How good is Lava Man?

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I want your definition of a freak.

You are biased towards horses from Churchill....don't ya think?

Oonagh MacCool's Beyer speed figures were in the high 90s and she earned them with relatively soft trips. Hardly makes her special in my book.

I never said I " hated " Happy Ticket. In fact, I like her as a horse, and said as much. I just don't think her best races are going 1 1/8. I also said this regardless of her win which I obviously knew was at Churchill....at the expense of the former racehorse Oonagh MacCool who I already said why I was not a big fan of.

I certainly prefer horses that are performing well as we get close to the BC and neither of the horses we are discussing fit into that category.

I think Todd Pletcher is an excellent trainer, to say the least, and he also runs an incredible operation. However, his record of both keeping horses together for a long period of time ( obviously there are exceptions ) and, more importantly, returning horses that appeared headed in the wrong direction is unimpressive.

While I prefer to see how the final preps ( The Beldame, Spinster and Lady's Secret ) play out, I am inclined to like Pine Island and possibly Baletto as of now.

- 'Hate' is track talk...didn't mean to phrase it like that....I obviously know that you don't hate any horse.....

- I can see Baletto...but that big, clumsy thing that Shug has is beating up on a well-documented soft division and I'm surprised you would go with a 3yo knowing that...but then again, I know you're a Shug fan...can't really fault you for Baletto though...not trying to make fun of Pine Island but she is a plodder...believe me, I own a 2yo filly by Arch that we like and would like to see her win it, but realistically I know it is improbable she beats the likes of Happy Ticket when she struggled to get by Teammate....

- My definaition of a freak is an inferior bred La-bred who is good enough to be a Grade 1 winner at major race tracks around both one turn and two turns....I can't think of any other reason to call a horse a freak....she is a freakin Anet for God sakes and she fires everytime (other than when she seriously displaced in the BC last year)....she is better than her damn sire was and WAY better than any other of her sire's progeny, not even close....that is a freak in my book....what is your definition?

- I have heard enough good things about you to know that you can't seriously be the type of handicapper/analyst who takes Beyer speed figs seriously in your formula for realizing good horses/performances, right?...Beyers are easily the most overated speed figs and the very reason we have false favorites in this game and people like me are able to make money off of people who bet those things....Check the Rag sheets for the real truth...

- Oh, and I'm not biased towards CD horses by any stretch of the imagination...as a matter of fact, most of my favorite horses in training reside on the EAST coast --- over in your neck of the woods...

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