Personal Ensign

[bdw0617]

Might have been the best race I have seen all year. Ginger Punch was tested literarly down to the wire and won (I thought she lost) the head bob to Lemon Drop Mom. wasn't the best of trips.


great race

[Mahubah]

What a grand mare. She just keeps finding a way to win.

[Nessa]

Too bad her stablemate Spring Waltz(a mare who looked like she was going places) hasn't been given a chance to do sh*t this year. Poor Lynch must be stewing, after doing all that work to get Spring Waltz to the races and making her a potential star only to have her raced short by Frankel and then left in the barn for most of the year. Are they that desperate to get Ginger Punch a repeat as Eclipse older female that they are willing to waste a perfectly good racemare. Pathetic, too bad she isn't owned by someone who appreciates her ability.

[bdw0617]

I don't see why all the hostility towards Frankel. Actually Spring Waltz has been ultra consistant. She has proven that a mile and a quarter is not her thing.

Frankel does not run a horse if he does not think they can win. A hole as he may be, you are so much barking up the wrong tree questioning Frankel's training motives or abilities. This is the man who, and I forgot who exactly it was, but from what I heard, basically hung up on an owner who was baggering him about when is the next time his filly was going to run, and she was a grade 1 winner. he runs them when they are ready.

Spring Waltz is good but what has she done that makes you think she is on the same level as Ginger Punch and Zanyetta? Why not trust the hall of fame trainer?

[Nessa]

Spring Waltz's last race before the Delaware Handicap on July 13th, was the Rampart on March 10th which she won. Frankel scratched her from the June 16 Fleur de Lis at Churchill even, though he had already scratched her from the Phipps, why? No clue there.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NI ... bs=0&arc=1
Frankel said that Spring Waltz, whom he scratched out of the Phipps, will train up to the $1 million Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 13.
07/06/2008 BEL 5F 1:00.40 Dirt Fast B
06/29/2008 BEL 6F 1:13.84 Dirt Fast B
06/21/2008 BEL 5F 1:00.90 Dirt Good B
06/14/2008 BEL 5F 1:00.40 Dirt Fast H
06/07/2008 BEL 6F 1:14.65 Dirt Fast B
05/27/2008 BEL 5F 1:01.25 Dirt training Fast B

You are telling me after not racing since March, that four 5 furlong, and two 6 furlong works were going to make her sufficiently fit win a 1 1/4 mile race against top company. Why that makes total sense doesn't it.

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NI ... bs=0&arc=1
Frankel said Ginger Punch's next start, and final Breeders' Cup prep, would likely come in the Beldame at Belmont on Sept. 27, although he left open the possibility of bringing her back in the Personal Ensign here on Aug. 22.
You know how I change my mind," said Frankel. "I also have Spring Waltz for those races. I scratched her Saturday because I didn't have her ready for the Go for Wand, although I think she could have won that race too."

http://www.bloodhorse.com/article/46335 ... -punch.htm
"Who knows? I could change my mind and run [Ginger Punch] in the Personal Ensign," said Frankel. "There's good money. "I think she [Spring Waltz] could have won that race yesterday. She's a nice filly."

So Frankel doesn't think Spring Waltz has quality enough to win these kind of races or run in this company. The man's own words say that he thinks she's good enough. So why the continued scratches?

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NI ... bs=0&arc=1
Trainer Bobby Frankel entered Spring Waltz along with Ginger Punch for the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign. Both mares are owned by Frank Stronach, and barring any unforeseen issues, only Ginger Punch will start.
"I entered Spring Waltz in case something happens to Ginger Punch," Frankel said. "Otherwise, Spring Waltz will run in the Ruffian.".

The Ruffian won't be run until September 6th, which will mean that Spring Waltz will have had one race in almost 6 months and nothing else but works. One thing Spring Waltz has that Ginger Punch doesn't is proven form over a synthetic surface.

The question isn't what makes me she is as good as Ginger Punch and Zenyatta(her name is not Zanyetta(), but why she isn't being given a chance to prove that she is that good or not. Which if you go back and read the above rant is the question asked.

[smokeglacken]

I don't think that Ginger Punch ran her best today, but as Frankel has stated before, she has a lot of heart. Being her first time a 1 1/4 miles she still did what champions do. I think if she runs in the BC like she did today, Zenyatta beats her. If she runs back to her last 2 I think Ginger Punch beats her. I think Ginger Punch would have beaten Zenyatta in her last 2.

I agree that Frankel could have done a better job with spotting Spring's races. He should have had her campaign mapped out and not even thought about crossing Ginger. She'll get her chance now, but I agree will she then be race ready? Frankel does usually know how to bring them up to the big race though.

[Hotwalker]

love Ginger Punch, her talent and grit. It comes together over and over. Against Zenyatta, that will be interesting. Zenyatta will be in her backyard for the BC.