Northern Dancer - potentially nice payout here. I want to beat Chelokee here, but I am worried that Dominguez steals the race again from the front end. The track shouldn't be as kind to speed as Preakness day, but as much as I want to beat Chelokee here that is my primary worry. Do you guys see another horse to control the pace and keep Dominguez from being 3 or 4 ahead at the top? I don't think Chelokee has a chance from off the pace. Velazquez will probably be tracking Chelokee with Sam P.
Nakatani is up on Tsali? I don't like Tsali here, but Tsali stretches out from 7furlongs, and maybe Nakatani tries to be smart and ends up opening up the race for Prom Shoes, Sam P. and maybe looseleaf or zanjero???

I agree that Chelokee is VERY beatable. . . Don't know with who yet. . .

your own pick perhaps??

just don't see anyone with a clear shot, i think any of them could win it....and lately, the foster has produced some high price winners. who knows?

besides, i thought it would be boring to go with wanderin boy...

I'm confused.....because there were a couple longshot winners of the Foster that somehow increases the chances of the longshots in this year's race?

That makes a lot of sense.

Me thinks Wanderin Boy has a good shot here.

You don't have one? It's a must for handicapping.

Diamond Stripes

Loose Leaf

Me thinks not!

I am not a Kenny McPeek fan, BUT Loose Leaf absolutely freaked last time at CD in his first true route race over conventional dirt. I like him at a price over the typewriter horse Chelokee.

no

but i don't see anyone in here that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and don't see a need in picking a fave. that would be kind of stating the obvious, wouldn't it? gee, i think master command will win...what's the point?

The other reason that I don't particularly like Wanderin Boy here is that betting Zito's horses in graded stakes races and flushing your money down the toilet have yielded very similar results recently. (101 .05 $0.38)
But the MAIN reason remains the likely pace scenario.

It's about analyzing races....and saying longshots have won this race in the past somehow elevates the chances of longshots in today's race defies logic.

A reasonable analysis, for instance, of this race would be something like....

Diamond Stripes has shown enormous potential in all of his races, particularly in the Pegasus, when he overcame very real trouble to beat a decent field in a reasonably fast time. This is his first major test against proven horses but if one horse emerges out of this race to make a major impact in big races this year he appears to be the logical choice.

Master Command has certainly done nothing wrong this year but his record may be slightly deceiving. He had very soft trips, in soft pace races ( which won't be the case today ), against markedly softer competition. When faced with more severe pace scenerios, and more genuine horses, he has not performed particularly well in the past.

Magna Graduate took advantage of a very strong pace last time, in a race where the only real competition failed to come out of the gate, and is another who has not performed well, at least recently, under anything but the best of circumstances.

Wanderin Boy has clearly run a number of very fast races, and if allowed to make the lead, could be very dangerous even if setting a relatively fast pace. However, if denied the lead, which may well be the case if Mr. Umphrey stays in the race, he is unlikely to deliver his peak performance.

Flashy Bull, the only other actual contender in this race, has clearly improved, but was he game in holding off Hesanoldsalt or does Hesanoldsalt have trouble winning stretch duels? Certainly Flashy Bull was not flattered by the thrashing Papi Chullo gave Hesanoldsalt last week but it is also quite possible that under his new connections Papi Chullo may be a factor in major races later this year. This horse is a bit of a wildcard, in that he always had some potential, running credible races early in his career and now finally beginning to deliver, and he may have as more upside than most here, save perhaps Diamond Stripes.

These are the merits and possible drawbacks to the contenders in this race. I think Diamond Stripes is the likeliest winner, Wanderin Boy is dangerous if Mr. Umphrey scratches, and Flashy Bull may be possible, and is a use in multi-race bets if, like me, you do not like either Pletcher entrant.

While much of this analysis is dead on, I don't see how that makes Diamond Stripes ' the likeliest winner.' A possible winner, yes, if he is capable of stepping up a few notches and he may be, given how lightly raced he is. But likeliest? I've seen too many of this sort (Mayan King, anybody?) to fall into that trap.

In comparing Hesanoldsalt form, do please recall the 1-turn 9f vs. 2-turn 9f factor. Papi Chullo LOVES Belmont's 1-turn 8f+ config; he is 3/3 there. The fact that he beat Hesanoldsalt by many does not detract from 'oldsalt's TWO-turn form. The dynamics of the races are very different.

You forgot the fact that no horse whose name started with the letter "M" has won the Foster in the last 22 years. Every true handicapper knows that is the REAL reason Master Command and Magna Graduate can't win. Don't you know your Foster angles?
Also Danzig, I don't mean to pile on, but the fact that longshots have won in recent years is not only irrelevant (as btw pointed out), but isn't it also just erroneous? Am I crazy or did St. Liam win this race just two years ago? I don't remember him being a big longshot.

Do you bet?

Hesanoldsalt had a very similar trip in both of his last two races and Papi Chullos's recent improvement has more to do with finally getting with a competent training outfit instead of having an owner act as a trainer than your unqualified one-turn/two-turn mumbo jumbo.

at this point, i'm real sorry i chimed in. enjoy the races everyone.

Nakatani basically played his hand to take away an easy win for Chelokee, and Dominguez still gets the jump on the field. Lucky for him he only had to beat Zanjero's patented middle-move. Chelokee may have been best, but it was a nice ride.

Looked like Velazquez tracked Chelokee pretty well with Sam P. but didn't threaten. Loose Leaf ran pretty well form wise, maybe just not at this level. Prom Shoes is also probably a notch below but kind of ended up in no-mans land and I don't want to say Prado underestimated those in front nearing the turn...

What the @#&(*@&#(*@# Master Command. Where were you!?!?!

If Robbie Albarado gets the Eclipse Award then it's a sure sign the end of the world is near.

Gomez had a lot of horse.