The Alabama - is there a prayer
 

of the tracking being fast for that race or do I need to wear a raincoat and galoshes just to watch it from my own home? I'm crossing my fingers because I hate big races being run on sloppy tracks and I don't think Music Note will handle it well, but that's all we seem to be getting at the Spa this year.

thanks!

She's an A.P. Indy - why would you be worried about the mud?

Didn't Rags to Riches win the Kentucky Oaks in the mud? AP Indys should have no problem.

Thanks for the link!

I'm worried because I always worry, lol. I'm not that familiar with how Indy's offspring fare in the mud, believe it or not. Music Note also ran rather an ordinary race in the slop, but that was her debut, so perhaps you could chalk it up to her just needing a race. I guess we'll just have to wait and see - I hope it's fast (or good) so that we get a good, fair race.

It'll almost definitely be fast.

well, I asked for a fast track and got it, but Music Note just wasn't good enough today. I'm not happy with the glacial fractions Little Belle set and I think MN should have been much closer, but she had her chance and just couldn't get by Proud Spell.

that was racing at its best.
Gabriel Saez redeemed the victory and revenge on music note. Great ride and one helluva race

I'm not saying this as sour grapes, but I'm not sure how great a race it was. Those fractions were suitable for trotting horses, not thoroughbreds. I don't think every close race is great. If MN had won, I'd be thrilled, but I would also be disappointed as I don't think she ran that well. I had a bad feeling all afternoon about this filly. I just got the idea that Godolphin was talking up Little Belle and that Music Note did not really flourish after the CCAO. Her work the other day, when she went 2 seconds slower than Little Belle, sounded a couple of alarms with me.

it did? i thought you seemed happy with her work, and how she finished up. and she only lost by a head today, not exactly a disappointing effort. looking forward to the rubber match between todays top two.

They will meet in the BC but not sure how good they will be against Zenyatta on her home court

I posted that above comment almost immediately after the race, which completely bummed me out. I had a bad feeling about Music Note, but more because I'm always like that before a race. She ran ok, but losing by a head kills........especially when she looked like she was going to win. This is the 2nd time I've had a horse come back on one of my favorites (the other being Mambo in Seattle against You and I Forever) and it sure is frustrating. She's still a nice filly, but losing this race smarts a lot.

Actually, she hung like a RAT. But she was all out on the turn to keep up.

It was entertaining, to say the least, to see GODOLPHIN BENT OVER. They tried to control the race with their rabbit and PS basically shoved it right back in their face.

At some point, Saez needs to come off PS and Darley might think about bumping Castellano.

right, they sent a so-called rabbit (which LB was not) to trot out fractions like 6 furlongs in 1:15.......

A really nice shootout between Proud Spell and Music Note.

That said, Zenyatta will be waiting. :)

she's going in the classic
;)

Zenyatta will go in the Distaff. That race has been her connections' goal since December and they have maintained that from the get go.

she will run in the classic...
if not the connections are crazy, right now she would be the favorite in the classic, who would be bet ? commentator, or student council ?
zenyatta almost has to run in the classic

While the fractions weren't fast, it's a mistake to underestimate them going two turns on this track.

The bottom line is two very nice horses put on a terrific show today. There was no real loser. The race dynamics were pretty much irrelevent.

big brown. with all his troubles, i believe he's still going to bc

I was thinking the same thing when i read that post. If little Belle was indeed supposed to be a "rabbit" Little Belle's jockey should be shot because Little Belle certainly didnt behave like one.

No, I think Little Belle was in there for insurance purposes only. If the pace was easy, she was going to try to steal it.

Why? He is Jones first call....no way he comes off....and the more I watch him the more impressive he is.....

I agree - Music Note is a good filly, so she doesn't need a rabbit. It's the Alabama, so this was a logical spot for Little Belle.

I really didnt think MN hung, it was more like Proud Spell refused to lose. I cant wait to see her out in Calif. when I go for the BC! Has anyone heard what her next race will be?

What I don't understand is why everyone (the racing writers and Larry Jones) thinks PS has locked up an Eclipse. She's tied 1-1 with Music Note and there is still the rest of the year to consider, even if that MN doesn't go to the BC. There are the races at Belmont, and what happens if Music Note beats older mares?

because she just added a win in the alabama to a win in the kentucky oaks? and of course there was the win in delaware. i'd think at this point she's had a better year. and of course her loss to music note was after a rough start, and horrible trip. not to say that she'd have won with a good start/trip, but certainly people will be willing to give her benefit of the doubt. she's accomplished more at this point than music note.

Per Steve Haskin article on bloodhorse website today, Proud Spell is most likely skipping the BC since she ran poorly on an artificial surface in the Ashland.

a lot of horses will be skipping the bc this year for that very reason.