If Nashoba wins BC, can she be HOY??
 

Assuming she wins that, which she has a good chance to, and assuming Curlin, SS, and Lawyer Ron all lose, I believe a case can be made for NK being HOY. That would be 3 G1s and 2 G2s.

I'm not sure what's less likely.....that she wins that race or is Horse of the Year.

another west coast horse going to come across country to get beat...just like citronnade did at arlington. yeah, i know citron had excuses.. soft course, etc. NK has a very impressive streak going, but NO WAY HOY - even if she wins.. which she wont

unlike azeri who had serious ability and had proven shipping was no problem for her this filly has alot going against her, and a short price. Nice filly in a weak division so she could win, should she be afraid of Indian Vale?

oh, I dont know...indian vale, balance, miss shop, ginger punch...is that a good reason?

She's going to run poorly in the F&M Turf....not the Distaff. At least according to the connections. I agree with 10 pt. Move Up....she should run in the Distaff.

What if Mandesha comes? To me she's like English Channel, any decent Euro will beat them.

well thats about what I would expect from that trainer, who is ok but always makes decisions that make me wonder....maybe she knows she hates dirt and that would make sense.

http://www.thoroughbredracingradione...y,1/Itemid,35/

Wow.. 11 posts about Nashoba's Key and not one use of the name of the "trainer".. It's Carla Gaines for those that don't know.. Above is link to ATR Archive page for Hour 3 where Gaines joins Ric Hammerle to talk about her undefeated filly and her career. (Comes in after 15 min. with Hammer..)

i have a better shot at winning HOY than nashobas key.

I don't seen any indication the best Euro f&m are considering coming over. Mandesha is going into the Arc, don't believe she would then go to the US. I think I heard that Peeping Fawn is done for the year. The BC f&m doesn't seem to be a front-burner issue for their connections.

It got quite cold rather fast recently and too many may have 'gone in their coats' (settled into a winter metabolism) to fly over to the milder US in late October. Time will tell.

PS. I don't see any horse outside of the group of Hard Spun, Street Sense, Curlin or Lawyer Ron winning the classic this year. Maybe Tiago could engineer an upset, but I doubt it. One of them could throw a clunker, or even two. But all four? Highly unlikely. These are highly consistent animals. Note I haven't included Any Given Saturday. I don't think he stays 10f in high-class company.

i'm not throwing in the towel on political force either...

Further proof that people are far more interested in the horses than human interest stories.

What makes you think that Nashoba's Key doesn't have serious ability? Granted she's only won 7 races, but she certainly doesn't want to lose. The BC will be an excellent test for her, you can't deny 7 in a row...and if anybody is paying attention, that's 7 races in one year! I think she might be the most highly raced Breeder's Cup entrant in the last 5+ years! In my opinion, she has absolutely no chance for HOY, but I wouldn't write her off for a BC win just yet, and with a win she could certainly be a top contender for champion older female and female turf.

certainly not if teuflesberg runs.

Or Curlin, or Street Sense, or Hard Spun, or Lawyer Ron......just to name a few.

Don't disagree that the horses are the focus... But unless they saddle themselves, run unmounted, pay their own bills and start talking like Mr. Ed, the connections are the portal by which we can prime the publicity pump.

And knowing how we both feel about the overly heavy spotlight on the super trainers, I'd think you'd agree that a horseman like Carla Gaines is highly worthy of some notation in the discussion of an undefeated horse she happens to train.

This is self-serving. It's of interest to you because it has to be right now. That's fine.

OMGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know what I mean and I know what you mean.. And I agree that the handicapping portion ("horses") of the overall equation in race media coverage indeed should deservedly outweight the human interest ("connections") portion.

I think Miss Shop has that sewn up for this year with 24 starts in 2006/2007.

I know you know;) .

I don't think the Eruo's will like Monmouth, unless we get a soft going. Right now, it's a brick.

I think she definitely would deserve to be a Nominee, even moreso than Rags to Riches who has been mentioned as being deservant.

The voting for the 3 year old Eclipse could be very interesting with Curlin having defeated Street Sense and an older horse in Lawyer Ron (who unless the unlikely happens and Brass Hat wins the Classic has Older Male pretty much locked up), Street Sense with a solid season and scintillating Derby victory and Hard Spun who has a good of a chance as any of these in the Classic.

Does Rags to Riches loose the 3 Year Old Filly Eclipse?

If Lear's Princess or Lady Joanne win the Distaff, my vote if I were given one, would lean to either of them.

i have a hard time believing rags will lose top 3 yo filly. many will think she only lost to lear's princess due to the injury that put an end to her year, and she's the only filly to take on the colts and win--and in the belmont to boot--while beating curlin, who now can lay claim to taking on and beating older horses, something the other 3 yo's can't say as yet.

edit~i forgot tiago, poor thing...

I forgot Tiago too and he certainly makes an interesting dark horse in the bid for the Classic and 3 year old honors although he is spotting the others many lengths at this point in his career.

Since the imaginary vote is entirely subjective, my reasoning for voting against Rags would be for the following reasons:
1. While she beat Curlin in the Belmont...really, was it as big of an accomplishment as it would have been had she defeated them in the Derby or Travers? I'm not going to go over the numerous posts of why she isn't even in the same breath as some of the greatest fillies of all time, but I do agree.
2. Probably the biggest reason of all, I'm tired of seeing horses awarded awards for half a season accomplishments.

Well, Rags to Riches also won the KY Oaks, and was winning Grade 1s during a the first half of the year, while Lear's Princess and Lady Joanne were barely running, so in a sense none of them had more than a half a year. However, I understand what you're saying. But, Rags to Riches did run, and only physical issues prevented her from completing the year.

Tiago got drowned by Curlin and Street Sense in their meetings. He shouldn't even be considered a candidate for any year end honors.

Do you not see the possibility of Tiago doing well in the BCC? Does Magnificience belong on the ballot at all?

I actually like Tiago as a horse but right now it's hard to see him leapfrogging so many seemingly better horses.

Magnificence is a huge talent but she's accomplished next to nothing. She's far less deserving than Octave.

Even if Tiago wins the Classic, this will only make HOY a jumbled affair. If SS, Curlin or LR win the classic they are in for HOY. Anyother winner makes it wide open.

oh, i don't think tiago would get consideration, i just mentioned him because i forgot he had also beaten older horses in his last race, rather than just curlin doing so.

I was responding to Sightseek.

gotcha

i don't see him getting any where close to any consideration, unless he won the bcc--and i don't see that happening.

but then, i didn't see funny cide winning the derby either...or colonial colony winning the stephen foster.

I believe that Any Given Saturday and Hard Spun both beat older horses in the past couple of weeks. But then, I'm not sure. I don't have a show so I have no credibility.

yeah, they did, didn't they. guess it's been so long since the top three year olds were still around in the fall, that i didn't realize...certainly a welcome change!