uncle mo kentucky derby 2011

Juvenile champion Uncle Mo, the second choice on the morning line, was officially scratched out of the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole held a press conference at Churchill Downs at 9 a.m. EDT on  to announce the decision. It’s very frustrating,” Pletcher said. When pressed on specifics of the bizarre illness, Pletcher cited an enzyme that showed elevation during blood work samples. Pletcher said he “galloped like a monster.”

Pletcher said he would eventually be flown to New York. Repole said the three veterinarians treating Uncle Mo had not recommended that Uncle Mo not run, but that Pletcher made the final decision not to put the horse in the 1 1/4-mile Derby considering the questions about his health.

Pletcher defended their decision to enter Uncle Mo, which kept Sway Away out of the race.

Repole and Pletcher will still be represented in the Derby by Stay Thirsty. Repole said. "Yes, because Uncle Mo, in my opinion he’s five to seven lengths better than any horse in this race."

"As bad as I want win this race, (Pletcher) is 43 and I’m 42. How many people have a horse scratched from this race and still have another one?”

The defection of Uncle Mo meant that three years in a row that one of the favorites for the Derby was withdrawn prior to the race. Last year, early Derby favorite Eskendereya   was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby six days before the race after a filling was discovered in his left front leg. Each of the three horses were Derby mounts for jockey John Velazquez, who has has picked up the mount on Animal Kingdom. Surely if there is uncertainty about the health of the horse this close to the race, there will be uncertainty on Saturday. Uncle Mo looked as if he would be a heavy favorite for the Derby before losing the April 9 Wood Memorial. Last year, powerful Wood Memorial winner Eskendereya was scratched the Sunday before the race with a leg injury. He never raced again.

"It's very, very, very, very, very disappointing," Pletcher said. Owner Mike Repole said all week that Uncle Mo was "50-50" to make the Derby, but Pletcher told Repole the bad news on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. - two hours after Repole had told reporters the decision would be announced Friday morning.

"The decision was an easy decision because Todd Pletcher said he was not running," said Repole, who will still be represented in the race with Stay Thirsty. "Right now, I'm really concerned about Uncle Mo."

The scratch of Uncle Mo allowed John Velazquez to pick up the mount on Animal Kingdom, replacing Robby Albarado, who broke his nose in a spill at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

After early wagering ended Friday, Florida Derby winner Dialed In, trained by two-time Derby winner Nick Zito, was the 9-2 favorite in the now 19-horse field, having survived a spring that saw many top contenders upset or injured.

This year's Derby features three woman, two trainers - Kathy Ritvo and Kathleen O'Connell - and one jockey, Rosie Napravnik.

If you don't get excited walking your horse over for the Kentucky Derby there's something wrong with you."

kentucky derby 2011 kentucky derby horses

1 Archarcharch Jon Court Jinks Fires 10-1

2 Brilliant Speed Tom Albertrani Joel Rosario 30-1

3 Twice the Appeal Calvin Borel Jeff Bonde 20-1

4 Stay Thirsty Ramon Dominguez Todd Pletcher 20-1

5 Decisive Moment Kerwin Clark Juan Arias 30-1

6 Comma to the Top Pat Valenzuela Peter Miller 30-1

7 Pants On Fire Rosie Napravnik Kelly Breen 20-1

8 Dialed In Julien Leparoux Nick Zito 4-1

9 Derby Kitten Javier Castellano Mike Maker 30-1

10 Twinspired Mike Smith Mike Maker 30-1

11 Master of Hounds Garrett Gomez Aidan O’Brien 30-1

12 Santiva Shaun Bridgmohan Eddie Kenneally 30-1

13 Mucho Macho Man Rajiv Maragh Kathy Ritvo 12-1

14 Shackleford Jesus Castanon Dale Romans 12-1

15 Midnight Interlude Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert 10-1

16 Animal Kingdom Johnny Velazquez Graham Motion 30-1

17 Soldat Alan Garcia Kiaran McLaughlin 12-1

18 Uncle Mo (scratched) 9-2

19 Nehro Corey Nakatani Steve Asmussen 6-1

20 Watch Me Go Rafael Bejarano Kathleen O’Connell 50-1

jon stewart the daily show

During Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Barack Obama and the event's host Seth Meyers hit Donald Trump with joke after joke, while Trump sat in the audience stony-faced.

Then, on Sunday, President Obama's surprise announcement that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. special forces preempted Trump's show, 'Celebrity Apprentice.'

"I'm watching this 'Apprentice' episode. New open government initiatives from the conservative dominated House, however, aim to democratize the watchdog process by releasing public records in an easily searchable format.

Last Friday, House Speaker John Boehner and Leader Eric Cantor sent a note to the House Clerk that told her to prepare "publicly releasing the House’s legislative data in machine-readable formats." Daniel Schuman, policy counsel for the Sunlight Foundation, a transparency watchdog and platform developer organization, says that machine-readable data will have exciting new consequences for democracy.

First, reams of video and public transcripts will become easily searchable. Computational advances in social networking analysis could easily be applied to transcript data, revealing fascinating epicenters of influence.

The free market has had a lucrative history of creating gold-plated nozzles for the firehose of government data.

The free market benefits of e-government are certainly a selling point on Lira's side of the aisle.

navy seals osama bin laden

As I posted to my blog about Osama Death, A team of U.S. Navy SEALs carried out the operation in Pakistan that ended in the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported. Earlier, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, citing a senior Pakistani intelligence official, reported that members of Pakistan's intelligence service - the ISI - were on site in Abbotabad, Pakistan, during the operation that killed bin Laden. The Obama administration says Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs, the elite special operations forces whose basic training starts at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base.

The SEALs became famous during the Vietnam War for their effectiveness in everything from ambushes to commando raids. In April 2009, SEALs aboard the destroyer Bainbridge shot and killed three pirates who were involved in the kidnapping Richard Phillips, captain of the U.S.-flagged ship MV Maersk Alabama.

The SEALs are famous for their rigorous tryouts, which involve grueling swimming, running and strength tests, conducted on the beaches of Coronado.

navy seals osama bin laden

As I posted to my blog about Osama Death, A team of U.S. Navy SEALs carried out the operation in Pakistan that ended in the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported. Earlier, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, citing a senior Pakistani intelligence official, reported that members of Pakistan's intelligence service - the ISI - were on site in Abbotabad, Pakistan, during the operation that killed bin Laden. The Obama administration says Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs, the elite special operations forces whose basic training starts at the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base.

The SEALs became famous during the Vietnam War for their effectiveness in everything from ambushes to commando raids. In April 2009, SEALs aboard the destroyer Bainbridge shot and killed three pirates who were involved in the kidnapping Richard Phillips, captain of the U.S.-flagged ship MV Maersk Alabama.

The SEALs are famous for their rigorous tryouts, which involve grueling swimming, running and strength tests, conducted on the beaches of Coronado.

osama bin laden dead osama bin laden killed

Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night, in a televised address to the nation. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.

“Tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said during brief remarks at the White House.

The president said U.S. intelligence operatives received a tip in August on bin Laden’s whereabouts, which ultimately led to Sunday’s attack. “After a fire fight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” the president said. Obama said the 9/11 attacks that bin Laden and his lieutenants orchestrated nearly 10 years ago remain “the worst attack on the American people in our history” and said the images of the crumbling Twin Towers “are seared into our national memory.”

The failure to snare bin Laden weighed most heavily, perhaps, on the Bush Administration, which occupied the White House during the 9/11 attacks, and the al Qaeda leader’s killing falls exactly eight years to the day when Bush famously declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq.

Bush said in a statement that Obama called him Sunday night to inform him of “the momentous achievement” of bin Laden’s death.

In a conference call with reporters just after President Obama spoke, senior administration officials provided a detailed sketch of how the intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts was gathered.

Intelligence officials had been conducting lengthy reconnaissance work prior to receiving their key tip in August. According to senior administration officials, suspected terrorists in custody since 9/11 -- including the attack’s mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- identified a courier who had a close relationship with bin Laden.

“This man was one of the few al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin Laden,” one senior administration official said. “They indicated he might be living with and protecting bin Laden. One senior administration official suggested bin Laden had been staying at the compound for at least six months without moving. Prior to the operation, Obama convened nine meetings with his national security team to review intelligence. Twenty minutes after that, he learned that bin Laden had been “tentatively identified.” No other intelligence operatives in other countries were told of the attack before it occurred -- including Pakistani operatives -- according to administration officials. Bin Laden himself “did resist the assault force,” a senior administration official said. Officials warned that in the aftermath of the attack, Americans should be on alert for a reprisal from al Qaeda. sama bin Laden is dead. Few additional details have been confirmed about bin Laden's death at this time, but President Barack Obama will address the nation shortly to provide them.

The administration is still gathering intelligence and will be briefing congressional officials in advance of the President’s address to America tonight.

Obama will deliver the news to the nation in an address from the White House, almost 10 years after the catastrophic attacks bin Laden orchestrated.

osama bin laden dead osama bin laden killed

Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night, in a televised address to the nation. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.

“Tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said during brief remarks at the White House.

The president said U.S. intelligence operatives received a tip in August on bin Laden’s whereabouts, which ultimately led to Sunday’s attack. “After a fire fight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” the president said. Obama said the 9/11 attacks that bin Laden and his lieutenants orchestrated nearly 10 years ago remain “the worst attack on the American people in our history” and said the images of the crumbling Twin Towers “are seared into our national memory.”

The failure to snare bin Laden weighed most heavily, perhaps, on the Bush Administration, which occupied the White House during the 9/11 attacks, and the al Qaeda leader’s killing falls exactly eight years to the day when Bush famously declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq.

Bush said in a statement that Obama called him Sunday night to inform him of “the momentous achievement” of bin Laden’s death.

In a conference call with reporters just after President Obama spoke, senior administration officials provided a detailed sketch of how the intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts was gathered.

Intelligence officials had been conducting lengthy reconnaissance work prior to receiving their key tip in August. According to senior administration officials, suspected terrorists in custody since 9/11 -- including the attack’s mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- identified a courier who had a close relationship with bin Laden.

“This man was one of the few al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin Laden,” one senior administration official said. “They indicated he might be living with and protecting bin Laden. One senior administration official suggested bin Laden had been staying at the compound for at least six months without moving. Prior to the operation, Obama convened nine meetings with his national security team to review intelligence. Twenty minutes after that, he learned that bin Laden had been “tentatively identified.” No other intelligence operatives in other countries were told of the attack before it occurred -- including Pakistani operatives -- according to administration officials. Bin Laden himself “did resist the assault force,” a senior administration official said. Officials warned that in the aftermath of the attack, Americans should be on alert for a reprisal from al Qaeda. sama bin Laden is dead. Few additional details have been confirmed about bin Laden's death at this time, but President Barack Obama will address the nation shortly to provide them.

The administration is still gathering intelligence and will be briefing congressional officials in advance of the President’s address to America tonight.

Obama will deliver the news to the nation in an address from the White House, almost 10 years after the catastrophic attacks bin Laden orchestrated.

pope john paul ii beatification beatification of john paul ii

Has Tony Blair been invited? Wasn’t it Mr Brown who actually invited Pope Benedict XVI to the UK on the first ever state visit by a pope (before Her Majesty even got a look-in)?

Not because (unlike the most recent beatification of Cardinal Newman) the corpse of the late Pope has barely begun to rot (though that is doubtless true). What about his long support for Austrian Cardinal Hans-Hermann Groer? Why did he resist any investigation into the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church? Bernard Fellay, of the Society of Saint Pius X recently incommunicated by Pope Benedict XVI, sees Pope John Paul II as a sort of Antichrist for instigating and participating in multi-faith prayer conferences, particularly in Assisi in 1986. The cult of John Paul the Great has gained an unstoppable momentum. The Roman Catholic Church is not ‘making’ John Paul II ‘blessed’: in Roman Catholic theology, they are affirming what has already occurred in heaven. By all accounts, he led a holy and virtuous if not heroic life, and he seemed to radiate the pastoral love of Christ. But why ‘Santo Subito’?

There would have been no harm in delaying this process in accordance with Church tradition. The chronological 'pause’ was purposeful, to permit perspective, objectivity, reason and reflection. I'm also looking forward to the Beatification of Pope John Paul II, to reporting on all the exciting events in Rome, and to meeting other bloggers from around the world. I also look forward to meeting many British Catholic bloggers at the planning meeting for the proposed Guild of Catholic bloggers on 7 May, after my return from Rome.

During Holy Week, my main concern was that I lack love and compassion when I blog. St Paul famously said that all our work will have been in vain if its beginning and ending is not grounded in love. I must love, and my love must be real. We need the Church, and should never think ourselves above that need. Catholic blogs can be instruments of the Holy Spirit, too - who uses them to call the Church to renewal and reform. At the present time, some very brave men and women use their blogs to call some of our bishops and leaders to account, especially when their actions seem to undermine or weaken the Church's tradition, truth or unity. I honestly believe that a Guild of Catholic Bloggers would help those of us who blog grow closer to each other in love. A Guild of Catholic Bloggers could also arrange for spiritual retreats and conferences, or workshops designed to get the most out of blogging. seems Pharisaical in their treatment of Christ's Bride and the Church's ministers is in danger of falling away from grace.

I also wish I could sometimes attend Masses specifically geared towards those who blog as Catholics - if only to pray with them, to worship God with them, and to listen to a homily that might speak to me as a Catholic blogger. It is for all these reasons that I think a Guild of Catholic Bloggers is necessary. VATICAN CITY (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims jammed St. Peter's Square and the streets around it early Sunday for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, a joyful celebration aimed at giving a morale boost to a church scarred by the priestly sex abuse scandal.

The scene at dawn around the Vatican was reminiscent of John Paul's final days in 2005, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims staged around-the-clock vigils underneath his studio window. Thousands of pilgrims, many of them from John Paul's native Poland, spent the night in sleeping bags on bridges and in piazzas around town, and then packed St. Peter's as soon as the barricades opened.

The Mass, to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, begins at 0800 GMT (4 a.m. Eastern), the fastest beatification in modern times.

Benedict put John Paul on the fast-track for possible sainthood when he dispensed with the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed the beatification process to begin weeks after his April 2, 2005

death. Benedict was responding to chants of "Santo Subito" or "Sainthood Immediately" which erupted during John Paul's funeral.

The event featured testimony of the French nun whose inexplicable cure from Parkinson's disease was deemed miraculous by the Vatican, the miracle needed for John Paul to be beatified.

After the vigil officially ended, many pilgrims spent the night moving around the center visiting eight churches that stayed open all night, a "white night" of prayer in honor of the late pope.

"He died a saint," Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's longtime secretary, told the crowd.

The beatification is taking place despite a steady drumbeat of criticism about the record-fast speed with which John Paul is being honored, and continued outrage about the clerical abuse scandal: Many of the crimes and cover-ups of priests who raped children occurred on John Paul's 27-year watch.

At the very least, she said, the church had learned as a result of the scandal, "that a person's dignity, especially a child's, is more important than the church's image."

Video montages shown during the vigil showed various scenes of John Paul's lengthy pontificate, his teachings about marriage and justice. Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, the French nun cured of Parkinson's, said that at the time she couldn't bear to watch John Paul's condition worsen because she knew his slow decline would be her fate.

J's Chimes: STGCC Photographs

And so the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention had come to a close yesterday. Finally here are the photographs that I've taken in the convention and they can be viewed by clicking on the links given below... Or you can also simply find the link located on the right taskbar labeled photographs and video clips.

Photograph links:
General Event
Cosplays

Unfortunately the End Of Year Cosplay Event 2010 clashes with the STGCC. Hopefully some passionate photographers will be able to post for us some photos online so that we could take a little peak at what's going on there...

J's Chimes: STGCC Day 2

And so today would be Day 2 of the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention. This time the convention starts at 11am and I would believe that there would definitely be a bigger crowd today because of the weekends. Having said that, the STGCC 2010 has been quite overly hyped up with its publicity and advertisements. However in my opinion, there weren't really much to see than last year. Hopefully I'm wrong as the major events will be held this weekend that will boost back my morale again soon... More info on STGCC coming soon.

J's Chimes: Preview Of STGCC

A little sneak peek at the layout of the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention. The convention will be opened today at 12nn so by the time you see this post, I should be there lining up for the entry... In any case, the location seems bigger than before but only time will tell once we reached there... (Click on pics to enlarge)


And here are the stage performances for the convention... Does seem nothing of interest though until I've seen it. This is for day 1 and there certainly are a lot of programmes going on on Friday. Guess it's bad luck for those who are working that day...


There are also a couple of freebies up for grabs in the STGCC so you might wanna take a look at the main website for more of these details by clicking here. Hopefully its enough to satisfy your entrance fees though...


For those still interested to go, I suggest you'd leave your house now and go line up for the tickets at Suntec City Convention Center. Might be a big crowd lining up for it. It would cost a bit more than expected thus be prepared with some extra bucks for your shopping too...

J's Chimes: Chips Hand

Hate to eat chips because it dirties your hands when picking it up with your fingers? Well I guess some creative guy came up with an idea of an amazing tool that will help solve your problems...


This interesting gadget helps you to grip any chips in your nag without dirtying your fingers. Works pretty much like a torch where you press down a button on the handle to activate the device.


It's not battery operated and works with a mechanism lever inside. And the Japanese even dubbed it as NBCS (No Broken Clutch System) which makes it sounds so professional... Interestingly, you would need to exert little force to grip a chip but would crack it if you push the button harder.


An example of a perfect grip... feels kinda strange though. Eating a chip not with your fingers but fingers that work using your fingers to control it...


Well if you really got some money to spare or so, perhaps you might wanna buy this... other than that, what's so difficult to just wash your hands clean after a snack?

J's Chimes: Anime Facebook

Fiddling around in your facebook these days and realized that some of your friend's pictures are replaced by animation characters instead? That's because a new social media campaign known as Childhood Cartoon Faces hopes to raise awareness of violence against children by encouraging Facebook users to ditch traditional pictures in favor of the cartoon images. This campaign would end on the 6 Dec 2010 which is today. Hopefully you too get to replace your pictures for an anime version type in support of this campaign. And then again who says anime are childish? Now this may be a big step towards spreading the wonders of anime. At least you know who likes anime in your friend's lists in Facebook now...

J's Chimes: Have You Bought Your Tickets Yet?

The Singapore Toys, Games And Comics Convention is drawing near and will start on the 10 - 12 Dec 2010. You can get those tickets online at Gatecrash or call their hotline number to order one. Also, you can actually purchase them at AXS or SAM machines located around Singapore. Had mine purchased yesterday and it cost a whooping $25 for 3 days entry. Well, this event only happens yearly so I guess we do not really have a choice... Buy now to avoid disappointment and lining up over at the convention area just to get the tickets for entry...

J's Chimes: The Singapore Toy Games & Comic Convention

With the end of the Anime Festival Asia this month, another big event will be held once again at Suntec City Singapore on the 10 - 12 December 2010. Known as the Singapore Toys, Games & Comic Convention, this event once again showcase the various toys and stuff from all over the world. Then again there will also be cosplays and special guests which includes AKB48 who will be coming for the event. Somehow or rather, the entry fee is $10 per day and $21 for all 3 days into the event. Interested viewers can preorder their tickets online at the nearest AXS or SAM in your neighbourhood or simply visit their website here for more details...

- Exclusive Highlights On AFA X -

Base on the photos as per uploaded by Danny Choo, it seems the layout of the AFA X would be something like this from the brochure. Thought the convention may look kinda small, but there are a couple of things worth looking for like for example AFA X has decided to bring in Itasha for display too. (Though am not really fond of Odex being in the event due to its previous incident.) Anime is to be enjoyed by others and brings in joy and happiness and without so, there wouldn't be stores selling anime goodies in Singapore now if people don't watch new animes.


For those interested to know of the programme highlights and performances, you can take a look at this event schedule. There are also a couple of exclusive merchandises for purchase and could be seen below...


First of all would be the AFA exclusives. This book features past AFA images and exclusive special guest images. It is a picture book with limited quantity and retails at $12.90 at the AFA shop located on the left of the convention hall... I will be grabbing this first as stocks are limited.


Another exclusives will be from the Good Smile Company which brought to you Nendoroids and scale models. They would be selling some straps, keychains (K-On!) and I believe posters of Black Rock Shooter. Would be trying for a Mio and Azusa Keychain and Black Rock Shooter posters... Prices are not shown so probably had to find it out right there...


Cospa will be selling some T-Shirts and keychains in their booth beside Good Smile. The Misaka Mikoto shirt is a must have... Prices are stated accordingly.


Other miscellaneous T-Shirts.


That Windbreaker with the Nerv Logo from Evangelion seems nice...


Some exclusive straps available at the Cospa's booth. Pondering whether to get the K-On! straps or those from Goodsmile.


Other exclusives would include School Days Cafe poster. Not not really sure whether you'd need to dine inside in order to purchase this.


AKB48 casts from the love dating simulation game will be performing today at 6.30pm at the Suntec City Convention. Enlarge the picture for more info. Tickets selling at $68 and $88.


Catch Danny Choo, Aira, Kaname, Clive, Alodia, etc at the main event and at the cosplay competition.

J's Chimes: Final Batch Of AFA X Tickets

J's Chimes apologies for not blogging on time due to the fact that the final batch of the AFA X were sold just this afternoon at Funan Center where Rapid Culture and La Tendo stores sells them. It was a pretty close call for me (Went there 45min earlier...) as the tickets are completely sold out 5 minutes after it opens its sales... Bought tickets for both days which me SGD$30 but am unable to buy tickets for the concert due to its extremely high price... In any case, have settled this finally and now it's also time for me to settle the arm guard too...

J's Chimes: 3 Years Old And Running!

J's Chimes is now 3 years old! Wow, time really flies and J's Chimes has really become really massive after 1095 days of posting... It really hasn't been easy just to maintain this website and keep blogging till now. All thanks to your support, J's Chimes would not have make it till now without you. Many thanks and hope that you could continue to visit us for more better updates and stuffs about anime!!!

J's Chimes: Exams Are Near...

Due to the fact that my finals are near, J's Chimes will update much slower this week because am hitting the books seriously... Feels kinda strange to be only studying for 1 module this semester because this this the only one left before graduation. In any case, posts will still be up daily so please stay tune for more updates...

J's Chimes: A Successful Presentation...

It was nerve-wrecking when the lecturer finally announced the results of our presentation and gave feedback for it. And when it was finally our turn, surprisingly our presentation was the second best in Day 1 of the 3 day presentation period. After all the hard work that we had put in, our efforts are finally paid off. Everyone in our group had really done a seriously great job in the role-playing of our presentation. It is somewhat unfortunate that we did not record it though... In any case, here's the complete introduction video of our topic titled 'An Introduction To Otaku Culture' which was break down to 4 main sections mainly manga, anime, cosplay and video games... A really big thank you to those who had made it all possible