She was more bold than Steely Dan and did the Dirty Work and still held on, dueling with an extremely fresh horse. I think her goal from here should be the Alabama, then fry some bigger fish in the fall. Whether she handles the track or not today she did some running, a softer spot would be nice to freshen her up rather than a battle in the Belmont.
Congrats to Jess Jackson, he stuck his head out there and came out a winner, that's what sports is all about
my thoughts on the preakness
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Re: What ifs....
Joltman wrote:What if -
1. MTB only had to run 1 1/8 in the Derby and had a tad more left in the tank.
2. This race went 1/16 longer and RA saw MTB coming.
3. RA skips the Belmont - does Calvin have a mount?
IMO RA ran an incredible race. Its very difficult for a horse to hook up with a front runner, put that one away and have anything left in the stretch, especially if she was not handling the footing well. BTW, when was 'handling the footing' anything other than an excuse for losing - yet this was a winning effort?
MTB was awesome. If he finds a crack between horses earlier somewhere and doesnt go so wide, he wins.
jm
I agree. When I saw RA hooked up with that speed horse early, I thought, "Uh-oh", but she held on. With an extra 1/16 or if he doesn't have to go wide, MTB might have collared her.
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karenkarenn
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Twingirl
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Strategic Maneuver wrote: not to say she's not up to the Belmont, but I keep thinking about Rags and wondering if it wouldn't be better for RA to skip the Belmont and get ready for Saratoga.
So it's okay for MTB to run the Belmont, 3 races in 6 weeks, but she can't do it and needs a rest? And yet she is the *better* horse to hear most tell it.
Please explain.
I hope MTB doesn't run in the BM. He has nothing more to prove, and he lost the Preak. Why ruin the horse by over running him?
Esp. if RA can't do the race, either.
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karenkarenn
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Personally I think it would be vindication for MTB in a longer race against her. Twin I dont know if you saw the Preakness but MTB was closing. Yeah I agree that Smith took him wide and it cost him a little. But its very interesting to see rachel extended and a MTB. Since his sire won the Belmont, why not... I dont think that shes 'Better" because she carried less weight. But the three races are also there to determine who is better.
Also as a personal note Im watching Smart Strike as a broodmare sire...I dont think that she cant do it.. I think we are all wondering just how far ego will go with both these horses.
Also as a personal note Im watching Smart Strike as a broodmare sire...I dont think that she cant do it.. I think we are all wondering just how far ego will go with both these horses.
It's nice that the Starlight & partner folks were so afraid of a filly running in the Preakness and getting hurt...I guess they lost sight of the fact that their horse didn't belong...maybe they find a more realistic spot for their horse now, so he doesn't hurt himself, if he didn't today.
btw she's better than Ashado fellas
btw she's better than Ashado fellas
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bdw0617
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AscotStud wrote:It's nice that the Starlight & partner folks were so afraid of a filly running in the Preakness and getting hurt...I guess they lost sight of the fact that their horse didn't belong...maybe they find a more realistic spot for their horse now, so he doesn't hurt himself, if he didn't today.
btw she's better than Ashado fellas
I am going to commit a horse racing sin... I think she's better than ruffian. iMHO ruffian was better as a 2YO than 3YO
I do not think she was better (yet) than shuvee or ta wee going a short.
she's in that class now. that's what a little risk taking will do for ya.
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oliverstoned
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Too bad JJ didn't buy her before the Derby. How big of story would it have been if a filly was going for the Triple Crown. How about the fact that if they went through with the evil plot to keep RA out of the Preakness MTB would be going for the triple. So happy to see MTB dust PON on a DRY track.......ha ha. Ah yes and Musket Man is awesome!
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bdw0617
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oliverstoned wrote:Too bad JJ didn't buy her before the Derby. How big of story would it have been if a filly was going for the Triple Crown. How about the fact that if they went through with the evil plot to keep RA out of the Preakness MTB would be going for the triple. So happy to see MTB dust PON on a DRY track.......ha ha. Ah yes and Musket Man is awesome!
had they done that and she caputred the first two legs, I'd start walking to elmont from little rock now.
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Twingirl
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karenkarenn wrote:But the three races are also there to determine who is better.
Well that's sort of my point. How will we determine who is better if they don't continue to run against each other?
If RA begs off the Belmont, what would be the point of MTB going? He's got to be one tired little horse after all this, not to mention the first horse in history to lose his Derby jockey. IMHO he's had a ton of bad breaks overall.
I saw the race. However, is it me.......I didn't see the jubilant Calvin I saw on MTB. Why?
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bdw0617
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I think he was suprised at how much it took out of her.
when they hit the turn I knkew the race was in the bag, you just arne't going to catch a classy filly or colt like that. I was wondering how much is she going to win by and then he sat her down and she started spinning her wheels.
I think he was more preplexed than anything.[list[/list]
when they hit the turn I knkew the race was in the bag, you just arne't going to catch a classy filly or colt like that. I was wondering how much is she going to win by and then he sat her down and she started spinning her wheels.
I think he was more preplexed than anything.[list[/list]
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bdw0617
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oh I almost forgot, did you catch Zayat's post race interview? everyone on the HRTV set looked like they wanted to slap him.
If you missed it, here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdNaE-ucu0
If you missed it, here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdNaE-ucu0
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I have an odd reaction. I don't think that I'm alone.
The broadcast after the race had the same feel. For having witnessed a fantastic race featuring two very appealing horses, the announcers and the whole aura of the moment afterward seemed drained and hollow. It was the flattest reaction possible, given what had just taken place.
I came to the conclusion: wrong race, wrong time, this messed up a potentially dramatic developing story line that might have lasted 6 more months. It "screwed the movie" about 35 minutes after the opening credits. That was a great effort by the winner, but the way things developed, we didn't witness the next Spectacular Bid, let alone Man o' War.
I was expecting a convincing, open-length victory by RA, and the exposure of a flawed, previously lucky gelding. Instead I got the feel that the race was won by a horse vulnerable to more ground, and possibly something more to prove.
What hit me more is that, now that the plot line for the TC races has already been settled, neither horse belongs in the Belmont stakes. I think that it would be a mistake, and could possibly rob what drama is left for the season. The last thing that I want to see is RA beaten by one of the other competitive horses, while an exhausted MTB finishes third or thereabouts. That would completely end any remaining excitement, and distort the abilities of the two best American horses in training.
The wow factor left the building yesterday. The hunger for a supermatch in the fall has been used up already. What happens from here on out will be interesting to horse racing fans, but will be anticlimatic to the general public. And if MTB should eke out a win in the Belmont, so what?
The broadcast after the race had the same feel. For having witnessed a fantastic race featuring two very appealing horses, the announcers and the whole aura of the moment afterward seemed drained and hollow. It was the flattest reaction possible, given what had just taken place.
I came to the conclusion: wrong race, wrong time, this messed up a potentially dramatic developing story line that might have lasted 6 more months. It "screwed the movie" about 35 minutes after the opening credits. That was a great effort by the winner, but the way things developed, we didn't witness the next Spectacular Bid, let alone Man o' War.
I was expecting a convincing, open-length victory by RA, and the exposure of a flawed, previously lucky gelding. Instead I got the feel that the race was won by a horse vulnerable to more ground, and possibly something more to prove.
What hit me more is that, now that the plot line for the TC races has already been settled, neither horse belongs in the Belmont stakes. I think that it would be a mistake, and could possibly rob what drama is left for the season. The last thing that I want to see is RA beaten by one of the other competitive horses, while an exhausted MTB finishes third or thereabouts. That would completely end any remaining excitement, and distort the abilities of the two best American horses in training.
The wow factor left the building yesterday. The hunger for a supermatch in the fall has been used up already. What happens from here on out will be interesting to horse racing fans, but will be anticlimatic to the general public. And if MTB should eke out a win in the Belmont, so what?