What is pletcher thinking?

Derby2004 · Postby **Derby2004** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:04 am

Todd pletcher is now considering running the filly devil may care in the derby. Has he gotten so caught up in winning the derby that he'd put a filly that has raced 5 times with 3 wins in the second hardest race with 19 boys. Who has she beaten? She won the frizette but against who? She has never beaten the beat females. Now to my underlying dilemma about it, Jackson bend is sitting 21st right now. If she enters chances are his bubble will burst and he will be sitting in a stall during the derby. All I could think about when I read it was eight belles.

justinnich · Postby **justinnich** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:19 am

I'll give Pletcher one thing...he did say he thinks Devil May Care may be better the further she goes, and it seems that if she doesn't go in the Derby, she may go from the Oaks to the Belmont. If he really believes every furlong will help, the extra eighth (edited: originally had quarter here) may be the primary reason behind it. Plenty of the horses heading to the Derby could be considered tosses on distance alone. Who knows, maybe she'll be the only one with anything left in the tank when they hit the wire? Don't get me wrong, I'm not rooting for her to run in it though...I have a future bet on Jackson Bend (eep).

Derby2004 · Postby **Derby2004** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:23 am

So run her in the oaks first and see how she does against some good females. If she wins then send her to the Belmont or Preakness. I just think it's a bad move by a trainer wanting it too badly. He did say the distance will probably be better suited but with half the field being speed horses and then a couple of monster closers, that's asking too much out of her

diomed · Postby **diomed** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:23 am

Devil May Care is no Rags To Riches. I really hope he doesn't push her too much.
That's all we need to see is another Eight Belles fiasco.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:00 pm

i thought it was silly.. until i really sat down and thought about it and in reality she's his second best shot. seriously.

outside eskanderya pletcher has a gun loaded full of bebe's going into a war zone.

rule, super saver, interatfi, discreetly mine, mission will be impossible... would not suprised me if not one of them finished in the top 10. outside of rule, none of them are any good.

interactif has a feature on turf, but not on may 1st.

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:44 pm

Pletcher seems to be doing OK.Fact is i bet he has won more races than all of combined

griff

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:45 pm

That should read "than all of US combined"

griff

Derby2004 · Postby **Derby2004** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:56 pm

Of course he has won more than all of us combined. Hell he has what, 300 or more horses. But even year in and year out with the best horses he cannot win the derby. That's the point of the post griff. So now he wants to enter the filly to up his chances. I'd understand If she had won 2 or 3 grade 1 races against the best fillies, but she hasn't. Plus it would take all of the attention off of the derby beacaue everyone watching would be praying something didn't happen to the filly. Eight belles wasn't that long ago and the general public viewing will remember that. So give valid reasons why she should run. It's not because she's the best filly and has beaten the best.

IcouldbeU · Postby **IcouldbeU** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:59 pm

Why does she automatically have to be compared to Eight Belles? Wouldn't that be the same as comparing every male horse running in the Preakness to Barbaro?

I really would like to see more fillies running against colts so I am all for her running as long as she is healthy and has the $$ to make it in, let her run.

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:09 pm

Derby 2004

He should run the filly for the same reasons that the New Mexico owners ran that long shot gelding and that bunch in NY ran Funny Cide. running a horse in the Derby is not going to make a horse break down any quicker than running the same horse in a $5k claimer.

I expect ever horse I race to give their best when they come out of the gate and suspect they really don't know if they are running in the derby or not.

I'd run anything I had that could get in the derby just because they could get in.. My life's dream is to loose the Ky Derby; i.e., if I had a horse good enough to get in I'd be very very pleased.

And there is a reason Pletcher trains so many horses; he is a good trainer and people trust him with their horses.. More than they would trust me , or most other posters onn this board with their horses.

griff

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:17 pm

I would never train for any owner dumb enough to send a horse to someone like me.

Fireslam · Postby **Fireslam** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:25 pm

I didnt know Pletcher owned this filly. Because its usually up to the OWNER if a horse will run in the Derby, not the trainer.

Derby2004 · Postby **Derby2004** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:38 pm

First not every horse races in a 5k claimed against 19 of the best males in the country. Not the same pressure. Second I'm not against a filly takin on the boys. But has she warranted the risks? And about being compared to eight belles, 99.9 percent of the people who will watch the derby don't know diddly about horses or racing. They just like to watch this one race per year. So those people will remember eight belles. That's what I meant by everybody will be thinking of her if the filly races. But the whole point of the post is pletcher getting anything with 4 legs into a starting gate to win the race that eludes him year after year

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:12 pm

exactly the same pressure

if a $5k claimer is running agaist legitimate $5k claimers she/he will have to give every thing they have to win or even finish..

A horse is not smart enough to know if it's running in a derby or a $5k claimer and when they come out of the gate, they jockey, in either case, should ask the horses for everything it has..

Do you really think eight belles broke down because she was running agaist colts and geldings and would no9t have broken down if she had been running against fillies?/

griff

Derby2004 · Postby **Derby2004** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:03 pm

I honestly do believe she would not have broken down. She gave more in that race than any other 3 horses on that track that day. Had it been against fillies she wouldn't have had to give that much. But unfortunately we can go round and round in circles about it and both be wrong. Ask 100 people and give them devil may cares credentials on the track and see what the answer may be. I stand firm on my belief she should not go to the derby. Like I said before, had she won 2 or 3 grade 1 events against the best fillies, I would be all for it. But she hasn't beaten anyone. And funny cide and mine that bird can be thrown around all day long whether or not they shouldve been in the race. I think they are raising the risks by putting her in there.