including some on here

I would say most is a better word Playa. I think hes a good horse but wasnt impressed as most of the others on here. Not sure what he ever did to deserve worthy of being a favorite to dominate any division.

He ran a nice BCC, he wasn't overrated, obviously something was wrong with him...Maybe they have figured it out and he runs in the BCC...If he's right, he's run faster than Bernardini has...It's rediculous to call a horse that obviously had talent overrated when he wasn't running back to his previous form...

There is obviously something wrong with him. He didn't work for over a month after his last race. If the horse was fine he would have been working.

With regard to next year, there is practically no chance that the horse will run next year. They may try to run him one more time this year and that will be it. Right now they are obviously trying to see if they can get him sound enough to run in the BC Classic. I think it's the Classic or nothing.

Rupert,

What did you think of Lava Man's race?

I thought he ran well. I don't know if he's as good as Bernardidni. He certainly doesn't look as athletic as Bernardidni but that doesn't necessarily matter. LM is kind of like a John Henry type. John Henry wasn't all that athletic but he was all heart. He would beat horses that you would have never thought he could beat.

I definitely give LM a shot in the BC Classic.

Thanks Rup...

I think he's got a shot as well, I think the whole shipping thing has been blown out of proportion with him...

Yes, there is obviously something wrong with the horse, and I would expect to see him in one more race (I'm banking on the Clark), and then they will retire him.

I don't think they care about the Clark, it's a G1, but if they were going to wait that long, they would go in the Cigar Mile, like Rupert said, it's the Classic or nothing...I think his stallion value is cemented and the Clark wouldn't do much to help, so why not take a shot at the Classic...

Yes, I agree. I don't think the Clarke does anything for them.

He would go in the Clark because that race comes up lighter than the Classic and it would help Flower Alley's stud value if he won it. Flower Alley hasn't exactly been great this year due to some kind of injury, and he could redeem himself with another G1 win (even if it is the Clark). Also, I would think that the connections would want the horse to go out a winner. He could most likely be competitive in the Clark, and he is not going to want to face Discreet Cat in the Mile off of the layoff. Discreet Cat would chew him up and spit him out. Todd Pletcher is great about spotting his horses, and I seriously doubt that he would want to run FA against that monster in the Mile.

It's possible but I think their goal has always been the BC Classic. I think that if they can get him relatively healthy then he will run in the Classic. If he's not healthy enough to run in there then I don't think they will run him anywhere. I think they will retire him.

Yes, and I think that we have talked about this before. I just don't know if they can get him relatively healthy. We'll see...

No way should this horse go in the Cigar Mile. Discreet Cat would cook him. I think they should train the horse up to the Clark and then to the Donn.