Rachel Alexandra a go for La Troienne

[Merlinsky]

Yeah that's what I saw. I guess with all the Derby ups and downs, this flew under the radar. So Rachel to the lead?

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Yeah that's what I saw. I guess with all the Derby ups and downs, this flew under the radar. So Rachel to the lead?

Distinctive Dixie and Unrivaled Belle seem to do their best work on or near the lead.

[Smooth Operator]

Wow … a "must win" for that reigning horse-of-the-year

Can you imagine the embarrassment if she falters in this spot too?


Too bad about CJ

Hopefully little z or one of those obscure beasts can keep the PRESSURE ON…

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Wow … a "must win" for that reigning horse-of-the-year

Can you imagine the embarrassment if she falters in this spot too?


Too bad about CJ

Hopefully little z or one of those obscure beasts can keep the PRESSURE ON…

Is this Sting?

[Merlinsky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSNtxe4Si34

The music is an interesting touch, but she looks fierce.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSNtxe4Si34

The music is an interesting touch, but she looks fierce.

What's with the music? Almost wanted to do 2 laps around the living room...listening to that crap.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by CSC

What's with the music? Almost wanted to do 2 laps around the living room...listening to that crap.

Maybe they're trying to inspire to run faster, away from that noise.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Wow … a "must win" for that reigning horse-of-the-year

Can you imagine the embarrassment if she falters in this spot too?


Too bad about CJ

Hopefully little z or one of those obscure beasts can keep the PRESSURE ON…

I'm thinkin' that if she fails here, the DRF/BEYER contingent will be booking weekend spots at the Brooklyn Bridge (for a mass jump). They need her to win more than anyone else.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

I'm thinkin' that if she fails here, the DRF/BEYER contingent will be booking weekend spots at the Brooklyn Bridge (for a mass jump). They need her to win more than anyone else.

no, they are too self centered to do that. there will be other excuses....shes not fit...the fix is in or some equivalant tirade......"our numbers don't lie, something was up" its hilarious.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by johnny pinwheel

no, they are too self centered to do that. there will be other excuses....shes not fit...the fix is in or some equivalant tirade......"our numbers don't lie, something was up" its hilarious.

Almost as hilarious as seeing the Zentologists repeatedly brush aside Shirreffs' laughable justifications for continuing to run her against the same plugs at the same backyard tracks for the millionth and billionth times.

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

I'm thinkin' that if she fails here, the DRF/BEYER contingent will be booking weekend spots at the Brooklyn Bridge (for a mass jump). They need her to win more than anyone else.

Hell, if she can't take this thing, everyone who voted for her should jump off the nearest high bridge.


Would pretty much be that Favorite Trick debacle all over again…

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Hell, if she can't take this thing, everyone who voted for her should jump off the nearest high bridge.


Would pretty much be that Favorite Trick debacle all over again…

i cant believe I left you off my list of stupid opinions. How could I forget #1?????

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Hell, if she can't take this thing, everyone who voted for her should jump off the nearest high bridge.


Would pretty much be that Favorite Trick debacle all over again…

She's a good horse but hardly the horse the majority of this pro Rach board believes she is, you and I know this, a few here know this and I suspect the rest will come to realize this if and when Jess comes out of his shell and meets Zenyatta.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by CSC

She's a good horse but hardly the horse the majority of this pro Rach board believes she is, you and I know this, a few here know this and I suspect the rest will come to realize this if and when Jess comes out of his shell and meets Zenyatta.

I find it very interesting that all these POLY horses are starting to run on dirt, and, in a good number of cases, are crushing their dirt counterparts. At one time, by the old Beyer system, these were all SLOW horses. Now, they're all faster, with the AD HOC tweaking of the numbers. Of course, the other explanation is that they're all DIRT horses that have been forced to run on POLY, which masks their true ability. Right.

Now, a good number of these runners are out of the Sadler barn. Sadler has gone from being the king of the stretchouts (one sprint is enough to get a horse fit to win a route) to being the king of the POLY to DIRT arena.

What's equally interesting is that you don't find many dirt horses moving to POLY and doing much of anything. (Someone correct me if I've missed something here.) Clearly, RA (and QR) would've been CRUSHED had they run in the BC. We understand RA's connections' apprehension.

Eventually, we will get to the point where horses able to run on multiple surfaces will be considered superior to those limited to a single surface. Now, for the most part, horses that handle POLY also handle the turf; and, as mentioned, more and more are handling the dirt. To this point, dirt runners have not shown the ability to run on either of the other surfaces -- at least not to the level exhibited by the other side.

The end result will be a complete collapse of the present racing 'paradigm'. Beyers will be of limited use, on dirt, and FAST, as utilized by Beyerites, will really not matter to anyone but the followers. Moreover, the equally ridiculous notion that dirt horses are superior to those running on other surfaces will just go away.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by CSC

She's a good horse but hardly the horse the majority of this pro Rach board believes she is.

I can say the same damn thing about Zenyatta and her supporters. Enough with the whining. Again, if Zenyatta had ventured out of her playpen more than two times in three years, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

Hell, if she can't take this thing, everyone who voted for her should jump off the nearest high bridge.


Would pretty much be that Favorite Trick debacle all over again…

Have you gotten into the sherry? Can we stop the HOY retroactive-apalooza? People had an opinion, they were entitled to vote based on that opinion as it related to 2009, it's done. Two valid horses were up, not 1 and a mule. It was a judgment call and a fair one. You can claim whatever you want within the context of 2009. This year proves nothing about the last.

This is a new year, there are new consequences to everything, and the only vote that can be affected is that of 2010.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Have you gotten into the sherry? Can we stop the HOY retroactive-apalooza? People had an opinion, they were entitled to vote based on that opinion as it related to 2009, it's done. Two valid horses were up, not 1 and a mule. It was a judgment call and a fair one. You can claim whatever you want within the context of 2009. This year proves nothing about the last.

This is a new year, there are new consequences to everything, and the only vote that can be affected is that of 2010.

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Have you gotten into the sherry? Can we stop the HOY retroactive-apalooza? People had an opinion, they were entitled to vote based on that opinion as it related to 2009, it's done. Two valid horses were up, not 1 and a mule. It was a judgment call and a fair one. You can claim whatever you want within the context of 2009. This year proves nothing about the last.

This is a new year, there are new consequences to everything, and the only vote that can be affected is that of 2010.

Almost always a mistake, in my estimation, to give the big prize to a younger horse when you have an outstanding older horse … in this case, an unbeaten champion older horse, no less … in the mix.

Unfortunately, we saw this kind of lunacy from the voters back in '97 … and history served up a generous helping of egg on their faces.

Despite what the RA spin doctors keep saying about her campaign last year, she never had to face any really good competition.

So, your misguided statement aside … this year means EVERYTHING as far as proving whether or not she is overrated … and was undeserving of that HotY award.

And she ain't off to a real good start...............