Aqueduct: Jan. 9

Eleven racing days remain until the extension of the expired racing franchise expires and meanwhile there has been a sudden lull in the rhetorical sparring that politicians appear to believe is the job to which they were elected. Perhaps they're actually working.

So, while the opportunity remains, two potential Wednesday plays at Aqueduct:

Race 3: Worth a Shot
Race 7: Double or Nothing

This is easily more opportunity than will present itself at the sponge formerly known as Santa Anita. Reports from the West indicate that a officials there are contemplating the removal of the malfunctioning Cushion Track and returning to a dirt surface in order to salvage the winter meeting. Other reports of horses breaking down on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate suggest strongly that the members of the California Racing Board, which in the interest of safety mandated the transformation of the state's tracks to artificial surfaces, is composed of Curly, Larry and someone less intelligent than Moe.