I agree with you 100%.

I was going to let this go because your post is so absurb, but what is your definition of barely above average?

Summer Bird surgery a success
By Steve Andersen

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Summer Bird, the nation's leading 3-year-old in 2009, underwent successful surgery to mend a nondisplaced fracture of the cannon bone of his right foreleg on Friday and could return to trainer Tim Ice's winter base in Arkansas as quickly as the middle of this week, the trainer said.

The surgery was conducted in a backstretch hospital at Hollywood Park, where Summer Bird will remain for a few days while his condition is assessed. Summer Bird could be flown to Oaklawn Park on Wednesday if he has recovered sufficiently, Ice said.

"The surgery went excellent," Ice said on Friday. "We have a good prognosis. We'll look at him Tuesday. If he looks good Tuesday night, he'll fly out on Wednesday morning."

Glad to hear. I hope his recovery goes well.

Has a syndicate been formed yet? Where do you expect him to stand?

Don't think that anything has changed in terms of Dr. J's discussions with the farms he was considering earlier in the fall. I can't recall now either. Stonewall was one though...

For starters, 4 wins of 9 starts.

FM,

Gainesway the heavy favorite.

That is of course a ridiculous assessment Chuck. Once he broke his maiden, he was third in the AK Derby, 6th in the KY Derby, WON the Belmont, was 2nd in the Haskell, WON the Travers, WON the JCGC and was 4th in the BCC. That's a 3yo male championship campaign buy any measurement, and to be dismissive of him by glossing over the specifics of his season with 'he was 4 for 9' is silly.



On a side note, spoke at length with Ice Tuesday, and Summer Bird is doing terrific and should arrive in Hot Springs today. He will be at the track and Tim is pointing for a June/July return with an eye on the Breeders' Cup as the main goal.

Return to training in 6/10 or racing? At least they are hoping to race him again that is certainly a positive.

4 for 9 is barely above average? I think something like 2% of horses in training win 4 races in a year at any level.

Has there ever been a report regarding the percentage of horses who make it to the races that break their maiden?

For Steph Beattie 4 of 9 is below average

There was a report done a few years ago using all horses foaled in the US. Of course there is a wide gap between foals born in different places and the study used the entire horse population. I think it was around 60% make the races and 30% win a race? I honestly dont remember the actual numbers and they may be different. The Jockey club site may have the study

Even without the exact numbers...just shows how hard it is to get a horse to the races let alone the winners circle. Thanks

and i believe about 80% of those that make the races stay in the claiming levels.

tough crowd around here if 4 graded wins is barely average.

I was comparing him to the company he keeps, and will continue to do so. I've been too busy to pull up the charts and check to see exactly who he beat in the Travers and the Gold Cup, but I don't recall any world-beaters. As to the "Classic", I would take Colonel John over him any day, twice.
Edit-OK, I just checked. Though it's not his fault who he runs against, I'm comfortable not liking him.