Just for fun, Cowgirl's morning line: Hawkeye Handicap (Democrats)

If they're going to call it a horse race, here are some odds for the betting public.

Madame Secretary: 5-1 Not since the days of the great Zenyatta has a female contender so dominated the racing world. Experienced, sharp and ready to go, she is one of the toughest competitors in history and has proved her ability to play with the big boys. She has a tendency to loaf on the lead though, and is carrying far more weight than any other horse in the field. In addition, she seemed a bit blind in her left eye, in her last campaign when she didn't see the current champion, Chicago Kid, charging up from behind until too late and we could see history repeat itself today but as she proved in 2004 once engaged in a stretch dual she is a fierce fighter who will not be intimidated. She has the full backing of the establishment horseplayers who view past performance and organization as key.

Ol' Lefty: 7-1 This seasoned campaigner from Vermont seemed like the longest of longshots when he entered the race last year but that being said, the old warrior has been working bullets, "berning" down the track you might say and has developed a huge and highly enthusiastic fan base. A consistent runner with a fast closing kick and a devastating left lead he has become a formidable contender and looks like he could go all the way. Given the establishment support for his rival, if he can pull this one out it will be the biggest upset in racing history since the day that an undersized Vermont draft horse named Figure blew a pair of barnstorming Thoroughbreds off the track back in the late 1700s.*

Chesapeake Chaser: 50-1 Quick moving, aggressive and highly experienced with a great foundation in statewide competitions, this young speedball looked like a winner but has failed to catch fire this time out. Look to finish a distant third but of course anything can happen in a horse race.

*This really happened although since the horse, "Figure" was a sort of equine Paul Bunyan you can never be entirely sure what was true and what was not. Supposedly he was undefeated in flat racing, harness racing and beat heavy draft horses in weight hauling competitions. He sired a lot of colts all of who seemed to have his highly desirable characteristics of strength, speed and versatility and became the foundation sire of the Morgan breed. His descendants helped the North win the Civil War. The US Army set up a breeding program for Morgan horses since these were among the few horses who could live off the land and outrun and outlast the Indian ponies. Today many if not most Standardbreds, Quarter Horses, Saddlebreds, Tennessee Walking horses and various other American breeds carry his genes.


The Republican edition will be published later in General Discussion.