Invasor [ARG]

[madelyn]

Invasor was actually quite studdish and playful, looked like he might take a piece out of Kent .. Daaher has gotten a bit stodgy, but the pudgiest of all was Intidab - my goodness. He looked almost pregnant, except for the fact that his butt stuck out in all directions. Mustanfar was in the breeding shed - came out of there prancing around with his neck arched. His birdcatcher spots seem bigger and more vivid than I remember. I was there to inspect Albertus Maximus - I have two mares going to him this year. Really nice horse.

Another nice horse I saw was at Richland Hills - Greeley's Conquest. Not a huge horse but really nice. Sightseeing is just a gorgeous beast. Sorry that they lost Purim!

I also saw Temple City who is really nice for a Dynaformer. Into Mischief really lives up to his name.

Giant Oak is nearly the image of his sire. Ready's Image is stunning but too big for the client's mare we had pre selected him for..

Didn't mean to hijack - back to the Invasor offspring. When will Vader run again?

[clh]

Thanks for your insight Madelyn, always helpful. Vader probably won't race until River Downs opens up again, unless something comes up that just can't be passed up (but I don't see that happening).

[Brigitte]

Azure Hills was scratched from her race today.

Hero to Order, who just upset the Louisiana Derby at 109/1, is trained by Gennadi Dorotchenko. Russian born and a former jockey, Dorotchenko also owns and trains Kollos.

[Brigitte]

Furia de Invasor made his debut at Hippodromo de Monterrico in Peru Saturday 3/31 in a 1000m (5f) conditions race for 3 yo maidens on dirt. He was 3d of 10, 3 3/4 lengths behind the winner and earned $1,040 (Peruvian). If you have the right plug in you can watch the video. The full results of the race are at the bottom. Looking forward to his races at longer than 5 f.

http://www.hipodromodemonterrico.com/pedigree/sistemas/arbol/ver_resultado.php?id_carrera=107839

I posted his url at Stud Dona Licha, here is his entry in the stud book at Monterrico (races are at the bottom):

http://www.hipodromodemonterrico.com/pedigree/sistemas/arbol/ver_campana.php?id=272847

[clh]

I had seen Raut, LLC purchase horses before at the sales but didn't know who they were - now I know . Thanks Brigitte.

[Brigitte]

Al Aqsa scratched from his race. He was an MTO entry and the race stayed on turf.

Five Sixteen was nominated to the Wood Memorial but is not entered. Only 8 are running so it was the trainer's choice. Five Sixteen was the only Invasor with a chance to run in the KD, but would have needed to win the Wood to get the Graded Stakes earnings required. As an Invasor fan I was hoping Five Sixteen would beat the slow development curse: little instant gratification for owners. No juvenile stakes winners, no juveniles in in the BC, no earnings for the KD. Several Invasor runners have trained and stopped, others have raced at 2 and not returned or been dropped. No sire produces all good offspring but Five Sixteen and Golf Juan didn't look good at first. It was late development, not lack of talent. Their trainers were flexible about time and distance and now they have promising horses. A runner in the spotlight would have been a heads up.

Five Sixteen's trainer, Dominick Schettino, is doing what he thinks is best for Five Sixteen in the long term. He has no stake in Invasor. Kudos to him for not succumbing to Derby Fever. Best hopes for later!

[Brigitte]

Al Aqsa is entered on April 7 in a mile MSW on the Aqueduct main track for a purse of $75,000. El Aqsa is the 5th ML choice.

http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040712USA-EQB.html#RACE3

Ex New Yorker comments: Historically, NY trainers took their best horses to Florida for the winter so returning horses are often favored. This may have lowered the ML odds for 2 horses (Spin Out and Rum Tum Tugger) that ran at Gulfstream at 6 & 7 furlongs. On the inner track the mile is a 2 turn race, on the main track it's one turn race, which favors late runners like Al Aqsa. However, he was well beaten by Desert Storm & Guyana Star Dweej last time so they have better odds. If Al Aqsa beats one of those he's stepped up his game.

[Brigitte]

Invasor Girl races April 9 at Mons-Ghlin at 1500 m (about 7.5 f). No blinkers and a longer race.

http://www.zone-turf.fr/cheval/invasor-girl-182451/

Fortin is entered in a one mile MSW at Gulfstream on April 8 for a purse of $60,350.

http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP040812USA-EQB.html#RACE4

[clh]

I think the longer races is the way to go with the Invasors. It may take them a while to get the hang of it, but give them time and they'll catch on. I have complete faith in them.

[Brigitte]

Al Aqsa was 4th in his mile race 10 lengths behind the winner. He earned $3,750.

Clh: If this race had been at a mile +70 like Al Aqsa's last race he'd have been 3d for sure - he was 4th by a neck and gaining. The pair that beat Al Aqsa last time were way out front again and ran every fraction of today's race faster. The mile was 1.9 seconds faster! Al Aqsa stepped up. But at 1 1/8 the front-runers would have come back to him after a mile in 1:37.50.

Let's see what McLaughlin does next. Trainers seem to think you gotta win short before trying long but at the same racetrack Five Sixteen broke his maiden at 1 1/8 miles.

http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/AQU040712USA3.pdf

[clh]

I have to think Brigitte they have more options than we had/have for Vader, but I don't know. We ran him where we did because we had no options whether it was short or long. In the beginning it was shorter races because well, that was all that Ohio had for the two year olds. I think they seem to think that the shorter races "break them in" slowly for the longer races but my mindset is that it just sets them up to losing . Send them out long because that is what they like. They get the short stuff in their work outs - ha! However, "I" am not a trainer so what the heck do I know. I just know what I observe and so far Allou's runners like it long. (It will be really interesting to see if and what they do with her Good Reward colt).

[Brigitte]

Fortin finished 4th, 11 1/2 lengths behind the winner. He earned $2330. He was "knocked sideways by Tiz Trouble at the start", then chased the pace 3 wide and tired. The aptly named Tiz Trouble "was done early and eased in the stretch". The winner made a hell of a debut: 1st at every call, romped by 8 1/2 lengths, and ran the mile in a hot 1:35.78 "while in hand".

http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GP040812USA4.pdf

Clh: I'm sure there are more options in NY than in Ohio. It makes sense to start a maiden short but I agree that sprinting them till they win makes no sense. A talented router might look like a poor sprinter and a string of losses can't be good for horse or trainer or owner. But I'm just a fan and what the heck do I know?

[Brigitte]

Invasor Girl finished 7th of 11 this time but was rated 0. They don't have comments up or course condition and only posted spacing (Ecart) for the first four. Sometimes they add info later. It was a mixed sex race and the 4 fillies came in 1,3,5,7.

http://www.zone-turf.fr/cheval/invasor-girl-182451/performances-detaillees/

Kollos is entered in a 6f $30,000 mcl at Keeneland for ages 3 and upward on April 11 on synthetic for a purse of $19,000.

http://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE041112USA-EQB.html#RACE1

Kollos' dam was a sprinter who ran fractions of 22.74 & a head back from 46.74 in her last. Dueling heritages, sprinter & distance often produce mediocrity in both, it's not a common cross. But sometimes ... what about Kollos? Late to develop, for a start. In his first race at 5f he gave way quickly. Wants the lead. His second race Jan 21 was at 7.5 and he led until headed in the upper stretch then gave way. In April he worked 4f in 47.80 faster than the 49.27 in his race, he's faster & stronger. Of course he's sprinting against 3 & older. The ML fave likes the lead, 2nd choice is a closer, and 3d choice a presser who stayed gamely for the place. Lots of competition out in front and a closer to pick up the pieces. Kollos is 20/1 and could surprise if he doesn't flame out ... tune in April 11. His trainer likes to roll the dice and just won a big one.

[Brigitte]

The highest Beyer for a 3 year old last week didn't go to any of the Kentucky Derby candidates. You guessed it, the 100 Beyer went to Graydar, winner of Fortin's MSW.

Golf Juan returns April 12 at Longchamp in a Handicap race at 1700 meters (about 8.5 f). The handicap weights are based on the ratings of the horses, which range from 320-340, the weight spread from 57-59 kg. Golf Juan is rated 330 and will carry 58 kg plus the jockey who won with him last time.

http://www.zone-turf.fr/cheval/golf-juan-140687/performances-detaillees/

[clh]

So far I'm not "real" excited about any three year olds this year (other than my own of course ) that will be running in the KY Derby. Hopefully I'll warm up to one of them soon.