2015 Triple Crown Series: Where Will These Horses Run Next?

[Bobster]

What are some of your favorite three-year-olds from the Triple Crown Races Summer plans for racing? Here's the scoop.

http://regalbloodlines.com/2015/06/11/2 ... rses-next/

[Aug27]

Neat blog ... thanks!
Sounds like the Ohio Derby might be shaping up as a pretty good race, with several of the TC 'also rans' having it in their sights.
AP going to the Haskell, with its million dollar purse and Bob Baffert's past success in that race makes sense.

As far as him actually trying to set a mark of winning a certain number of $1M races doesn't do much for me: I'm sure Affirmed and Spectacular Bid would have had five or more if the purses back in those days were commensurate with their status. {I think the Bid was running for $300K in his TC series.}

Before the Breeders' Cup, how many $1M dirt races were there? Arlington Million on turf, but other than that ... ?!

In the decade of the 1990s, we averaged about 16 $1M races per year in the US.
In the decade of the 2000s, we averaged 26 such races per year.
In the first half of the decade of the 2010s, we've averaged something like 34 $1M races each year, so the number of opportunities is more than double what it was in the '90s.
I think there were over 40 million dollar races last year.

Anyway, it will be very interesting to see how things shake out the second half of 2015!

[Cree]

Firing Line is out of the Los Alamitos Derby with a foot issue. I am wondering if he will be the same after those tough races in the spring.

[Cree]

Firing Line is out for the year with an injury. NO surprise there.

Bloodhorse article: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... st-of-2015

[geowarrior]

I don't have DRF plus. What kind of injury is it?

[TJ]

Hi Geo,
He had a foot abscess and could have been able to race again as a 3YO. His trainer decided giving him a break now and sending him to the farm for 90 days while the hoof heals is a better option. Callaghan believes he still needs to mature and expects it will pay dividends when he returns for a 4YO campaign. Not to mention, American Pharoah won't be around next year allowing Firing Line's stock to go up quite a bit:>) TJ

[Cree]

I really think these races take their toll on these horses. I always get disappointed when they go off form or retire after the TC races, but it happens every year.
Firing Line put in some serious efforts all spring, he deserves a break. I just wonder if he will come back the same - sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It seems fair to at least give him a chance to grow up and heal whatever ails him. I think he would be a nice horse in the Handicap division in CA next year.
They don't seem to be releasing much more than he had a foot injury (but it says that has cleared up). Seems to just be nagging things.

On a side note - at the Queens Plate I enjoyed listening to a photographer/media guy talk about how Belmont was sprayed and watered down to make the track "muddy" for American Pharoah in his TC bid, since he likes the muck. The photographer also said that nobody tried to get to him, and that the race was fixed.

Anyway...

[TJ]

I really think these races take their toll on these horses. I always get disappointed when they go off form or retire after the TC races, but it happens every year.
Firing Line put in some serious efforts all spring, he deserves a break. I just wonder if he will come back the same - sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It seems fair to at least give him a chance to grow up and heal whatever ails him. I think he would be a nice horse in the Handicap division in CA next year.
They don't seem to be releasing much more than he had a foot injury (but it says that has cleared up). Seems to just be nagging things.

On a side note - at the Queens Plate I enjoyed listening to a photographer/media guy talk about how Belmont was sprayed and watered down to make the track "muddy" for American Pharoah in his TC bid, since he likes the muck. The photographer also said that nobody tried to get to him, and that the race was fixed.

Anyway...

Hi Cree,
I agree with you....he should be a factor in the handicap ranks next season. He had to be extremely muscle sore after that splay legged start he had in the Preakness...then add the foot issue and his stride would have been effectively compromised. His trainer is sharp and made the right call to stop on him and give him a well deserved break. Time to mature, grow into his massive frame and time enough to grow out some new healthy hoof.
Speaking of sharp, sounds like a pretty sharp photographer...race fixing and water trucks dropping enough water on Belmont's mile and a half oval to make it sloppy enough to assure Pharoah would win the Triple Crown . TJ

[Cree]

I agree, Firing Line will be a sight to see when he fills out and bulks up. He had to be one of the best looking horses this year in the TC races. He just glowed.

I see Stanford is making a try for it in the Long Branch at Monmouth this weekend. Good luck to him.

As for the "fix" comment by the photographer - I was wearing sunglasses and a big hat and probably looked like a girl with no clue, but I was listening and I had a good laugh about it.

[geowarrior]

Love that photographer story, Cree.

Let's hope that Firing Line enjoys his rest and is ready to go next year.