[MisterB]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The biggest - and possibly only mistake that has been made with DoC from a management standpoint was not running him in the Preakness.

Skipping the Rebel for a choice to run later in either the ILL Derby (a 500K race where everyone but DOC was elidgible for an n2x) or Wood allowed DoC to come into the TC series fresh and made him the most viable candidate to run in all three races.

He would have almost certainly finished 2nd in the Preakness - possibly even won the race ... after all - the pace was fast enough and the figure was just a 100. It would have been a great setup for him. Coming back in 3 weeks for the Belmont wouldn't have been a problem either.

DoC still has a shot in the Belmont. He is going to need some 3 way sparring between BB, CD, and Tale of Ekati - the same way Smarty Jones got it from Rock Hard Ten and Eddington - and he's going to have to play the Birdstone role of making the last run and mopping up the survior of the real battle.

This is kinda funny