Get this: There's an Alaska GOP scandal tie-in to the Derby

[carincross]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

"The 50-to-1 longshot that won Saturday's Kentucky Derby, Mine That Bird, is one of the horses bought by the son of former Veco boss Bill Allen in a buying spree of thoroughbreds using the money the family got from the sale of former oil field services company Veco.

"Mark Allen's Double Eagle Ranch of Roswell, N.M., has a number of race horses, including a stud once partly owned by former Sen. Ted Stevens, So Long Birdie. Mark Allen and a business partner in New Mexico bought Mine That Bird, a two-year-old relative of So Long Birdie, for $400,000 last year.

"Bill Allen is the central figure in Alaska's political corruption scandal. He pleaded guilty two years ago Monday to bribing Alaska politicians, but in a plea deal, won immunity for Mark and other members of his family. Bill Allen, still a witness in possible future cases, has not been sentenced."



Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/67394.html

[tanyev]

1. Wheee! Where isn't there an Alaska GOP scandal tie-in?

[Tab]

2. Mine That Bird pulls off upset in Kentucky Derby

Source: Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The cowboy and his horse beat them all. Four Hall of Fame trainers. The ruler of Dubai. Two very sentimental favorites. Trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. hitched Mine That Bird to the back of his pickup and drove to the Kentucky Derby from New Mexico. With an inspired ride on the rail from Calvin Borel, it all added up to one of the greatest upsets in 135 years of America's most famous horse race.

"Those cowboys," trainer Bob Baffert said, "they came with a good horse."

Mine That Bird went off at 50-1 odds Saturday, but that was only one measure of how little attention he garnered before pulling away in the stretch to score a 6 3/4-length victory at Churchill Downs, the second-biggest stunner in Derby history. The margin was the largest since Assault won by eight lengths in 1946.

"All I asked him was to lay the horse back and be patient, and he did that magically," Woolley said.
...
Papa Clem was fourth, followed by Chocolate Candy, Summer Bird, Join in the Dance, Regal Ransom, West Side Bernie, General Quarters, Dunkirk, Hold Me Back, Advice, Desert Party, Mr. Hot Stuff, Atomic Rain, Nowhere to Hide, Friesan Fire and Flying Private.

Mine That Bird ran 1 1/4 miles on a sloppy track in 2:02.66 and paid $103.20, $54 and $25.80. It was the second-largest payout in Derby history behind Donerail ($184.90) in 1913.
...
Mine That Bird, the son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, became the ninth gelding to win the Derby and just the second in the last 80 years, joining 2003 winner Funny Cide.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090503/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_kentucky_derby

[Captain Hilts]

3. How can this be "breaking news" when it happened over 12 hours ago? nt

[KittyWampus]

4. You realise that LBN has a 24 hour limit on acceptable stories? I don't see this already posted.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. It's actually 12 hours, but that may not always be strictly enforced

2. Do not post news that is more than 12 hours old.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x87249

[alfredo]

6. Horse racing and the sales is as my Sister in law says is

"rich people ripping off rich people." She works the horse sales around the country and sees some rather shady deals going down. She loves the horses and the people who work with horses, but it is the owners that can be real dicks. She says some are good people, like the one that bawled his eyes out when a mare died during foaling. He truly loved his mare, but others just see the horse as a revenue gain or drain.

[IndianaGreen]

7. You should use the actual news headline, per LBN rules

"Derby winner's owner has ties to Alaska bribery scandal"