BarbaroII

[Merlinsky]

He's a nice looking colt with a good first effort and I'm sure he learned a lot (feels like I'm repeating a Nicanor observation from his first race). My eyes went straight to him after the break. Didn't need to be told that was Lentenor and that's before I could see the silks. The latest yearling looks more like Dynaformer right? Less Barbaro/La Ville Rouge-esque. It looked to me like before Lentenor got clear in the stretch he had to check a bit behind that chestnut but I wasn't sure from the angle. Some 2yos wig out when they get into traffic on their first start don't they? He actually kept on truckin' and I'm sure Julien didn't wanna bust a gut to finish a closer 3rd. Like Nicanor, you feel like you can see him doing better next time for sure.

Just working off of that little bit we saw, he looks promising. I heard Matz had planned earlier starts that didn't pan out--I assume they didn't fill. Why was he 8-1 when Nicanor took lots of $$ ? Hasn't he always or almost always been favored? 'Fans of Barbaro' and all.