Kenwood Racing’s Original Sin caught the front-running

Lucky James wore down a stubborn Gulf Cat in the closing yards to score a neck victory

Mary’s Follies, a fast-closing second in a sprint stakes last out

Dennis Drazin’s Ever Always, sent off the 1-20 favorite, put on quite a show at Monmouth Park on Wednesday as she rolled

Jedburgh Stud’s All is Vanity rallied down the center of the turf course to post a neck victory in the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes

Repole Stable’s Go Go Shoot took command at the start

George and Lori Hall’s Nacho Friend swung wide for the drive before drawing away

Bea Oxenberg & Laurie Plesa’s B.B. Best wore down the front-running Formal King in deep stretch and went on to capture

Gardens outdueled Roxyana through the stretch and drew off near the finish to score a two-length victory

Rob Reidy owes his exposure to horse racing to his family, but he owes his victory in the $50 handicapping challenge at Monmouth Park on Saturday to his own aggressive betting and strategy. Although the 23-year-old Reidy was introduced to Monmouth Park by his parents and uncle at a young age, he uses a system of betting that is entirely his own. “I’ve basically made my own system from the trials and tribulations of wins and losses,” said Reidy. “You have to go with what you think is the best, and if you’re going to make a bet, don’t change your mind.” It was that exact aggressive style that helped Reidy secure a $400 dollar purse and entry into the 2009 World Series. With one race remaining and with the lead, he made a risky decision to not sit back and to instead bet all he had on the last race.

Fox Hill Farms’ Solar Flare romped to a nine-length victory in the $70,000 Frisk Me Now Stakes, and Donald and Mary Zuckerman’s Platinum Girl pulled off a 20-1 upset in the Little Silver Stakes on turf before a crowd of 11,452 at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Get Serious sets turf record in winning Elkwood Stakes; Joey P. dominates in Reilly Handicap

Monmouth Park opens this Saturday, May 9.

Filed under: Renting

What do we have in store for you today from craigslist? Nude roommates who keep slashing their rental prices, a guy who simply wants a massage every now and then, and everyone's version of roommate hell.

Read on for all this and more....
San Francisco: Enough with the female only
a great roomate/tenant shouldnt matter what sex it is because of sharing a bathroom, seriously folks do you use the bathroom at the same time even as women usually most huses don't..what does it matter if you're not in the bathroom at the same time..I'm a guy and a great roomate..having a guy around..has benefits..we fix things..you're safer because were a guy..finding a respctful cool guy has many benefits..

so you so caled modern women are stuck in the past like scared rabbits . to live with the opposite sex..it's kinda pathetic..really due to fact that women are suppose to stronger and more independent..in some ways yes but all I see as a prospective guy is ad after ad seeking women..

grow up, evolve, you might find a great situation with a man roomie..

comeone ladies..

Our Take: Comeone ladies. Doesn't this gent sound like he'd be roommate heaven on earth? Yes, no issues here. Enjoy your stay in roommate hell.


New York: $95 NUDIST COUPLE OFFERS YOU A ROOM FOR RENT! MOVE IN 2DAY!

HEY WE HAVE A NICE ROOM FOR RENT IN A BRAND NEW ROOM! WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SEX! WE ARE JUST COMFORTABLE IN OUR HOME IN THE NUDE! JUST BEING HONEST. IF YOUR A NUDIST NO PROBLEM, WE ARE VERY RESPECTFUL PEOLPLE.. IF INTERESTED LEAVE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER.. MOVE IN 2DAY IF YOU LIKE!

Our Take: I wouldn't want to have random nude roommates in my home, even for $95.

New York: $85 exhibitionist couple offers you a room

WE ARE A NUDIST COUPLE, HOW EVER WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SEX! WE JUSY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OUR SELF IN OUR HOME. WE ARE VERY RESPECTFUL AND HOPE YOU ARE THE SAME. IF YOUR A NUDIST THEN GREAT. LEAVE YOUR INFO.. THANKS

Our Take: Well, for $85, now you're talking. Bring on the random nude roommates!

New York: $50 one bedroom to share(female only)
one bedroom to share with a nice guy.i'm looking for a lady to share my bed with.don't worry no sex included.just a massage sometimes to time.i have a king size bed.nice and safe neighborhood.next door laundromat and a deli.

Our Take: No funny business here. This guy is simply looking for a lady to share a bed and give him a massage every now and then. Though that seems very sleazy, you have to factor in that there's a deli close by.

For more to keep you up at night, read other Rental Roommate Nightmare editions.
Also on AOL Real Estate.
See apartments for rent in your area.
Looking for a new home? See "Should You Rent or Buy?"


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Filed under: Design,Lifestyle

Design blogs have tackled stubborn issues with creative solutions this week. So if you've tried to shrug off the frustrations of a lack of space, only to have clutter re-emerge, find fantastic new storage fixes below. Then, keep it all smelling fresh and clean (sans chemicals), add a foolproof flower pot, and throw a dinner party that eschews stuffiness in favor of fun.Apartments aren't getting any bigger, as designShrine astutely points out, but there is hope. Combat the dreaded clutter by thinking "upward" and "multi-functional." Hallways and lofts also can serve as space-making places. Get the full scoop, along with product recommendations.

There's something soothing and satisfying about an apartment filled with stacks of books. But if your hardcovers have overtaken table space and nightstands, consider the alternatives: chic and simple storage and display options for your favorite titles, gathered by Ready Made Writer Megan Jeyifo. Taking cues from the nerdy-chic Book Lovers Never Go to Bed Alone blog, Jeyifo offers up a few suggestions, including unobtrusive wire shelves.

Of course, cleanliness goes beyond clutter-clearing. Keep things green and clean by whipping up homemade cleansers from basic items like baking soda, olive oil and vinegar, advises TheHome. These ideas include a fresh-scented disinfectant, a stain-removing scrub, and an oil-rich furniture polish that sounds almost good enough to eat. Also check out RentedSpaces' interview with eco-maven Sophie Uliano, author of the "Gorgeously Green" series.

We think Uliano would approve of this next item: self-watering pots. Every urbanite likes a reminder of the great outdoors, but not all of us have been blessed with green thumbs -- or garden space, for that matter. The Material Girls, a Dallas-based interior design blog, stumbled upon the playful, brightly-colored pots by Grobal, a company focused on devising innovative garden solutions.

Speaking of solutions, now that "rogue restaurants" are gaining popularity among apartment dwellers, it's time to scrutinize dining decor. No one wants a stuffy setting, but is it possible to maintain both comfort level and style? It is, says Houzz, which has several suggestions for making dining more enjoyable. Whether you try an unexpected coat of paint, unmatched chairs or unique light fixtures, there are plenty of ways to change things up before dinnertime.

 

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Filed under: News,Economy

Homeowners in Florida have one more thing to worry about with dropping prices: A disease is spreading and killing orange trees in abandoned lots that developers fled after the housing market crashed.

While it's doubtful that not having an orange tree in the backyard will prevent anyone from buying homes that are already cheap, agricultural officials are worried that the problem will continue to grow, due in part to "grove abandonment." A recent Wall Street Journal story reports that citrus greening, or yellow dragon disease, has spread because absentee landowners have left orange groves for dead, after not building homes on them as planned.

"That's not a good situation for any type of agricultural production, to have a neighbor not properly maintaining his area," farmer Marty McKenna told the Journal. "It's only a matter of time until it's in every grove in the state." #mini_module { width: 265px; height:200px; border: none; float:left; margin:10px; font-size:12px;} #mini_module img {border:none; width: 265px; height:131px; border: none; margin:0px; } #mini_module .mini_title { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:265px; height:131px;} #mini_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:265px; height:85px; background: transparent url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bg-short)} #mini_module .mini_item {padding:12px 0px; margin: 0px 20px; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #mini_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #mini_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;}
But dead orange trees are the least of the worries of anyone in the housing market in Florida, says Phil Peachey, a real estate agent with Florida Choice Realty in Polk County in the center of the state, which has more than 83,000 acres of citrus acreage -- the most in Florida.

"No one here knows anything about this, nothing," Peachey told HousingWatch, adding that while he is aware of the problem, it's not an issue for buyers.

"That would be the least of our worries right now," he said of the blight.

More than one in 10 acres of orange groves are abandoned in Polk County, according to the USDA. The county -- which is along Interstate 4 between Tampa Browse through photos of millions of home listings or search foreclosure listings and Orlando -- was popular with developers who wanted to build homes and sell them for around $400,000, but the market fell, Peachey said.

A 2,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bath house that sold for $350,000 in 2006 was foreclosed and recently sold at auction for $80,000, he said. The median price of a home in the county has dropped from $400,000 four years ago to $150,000 today, he added.

For homeowners in Florida who have or want orange trees in their yards, there's no stopping the disease, which turns oranges green and small before eventually killing the tree. Pesticides are partly effective to prevent the disease, but once hit, infected trees must be removed.

About half of the homeowners in the state have trees with the disease, Mongi Zekri, a citrus agent at the University of Florida, told HousingWatch. "It's a matter of time before everybody has the disease," he added.

It's easy to see when a tree has developed citrus greening. "It will start declining and you'll have no fruit production, and the fruit will stay small, will remain green," Zekri said.

Because there is no cure once a tree is infected, the USDA recommends reporting it immediately so that it can be destroyed and the disease won't spread. Although the fruit will be inedible, Zekri said that the tree's life can be prolonged by watering and fertilizing it, but that eventually the disease will kill it.

It's bad enough that abandoned homes dot the Florida landscape. Dying orange trees are another blemish on the state's housing problems.

For more on related topics see these AOL Real Estate guides:

• Best Landscape Design Options
  
• 5 Easy Landscaping Tips for Quick Curb Appeal
  
• Listing's Stale? 6 Ways to Land a Home Sale
  
• Landscaping With Low-Maintenance Lawns Saves Money

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Get property tax help from our experts.

 

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