The Man

General on-topic discussion.

Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Mar 22, 2015 4:27 pm

I don't want to sound like a Baffert cheerleader, but there just seems to be no end to his very good three year colts this year. His latest new winner today is a horse named The Man. The Man won a MSW race today at 5.5 furlongs in 1:03:66, which I think is a pretty good time. It was his fourth race, but he came close in a couple of others, losing by a length and finishing 3rd in his very first race when the winners time was 1:02 and change for 5.5 furlongs. That is pretty fast.

I don't know if he will stretch out, or just remain a sprinter. The Man finished 2nd in his 2nd race, a 7 furlong MSW race in which he led for more than 6 furlongs (1:09 and change for the 6F) but was caught in the stretch by a fast closing horse.

He likes to be on the lead, and I think that he will be hard to beat at 5.5 F or 6F. Not sure after that. His sire (Ecclesiastic) and BM sire (Northern Afleet) both were mostly sprinters, but both won at over a mile, so maybe the same will be true of The Man.

BTW, Ecclesiastic is bred similar to Tapit, who might be the best stallion in the country right now. The Man is inbred to Mr. Prospector 4x5x4, but hasn't any other inbreeding through 5 generations. He also has Fappiano in his 4th generation and Nureyev in the 4th from his dam's side. Can't hurt.

Anyway, if he stays healthy, I can see him winning graded stakes up the road with his speed.
Shawklit Won.

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Mon Mar 23, 2015 12:03 am

So, where does The Man go next? I suspect that he will stay in a sprint race, probably at 6 or 6.5 furlongs, or maybe even 7 furlongs. But does he go into a graded stakes race or a listed stakes, or maybe an allowance race.

One race that could be possible is the San Pedro Stakes, a $75,000. listed stakes race at 6 furlongs on 4/12/15 at Santa Anita for three year old colts and geldings (and maybe fillies). That may be a good place to go next because it is a good distance for The Man and maybe the jump to a graded stakes would be tough at this stage of his career. If he does well in the San Pedro, then...

Of course, I have no idea what is really next for The Man. Anyone here have any ideas?
Shawklit Won.

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Mon Mar 23, 2015 1:31 pm

I didn't mean that does anyone here know what The Man's next race is going to be. About the only ones that might know that is Bob Baffert and maybe his wife (who is part owner of The Man), and his assistants.

Let me put it this way, if we were Bob Baffert, then what kind of race do you think The Man would be a good fit for. I already mentioned the San Pedro Stakes, but maybe an entry level allowance sprint would be a better choice. Maybe he is ready for graded stakes company, and maybe he can stretch out. Maybe a grass race because he has some turf in his pedigree {Nureyev in his 4th generation, Nijinsky in his 5th and 6th, Round Table and his full sister Monarchy in his 5th, Secretariat, who ran well on grass, in his fifth, and some of Pulpit's grandsons have raced well on grass (The Man is a grandson of Pulpit)}.

Anyway, it is kind of fun to try and pretend we are in Bob Baffert's shoes and see what we would do, and if Baffert does the same. I have him going into the San Pedro Stakes on 4/12, but whatever Bob Baffert does will probably be the right decision.

Of course, I expect that The Man will eventually run in graded stakes races (and win some).
Shawklit Won.

User avatar
dublino
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1595
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:54 am

Re: The Man

Postby dublino » Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:50 am

Stop arguing with yourself you sound crazier than me now.... :lol:
Edited by Moderator

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Tue Mar 24, 2015 2:13 pm

I may be crazy, but there is no argument here. My uneducated guess is that The Man will race on 4/12 in the San Pedro Stakes. I wonder if others here have opinions on this (where The Man should race next)? Educated and uneducated guesses are welcome, as well as crazy ones. Dublino, do you have an opinion about this?
Shawklit Won.

User avatar
dublino
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1595
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:54 am

Re: The Man

Postby dublino » Wed Mar 25, 2015 2:16 am

My opinion would be never argue with yourself you just can't win or lose.
Edited by Moderator

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:15 am

I am aware that people here are not responding to my posts, but evidently, people are reading them. So, some people must be finding something interesting in them. If no one was reading them, then I probably wouldn't bother writing them.

As far as The Man goes, when I see a good prospect, sometimes I like to follow their careers for awhile and even try to guess what the connections are going to do next with them. Sometimes I guess right, and sometimes I am completely wrong. I enjoy that sort of thing, trying to analyze things.

I still have The Man running in the San Pedro Stakes on the 12th of April (hopefully not the 12th of never).
Shawklit Won.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: The Man

Postby geowarrior » Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:56 pm

Well, for what it's worth, I'm not sure The Man is top flight and I think we may be more likely to see him in a first level allowance.

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Mar 25, 2015 1:23 pm

Thanks for the response and you may be right. It should be interesting to see.
Shawklit Won.

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri Mar 27, 2015 2:18 pm

I think that if The Man enters a 5.5F allowance (N1X), then you may see a repeat of his last race. The Man going straight to the front and nobody catching him. A 5.5 allowance sprint may give The Man the best chance to win, but Baffert may have other ideas. He might want to enter him in a longer race so that he learns something. But then again, a win is a win.
Shawklit Won.

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:50 am

The Man is nominated to the San Pedro Stakes (4/12) and he had a 5F workout today. A couple of other Baffert colts are also nominated: Fame and Power, and Gimme Da Lute. Gimme Da Lute just won a $200K stakes race yesterday, so I am sure that he won't be entered in the 6F San Pedro. Fame and Power looks like he could be tough.

There are other good colts nominated as well, so it won't be any walkover like The Man's last race, if he does enter it. Bench Warrant is one, and he is already a stakes winner.

I believe that The Man can be competitive in the San Pedro and maybe win it, but it won't be easy.

As far as entry level allowance races at Santa Anita, I haven't seen anything appropriate for The Man in the condition book. The closest I have seen is a 6.5F on turf. The rest are at a mile or over, but Baffert might want to try The Man in a longer race, to see what he can do.

Of course, condition books are not always exact. There are very often changes in the races actually run.
Shawklit Won.

User avatar
Mahubah
Freshman Sire
Posts: 2774
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 2:23 pm
Location: Lake City, Florida

Re: The Man

Postby Mahubah » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:36 pm

Should be an interesting race. Certainly no cakewalk; if The Man wins this one, he's got some real ability.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Sun Apr 05, 2015 4:17 pm

Thanks, and I agree.
Shawklit Won.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: The Man

Postby geowarrior » Wed Apr 08, 2015 1:13 pm

Well done Shawklit, your guess was better than mine!

Shawklit Won
Starters Handicap
Posts: 571
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: The Man

Postby Shawklit Won » Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:44 pm

Not necessarily. We find out for sure tomorrow when we see the entries for Sunday at Santa Anita.

Maybe Bob Baffert would have put him in a entry level allowance race if there was a sprint on dirt at Santa Anita anytime soon, but I don't think that there is.

BTW, Fame and Power is entered in a stakes race at either Keeneland or Oaklawn Saturday. I forget which track.
Shawklit Won.