hise saviors a few years ago.Its a little bit tougher when guys have no track record, Yost said. Would you rather have your core group of guys? Yeah, absolutely. But sitting in this seat, its about managing change and doing your be

New York racing, much like the city itself, never sleeps. As soon as Belmont closes its doors for the winter, Aqueduct opens its gates, picking up right where Belmont Park left off. Known as The Big A, Aqueduct completes NYRAs trio of racetracks and is the only one that can be operated during New Yorks unforgiving winters.I first visited Aqueduct just before Christmas last year. I was just starting to frequent live racing and hadnt been to any racetrack since the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont two months earlier. When I entered the grandstand it was clear that Aqueduct is quite different from its sister tracks, but I was immediately charmed by its quirks. From then on, Ive always had a special place in my heart for Aqueduct. Heres five reasons why you should love it too:1. The RacesAqueduct has one long race calendar, broken up into seasonal meets, that begins in early November and ends in early May. The calendars early highlights include the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and Grade 2 Remsen Stakes over Thanksgiving weekend, and the marquee events conclude with the Grade 1 Wood Memorial in April, which is a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.While many of the summer birds and their equine charges choose to winter at Floridas Gulfstream Park, quality stakes races sprinkled throughout the Aqueduct meet during winter keep a great group of horses and trainers up north.2. The TrackThe reason Aqueduct is able to hold winter racing is that it features an inner dirt track with a special, winterized surface. I also love the paddock, which is large and sunken into the ground, providing an interesting view of the horses and their connections below. Since Aqueduct lacks a backyard area, everything is on the same side of the grandstand.Every time Ive been to Aqueduct theres been a sizeable crowd, but its still easy to navigate the apron and grandstand areas. Most recently I attended this years Cigar Mile, which ran under a gorgeous pink sunset. Definitely one of the best days Ive had at Aqueduct so far.3. The HistoryWhile the connection between horse and track is not as storied as Saratogas, the likeness of Secretariat painted prominently on the side of Aqueducts grandstand is no coincidence. Big Red took his last steps on a racetrack in front of a crowd at Aqueduct in 1973 before being retired to Claiborne Farm.Cigar, a champion I was fortunate enough to meet at the Kentucky Horse Park before he passed away in 2014, began his 16-race win streak with victories in an allowance race and the NYRA Mile (now the Cigar Mile) at Aqueduct in 1994. The track also hosted the second-ever Breeders Cup in 1985.Aqueduct is proud of its champions, with photos of past Cigar Mile, Wood Memorial and Remsen winners gracing almost every wall.4. The CasinoIm not a gambler myself, but if you enjoy casinos Aqueduct is definitely for you. Resorts World Casino is large and new and boasts a wide array of slot machines, game tables and even a few restaurants. It was also New York Citys first legal casino.5. The PeopleFinally, the people are by far my favorite thing about Aqueduct. Since The Big As meet is primarily run during the winter months when its often unpleasant to be outside watching live races, it tends to attract the true fans of racing. Whether its Wood Memorial day or a card full of maiden and allowance races, the atmosphere at Aqueduct is almost as exciting as Belmont Stakes day.Ive also found that the fans at Aqueduct are some of the friendliest Ive met at any track, and many of them are willing to teach new fans the intricacies of the sport. On Wood Memorial day last year, I struck up a conversation with a man who told me about his time working on the backstretch exercising horses years ago. At Saturdays Cigar Mile, I chatted with a fan in a Preakness hat who gave me some tips for attending next years Kentucky Derby.Ive brought a few friends to Aqueduct as their first racetrack experience, and despite some temperamental weather, they liked it enough to come back. I have to give the loyal fans of Aqueduct some credit for always making race days a good time.Congratulations to Connect on winning the 2016 Cigar Mile, and heres to another great winter at Aqueduct!For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. Cheap Jerseys .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Fake Jerseys From China . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. 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PHILADELPHIA -- The Kansas City Royals won two straight American League pennants and captured the 2015 World Series behind a batting order whose motto was keep the line moving.The narrative went a lot more smoothly when the line wasnt frayed in so many places. Three months into the season, the Royals rank 14th in the American League in runs, and manager Ned Yosts lineup cards are a monument to improvisation. Mike Moustakas is out for the year with a torn knee ligament. Alex Gordon just returned from the disabled list. Lorenzo Cain just went on the disabled list. Kendrys Morales looked downright somnambulant in April and May before hitting .402 in June, and Alcides Escobars penchant for swinging at everything isnt quite as endearing as it was in the 2015 postseason.Given the circumstances, Eric Hosmer picked an optimal time to raise his game to the next level. Through Fridays 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Hosmer leads Kansas City in batting average (.304), hits (93), runs (43), doubles (18), total bases (149), walks (29) and OPS. (.851), and hes tied for second on the team in home runs with 12. He even has a two-homer game against Chris Sale, a distinction that should qualify him for some kind of award.Hosmer held a lead of about 600,000 votes over Detroits Miguel Cabrera in the latest round of American League All-Star balloting, and he appears to be a lock to represent the Royals on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego. Along with Salvador Perez and Cain, he has been one of the few constants for a Kansas City team thats trying to maintain contact with the magma-hot Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.Franchise icon George Brett consistently raved about Hosmers skill set years ago, so the events of this season havent come as a great surprise to the Royals. At 26, Hosmer is at the stage of his career where his accrued knowledge is catching up to his natural gifts.Hes got a better game plan, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Every time he steps up to the batters box, you see him adjusting to situations. His experience and success have allowed him to understand the art of hitting and be better prepared.Hosmer is doing lots of damage while seeing fastballs a mere 50.4 percent of the time (through Friday) -- the 11th lowest ratio of any hitter in the majors. Thats understandable given his gaudy numbers against hard stuff on both the inner and outer halves of the plate.Hosmers success is less a product of mechanical adjustments than an ability to think along with pitchers in given situations. He has made major advances through watching video, studying scouting reports and engaging in a running give-and-take with Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum.The numbers dont lie, Hosmer said. You learn if a guy likes to throw an 0-1 fastball, or if he likes to throw it as soon as he gets behind in the count.dddddddddddd You kind of adjust to whos on the mound and have a game plan each and every day. When I was younger and I came up, it was kind of see ball, hit ball. Nowadays, especially with the bullpens that teams have, its too hard to go up there and do that.Sometimes its about taking chances and not being afraid to strike out. We played Boston, and I saw [David Ortiz] swing at a curveball that went 55 feet. When you see a guy like him do that, you realize you have to go up there with that game plan and try and take chances. You cant be afraid to look stupid on pitches.Its worth remembering that Hosmer logged only 1,016 at-bats in the minor leagues after signing with Kansas City out of high school as the No. 3 pick in the 2008 first-year player draft. Eight years later, Hosmer and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey are clearly the crown jewels of that draft.This season, Kansas Citys injury issues have created an opportunity for infielders Whit Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert, players who werent necessarily in the mix during spring training. While Merrifield (a .315 batting average) and Cuthbert (.274 with seven homers) have responded admirably, theyve had the luxury of breaking in with a fraction of the scrutiny that Hosmer and Moustakas encountered as perceived franchise saviors a few years ago.Its a little bit tougher when guys have no track record, Yost said. Would you rather have your core group of guys? Yeah, absolutely. But sitting in this seat, its about managing change and doing your best to find players who can cover for you. Its important to keep as much stress as you can off them and have an atmosphere where they can thrive. Our players do a great job of staying loose every day.Not that the Royals are satisfied with the current state of affairs, by any means. Theyre last in the majors with 180 walks and 27th overall with 72 home runs, and their mediocre production with runners in scoring position continues to be an issue. But when the teams best player stands in the middle of the clubhouse and insists that good things are on the horizon, how can they not believe?Listen, Hosmer said. Weve been to the World Series the last two years. Were not a joke. Were confident in what we do and we know were gonna break out of it. A lot of people dont like to give us the credit, but we know how good a team we are.Every day, in the field and at the plate, Hosmer continues to do his part for the cause. With a little luck and some better health, the Royals could have a run in them yet. ' ' '