Spellman’s scorecard: Wild day of racing

Crazy Sunday:What a strange, strange Sunday it was at Arlington Park.It went a little something like this:First race run in a downpour.Delay until storm eases.Second race run with remnants of storm #8212; including lightning #8212; still lingering.Some jockeys not thrilled.Rest of card canceled.Weather improves dramatically.Fans sent home confused and unhappy.Bottom line: Not good.Oh, Jim Tressel:That sweater vest fooled me.Very clever.Shaq Prius:Sure it was difficult to watch the once-mighty Shaquille O#146;Neal struggle the past few seasons, but there#146;s no denying that in his prime he was a dominant force and always one of the most interesting and charismatic guys the NBA has seen #8212; on and off the court.He#146;ll be missed.Question:What exotic places did the BP Cup visit over the winter?And a follow-up:Who actually won the BP Cup last year?Reaching new heights:With his win last week over Lee Westwood in a playoff, Northwestern grad Luke Donald became the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.Side note: The only pro-am I ever played in was with Donald at Cog Hill. Can almost guarantee it was the only time he ever had a tee shot disrupted by an idiot, ahem, walking headfirst into a tent pole during his downswing.Just asking:If Carlos Zambrano was in the lineup every day, would he be your second- or third-best hitter?Saluting the General:In a nice touch Monday, Red Rabbit Racing#146;s General Charley, one of the most popular horses in recent years at Arlington Park, was given a little retirement party.The 9-year-old was brought to the winner#146;s circle, where he was presented with a special trophy consisting of carrots and celery as replays of his five-race winning streak last season at AP were shown on the infield screen.Enough already:If I see that guy singing into a spatula about free flooring one more time I#146;m gonna lose it.Safety first?One of the most amazing things about watching highlights of Indianapolis 500#146;s of yore is seeing the flagman actually ON the track waving the checkered flag as cars zoom past, missing him by just a few feet.That was just plain crazy.Straight up:Alfonso Soriano for Adam Dunn.Are you kidding?Of all guys, did it have to be Raffi Torres who scored the game-winner for Vancouver in the Canucks#146; 1-0 win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night?Oops:Late in Sunday#146;s running of the Coca Cola 600, Jimmie Johnson#146;s engine blew and FOX immediately switched to the audio between Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus.That turned out to be a mistake because what they got was Knaus yelling, #147;You#146;ve got to be (bleeping) kidding me!#148;Ah, live TV.Tit for tat:Would slots at the track mean a lower admission price?Perfect pitch:I#146;ve heard a gazillion versions of the national anthem over the years, and for pure spine-tingling inspiration, nothing tops Jim Cornelison belting it out at a Blackhawks game.But the award for best duo or group performance goes to the Punch Brothers for their rendition before Saturday#146;s Cubs game.And that was the only redeeming thing about the entire day. The Cubs lost 10-0.Wrong, but amusing:#147;The Indy 500 is so boring, I#146;d rather watch Tim Duncan#146;s Fundamentals instruction video.#148; #8212; Tweet by Darren Rovell, CNBC reporter 15002100Arlington Park chairman Richard L. Duchossois, left, and general manager Tony Petrillo were on hand to share a retirement gift with General Charley, one of the most popular horses at the track.Courtesy of Four Footed Fotos 21001500Whenever General Charley won a race and headed to the winnerÂ’s circle, there was always a big crowd of owners and friends.Courtesy of Four Footed Fotos