Piazza / shattered bat sequence.  I do not know what was worse… Clemens lame excuse of thinking he thought it was the ball, which meant his first instinct was to throw the ball away and not to first, or that Piazza didn’t cram that bat handle up his ####.

And last, but definetely not least, here is the Denise Milani pic of the week.. enjoy