Possible Belmont surprise entrant?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I'm sure it's FAR more likely not to happen than to happen....but, I wonder if Pete Anderson is entertaining the idea of running Delightful Kiss back in the Belmont Stakes.

With only five horses, and one Digger running to ensure the pace isn't allowed to reach a complete crawl......it has to be a little bit tempting for the connections....and it's not like we've never seen a Hobeau Farm colorbearer come back for a big race on short rest.

He certainly fits the profile of a horse who can grind and see out the 12 furlong distance. His father was 2nd in the race....and if you look back at all his dirt races...he was always staying on..and simply has never run a bad race.

Six career dirt races:

* Ohio Derby win over very modest field.

* 4th in the Arkansas Derby, but only missing 2nd place by one length, inspite of having the huge tactical disadvantage of racing last, 14 lengths behind a VERY slow pace.

* 3rd in the Tampa Derby. Only beaten 6 lengths to Street Sense and Any Given Saturday...while 14 lengths behind a fairly moderate pace, after a bit of a flat footed break.

* Gulfstream Park Allowance win. 2nd place finisher of that allowance race (Sightseeing) has since run competitve 2nd in the Wood Memorial, and scored a victory in a modest running of the Grade 2 Peter Pan. 3rd place finisher (Chelokee) was a troubled 3rd in the Florida Derby, and convincingly won his two other races since..include a modest stake.

* 2nd in Calder ALW race. On a day when SEVEN horses won in wire-to-wire fashion over a sloppy, sealed race track...Delightful Kiss closed from last place to just miss winning. The winner of that race has since earned stakes placing and the 3rd place has since won a stake race.

* 2nd in Calder MSW sprint. At 22/1 odds in his debut, closed from last to beat all but an easy wire-to-wire winner who has since earned black type sprinting.

While he may not be that much horse....Where is his bad race?

It's not like this horse figures to be a major player for the win slot in the Haskell or Travers....they are talking about the Iowa Derby next for him! And he's certainly far from a valuable stallion prospect!..so no need to handle him with kid gloves.

It's possible that Rags To Riches won't run....and if she doesn't, it's very possible Curlin and Hard Spun would hook him at some point in this race, as two horses who are vastly superior to the rest of the field often do, and it's also possible that one of them might spit the bit altogether.

I'm not making any cases for a chance of a Sarava-esque type win...but I think Delightful Kiss would have something of a shot at 2nd, a decent shot at 3rd, and a pretty good shot at 4th place.

Would anyone else be totally shocked if he's a surprise entrant?

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

And he's certainly far from a valuable stallion prospect!..so no need to handle him with kid gloves.

Gonna do this by memory as this horse was on my radar BEFORE his recent score:

I believe he's a gelding.

As far as they come.

[declansharbor]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Gonna do this by memory as this horse was on my radar BEFORE his recent score:

I believe he's a gelding.

I think that is what he meant. No value in the shed, so no need to "baby" this horse...

[Bobby Fischer]

At this point anything that could distribute even a few dollars to the pool would be appreciated.

I think Kiss would maybe fall into the category of the type of horse that flattens out going 12furlongs. Would be interesting to handicap.

It also wouldn't hurt to see a turf horse or two entered in the Belmont.

[Stall Mucker]

Gimme an O/U on 9 starters in the BS.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Seems nobody wants to go the mile and a half distance, if only there was a chance at a triple crown. What if this race (the Belmont Stakes) was the first leg of the triple crown??? One wonders.....

[philcski]

If this Hobeau Farm runner was trained by Jerkens it would be a real possibility. It isn't the craziest idea in the world, if he's healthy.

[sumitas]

the break between races is way too short.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

It was less than three months ago when Hobeau Farm's Miss Shop came back off of just six days rest to win the Grade 2 Rampart Handicap by 6 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park.

[letswastemoney]

Digger was enough surprise for me

[robfla]

Iowa Derby seems most likely according to connections

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

* 3rd in the Tampa Derby. Only beaten 6 lengths to Street Sense and Any Given Saturday...while 14 lengths behind a fairly moderate pace, after a bit of a flat footed break.

That break was comically bad, as he initially looked like he couldn't wait to get to the outside rail!

The head-on replay shows how wrong DK started in that race:

http://drf.com/tc/belmont/2007/preps.html (then find the 3/17 Tampa Bay Derby about 2/3 of the way down the page, click on movie camera icon for replay)

--Dunbar

[Lava]

Love the avatar Drugs July 14 Gomez will go down. I got my tickets last week should be a great fight

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Lava

should be a great fight

No doubt. All Gatti fights are