Can anyone give me some info on these horses ?

[Echo Farm]

Shakespeare, Exclusive Quality on shelf 6/8/2006

Saturday's Belmont Stakes undercard is very good, but the addition of a few horses could have made it even better.

Shakespeare, a Grade 1-winning turf horse from last year, would have added to an already loaded Manhattan field. But Shakespeare has been ailing this year, and trainer Bill Mott has sent him home. Mott wouldn't be specific about Shakespeare's problems, but said Shakespeare would be off for some time.

"It's been stop and go all year," Mott said. "He needs not to be at the track for a while. He doesn't need the trainer training on him for a while."

Shakespeare won the first five starts of his career, including the Grade 1 Turf Classic Invitational, in which he beat English Channel. He last raced in the Breeders' Cup Turf, where he finished 12th of 13. Shakespeare resumed training in late January and showed two three-furlong works at Payson Park before being sent to Dell Ridge Farm.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do...1&subs=0&arc=1

Some nice photos of Shakespeare can be found here: http://www.barbaralivingston.com/gallery/album92http://www.barbaralivingston.com/gallery/album92

He also had a 16 month layoff due to injury from March 2004 to July 2005, returning to win a 50K allowance, a G2, and a G1 before the BC Turf where he was 12 out of 13.

[POINTGIVEN1985]

so hes at the farm... but not retired ?

[ELA]

I was incredibly impressed by Shakespeare. If that horse was sound and stayed together, we could have seen something really special.

Eric

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by ELA

I was incredibly impressed by Shakespeare. If that horse was sound and stayed together, we could have seen something really special.

Eric

It's amazing that he even came back from his injury as a 3YO.

Kitten's Joy, Artie Schiller and Shakespeare all in the same crop. Pretty impressive.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

well 2 of three aint bad..

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

well 2 of three aint bad..

Which one didn't you like. I thought all three were pretty terrific.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Which one didn't you like. I thought all three were pretty terrific.

never really liked artie..i guess he won bc race but i made a living betting against him...

[GPK]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It's amazing that he even came back from his injury as a 3YO.

Kitten's Joy, Artie Schiller and Shakespeare all in the same crop. Pretty impressive.

no EC Andy???

[blackthroatedwind]

English Channel is a nice horse but I think those three were better. I know Artie had distance limitations, and he tailed off last year, but he flashed some moments of brilliance. Kitten's Joy was, at times, extraordinarily good and Shakespeare may have been the best of the bunch.

I think each one of them, at their respective bests, would have beaten English Channel at his best.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

English Channel is a nice horse but I think those three were better. I know Artie had distance limitations, and he tailed off last year, but he flashed some moments of brilliance. Kitten's Joy was, at times, extraordinarily good and Shakespeare may have been the best of the bunch.

I think each one of them, at their respective bests, would have beaten English Channel at his best.

and he beat EC in the Joe Hirsch by about 1/2 head.

I think EC finishing 5th in the BC Turf as a 3yo behind 4 pretty good older Euros is nothing to be ashamed of. I believe that was the race where Shake finished close to last?? Was that were he got hurt?