Dialed In skipping Fountain of Youth

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

Which makes it a shame that a horse like Clubhouse Ride is off the Derby trail. Clubhouse Ride has started 11 times in his career, which makes him an iron horse by today's standards.

If they trained and raced the horses of today like they did with the ones from 60 or 70 years ago - they'd probably all be crippled in a hurry.

I'm sure there are numerous reasons why that is.

I would have to think Veterinarians and sports medicine and nutrition became bigger and bigger over time as the biggest culprit.

Watching the 2-year-old in training sale is like watching an equine freak show. I highly doubt 2yo's of 50 years ago - even the fastest ones - would be able to breeze as fast as hundreds of these today do.

Watch tapes of a lot of the big races from more than 50 years ago - the jockeys all gun leaving the start - horses are put to the whip and in all out drives when the gates open. If they did that stuff today - every single route race would be a pace collapse.

[Travis Stone]

Unrelated to advances in medicine, there is also a plethora of options on the trail for these horses. Whereas at one point there were a few well-defined routes, now you can bounce around, skip a few and still have a chance to make the race. It doesn't seem like too long ago when the Fountain of Youth was a key stepping-stone in the East... now it's one of many options for horsemen it seems.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I think going from the 'few well-defined routes' of five years ago to the bouncing around of today has a lot to do with the trainers wanting to give their horses more time in between starts.

Uncle Mo's campaign of just two Derby preps with a sound horse would have never been attempted. Ideally - they wanted no more than three or four weeks in between starts.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think going from the 'few well-defined routes' of five years ago to the bouncing around of today has a lot to do with the trainers wanting to give their horses more time in between starts.

Uncle Mo's campaign of just two Derby preps with a sound horse would have never been attempted. Ideally - they wanted no more than three or four weeks in between starts.

What makes you think Uncle Mo is sound?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

What makes you think he isn't?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

What makes you think he isn't?

Plenty

[The Indomitable DrugS]

You have spies at Palm Meadows?

His worktab has been going according to plan - and Pletcher has been raving about him. Even his facebook page gives every indication that all is well.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

Unrelated to advances in medicine, there is also a plethora of options on the trail for these horses. Whereas at one point there were a few well-defined routes, now you can bounce around, skip a few and still have a chance to make the race. It doesn't seem like too long ago when the Fountain of Youth was a key stepping-stone in the East... now it's one of many options for horsemen it seems.

bingo....we have a winner. people read way too much into this media crap. that horse has probably 4 to 6 other races to choose from. people don't schedule their horses according to gulfstream anymore...theres tons of options, even there....where they'll make a race just for these horses to run. if they said hes skipping because hes hurt, then it would be a story.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by johnny pinwheel

bingo....we have a winner. people read way too much into this media crap. that horse has probably 4 to 6 other races to choose from. people don't schedule their horses according to gulfstream anymore...theres tons of options, even there....where they'll make a race just for these horses to run. if they said hes skipping because hes hurt, then it would be a story.

Zito has said he won't ship the horse out of Florida. He said that right after the holy bull. So if that's true, then it limits his options.