What does Johnny V do.............

If Bluegrass Cat and Flower Alley both run in the BCC which horse does he choose if both both horses come back and run well in their next start? I honestly have no clue what he would do. I really think this years 3 year olds stack up well with this years older horses. Assuming that Flower Alley comes back and run better in his next two starts and that Bluegrass Cat comes back and run well in the Travers, I would have to pick Bluegrass Cat.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

If Bluegrass Cat and Flower Alley both run in the BCC which horse does he choose if both both horses come back and run well in their next start? I honestly have no clue what he would do. I really think this years 3 year olds stack up well with this years older horses. Assuming that Flower Alley comes back and run better in his next two starts and that Bluegrass Cat comes back and run well in the Travers, I would have to pick Bluegrass Cat.

I would really we awaiting comments from Pletcher about Alley's physical status before even speculating. I haven't heard and explanation yet for his horrendous performance and it bothers me.

Originally Posted by oracle80

I would really we awaiting comments from Pletcher about Alley's physical status before even speculating. I haven't heard and explanation yet for his horrendous performance and it bothers me.

To be honest Oracle, I expected a big race from him until I read the quotes from Pletcher. Once I read those I didnt expect much. But Flower Alley looks much better than he did Derby week. In my pre-race analysis (Pgardn thought the same) I thought that Flower Alley or Invasor would be bothered by running in tandem. Flower Alley got hung wide a little and just flattened out. I dont think he was ready to be honest.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

To be honest Oracle, I expected a big race from him until I read the quotes from Pletcher. Once I read those I didnt expect much. But Flower Alley looks much better than he did Derby week. In my pre-race analysis (Pgardn thought the same) I thought that Flower Alley or Invasor would be bothered by running in tandem. Flower Alley got hung wide a little and just flattened out. I dont think he was ready to be honest.

How wonderful that you guys who jumped down my throat about a certain trainer telling the press how ready a horse was who seemed not to be, can appreciate honesty from guys like Todd about a horses status.
You guys who jumped ugly on me who are praising Todd's honesty are being hypocritcal. Pletcher is indeed a class act, there is no doubt about that.

Originally Posted by oracle80

How wonderful that you guys who jumped down my throat about a certain trainer telling the press how ready a horse was who seemed not to be, can appreciate honesty from guys like Todd about a horses status.
You guys who jumped ugly on me who are praising Todd's honesty are being hypocritcal. Pletcher is indeed a class act, there is no doubt about that.

I didnt jump on you about the Albertrani said pre-race. I jumped on you when you say these horses arent machines. And you asked me a question and I answered it. Albertrani could have felt 100% certain that his horse was ready, but hey, maybe the horse was in a bad mood, maybe the horse was sore or sick or had a headache etc etc. Like you have said, these horses are not machines. I always like Pletchers honesty. The fact that he didnt have this horse ready for a Grade I on a track that the horse loves tells me he isnt doing a very good job training this horse.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

I didnt jump on you about the Albertrani said pre-race. I jumped on you when you say these horses arent machines. And you asked me a question and I answered it. Albertrani could have felt 100% certain that his horse was ready, but hey, maybe the horse was in a bad mood, maybe the horse was sore or sick or had a headache etc etc. Like you have said, these horses are not machines. I always like Pletchers honesty. The fact that he didnt have this horse ready for a Grade I on a track that the horse loves tells me he isnt doing a very good job training this horse.

I will reserve commenting on the race until Pletcher gives a post race status report. Eeven if he was short he wouldnt run that awful without a reason. I'm hoping it just wasnt his day or that he has an excuse, but I'm getting a little leery about how he came out of the race because I havent read anything yet.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by oracle80

I will reserve commenting on the race until Pletcher gives a post race status report. Eeven if he was short he wouldnt run that awful without a reason. I'm hoping it just wasnt his day or that he has an excuse, but I'm getting a little leery about how he came out of the race because I havent read anything yet.

Yes, I agree. There had to have been more to it than the horse being short. It's not as if this was his first race back. Even if it was his first race back, I would have expected him to run much better than he ran. I would have to think the horse has some physical issues. I wouldn't necessarily count him out yet. I've seen plenty of Pletcher horses that looked like they were through and Todd(I should probably say Todd's vet) managed to get a few more good races out of these horses.
Ashado looked like she had seen better days a few times and Todd turned her around. Bluegrass Cat looked like he was heading downhill earlier in the year and now the horse is better than ever.

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Yes, I agree. There had to have been more to it than the horse being short. It's not as if this was his first race back. Even if it was his first race back, I would have expected him to run much better than he ran. I would have to think the horse has some physical issues. I wouldn't necessarily count him out yet. I've seen plenty of Pletcher horses that looked like they were through and Todd(I should probably say Todd's vet) managed to get a few more good races out of these horses.
Ashado looked like she had seen better days a few times and Todd turned her around. Bluegrass Cat looked like he was heading downhill earlier in the year and now the horse is better than ever.

Rupert you and I tend to see things the same way after a bad performance by a horse that seems inexplicable. I am always leery of bashing a horse, any horse, after an uncharecteristic race like that one because most of the time there will be a legitimate physical reason for it.

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Yes, I agree. There had to have been more to it than the horse being short. It's not as if this was his first race back. Even if it was his first race back, I would have expected him to run much better than he ran. I would have to think the horse has some physical issues. I wouldn't necessarily count him out yet. I've seen plenty of Pletcher horses that looked like they were through and Todd(I should probably say Todd's vet) managed to get a few more good races out of these horses.
Ashado looked like she had seen better days a few times and Todd turned her around. Bluegrass Cat looked like he was heading downhill earlier in the year and now the horse is better than ever.

I disagree with you on Bluegrass Cat. He threw a shoe down in Florida and he races at Keeneland of all places. A 2nd in the Derby and Belmont doesnt indicate a horse is finished. Oh, The Whitney was Flower Alley's 2nd race back. He won the Salvatore Mile in style just about 1 month ago.

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by eurobounce

I disagree with you on Bluegrass Cat. He threw a shoe down in Florida and he races at Keeneland of all places. A 2nd in the Derby and Belmont doesnt indicate a horse is finished. Oh, The Whitney was Flower Alley's 2nd race back. He won the Salvatore Mile in style just about 1 month ago.

I know it was FA's second race back. That's what I said.

Anyway, I've seen Todd turn around tons of horses after they looked like they were finished. Speighstown had some physical problems and ran a really bad race. He came back in his next start and won the BC Sprint. the same thing happened with FA last year. He ran a terrible race where he never ran a lick and then came back in his next start and ran 2nd in the BC Classic.
With regard to Bluegrass Cat, that was the best race he ran all year yesterday. That was a much better race than his Derby race. In the Derby he beat that plodder Steppenwolfer by about a length. If Steppenwolfer was in the race yesterday, he wouldn't have gotten within 5 lengths of Bluegrass Cat.