It's the little things...

When you're gainfully employed, married and the father of two...it's not reaching a WPT final table that gets your blood boiling...it's not playing a nassau for the equivilent of an African nation's GNP...or even a simple cup of coffee with the cute, but approachable "dancer" dressed as the schoolgirl because she is a journalism student and wants to discuss AP style...no...it's the little things.

This morning's Dubai card was one of those little things. Like the British Open, it is on in the US before most people are awake. Correction. Before most people without children are awake. Parents know that alarm clocks are not necessary. Parents know that the soldiers aren’t the only ones that do more by 10 a.m. than most do all day. And only parents can successfully turn on the Disney Channel, prop their children against their shoulder and play .10/.25 PL Omaha 8 while sucking down the lifeblood that is coffee.

But there aren’t many people playing O8 that time of the morning and there isn’t much else to attract the attention of those over the age of four at that time of the morning either. Except for the rare instances like the British Open and Dubai. I have to say the camera angles of the Dubai races are both intriguing and nauseating at the same time. Especially when sleep deprived and struggling through another episode of Little Einsteins. But purses of over $25 million attract the world’s best jockeys, trainers and equines and the travel and the climate always make for interesting results.

I only bet one of the races and cashed. The Dubain Duty Free turf represented fantastic value with everyone’s favorite “bet-against” Lava Man in the field. He was an easy toss and putting English Channel and the two Japanese superstars over some shots in an exacta provided a $180 payday.

But obviously all eyes were on the World Cup. Would Discreet Car prove to be the freak everyone touted him as? Could Invasor run back off the profitable Pick-Three-capping performance in the Breeder’s Cup? Does anyone ACTUALLY play tennis at the top of that building in all the Dubai commercials? Okay, that doesn’t have anything to do with the World Cup, but you know you’re curious.

While we didn’t get the tennis question answered, Discreet Cat ran like a three-legged greyhound and Invasor proved he is far and away the best horse in training. When will people stop doubting this horse? They continue to prop the “freaks” up against him…Bernardini, Lava Man *cough* and Discreet Cat. And one by one he dispatches them in professional and resounding fashion.

Kind of like Ohio State has had detractors all year despite losing three games. AT North Carolina (minus Oden). AT Florida (barely with Oden). And AT Wisconsin. (With a healthy Brian Butchahahaha … I couldn’t get that out). They took care of business against Georgetown tonight and will play Florida on Monday night. Someone said it will be the second time in 2007 that Ohio State played Florida for a national championship. I don’t remember any football game. Never happened.