I understand frustration leads some to make some pretty large and loud claims. Usually, I feel it best to simply ignore those loud voices and move along, but from time to time, the voices become too loud, and to remain silent seems to lend credence to what they are saying. For months now, I have witnessed individuals claim those who are not convinced that California Chrome is a great horse are somehow not true fans of the sport. Typically, those claims are never supported by any hard facts to show why those who don't believe so are less than real fan, much less to support why the horse is deserving of the mantle "great horse".
Let me start by establishing that I do not feel California Chrome is a great horse. I know that won't come as a surprise to those who have followed me on social media sites and those that used to but unfollowed me due to that stance. Here's a big difference though - I don't condemn anyone who believes he is or think they are any less of a horse racing fan or that they are somehow damaging the very fabric of the sport. Another big difference, I am happy to share with you the reasons why I don't think he's a great horse. Perhaps one day he will be deserving of that title, but in today's racing world, I find we are all too quick to latch that label on a horse, most likely we have been so long without a Triple Crown Winner. Note that I don't feel a horse has to win the Triple Crown to be a great horse, but that seems to be all that many modern race fans follow and base their opinions. on. So why don't I think California Chrome is great? To start, let's look at race record. I won't stretch back into the history books and dig up truly great horses like Secretariat or Man O'War or Ruffian or any number of the horses of days gone by. Those horses all ran in different eras, with different goals and values and on much different surfaces from today's horses. I give you two other modern era horses to consider: Curlin, who I feel is deserving of the great horse mantle, and Shared Belief, who I feel is very close to being deserving of that mantle. Horse Entered W P S California Chrome 18 9 3 1 Curlin 16 11 2 2 Shared Belief 11 10 0 0 Based on win percentage (any position but first is a loss), Shared Belief is the clear leader of these three with an amazing 90% winning percentage. The fact that he has raced less than either of these two horses is one of the reasons that I haven't called him a great horse yet. Curlin comes close to a 70% winning percentage while California Chrome only has managed a 50% winning percentage. For me a 50% winning percentage is not enough to stamp a horse as great. Even if you want to look at the race record from the stance of finishing in the money rather than win percentage, California Chrome still lags well behind the other two. Looking deeper into the race records of these three reveals that while Curlin never finished worse than 4th and Shared Belief has thus far never finished worse than 4th, California Chrome has finished 6th in three different races and 5th once. There may be some who would take it back to acknowledged greats like Secretariat and say, well his race record shows only a 76% winning percentage. While that is true, Secretariat amazingly never finished worse than third and on top of that, he accomplished amazing feats on the track. That's another way a horse, to me, can be considered truly great. What has California Chrome accomplished that has been an amazing feat on the track? He did not win the Triple Crown, he did not set any records in any of his wins, either in terms of time or lengths won by. You might say, well what great feat did Curlin accomplish? I point to the Dubai World Cup. He followed in the footsteps of another great horse by the name of Cigar and won. Not only is the race itself a test, but the trip is a rough, as we rightfully heard Art Sherman state over and over again. Both of those two managed to not only win the race, but come back and still win more races. Neither California Chrome nor Shared Belief have accomplished any such feat yet. They might still yet, but I can't call either a great horse yet. There is one other big area that I believe all great horses have, something far more difficult to explain or pin down. It can't be quantified in numbers or measured in hands, but it is something that I have witnessed in the big names and even cheap claimers - the will to win. Despite what some animal rights "advocates" would have you believe, I have spent enough time around racehorses and ex-racehorses to know that some of them not only love to run, but love to win. You can see it in the way they carry themselves and how they fight on the track. They may not win every race, but they want to. You'll hear racetrack writers wax poetic about the grit, the determination that this one or that showed in a race, and you know what they mean. Alone it doesn't make a horse great, but I've never seen a horse that I would call great that didn't have it, and that for me is the big reason I don't think California Chrome is ever likely to break through to the ranks of greats. I think Curlin's greatest example of such a moment came in a moment of defeat, the 2007 Belmont Stakes. I was there on the rail that day, and I wasn't rooting for Curlin. I had come to see Rags to Riches, a filly I felt should have gone in the Kentucky Derby. She would not disappoint me, but I saw two horses that day that both had "it", that indomitable will to win. In that race, Curlin made me a fan of his, too. I felt similar on the day Zenyatta lost the Breeder's Cup Classic to Blame. In that moment of defeat, she showed she too had "it". Shared Belief showed me that will in the Pacific Classic, his first race against older horses in which he was held wide much of the race. Instead of folding, Shared Belief found that inner strength to have his nose hit the wire first. As I watched the Dubai World Cup this weekend, and as I have watched the other races of California Chrome unfold, I have not seen this will to win in him. He seems quite content to let other horses go by him. I know some will point out he was wide in the Dubai World Cup. That might be true, but if you look at the data, he only went three feet longer than the eventual winner and take a close look at the Pacific Classic from 2014 - again, there you will see a horse taken wide who still found the will to win. The racing history books is filled with the tales of the great ones and their will to win. For me, I don't see that will to win in California Chrome. That doesn't make him a bad horse. That doesn't make me hate him. In fact, in all my years, I only ever said I hated a horse once and that was Affirmed. I was not quite four years old yet and he was continually beating my hero and love Alydar. Then, that was my natural reaction. Over the years, I've come to admire Affirmed and could never hate him, even though I still like Alydar better. I would never "bash" a horse either. Perhaps there are some bashing California Chrome. I don't like it if they do, but I won't go as far as some to say this is driving away potential new fans from the sport. If it did, they probably weren't destined to be fans anyway, and I argue there is a lot more wrong with horse racing that the industry needs to address if they want to build their fan base, but that is an argument for a different time and place. The beauty of horse racing like any other sport I follow (and in fact the beauty of our country) is that we can disagree. However, in disagreeing, we should state our opinions, back it up with facts and at times agree to disagree. Making blanket statements and labeling others as less than true fans from an emotional point is no better than my four year old assessment that I hated Affirmed for beating Alydar.
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My first AXS/Examiner article is all about music, bunnies and Easter.
http://www.axs.com/hopping-down-the-bunny-trail-five-best-bunny-songs-for-different-ages-45630 After several decades of working with writers and their quest for publication, you start to pick up on a recurring theme: the tremendous lack of knowledge the average writer has for the business side of publishing. With these "writer's realities" articles, I provide authors with an awareness that things may not always be what they assume them to be. If you are a writer, you should definitely work to educate yourself on the business aspect. Gone are the days (if indeed they ever existed) when a writer can simply sit back and let the publisher take care of all aspects of the publication of a work. There is no point that can prove more contentious in publishing than sales.
It's not surprising because money has been called the root of all evil for good reasons. Money can bring out our worst selves. Despite feeling compelled to write and wanting to share with the world, nearly every writer I've met seeks to publish their writing because they want to make money. That fact doesn't make a writer any less creative. It also doesn't make a writer any less sincere in their reasons to write. Wanting to make money from your work is not an indictment, but be realistic in noting that goal and doing your work to make it a reality. When it comes to sales, you are likely to be disappointed when you get the first report whether you have your work with a publisher or whether you self-published. Understand that the nearly all of the writers that you know and have read represent a small fraction of all published authors in the world. That's the first sales reality check you have to make. Most writers, some even that you picked off the shelf at your local bookstore, do not make enough to write alone. While that has always been the case, it has become even more true than in previous times. With the explosion of the Internet, the means to print more cheaply and the rise of a variety of publishing options, more people are publishing their work than ever before. The publishing dilemma for most authors has changed from one of can I get published to can I make a living off my writing. Again, the answer is largely - no. The big names that you see having their books made to films, that dominate the best-seller's list and that you likely enjoy reading are the exceptions. Expect to make less. Whether you are self-published or with a publisher, you most likely receive sales information from sources other than yourself. If you are with a publisher, your contract likely shows when you can expect such reporting. If you are self-publishing, you probably keep track of your own sales, but if you have opted to use a wholesaler or distributor, and your really should, you will be still be receiving third-party information. Here's your second reality check when it comes to sales, most companies, either publishers or wholesalers/distributors, are not crooks out to steal from you. You may feel disappointed and you may feel upset, but resist the urge to fire off an email to those businesses until you've let your emotions settle. It will not do you any good to alienate those businesses if they are with the large majority that are good, reputable businesses, and if they are crooks, they aren't going to admit it to you simply because you have reacted angrily. Once you have a bit of perspective, take a look at why you think those numbers are wrong. Then submit your proof and reasons in a professional manner. Your next writer reality for sales comes from an evaluation of your inner circle, your friends and family. Over the years, I have had many an author lament that they know their sales cannot be accurate because Aunt Martha or their good friend Bob bought copies and loved the book. Nearly all such claims simply didn't pan out. These people love you, but consider that they may be telling you that they bought a copy simply to protect your feelings. Of course, it can happen that a sale of this nature might be missed, but before you reach to a business to claim a missing sale, talk to your inner circle, have receipts that you can provide to show a sale that you feel might be missing. You just might find that the 100 copies you thought your inner circle bought was more like 25. If you're like most newer writers, I bet you check sites like Amazon.com and BN.com regularly to see how your book is "doing". What is the reality of that "doing" though? If you think views, reviews, ratings, genre best-seller lists or any of the other information a retailer site might offer equal sales, you are most likely wrong. Truly, there is no accurate way to tell by looking at such site information about how your book is selling with them. Non-human roving sites might be accessing your book's information, adding a "view" to the tally or someone might have been researching a topic that is a keyword for your book and then added yet another "view". As far as any best-seller list goes, they are all flawed. There is no true best-seller list and it would likely even prove to be impossible with the sheer number of new books published each day. I encourage you to look up the criteria for selection to the revered New York Times Best-seller list to see how even it is truly not indicative of overall sales. I think all authors would do themselves a favor to go easy on looking at supposed indicators of success via such unreliable information. Can a company make a mistake in your sales reporting? Absolutely. Most likely it's going to fall under the category of an innocent mistake, likely a clerical error. In checking your reality on sales, you of course, have a right to question a sales report you believe to be incorrect. The keys to doing it right, are to know your contract or agreement with the business in question and what it says on sales reporting and an audit if needed, have your solid proof (think receipts or other such tangible evidence) in hand, do not rely or quote how your book is "doing" on the basis of unreliable information like website views or best-seller lists and do so in a tactful manner. If you approach the subject of sales with such knowledge and reality, you will find that you have a happier and more successful relationship with the good businesses that can help you achieve your goals. While researching some information for the novel that I am currently at work on, I came across information about Dr. John Gottman's “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” when it comes to relationship behaviors. Although I hadn't been in search of information on improving myself when it comes to relationships, if you know me at all, you know I am always up for improvement, especially since the recent end of a relationship that I truly wanted to work. So . . . I dove into the material and am grateful for the happenstance that lead me to Dr. Gottman's information. In short, Dr. Gottman's information about these behaviors states that there are 4 behaviors that will lead to the deterioration and potential end of a relationship if not addressed and worked through.
The first of these would be criticizing rather than stating a complaint. I see this happen quite frequently in relationships. How many times do you find yourself frustrated that someone you care about did something, said something or forgot something? Probably a lot, we are all after all humans. How you react in those situation though is vitally important. It's ok to be upset, and it's ok to state your complaint, but don't make it a generalization when you do. If you catch yourself about to say something like, "You always do this" or "You never remember anything, and I can't count on you," stop. Think about how such a statement would sound to you? It would probably hurt, so it's probably going to hurt the other individual. Clearly state what your complaint is instead, make it about that one incident, that one moment, and you will likely have a more open line of communication and a better outcome. Next would come showing contempt in a variety of ways for the other person. This can be from either side during a disagreement, that is, the individual who raised the complaint or the individual responding to the complaint. Dr. Gottman asserts that these are most often non-verbal cues, things like eye-rolling, sneers and other facial expressions that convey contempt. That said, they can be communicated in language that contains sarcasm or that mocks the other individual. Think to a time when someone treated you with contempt for whatever reason and in whatever way. No one likes to experience these sorts of behaviors, so we should work hard to insure we aren't doing them to someone we care for. Our next horseman is one that we have developed over the years and that can serve a good purpose - defensiveness. We do need to look out for ourselves and set boundaries to insure we have a healthy self-image; however, when we use it as a tactic to avoid respectful discussions with someone we love, the relationship only further deteriorates. When we become defensive, we take no responsibility for what we did, and often, we seek to shift the blame to the other person. We bring up something that person did and try to claim it made us behave the way we did in the moment. Our actions and behavior are always our choice. If someone you care about is doing something you don't like, speak up in a respectful manner rather than act in a way that provokes the other individual. The last behavior outlined by Dr. Gottman is stonewalling. You don't usually see stonewalling until things have gotten very bad in the relationship, and it is usually only one of the individuals who does it. Without intervention, the relationship will usually fail if it gets to this point. The stonewaller is the one who disconnects from the relationship, he or she turns away from any conflict, acts like he or she cares less about what the other person is saying and indeed turn away from the other individual. Can a relationship where someone is stonewalling be saved? Probably, but I feel it would be better to avoid getting to that dangerous point. As I look back on my various relationships, I can see things that I did that made me part of the four horseman problem, but I also see some things that I enacted that helped. I rarely stonewall, and never completely do. As an optimist, it goes against my nature. I might stonewall in the middle of an argument where I don't feel valued, but I believe reconciliation is always possible. I am probably the most guilty of being defensive and that can lead to the other two behaviors, especially having it become a criticism rather than a complaint. I think right there is an important step one. Know yourself. Evaluate your past relationships, determine where you most at guilt when an argument happens and as a step two be mindful of those issues. As you become more aware and make yourself more aware of what your behavior problems are, and indeed what triggers them, you will find it easier to avoid those pitfalls. One thing I tried to do in one of my most recent relationships, was to set up time to openly discuss issues. I suggested we could ask questions without reproach, give compliments, answer those questions or not without reproach and voice a complaint. It worked really well. Unfortunately, we discontinued it as we got more comfortable, and I still think that was a mistake. Don't be afraid to get help! No one is perfect. We are raised with the idea that we have to do it all on our own and solve all of our problems ourselves. Sometimes, that's just not possible. In order to move forward, having help from a therapist might prove the only way. Don't be embarrassed or feel like a failure for needing help. If you really value the relationship, it's worth it. Lastly, I would say, don't beat yourself up. Sometimes, things don't work out, and even though you might have made mistakes, a relationship takes both people involved being invested and willing to work. Relationships take more work than work itself, but in the end, I may only be a romantic dreamer to some, but I feel they are worth that work, worth the soul-searching. If you are in a relationship that you feel is worth it, start an open conversation and begin the hard work to make sure it will last. If the other person is not willing to, know you tried your best, but be willing to move on to someone who will work with you. Thank you to CrabFat Literary Magazine (http://crabfatmagazine.com/) for publishing my poem "Teased"
http://crabfatmagazine.com/2015/03/teased/ Miranda N. Prather |
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