4/11 (KEE): Blue Grass; Jenny Wiley; Commonweath; Shakertown

[Sightseek]

I kinda like Terrain in the Blue Grass.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by pgardn

On topic: Why should I think Terrain has a decent
chance in the Blue Grass? Please explain why he is
a throwout.

I'll take a stab. First, there is the fact that he hasn't finished first in a race since the Mountaineer Juvenile at 6f. Yes, he was moved up to first in a double DQ, but he looks like one of those horses who are always hitting the board without winning. Must use underneath in exotics, not for win. How's that?

Ok then I will take General Quarters
to get rammed up the rear of Mufaaz
courtesy of Rebar Coa in a unique fused horse
win/place finish.

[HaloWishingwell]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Doug O'Neill was quoted as saying this is a very stupid plan.

And O'Neill has been spot on with every move he has made? Never taken chances? McLaughlin will either be right or look like I desperate wrong trainer.

[Pedigree Ann]

One thing that we have to consider these days is whether the horse was bred to mature early and excel at 2 or not. Such horses will look really good at 2 but will get no better at 3, sort of like Arazi, the poster child of this sort. Meanwhile others of the crop will have improved with maturity from 2 to 3, catch up and surpass the juvenile hotshots.

The clearest example of this currently is Beethoven. He is by a stallion who reached his peak at 2 out of a mare who reached her peak at 2. I didn't expect him to go on at 3, based on what he was bred to be, and he hasn't.

Now when you get a horse who isn't bred to be an early maturing sort and STILL beats them all at 2, like Hoist the Flag, then you know you have a real racehorse.

[CSC]

Nice to see a Gr.2 race come up like a Gr.1 in the Jenny Wiley. Visit has been a dissapointment since a promising debut in NA, I think she will offer abit of value today. Looking for a better race from her 1st time out east.

[HaloWishingwell]

Scratches & Changes


6th Race -- Shakertown (G3)
#7--Rollers--SCRATCH
#8--Fort Prado--SCRATCH
#13AE--Goldphin Gray--Runs
#14AE--Stradivinsky--SCRATCH

7th Race -- Commonwealth (G2)
NO CHANGES

8th Race -- Jenny Wiley (G2)
#4--Ballymore Lady--SCRATCH
#9--Visit--SCRATCH

9th Race -- Toyota Blue Grass (G1)
NO CHANGES

Track Conditions, Maintenance & Weather
Saturday, April 11, 2009 11:00 AM
The Polytrack is fast; the turf course is yielding; the rail is down

Forecast is sunny and 60 degrees today; check back throughout the day to see if the condition of the turf course is upgraded
We received about 1.5 inches of rain yesterday.

The Gallop Master will be used twice today after training; once at 4 inches; a second time at 3 inches. It will be used again after races 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8.

[HaloWishingwell]

Noticing that the Gallop Master will be used just before the Blue Grass. Does it tend to cause any kind of bias on this surface?

[CSC]

Visit's a scratch, thanks...

[philcski]

Originally Posted by CSC

Visit's a scratch, thanks...

Frankel knows she wasn't beating Forever Together under any circumstances. She could lose today, but it wasn't going to be to Visit.

I'm starting to think that Frankel's daughter has bigger balls than him.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by philcski

Frankel knows she wasn't beating Forever Together under any circumstances. She could lose today, but it wasn't going to be to Visit.

Next time he is on ATRAB, that would be a great question, why does he scratch so often?...I'm sure I am not only bettor that gets driven crazy by this. Anyway we will never know now, Forever Together is a really good horse but I have to think she will need one before she hits top form. Thus I was willing to take her on today.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

One thing that we have to consider these days is whether the horse was bred to mature early and excel at 2 or not. Such horses will look really good at 2 but will get no better at 3, sort of like Arazi, the poster child of this sort. Meanwhile others of the crop will have improved with maturity from 2 to 3, catch up and surpass the juvenile hotshots.

The clearest example of this currently is Beethoven. He is by a stallion who reached his peak at 2 out of a mare who reached her peak at 2. I didn't expect him to go on at 3, based on what he was bred to be, and he hasn't.

Now when you get a horse who isn't bred to be an early maturing sort and STILL beats them all at 2, like Hoist the Flag, then you know you have a real racehorse.

Arazi is a bad example. Perhaps you missed the Kentucky Derby he ran in. He was even better than he was in the BC Juvenile.

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Arazi is a bad example. Perhaps you missed the Kentucky Derby he ran in. He was even better than he was in the BC Juvenile.

What? he ran a well-beaten eighth in the Derby. Are you trying to tell me that Lil E. Tee, Casual Lies and Dance Floor were better horses than Bertrando, who was second in the Juvie? Or were you trying to be sarcastic? Can't tell oftentimes, without a clue of some sort.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Pedigree Ann

What? he ran a well-beaten eighth in the Derby. Are you trying to tell me that Lil E. Tee, Casual Lies and Dance Floor were better horses than Bertrando, who was second in the Juvie? Or were you trying to be sarcastic? Can't tell oftentimes, without a clue of some sort.

I know where he finished. I also know what kind of race he ran. That's why I wonder did you actually see the race or are you just going by the final results? In that Derby, he made another run which, to me, was more impressive than the BC run was. He passed every horse in moving from last place and was right there at the top of the lane. It's my belief that his not finishing had more to do with the fact that he'd had the surgery and only one 8f prep race between the BC and the Derby, that race being on grass in Europe, than it had to do with him not getting any better.

[King Glorious]

Hold Me Back over Patena with Charitable Man and Join in the Dance battling for third.

[Mike]

I'm taking Charitable Man, he's going to be all the talk on the Derby Trail(until Square Eddie destroys the Lexington imposters next Saturday)

Got Backseat Rhythm next

[philcski]

Originally Posted by philcski

Frankel knows she wasn't beating Forever Together under any circumstances. She could lose today, but it wasn't going to be to Visit.

I take it back, she wasn't losing to anyone. She won in a gallop, despite a glacial 1:17 pace. She is a true champ.

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I know where he finished. I also know what kind of race he ran. That's why I wonder did you actually see the race or are you just going by the final results? In that Derby, he made another run which, to me, was more impressive than the BC run was. He passed every horse in moving from last place and was right there at the top of the lane. It's my belief that his not finishing had more to do with the fact that he'd had the surgery and only one 8f prep race between the BC and the Derby, that race being on grass in Europe, than it had to do with him not getting any better.

Stop the presses. I agree.

Arazi made a huge move in the Kentucky Derby, typically a winning move, but it all caught-up to him.

[Danzig]

so, does this mean mafaaz will be skipping the derby?