Pell Bridge, Newport

 

Pell Bridge, Newport, RI, October 10, 2009

 

 

Stuck at the top

Cedar Point, interestingly enough, has a blog.  This entry reports on an incident in May where a full car was perfectly balanced on top of the Top Thrill Dragster.  They were up there 10-15 minutes.  I guess someone on the staff has to climb up and push the car off the top.

All you need to know when visiting Tsukiji

Great post on the Nihon Sun site, with a number of useful links, giving the lowdown on visiting the Tsukiji fish market.

Japan: Roppongi doings

Stars and Stripes carries an article about Tokyo’s Roppongi section, famous for its heavy foreign influence and nightlife. The article carries some recent reports of U.S. soldiers, as well as Japanese folks, being drugged and having their credit cards overcharged in some of the clubs. Via Japundit.

Video: I Love New Tokyo

Found this through Yien Jee and Japundit. A neat video by Miles in London.

Travel: South Florida

Just a couple notes and pictures from recent trip to South Florida. I previously posted about the Fasig-Tipton Calder thoroughbred sale.

Here’s my review of Summerland Suites, where I stayed in Fort Lauderdale.

Fasig-Tipton Calder Sale 2009

Last Tuesday, March 3, I attended the Fasig-Tipton Calder 2009 thoroughbred sale at Calder Race Course in Miami, an auction of two-year-olds in training. For someone with money looking to purchase a potential Kentucky Derby winner, it might be their best shot. The sale attracts the elite of the global thoroughbred racing and breeding world.

With the bad economy, prices were down from previous years, but the sale went better than some participants had feared. Three horses were sold for seven figures, with the top price of $1.6 million being paid for Cup o’ Joe, a bay colt sired by Medaglia d’Oro. The purchaser was John Ferguson, principal bloodstock adviser for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

I took the picture below during the bidding for Cup o’ Joe. Bob Baffert (white hair, facing away), trainer of multiple Kentucky Derby winners, confers with client Kaleem Shah. The current bid is $700,000 and the assistant auctioneer (at the right in front of the horse) is prompting Shah and Baffert for a bid. Shah and Baffert had come in a few minutes before and sat in front of me.

 

Kaleem Shah and Bob Baffert confer with the bid at $700,000.

Japan’s World Heritage Sites

Here is a site with info on and pictures of Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites (cultural and natural). Via Nihon Sun, which is a great site for those interested in Japan or traveling there.

Forbes picks Ann Arbor as best “college sports town”

This really seems to rank “best towns with large universities.” Four of the top ten are Big Ten towns (Madison, State College, and Bloomington also make the list).

Michigan Football: New Dhani Jones travel show

Dhani Jones, Michigan grad who currently plays linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals (his other pro stints were with the Giants and Eagles), will host a Travel Channel show where he goes to various places around the world and plays their games. It premieres March 16 at 9PM.