DRF WKND (Hersch): Not Unusual for Filly Champs to Struggle

[knickslions2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

I agree, and also agree with Jack that it would be nice to let her run the way she runs best... free-wheeling. If you want to use performance figures as a gauge, looking at her sheet (Thoro-Graph) shows she's right in line with her efforts from last year with only the Oaks (-4.5) and Haskell (-4.0) earning bigger figs than what she's run this year (-1.0 first back & -1.5 last). What she hasn't done is show 'typical' forward progress as a 4yo, but she was abnormally fast for a 3yo filly to start with... (as fast as any in the game's modern history in fact). But notably, her 2 efforts this year are 'faster' on Thoro-Graph than her Woodward, Preakness and Fantasy and on a par with her Mother Goose.

I still think that last race against the boys last year took a ton out of her engine. She pushed so hard to win that race and looked it at the end. It's just talking time to refuel her engine and desire.

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by knickslions2

I still think that last race against the boys last year took a ton out of her engine. She pushed so hard to win that race and looked it at the end.

That's what Shug McGaughey said, too. "... it's hard to say if she's going to come back. In the Woodward, she laid it on the ground that day as hard as a horse can."

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by OldDog

That's what Shug McGaughey said, too. "... it's hard to say if she's going to come back. In the Woodward, she laid it on the ground that day as hard as a horse can."

This may indeed be the case, and we will know a little more tomorrow. But as a fan of the game, I prefer to watch the risks inherent with a truly remarkable season that featured race after race of historic significance than one great day. When Rachel ran vs the fillies, she won by margins never before seen in the history of great races like the KY Oaks. When she ran against the boys, she was even better becoming the first 3yo filly to dare what she did and succeeded doing. I honestly don't think anyone will try it again in my lifetime, much less pull it off.

[Danzig]

and she did have a remarkable season-she certainly showed what a top horse can do, time after time.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I thought that RA's campaign was reasonable last year. It's not like she ran 12 times. She ran 8 times but in many of those races she was geared down and was not all out. I don't fault the way they handled her last year. I thought they chose an ambitious but reasonable campaign.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I thought that RA's campaign was reasonable last year. It's not like she ran 12 times. She ran 8 times but in many of those races she was geared down and was not all out. I don't fault the way they handled her last year. I thought they chose an ambitious but reasonable campaign.

"Not all out"... "Geared down"... Nonsense, and I'm surprised that you would buy into that claptrap Richie.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Kasept

"Not all out"... "Geared down"... Nonsense, and I'm surprised that you would buy into that claptrap Richie.

While I agree that horses that are winning easily rarely would be running much faster under a drive, RA had quite a few really easy wins last year.

The Martha Washington was won by 8 with the comment "under wraps"
The FG Oaks was won by only 1 3/4 but was "eased up final 1/16th"
The Fantasy was won by 8 "easily"
The KY Oaks by 20 "on own, easily"
The Mother Goose by 19 "under wraps final 1/16th"

While she was still running fast in the stretch of those races she was under no pressure and that has to be a touch easier race than those like the preakness and Woodward.

It was an ambitious campaign, albeit against a weak group of horses, that seemingly was made possible by a string of very easy wins early in the season. She looked tanked after the Woodward understandably but had she been seriously tested in any of her races against fillies she never may have been able to get to that point.

Naturally the article looks silly in light of todays race where she was again very good.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Kasept

"Not all out"... "Geared down"... Nonsense, and I'm surprised that you would buy into that claptrap Richie.

You say it is "nonsense". How So?

I agree with you that there are times when people think a horse was not all out simply because the jockey didn't whip them. I don't agree with that. If a horse is being fairly vigourously hand-ridden, they are probably all out. Whipping the horse is usally not going to make much of a difference. But when a horse is under a hold coming down the stretch and is geared down, how could you say that it doesn't make a difference? It makes a huge difference.

It makes a huge difference in the morning too. If you have a great horse, you could get them to work 5 furlongs in :58 or you could get them to work in 1:02. It depends whether the jock asks them or not. A horse will obviously run much faster if you ask them than if you don't ask them. That is true in the morning and it is true in the afternoon.