Invasor [ARG]

Discussion and analysis of thoroughbred stallions.

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Shergar
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Shergar » Thu Jul 02, 2015 4:44 pm

Al Faatik will have his work cut out for him. He will have to battle Hope n Pray for the lead. Then he will have to contend with Floating Feather who will most likely make the first run at the leaders.

Hope he does well, but my brother owns a part of Floating Feather, I will be cheering him on.

Shergar

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:38 pm

Lady Invador is entered in the George Weber Memorial Stakes at 6f July 5th at Arapahoe
She's entered on the basis of one dominating race among unplaced finishes and is the last ML choice.

Invasive Cocktail speed dueled at the start of his stakes debut today and finished last. Both he and Lady Invador scored dominating victories this year at the same venue: Albuquerque. Let's see what happens to her, she hasn't run well at Arapahoe.

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:04 pm

I was curious to see what strategy Ranjiv Maragh would use with Invading Humor in the Perfect Sting. I watched the video and I still don't know, whatever it was it didn't work. She never got involved in the race. She had PP1 and could have easily gone for the lead. That's what the winner did, then let another horse lead and pressed, then took over and held off the fast closing favorite by a nose. What if Invading Humor had been in that mix? Who knows. Maragh kept Invading Humor toward the rear to the inside - was she going to come from behind? He never found room on the inside that I could see, didn't swing her wide either. No room, not a long enough race to steady and go overland? There was 4 1/4 between the winner and Invading Humor in 8th - tight quarters.

Bummer, she didn't run well and get beat, she didn't run her race.

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:44 pm

Not a great 4th of July weekend for Invasor fans with 3 of his 4 stakes performers unplaced and the remaining stakes contender not given a big chance.

Al Faatik has a royal pedigree but sold for only $4,500 unraced. At five he was 25,1,0,2 at Golden Gate and had fallen pretty low in the claiming ranks, very disappointing for the son of Invasor and a G3 winner. He sometimes showed speed, sometimes not. When challenged he usually folded.

At Portland Meadows and Les Bois, with lesser competition and a new trainer he won claimers, then allowances (3 in a row). He also developed a will to win and stopped needing the lead. Today he moved up in class to a stakes and became

Al Faatik, Stakes Winner.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15USA6.pdf

Shergar, Al Faatik really was an ugly duckling, can't help crowing. Fun to have a brother with part of a stakes horse.

Shergar
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Shergar » Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:07 am

Congratulations to Al Faatik. I thought he was in a bit deep, but he really stepped up and ran well. He was able to sit off the early pace and he blew right by the front runner.

Shergar.

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Sun Jul 05, 2015 3:56 pm

I owe Albuquerque an apology. Lady Invador was a dominant front running winner of an MSW at Albuquerque, failed with that strategy in 2 allowances at Arapahoe then tried coming from 6th (last) in an Arapahoe stakes that was run faster. She got 4th with a long way to go, she's a work in progress. Invasive Cocktail fried up in his stakes debut. Nothing to see here.

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:07 pm

Street Invader got in a three way speed duel at the start of an allowance at Parx. He won the speed duel then won the mile&70 race.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15USA8.pdf

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:21 pm

Tapering broke his maiden in Ireland in a 1 1/4 mile race on turf where he came from behind to win by 2 1/4 lengths going away. It was his 3d race. His debut was at 1 1/2 miles and he was 8th as a would be front runner, His second was at 1 1/4 and he was 4th as a would be front runner. Oh no, here we go again! But this time his jockey got some good advice from Tapering's exercise rider (see the article, below
Tapering breaks Maiden.tiff
Tapering breaks Maiden.tiff (554.99 KiB) Viewed 1921 times
).
http://www.irishracing.com/result?prn=N ... 1507101735

This is only the second time an Invasor ended up in a claiming race. No horse was claimed so Tapering gets one more chance, hopefully with the new riding style. He's only 3 and won't be at his best until 4 or older - if he's not used up. The striking difference between racing in the UK and the USA is distance and turf. As in the USA horses need to show up at 3. If they don't there are 2 options: hurdles or lots of minor races, or both. Good luck to Tapering, a great looking colt and clearly no sprinter. Even in the UK it's unusual to start a horse out at 1 1/2.

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Fri Jul 10, 2015 3:41 pm

Succesful Brothers added another second place to his collection in a 50K claimer on Turf at 1 1/16. This second (his 11th) was frustrating because Succesful Brothers had the lead at the upper stretch and was beaten by a head on the last jump. The race was a serious bumper car race, slam! bam! There was a stewards Inquiry as well as a call of foul against the winner - but the stewards really would have had to disqualify most of the field. They let it stand.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15USA6.pdf

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:10 pm

Holy Invader won a 1 1/16 turf race at Belmont, it was his 9th victory. He ran 3 wide in range, took the lead in the upper stretch and repelled a challenge in the final 1/16 for the win.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15USA1.pdf

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Sun Jul 19, 2015 11:59 pm

Lady Invador was dropped in class and won a 6f sprint by 4 1/2 coming from midpack and going 5 wide. She won as a dominant front-runner at Albuquerque, failed as a front runner in 2 Arapahoe Allowances, tried being a closer in a stakes and finished 4th. Midpack seems to suit her, they should try another ALW. Her connections should be patient - she's only 3 and will not be in form until next year, earliest. They probably think she's not all that promising because our racing world revolves around 3 year olds.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15USA8.pdf

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:32 pm

Empress Giok was third of 12 in a 1200m turf race in Malaysia. There was a comment on the site that her career went on hold because of enforced timeout due to bleeding. She's the only one - that we know of. It could explain why her races vary and there are gaps. Good luck to her!
http://www.turfclub.com.sg/Racing/Pages ... ult/3846/9

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Wed Jul 22, 2015 10:00 pm

Betray the Dark won her second allowance, this time at 5f on turf. Now she's won sprints on dirt, turf and synthetic. It will be interesting to see if they try her on turf at Woodbine and if they drop her in class and run her longer as they have in the past.
http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pd ... 15CAN7.pdf

Brigitte
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Brigitte » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:13 pm

I emailed Kent Barnes at Shadwell that Al faatik was Invasor's 5th stakes winner and sent him the chart. He replied that Al Faatik had lots of leg problems when he was young so it was great that he overcame them. So THAT's why he was sold for a measly $4,500. Presumably the problems were with his conformation. There's a mountain of stuff you never know from reading about horses and looking at charts. The only hint in the charts was that in several races he "lugged out" in a turn. I remember commenting on that and that it should be dealt with. I thought he would be better off in longer races at a slower pace. Could be. His fastest race, close to the track record, was at 1 1/8.

Al Faatik has a full brother Mawj Tamy, a year younger, that races in the UK. Mawj Tamy only raced 10 times. His first 2 races were at a mile. The other 8, flat and over hurdles, were from 10f to 2 miles on turf. Presumably Mawj Tamy has no conformation problems but he has a sawtooth record like his bro and is still a maiden. It wasn't all about legs. What is better, winning a sprint stakes at Les Bois Park but never racing to your potential in distance/surface or racing in Turf Heaven against the best but being discarded before you're at your best?

Here's Mawj Tamy:
http://www.irishracing.com/horse?name=M ... prt=459146

Shergar
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Re: Invasor [ARG]

Postby Shergar » Thu Jul 23, 2015 11:15 am

Brigitte:

Al Faatick has been nominated to the $40,000 added Historical Racing Stakes to be held at Les Bois Park on July 29th. There were 16 nominations and I don't recall exactly where he stands on the earnings list.

Floating Feather was nominated, but he ran in, and won, the Willie Fiddle Stakes last night. I imagine he will not run in the Historical Racing Stakes.

FF's defection will move Al Faatik up the list.

Entries will be up Saturday the 25th.

Shergar