3/11-12 (SA): SA H., Kilroe, Tr. Bend (G1's), Felipe (G2); Santa Ana (G2)

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

It's always been evident there is a canyon between the two, but it's irrelevant. Mastery is out now and he was unlikely to make the derby in one piece anyways, as horses that are as brilliant as he is almost never do.

Now that he is out, it's much more wide open.

So now we are supposed to be excited for a horse who just another horse among the group.....no thanks, there has to be better bandwagons

and go back to mastery's wins, many here and other places were very dubious.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

So now we are supposed to be excited for a horse who just another horse among the group.....no thanks, there has to be better bandwagons

and go back to mastery's wins, many here and other places were very dubious.

Bandwagon? I'm just saying he is one of the better looking options in a potential field of unappealing options.

And dubious or not, mastery was lengths better than anyone else has shown to date. Well, maybe not the first two finishers of the bcj, but one of them is retired and the other has serious issues.

[10 pnt move up]

I will be against AA in his next race, havnt seen the field but he seems like an average sort to me, definitely not a type who can win the derby, and likely not this weekend at 8/5.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I will be against AA in his next race, havnt seen the field but he seems like an average sort to me, definitely not a type who can win the derby, and likely not this weekend at 8/5.

If American Anthem starts in the Rebel, he will have reached the average number of starts of his 4 older siblings, the most durable of which made all of 5 starts (with a 18 month intermission in the middle of its career).

It is highly unlikely that the sire will mitigate the mare's unsoundness, seeing how Bodemeister made all of 6 starts himself while his sire made 8 starts and his dam made 4 starts.

As a stallion, Bodemeister put in a modest first crop performance at best last year.

As for American Anthem's races, his debut appears to grow weaker by the second unless you consider Iliad's tail-swishing dry heave in the stretch of the San Felipe cause for optimism. So Conflated and Sheer Flattery have tanked in top company (or what passes for top company these days).

The Sham has been terrible. Aside from Gormley's dusting on Saturday, Colonel Samsen has failed twice, Term of Art twice, and Big Hit went to the sidelines. Blabimir, who was a DNF, would have had the dubious distinction of having 3 DNFs on his record in 5 career starts had Mario Gutierrez had any mercy last out in the San Vincente, in which he walked across the finish line some 50+ lengths behind the rest of the field (in a sprint).

On the bright side, Bird is the Word came out of this "graded stakes" to break his maiden next time out...on the grass.