4/2 (OP): AR Derby (G1), Oaklawn Mile, Fantasy (G3's), Carousel

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

I called it after her last. She was never beating the winner but D Wayne needs to get a new rider and soon.

Not that Im Contreras guy, but don't you think her getting slammed/sandwiched at the start compromised her trip?

I do agree that she wasnt beating the winner, Flo gave a brilliant ride. The stretch run might have gotten a little interesting if Barber Road dint get into traffic trouble.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

Not that Im Contreras guy, but don't you think her getting slammed/sandwiched at the start compromised her trip?

I do agree that she wasnt beating the winner, Flo gave a brilliant ride. The stretch run might have gotten a little interesting if Barber Road dint get into traffic trouble.

Barber Road, in my opinion, is confusing people. He keeps sucking up in slow races. I get the idea that if the pace gets hot, and the Derby falls apart, he could suck up again for a share but someone is going to have show me a race where he actually did some meaningful running....particularly in a reasonably fast race. Do we actually think he will out-close horses like Smile Happy, Zandon, or Mo Donegal in Kentucky?

At the end of the day, or in this case meet ( essentially ), the Arkansas preps this year were decidedly mediocre.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

Not that Im Contreras guy, but don't you think her getting slammed/sandwiched at the start compromised her trip?

I do agree that she wasnt beating the winner, Flo gave a brilliant ride. The stretch run might have gotten a little interesting if Barber Road dint get into traffic trouble.

Also, Matt, please watch the start again. She had, pretty much, no trouble that affected her early position.

[moses]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Also, Matt, please watch the start again. She had, pretty much, no trouble that affected her early position.

That’s how I saw it. She broke well but was ultimately bumped from the inside and then outside. Maybe enough to be the difference between 2nd and 3rd?

I just feel guilty because I hyped this race up to my 4YO daughter who was very excited to see a girl horse take on the boy horses.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by moses

That’s how I saw it. She broke well but was ultimately bumped from the inside and then outside. Maybe enough to be the difference between 2nd and 3rd?

I just feel guilty because I hyped this race up to my 4YO daughter who was very excited to see a girl horse take on the boy horses.

It's not like she ran badly. Show her the 1988 Derby....and then tell her how great Forty Niner and Risen Star were.

[moses]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It's not like she ran badly. Show her the 1988 Derby....and then tell her how great Forty Niner and Risen Star were.

Agreed. I told my daughter that I thought Secret Oath ran really well and maybe she would have finished better if she didn’t get pushed around early on.

She was sad but she’s still excited about the Kentucky Derby and has been working on learning the words to My Old Kentucky Home, which of course made my mom cry when she sang it to her (my dad and maternal grandfather both loved horse racing but have since passed.)

I’ll have to show her the 1988 Derby. She’ll like that.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

Not that Im Contreras guy, but don't you think her getting slammed/sandwiched at the start compromised her trip?

I do agree that she wasnt beating the winner, Flo gave a brilliant ride. The stretch run might have gotten a little interesting if Barber Road dint get into traffic trouble.

I thought the contact was minimal. Being 4 wide up the backstretch for no reason and then getting beat to the spot she was already in as they approached the turn was all on Contreras. That caused her to have to make that big looping move she made which zapped her late.

He's not a very good rider. That's why after her last I said he'd get her beat eventually. Last time he put her in a spot where she could have gotten into trouble. She can overcome him in small fields but larger fields are going to be an issue.

She's a really nice horse. Not a generational talent, but she ran well yesterday, despite the ride and she deserves a better rider.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

She's a really nice horse. Not a generational talent, but she ran well yesterday, despite the ride and she deserves a better rider.

Sharp post.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Barber Road, in my opinion, is confusing people. He keeps sucking up in slow races. I get the idea that if the pace gets hot, and the Derby falls apart, he could suck up again for a share but someone is going to have show me a race where he actually did some meaningful running....particularly in a reasonably fast race. Do we actually think he will out-close horses like Smile Happy, Zandon, or Mo Donegal in Kentucky?

At the end of the day, or in this case meet ( essentially ), the Arkansas preps this year were decidedly mediocre.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Also, Matt, please watch the start again. She had, pretty much, no trouble that affected her early position.

Originally Posted by Dahoss

I thought the contact was minimal. Being 4 wide up the backstretch for no reason and then getting beat to the spot she was already in as they approached the turn was all on Contreras. That caused her to have to make that big looping move she made which zapped her late.

He's not a very good rider. That's why after her last I said he'd get her beat eventually. Last time he put her in a spot where she could have gotten into trouble. She can overcome him in small fields but larger fields are going to be an issue.

She's a really nice horse. Not a generational talent, but she ran well yesterday, despite the ride and she deserves a better rider.

Truthfully I’m not sure about Barber Road in the long run, I just thought he had a chance to catch the winner if he didn’t encounter trouble in the stretch. He had a very good trip until then saving all the ground.

I couldn’t find a head on replay, even if the bump wasn’t that bad, I think it did put them back further than they would’ve liked. That being said after watching it again, I think Hossy is right about the ride. Contreras had a chance going in the first turn to get some position (would be been right behind Cyberknife) he ended up staying wide and was forced to make that crazy wide move.

A tale of two rides, Flo’s was excellent and Contreras’s was far from it.