And the Belmont Winner is....

[jagger]

Just curious. For those that voted for any horse other than Casino Drive or Big Brown, Tale of Ekati, Icabad Crane, Denis of Cork, Ready's Echo et al, does this mean that you actually think that they WILL win or are these the ones that you will be betting on because of the odds and that you HOPE that they will win?[/b]

[spex4me]

ummm hmmmmm *kicking dirt with toe*......
Being the one vote for Ready's Echo, I think he has just as good a shot as any other. Not to mention, he closes like a freight train. A mile and a half I can only see that benefitting him.

Hey Barbaro...just think what hot shots we'll look like if they run one two....hehehehhehe......wait do you hear snickering....I definitely hear snickering.

[jagger]

I will have to say that if I had to predict some horse other than BB or CD it would be Ready's Echo as he does have a spectacular conduit mare profile for distance and so the 1 1/2 should be no problem for him. Not so bad really. I'm not snickering

[Sam]

I could tell you if I actually remembered who I voted for. I think I poked Tale Of Ekati just because Chuck cracks me up.

Personally so long as it's a good RACE, not these bullshit cakewalks BB's done so far, I don't really care who wins. I just want to see a couple of horses challenge each other.

I have to say, I'm kind of surprised there aren't more votes for Brown. Kind of figured he'd have at least 50% of the votes.

[jagger]

I'm surprised too but it is early yet. Does anyone have an oppinion on who he looks like? I really don't know that much about the confirmation or looks of a horse but I think he is very good looking. TCish.

[jagger]

But Sam, it's not BB's fault that his races have been cakewalks He tried to make it more competitive by leaving from the 20th post in the Derby

Really, I think two things are at play here. I think he is a very exceptional horse and it is a sub par crop this year. Will a top 5 all time trip at Belmont give him the credit he deserves? Say 2:26ish? I don't think CD can get below 2:27. Neither Jazil or Rags did.

[Sam]

Will a top 5 all time trip at Belmont give him the credit he deserves?

From me? Knowing he won't race at 4 and will never face his elders at 3yo (assuming he wins in NY)? No.

About the only way he'll get any respect from me is if he beats/equals Secretariat's time.* Doesn't have to win by a half mile, but if he's going to earn a "great horse" moniker from me, then he's going to have to do more than just win the triple crown while beating up on a really mediocre crop of 3yos. He's going to have to make his last race count and the only way to do that is hit a world record.

I would rather see him lose the Belmont and win/2nd the BCClassic than win the Belmont and vanish into the fuzzy collective conscious as the champion of a pathetic triple crown.

*That said... IF he's actually challenged by someone for the length of the stretch and prevails -- REGARDLESS OF TIME -- he'll rise a few notches in my opinion. I won't think he's a great horse, but I'll think more of him. Especially if the horse that challenges him goes on to prove their merit later in the year/next year.

A horse that has never been challenged isn't a great horse. He's just a horse that's never been challenged. I've seen more than a few really good horses that run unchallenged snap like a twig when they get eyeballed. That's when you find out how gutless they really are.

[Twingirl]

Hi, newbie here.

Tomcito is missing from the poll.

[Twingirl]

Will a top 5 all time trip at Belmont give him the credit he deserves? Say 2:26ish? I don't think CD can get below 2:27. Neither Jazil or Rags did.

Jagger, I was reading this yesterday:

Big Brown won the Derby in 2:01+, 1:55+ to win the Preakness.

In the Bemont, he'll have to run at least :25 more than the Derby, roughly 2:26 to 2:28, to win.

Secretariat, as we know, ran it in 2:24:00. (Sam, I agree....I don't think Secretariat's record is at risk here either. )

But yeah, Sam, I think BB can do 2:26. Hoping.

[jagger]

He may not blow a hole in the wind but I think he'll put a pretty big dent in it. I think we may see the 2nd fastest Belmont.

[Playwithfire]

Big Brown is a very nice horse, but has he shown he can post fast times. Sure he hasn't been challenged too much but his Derby time was nothing special. And often horses post superior speed figs with an easy win. Not sure anybody can beat him but i doubt he'll post a time anywhere near Big Red's. The track variant on his past 3 races has indicated a very fast track, not sure it'll be like that on the Belmont surface. And that's without having "bad feet".

[aardvark]

I see spark candle is up to 4 votes. I thought I would be the only one.

I hope more than believe he will win Jagger. It depends on whether is is used as a rabbit or if his connections put a race plan together for him.

[Sam]

It depends on whether is is used as a rabbit or if his connections put a race plan together for him.

And once again I feel compelled to point out that, as far as I know, NO ONE connected with Spark Candle has said that he's being entered as a rabbit for Casino Drive. Everything I've seen with the word rabbit is coming from the media idiots who believe that if an owner runs two horses, that automatically means one is a rabbit.

If someone has a quote from the owner or trainer that expressly says they are running Spark Candle as a rabbit, I'd love to see it.

[spex4me]

I think a lot of that comes from the Peter Pan.....wouldn't it be freaking hilarious if Spark Candle proves to be the horse and not Casino Drive..... devious....almost an idea I myself would be proud to claim.

So far it appears that pedigree and GSV belongs to Spark and conduit belongs to Ready for distance. If I recall from the x factor part of the search I think, and don't quote me, Big Brown edges the rest out.

[aardvark]

never read it anywhere unless you count it here on this thread.

Regardless, they still need a better race plan for this race.