Eight Belles & Proud Spell

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You should be repremanded for mentioning WC in the same thought as these 2, even in a year like this.

HA!
Not a comparison of talent but rather she EARNED her way into the Derby by destroying the SA Derby, not by racking up $$ in the Fantasy, etc.


Why Moonlight out today?

[cakes44]

I like Eight Belles chances. Kushy trips going 1 1/16(at most) vs females and being a being a daughter of Unbridled's Song are things I definitely look for in a Derby winner.

[Linny]

The post draw for the Derby is a joke. People play games, taking the spot at the outside of the main gate in the inside of the extra gate to get more room etc. Then a scratch occurs and they are shift anyhow. A random draw works for every other race, why not the Derby? From there, add AE's in graded earnings order. If scratches occur, the AE's are automatically outside. Remember, those outside posts have yielded plenty of on the board finishes and a few wins in the last decade.

The idea makes some sense esp as in this era, it's possible for a huge barn 9owner or trainer) to "stuff the entry box" then scratch all the "deadwood" leaving their best horse to run against 14 rivals rather than 19. Think Zayat. They could enter every one of their qualifiers then scratch all but say Z Fortune. This approach could be an effective way to get a shot field for a very strong frontrunner for example.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by Linny

The post draw for the Derby is a joke. People play games, taking the spot at the outside of the main gate in the inside of the extra gate to get more room etc. Then a scratch occurs and they are shift anyhow. A random draw works for every other race, why not the Derby? From there, add AE's in graded earnings order. If scratches occur, the AE's are automatically outside. Remember, those outside posts have yielded plenty of on the board finishes and a few wins in the last decade.

The idea makes some sense esp as in this era, it's possible for a huge barn 9owner or trainer) to "stuff the entry box" then scratch all the "deadwood" leaving their best horse to run against 14 rivals rather than 19. Think Zayat. They could enter every one of their qualifiers then scratch all but say Z Fortune. This approach could be an effective way to get a shot field for a very strong frontrunner for example.

One of the things that has always perplexed me about the Derby is the possibility of multiple entries by the same owner in the Derby to the exclusion of an owner with a single entry. If you look at the conditions of most of the other Derby Week stakes at Churchill Downs, they have language that prohibits an owner, in an oversubscribed field, from entering multiple horses to the exclusion of a single entrant from another owner, essentially forcing each owner to take his or her best shot if the race is oversubscribed. I don't understand why they don't do this in the Derby, unless they are specificially trying to have the rules benefit the large outfits.

If I recall correctly, a few years ago, Unshaded and perhaps one other were excluded when Dogwood and Godolphin (one of which was subsequently scratched, only making the situation worse) both had multiple entries. Seems like this is going to happen this year again with both Zayat and WinStar having multiple entrants while some owners will be excluded.

[pb72vett]

sorry but eight no in the money here my friend. better chance with there own.

[Danzig]

is the sudden hard on about fillies in the derby due to the fact that these two are owned by porter, that he might enter only to scratch, thus keeping some horse in 22nd place in earnings out, or that neither filly has faced boys as yet?
if eight belles should happen to win, which is unlikely, would the foul crying get worse or stop altogether?

[hockey2315]

Porter doesn't own Proud Spell

[Danzig]

no, eight belles....i should have kept all that singular, since jones' other filly is pretty much a lock to go in the oaks.

i can't remember tho if all other fillies to this point who ran in the derby had met colts beforehand. had they all?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i can't remember tho if all other fillies to this point who ran in the derby had met colts beforehand. had they all?

I feel like quite a few did. Winning Colors won the Santa Anita Derby, Althea won the Arkansas Derby and Genuine Risk ran third in the Wood Memorial. Frankly I can't remember a lot of other fillies trying. Maybe Life's Magic? She was a Lukas horse so it wouldn't surprise me if she had faced the boys ( she sure did later ).

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by philcski

HA!
Not a comparison of talent but rather she EARNED her way into the Derby by destroying the SA Derby, not by racking up $$ in the Fantasy, etc.


Why Moonlight out today?

Injured