Sumwon Update

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Just a freshening, she's been in training for a while.

yes, she has. time for a break. they all need one from time to time.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yes, she has. time for a break. they all need one from time to time.

As Chuck said, better to take one now by choice than later by necessity. Those mile and forty yards at Fairgrounds should be perfect for her.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

As Chuck said, better to take one now by choice than later by necessity. Those mile and forty yards at Fairgrounds should be perfect for her.

yeah, someone said that if 9f doesn't fit her, than saratoga wouldn't be the right place for her...

whatever needs to be done to keep her happy and healthy. that is more important than anything.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yeah, someone said that if 9f doesn't fit her, than saratoga wouldn't be the right place for her...

whatever needs to be done to keep her happy and healthy. that is more important than anything.

She won't be her best at 9 furlongs but I am pretty confident if we ran that race on Saturday with the track conditions the way they were that she would have won.

[dellinger63]

From what Chuck said a week before her race Sunday, she was going to run once and maybe twice regardless of outcome, before getting a rest. But I understood the aim was running as a 4-yr old (after the 1rst of the year) as the FG's cards restricted races for 4 yr old mares that often come up light. It sounds like he is following through with that plan.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

From what Chuck said a week before her race Sunday, she was going to run once and maybe twice regardless of outcome, before getting a rest. But I understood the aim was running as a 4-yr old (after the 1rst of the year) as the FG's cards restricted races for 4 yr old mares that often come up light. It sounds like he is following through with that plan.

If we rest now we can probably get started in December.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I'm curious Sniper or anyone else that thinks it, why do you think the track was so different from Saturday to Sunday? What was so different?

Only one horse (the winner of the 3rd) did anything on the rail in the stretch on Sunday. Both the routes had six furlong splits around 1:13 and the horses stopped at the exact same point on the rail in the stretch. The day before there was the Three in the Bag race where he ran six in 1:10 and then held on to win on the rail over a bunch of superior horses. My guess would be there were some complaints about the Three in the Bag race on Saturday and so they tried to slow down the rail and wound up overcompensating.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Loose Leaf came roaring up the inside in the 8th at about the same path Sumwon was in.

I disagree about the Three in A Bag race. Who was so superior in there and please don't say Dr. Pleasure. Chekhov? Communicator? Three in a Bag ran his eyeballs out, but I don't think it was the track that carried him. He ran the race of his life and there was very little quality behind him. First time Tony Dutrow, at 28% isn't an accident either. It's not like the rail was so great Saturday either, because in the second the horses on the outside into the lane ran 1-2. Silver Source won the 4th from the 10 hole, with a 3-4 wide trip. And Boca grande ran well for second in the Test way out there. I think the track has been pretty fair.

The track has been fair as far as speed/closing but the middle of the track has been where you want to be. I haven't seen jocks RAIL skimming at all. they are one-two paths out.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Scav

The track has been fair as far as speed/closing but the middle of the track has been where you want to be. I haven't seen jocks RAIL skimming at all. they are one-two paths out.

Yeah, it is worth noting that both horses that finished up in 40+ after 1:13 fractions were ridden by Calvin who probably had them closer to the rail than most other jockeys do. The few other horses not on the lead I saw skim the rail seemed to stop around the same spot as well. I'll have to go back and see where Loose Leaf was when I get a chance.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Both Friday and Saturday the opening races were won by a horse skimming the rail.

I agree that the rail was pretty good on both Friday and Saturday. I think both yesterday and today it wasn't the best place to be though.

[ddthetide]

several of us had this conversation saturday during the 10th race. NO horse went gate-to-wire until the 8th and 9th races. any horse on the lead all "bogged" down in the same place, right about the 1/8th pole and the closers ran by, word i used was quicksand.. our thought for sunday was, if we have to be on the lead, try and go gate-to-wire, after seeing it finally done. both times it was done, the lead horse had about 1 1/2 length lead and the gaps never changed by the wire.
Sumwon fought off the 8 to just before the 1/16th pole, suddenly the 8 explodes by her followed by the 6-7. she was tiring but never quit but didn't have the fight like at CD.
had it been the 7th race sunday it may have been different.

[SniperSB23]

For anyone curious this is what the Fair Grounds stakes schedule looked like last year. You can see what a perfect schedule setup there is if we could get in and win a December allowance.

http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com...takes_sked.pdf

Jan. 20 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Truly Bound Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

Feb. 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Chou Croute Breeders’ Cup Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

March 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Fortin Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 mile

[Many Others]

all of this is rocking good news - Carnival comes early in 2008, February 5th is Fat Tuesday, if Sumwon found herself in a nice little stakes races sometime in late January would make for a great weekend in New Orleans...

of course have to get through 2007 first, just thinkin ahead!

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

For anyone curious this is what the Fair Grounds stakes schedule looked like last year. You can see what a perfect schedule setup there is if we could get in and win a December allowance.

http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com...takes_sked.pdf

Jan. 20 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Truly Bound Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

Feb. 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Chou Croute Breeders’ Cup Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

March 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Fortin Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 mile

[Benny Leger]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I'm curious Sniper or anyone else that thinks it, why do you think the track was so different from Saturday to Sunday? What was so different?

Having been there on Sat. and Sun. it seemed to me that the track was faster, later in the card on Sat. At least two winners went "box to wire" leading up to Dream Rush's awesome effort in the Test. Maybe the track super juiced it up for the graded stakes race. IMO they were not getting over it as well on Sun.

[southerndutch]

Benny: I agree with you wholeheartedly. As I mentioned to you on Saturday the track was what concerned me the most. You bolted pretty quickly on Sunday. When did you get in?

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by southerndutch

Benny: I agree with you wholeheartedly. As I mentioned to you on Saturday the track was what concerned me the most. You bolted pretty quickly on Sunday. When did you get in?

calvin did what we thought get her out front and hope the track at the 1/8 pole holds when they get there. it didn't and Sumwon was tired.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

As Chuck said, better to take one now by choice than later by necessity. Those mile and forty yards at Fairgrounds should be perfect for her.

i think you're right about that.

[Scav]

Those Churchill races were grueling, and don't forget she has already improved tenfold, alot going on for her in the last 4 months. She gets 75 days to chill and then she is ready to go in the durty.

Personally, from a sheet perspective, my guess is that she finally 'bounced', for lack of a better term, to about a 10.5 or 11, time to chill

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by Scav

Those Churchill races were grueling, and don't forget she has already improved tenfold, alot going on for her in the last 4 months. She gets 75 days to chill and then she is ready to go in the durty.

Personally, from a sheet perspective, my guess is that she finally 'bounced', for lack of a better term, to about a 10.5 or 11, time to chill

She got a 76 Beyer.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

She got a 76 Beyer.

I ordered her TG sheet, I"ll post it as soon as I get it. May take them one more day after a weekend.

I think the 1 1/8 distance was a good try for our girl, considering how she always has tried to come back on any horse that passed her. Seeing if she could do it given a little more distance made sense to me, she's ended up repassing those winners at Arlington and CD just past the wire. Good try for our girl.

I also noticed Chuck tried a copper-mouth bit on her this race (tried a tongue-tie last race) Also noticed that Calvin, being taller than Willie, ends up a bit more forward over the horse. Neither means anything special - just things I noticed

I think, if Chuck thinks she's good for it, the race later in Saratoga sounds just up her alley. And hopefully I could be there!

Thanks to everyone for all the pictures - they are awesome. Most horse owners are lucky to get a win pic - we not only have constant comment and open dialogue from Chuck and Steve, we also have all these terrific candids and "on site reports" from every race she's been in, plus the barn pictures. Wonderful! Sumwon has an awfully thick scrapebook