Commentator.. nice!

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I bet against Smarty Jones in the EhorseX exchange market the day of the Southwest because there was no way he wasn't getting cooked in that race - He got cooked - and still gave only marginal late ground to Two Down Automatic.

Since her remarkable debut at 5.5 furlongs, Indian Blessing has shown vulnerability through the stretch run in each start. To compare her at this point - with Smarty Jones after the Southwest Stakes - is ridiculious.

To be honest, I couldn't stand Smarty Jones until after the Belmont was over. I remember seeing footage of him after the race was done and he was literally shaking from exhaustion. Any horse that puts in that much effort to attempt to win a race is a nice horse IMO.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I bet against Smarty Jones in the EhorseX exchange market the day of the Southwest because there was no way he wasn't getting cooked in that race - He got cooked - and still gave only marginal late ground to Two Down Automatic.

Since her remarkable debut, Indian Blessing has shown vulnerability through the stretch run in each start. To compare her at this point - with Smarty Jones after the Southwest Stakes - is ridiculious.

For goodness sakes, I'M NOT COMPARING HER WITH SMARTY JONES!!!! Gee. I'm comparing situations of having a horse prepared to run one race and then people saying that it shows or proves what will happen in the next one. Do people not understand the meaning of a PREP anymore?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

To be honest, I couldn't stand Smarty Jones until after the Belmont was over. I remember seeing footage of him after the race was done and he was literally shaking from exhaustion. Any horse that puts in that much effort to attempt to win a race is a nice horse IMO.

Rock Hard Ten - who won the Grade 1 Malibu at 7f over Lava Man at the end of that season - he got a very stupid ride and made a very pre-mature inside move in that race. He was ridden in the Belmont like it was a 7 furlong race, and the vast majority of the people seemed to want to blame Bailey for him harmless early actions on Eddington...basically forcing them from walking the dog up front and relaxing.

RHT's early move did a hell of a lot more to soften SJ - than Bailey shaking up his plodder a little early on, to force the pacesetters from crawling.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

For goodness sakes, I'M NOT COMPARING HER WITH SMARTY JONES!!!!

No, almost just as bad, you used the reaction some people had from his Southwest win as an example for justifying that it is pre-mature to say that Indian Blessing has stamina issues to address.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

i loath bailey.. but i like when a horse goes after the front runner whos slowing it down. to many outcomes have been bad because no one had the stones to go...

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Rock Hard Ten - who won the Grade 1 Malibu at 7f over Lava Man at the end of that season - he got a very stupid ride and made a very pre-mature inside move in that race. He was ridden in the Belmont like it was a 7 furlong race, and the vast majority of the people seemed to want to blame Bailey for him harmless early actions on Eddington...basically forcing them from walking the dog up front and relaxing.

RHT's early move did a hell of a lot more to soften SJ - than Bailey shaking up his plodder a little early on, to force the pacesetters from crawling.

Agree with your analysis... sucks that it happened that way. Hell, it more than sucks. Smarty was probably the closest thing to a Triple Crown winner that I'll see in my lifetime and I didn't even care for him until after it was said and done, lol.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Real Quiet was 1/9 to win the triple crown at the 1/4 pole.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by merasmag

be careful what u ask 4...stick to jumpers cg, u may know sumthin bout that, tbs...no

stalker

[philcski]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Real Quiet was 1/9 to win the triple crown at the 1/4 pole.

So was Smarty Jones, for that matter. He was 4 up at the 1/4 pole.

I love Commentator, so much so I called in sick to see his second career race. Horse is a monster when right, maybe the most talented NYB of all time (yeah, I said it. Refute me.)

[The Indomitable DrugS]

You knew Smarty Jones was going to pay a big price - Real Quiet looked like an impossibility to lose.

[miraja2]

Could we stop arguing about stupid Indian Blessing?
We all know she would need a bus ticket to get 10f, but that really has no bearing on Commentator. This is a talented horse that has shown some serious talent from 6f to 9f, and demonstrated again that he has the ability to actually run fast.
There aren't very many horses that can do that right now.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

You knew Smarty Jones was going to pay a big price - Real Quiet looked like an impossibility to lose.

I was at the finish line. He looked an impossibility to lose with 50 feet to go!

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by philcski

So was Smarty Jones, for that matter. He was 4 up at the 1/4 pole.

I love Commentator, so much so I called in sick to see his second career race. Horse is a monster when right, maybe the most talented NYB of all time (yeah, I said it. Refute me.)

He's right when things go his way. He's 10 for 10 now when on an early lead and able to set fractions of 44+ in a sprint and 46+ in a route. He is 0 for 6 without even a second place finish when those haven't been the circumstances. Basically they need to get a restraining order against Attila's Storm and Fabulous Strike if they want to go in anymore sprint races and have a chance.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Basically they need to get a restraining order against Attila's Storm and Fabulous Strike if they want to go in anymore sprint races and have a chance.

There are obviously more than just those two sprinters who are capable of throwing fractions faster than that - but you know that.

The more serious question becomes, If the Chargers put Rachelle Washington on the field could she make Randy Moss disappear?

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Could we stop arguing about stupid Indian Blessing?
We all know she would need a bus ticket to get 10f, but that really has no bearing on Commentator. This is a talented horse that has shown some serious talent from 6f to 9f, and demonstrated again that he has the ability to actually run fast.
There aren't very many horses that can do that right now.

Amazing.

[blackthroatedwind]

I just think there is a basic misunderstanding by Sniper and King Glorious about Commentator. You both seem completely oblivious to his physical issues. This is a 7YO that just made his 16th career start. Think about that for a while....a long while. You both seem to be mapping out a season for a horse that is lucky to be able to make four starts a year. Sniper thinks he should be shipping down to New Orleans to run in the Minshaft in a few weeks as a prep for, maybe, the NO Handicap. I'm not exactly, to say the least, Mr. Backstretch, but I know enough to understand how ridiculous it would be to ship him and run him that ambitiously. It's very early in the year. There are plenty of races and if handled carefully perhaps, just perhaps, he will be able to take a shot in some of the more fitting spots. I am sure Zito would love to try him going longer again, but in order for that to happen I imagine he has to be handled very carefully. I hate the expression " they're not machines " but I do think it is very fitting in this particular case.

Miraja is right. Commentator is a horse that at times has run awe inspiring fast races. We don't see this very often anymore. He's a 7YO with a lifetime of issues. It's a miracle he's still running even occasionally well. It seems more fitting to be appreciating whatever we get out of him instead of arguing about where he's best spotted. Just hope he makes another start....and another.....

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Zito is a guy whos horses often run well below expectations when he runs them on the turf - and he doesn't go to the turf with his horses as often as others do.

Something I found odd about Commentator when I looked at his pedigree - in search of grass breeding.....is that his mother Outsource was an unraced $14,000 yearling who was foaled in 1998.

Commentator, her first foal, was foaled in March of 2001. Seems like Distorted Humor got his dam when she was a early 2-year-old.

From her PQ page:

Owner: Airdrie Stud
Breeder: Pollock Farms
State Bred: KY

Born extremely crooked, so was never trained or raced. Was bred at the age of 2 to produce G1 winner Commentator, becoming one of the youngest mares to produce a G1 winner.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I just think there is a basic misunderstanding by Sniper and King Glorious about Commentator. You both seem completely oblivious to his physical issues. This is a 7YO that just made his 16th career start. Think about that for a while....a long while. You both seem to be mapping out a season for a horse that is lucky to be able to make four starts a year. Sniper thinks he should be shipping down to New Orleans to run in the Minshaft in a few weeks as a prep for, maybe, the NO Handicap. I'm not exactly, to say the least, Mr. Backstretch, but I know enough to understand how ridiculous it would be to ship him and run him that ambitiously. It's very early in the year. There are plenty of races and if handled carefully perhaps, just perhaps, he will be able to take a shot in some of the more fitting spots. I am sure Zito would love to try him going longer again, but in order for that to happen I imagine he has to be handled very carefully. I hate the expression " they're not machines " but I do think it is very fitting in this particular case.

Miraja is right. Commentator is a horse that at times has run awe inspiring fast races. We don't see this very often anymore. He's a 7YO with a lifetime of issues. It's a miracle he's still running even occasionally well. It seems more fitting to be appreciating whatever we get out of him instead of arguing about where he's best spotted. Just hope he makes another start....and another.....

As I said, if the horse has shipping issues then don't ship him. If he doesn't have a problem with shipping and is ready then the Mineshaft is a great spot as a good performance would make the New Orleans Cap an intriguing option and if not would leave the Richter Scale as a nice cutback. If he has shipping issues or isn't ready to bounce back that quick then I guess there is no option but to keep him home and wait for the Richter Scale. Obviously he has issues but as we've seen with plenty of horses they can take months off and comeback and suffer an injury (or worse), so to a degree you have to strike while the iron is hot and your horse is healthy. Planning a BC campaign around a horse with 16 starts as a 7yo who just ran huge in January is probably not going to work. I pray it does cause I like the horse a lot but the reality is the odds are severely against him.

[Indian Charlie]

The first four dams of commentator have a combined total of one start.

[blackthroatedwind]

Commentator got a 119 Beyer fig for yesterday's race.