Ruffian was a mediocre filly

[blackthroatedwind]

More proof why you shouldn't listen to jockeys ( except Migliore ).

[smartbid09]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

More proof why you shouldn't listen to jockeys ( except Migliore ).

Don't forget T. Black

[Indian Charlie]

Perhaps he was trying to say she was overrated??

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Perhaps he was trying to say he fell on his head one too many times??

FTFY

[blackthroatedwind]

I glanced at the article. It said Foolish Pleasure won the KY Derby and the Preakness. I stopped reading.

Why would you trust anything after that?

[tector]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I glanced at the article. It said Foolish Pleasure won the KY Derby and the Preakness. I stopped reading.

Why would you trust anything after that?

It's possible it is a misquote, I agree. If so, I'd expect him to call them on it, however.

[Calzone Lord]

I don't understand what the point was in writing about match races.

They aren't practical anymore.

Do betters want them? No. Here's a link to the chart of the Battle of the Sexes match race at Del Mar:

http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbP...try=USA&race=4

Woke Up Dreamin was the 1-to-2 favorite in the betting. Chester's Choice, at odds of 4-to-5 was the underdog in the race.

No one wants to bet a race where the underdog is odds-on.

Obviously, takeout rates have steadily risen over the years and that's a major reason why match races have become such absolute turds as events.

The other reason is because handicaps have basically become a thing of the past. Seabiscuit and War Admiral were the dominant older horses and from different regions.

It wouldn't have been desirable to see Seabiscuit and War Admiral come together for a meeting -- the handicapper assign more weight to one than the other -- and a mare like Esposa getting an 18lbs weight break and beating the both of them in a driving finish, with a razor sharp minor stakes type getting 30lbs and right there at the finish with the trio.

The match race goal is a clean weight-for-age event between the most popular horses.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by tector

It's possible it is a misquote, I agree. If so, I'd expect him to call them on it, however.

I'm surprised this writer didn't ask him several follow-up questions.

Baeza has a point that Ruffian was tactically one-dimensional in that she never rated from off the pace. To call her mediocre is comical and lunacy. She was a devastating sprinter and though not a great figure horse routing, she was a Grade 1 winner at 12 furlongs.

More than a few great fillies had one-dimensional running styles. Zenyatta being the most extreme example. She had absolutely no tactical speed at all and calling her "a big slug" would be kind. While massively overrated, anyone who thinks she was a 'mediocre mare' would be saying something moronic.