9/24 (PRX): Pennsylvania Derby (G2), Gallant Bob S., Roanoke S.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

I'm talking about the ride he got in the Travers. Although he did rally late down on the dead rail in the Haskell. I thought he was interesting in the Travers thinking he probably needed the Haskell.

In the Travers, Valdivia asks out of the gate which I don't really understand. He was in a decent enough spot down the backstretch and then Valdivia puts in him in a full drive as they hit the 3/4's pole. He looked beaten but he sort of re-rallied late and was only beaten 4 for the whole thing. I'm reaching, but I think he his good race, with a more patient ride can win this.

Wow, I totally forgot that they ran him in the Travers.

Valdivia hustled him out in the Belmont too. I'm thinking that maybe if Ruler needed the Haskell, then the connections thought that maybe Shack needed that race too. He is the horse they really feared, so they were going to employ the same type of race/tactics as the Belmont and try to keep close with Shack breaking from the outside.

Granted maybe Valvidia moved him early, but to me it looked like Ruler was starting to go backwards at that point and Valvidia was just trying to keep him in the race. He rallied and didn't miss third by that much. I don't think Valvidia did anything wrong, but obviously
Gomez > Valvidia.

I just think that his Belmont win was a combination of the slop and him being in the perfect position. He just seems like that in between type of horse, not really fast enough to be on the lead and doesn't have enough of a kick to really come from the clouds. He just needs an ideal set up, like he got at Belmont.